Here are a few news items for Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024:
Penn Hills playground damaged
Penn Hills fire officials are looking into vandalism and damage at the newly improved Rosedale VFD Memorial Park.
Fencing around the park was discovered ripped down on Tuesday.
“We’re discouraged to see this damage performed,” Rosedale fire officials said in a statement posted to Facebook. “With recent improvements this summer, our organization was aiming to have the park opened daily for the community to enjoy.”
Penn Hills officials along with the Rosedale Civic Association, Butera Foundation and Petrucci Foundation helped support efforts to improve the park.
Anyone with information is asked to call the fire company at 412-798-0412.
2nd gun in 2 days found at Pittsburgh airport
For the second day in a row, federal transportation safety officials stopped a passenger from bringing a loaded gun through the main security checkpoint in Pittsburgh International Airport.
Christopher B. Batson, 39, of Pittsburgh had a 9mm handgun, with bullet in the chamber, in his carry-on bag on Tuesday. Transportation Safety Administration officers saw the gun on an X-ray machine and took Batson into custody.
Allegheny County Police said Batson does not have a license to carry a firearm and expect to file misdemeanor charges against him.
“If you own a firearm, do not bring it to a checkpoint. Just don’t,” said Pittsburgh TSA Federal Security Director Karen Keys-Turner. “If you must travel with your gun, the proper way to do it is to make sure it’s unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter.”
Keys-Turner said the presence of undeclared weapons presents a safety hazard to the public, as well as the inconvenience of being delayed while the situation is dealt with.
“This individual can expect that TSA will issue him a very costly federal civil penalty,” she said.
On Monday, TSA officers found a .380-caliber gun in 31-year-old Cajaya D. Gordon-Morrison’s bag. The Miami resident was charged with carrying an unlicensed firearm, and faces an Aug. 26 preliminary hearing in Judge Randy Martini’s Elliott court.
The TSA reports 29 guns have been found so far in 2024. Allegheny County Police report that charges have been filed against 11 passengers. The airport is on pace to exceed last year’s total of 44 guns found.
The free MyTSA app is available with information about what items passengers can bring with them. They can also text “travel” to 275872 with questions.
Bell tower catches fire at Avalon church
No injuries were reported in a fire Tuesday night at a former church in Avalon.
TribLive news partner WTAE reported that the county fire marshal is investigating a fire that broke out in the bell tower of a former California Avenue church in Avalon around 10 p.m.
Fire crews were able to quickly contain the flames.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.