Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 28:
Rostraver Elementary boosts police presence amid weapons, fight threats
Belle Vernon Area School District Superintendent Timothy Glasspool said there will be increased police presence Friday following weapons and fighting threats made by students at Rostraver Elementary.
The letter was released to the community Thursday and posted on the district’s Facebook page.
Administrators were made aware that “several students” in grades 2-5 on bus 14 were overheard discussing weapons and potential fighting in the neighborhood, Glasspool wrote.
One student made a statement about bringing a gun on the school bus Friday, which was “of particular concern,” he said.
The Rostraver Township Police Department is investigating the matter, and Glasspool said administrators discussed the incident with the parent of the student who was the target of the threats.
An officer will be present at the bus stop Friday and at Rostraver Elementary School, he said, and a district representative will ride the bus Friday.
McKees Rocks paramedic searching for kidney donation
Rick Ward, who has served as a paramedic for over three decades, is searching for a kidney, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
He lost a kidney 54 years ago due to a traumatic accident, and it hadn’t greatly impacted his health until 2024 — when he had a stroke.
Ward, 61, of McKees Rocks says doctors told him a living kidney donation would be his best option.
Potential donors can see if they are a match for donation through UPMC’s Transplant Services site.
Next phase of McKnight Road construction to begin
Starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, McKnight Road’s southbound traffic will shift into the northbound lanes for the final phases of a construction project in the North Hills.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will begin working on the bridge over Babcock Boulevard — creating a new traffic configuration, according to PennDOT.
The shift, which will include one lane in each direction, both in the northbound lanes, between Ross Municipal Drive and Brookview Lane, will last through late April.
The on-ramp from Babcock Boulevard to southbound McKnight Road will be closed as well, and traffic will be rerouted.