This week, we’re asking readers to tell us, what is the worst intersection in Moon or Robinson? Moon officials are preparing a plan to revamp the intersection of Montour Run and Beaver Grade roads. The intersection, which straddles both Robinson and Moon townships, becomes congested during commuting hours. Marv Eicher, president of the Moon Board of Supervisors, told Patch that intersection improvements at the Thorn Run Interchange and the intersection at University Boulevard and Campus Drive, are among the township's goals for the 2013. So, we want to know, are there other intersections …

What questions do you have for the candidates vying to serve the Pennsylvania state house's 44th district? In November, Republican incumbant Mark Mustio will take on Democrat Mark Scappe for the district, which includes both Moon and Robinson.  The two share Moon Township roots: Mustio, a former chairman of the Moon Board of Supervisors, lost his bid to replace former Sen. John Pippy in the spring Republican primary for the 37th senatorial district. Scappe, meanwhile, was unseated from the Moon Area School Board, where he served as president, during the 2011 municipal race.  Now, we want you …

Paid parental leave and employee wellness programs make the Robinson Township-based Bayer Corp. one of the best companies in the country for working mothers, according to a parenting magazine.  Working Mother magazine has named the pharmacuetical company, which maintains offices on Bayer Road, as one of the top 100 in the country for working moms.  The company has earned a spot on the list for nine of the past ten years, according to a company statement.  Companies were evaluated on employee work/life balance, including company culture, benefits and flexible work arrangements. Working Mother …

A Mississippi teacher is circulating a petition online requesting that Dick's Sporting Goods discontinue the sale of high-powered ammunition in light of a Colorado movie theater massacre that killed 12 and wounded 58.  The petition, which has gained more than 4,000 signatures, asks the national sporting goods retailer, which is headquartered in Moon Township, to stop selling high-capacity magazines in its stores and online.   24-year-old James Holmes is charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder after Colorado police said he opened fire last month in a theater during…

It's a controversy about much more than fried chicken. Supporters of the restaurant Chick-fil-A converged yesterday on the fast food franchise's locations across the country, including one on Costco Drive in Robinson, to show support of the Georgia-based company amid recent controversy regarding its stance on LGBT rights.  Chick-fil-A drew criticism last month after its president said he and the company stand against gay marriage. The restaurant franchise has also made several high-price donations to organizatons that oppose same-sex marriage, such as the Marriage & Family Foundation.  The …

Robert Morris University has filed for a partial tax exemption for its Pittsburgh Airport Holiday Inn property on University Boulevard, reports the Post-Gazette.  The university purchased the 10-story hotel for $10 million during a 2011 Allegheny County Sheriff's sale.  RMU houses students on the first-three floors of the building, operating the rest of the facility as a hotel and banquet venue under the Holiday Inn brand.  The Moon-based university, which is readying to complete several on-campus construction projects, has requested that Moon Township amend its zoning ordinance to allow …

A deal is in the works to avoid drastic cuts to Port Authority service this fall, according to a report by KDKA. According to the report, negotiations between state, county and union officials are underway to avoid a one-third cut in service—including all service in the Plum, Oakmont and Verona area—on Sept. 2. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald told KDKA that if the union, management, and county can come up with about $30 million, Gov. Tom Corbett will match that amount and restore service. If an agreement isn't reached, the Port Authority most likely will move forward with the …

Disgraced ex-Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on 45 counts of child sex abuse Friday night, likely resulting in a life sentence for the 68-year-old.  The guilty verdicts include 25 felony counts. Combined, Sandusky could be sentenced to 442 years in prison. The Centre Daily Times, WPXI, The Associated Press, The Huffington Post and numerous other local and national news organizations reported the news within minutes of the verdict's release. Television shots of the courthouse showed a crowd outside cheering when the verdict was made public just after 10 p.m…

Graduation season is coming to a close, and many members of the Moon and Montour classes of 2012 will soon head off to begin their college careers.  New data from the U.S. Department of Education released this week reveals just how much some recent grads will fork over in tuition.  Bucknell University in Lewisburg captures the state's top spot with a gold-plated tuition price tag of $42,342 per year, the seventh highest in the country. Room and board or other fees will set you back another $10,000, at least, and expect to pay more in the future: the school has set yearly tuition for the class…

Gov. Tom Corbett wants to give Shell Oil tax credits worth $1.65 billion over 25 years so the company will build a refinery in western Pennsylvania to capitalize on the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom, according to Businessweek.  Corbett says the deal could help reinvigorate manufacturing in Pennsylvania and create jobs. Critics, however, say Shell would probably bring its business to the state without the tax incentives. Corbett has also been criticized for cutting social service and school funding. Shell is the world's second largest company by revenue and made profits of $31 billion last …

In a Monday editorial, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at wrangling between Crescent Township officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At the center of the dispute is Shouse Park, a municipal green that was shuttered one year ago because the hillside roadway leading up to it, McCutcheon Way, had deteriorated.  Township officials last year said the road had begun to sink and slide downhill and posed a safety threat to park-goers and motorists. Duquesne Light in recent months moved utility wiring on the road so residents do not lose power as a result of poles being pushed in the …

President Obama made headlines yesterday during an ABC News interview when he said he supports same-sex couples ability to marry. The president, who in the past had supported civil union parternships for gay couples, said that his stance on the subject has "evolved" since he took office in 2008. Obama said while he supports same-sex marriage, he believes it is within a state's right to regulate such unions. Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncun in recent days both expressed support for gay marriage.  From Obama's ABC interview:  "I have to tell you that over the course …

District officials at a Moon Area School Board meeting in April unveiled a proposal for a pay-to-participate program for the district's student athletes. District spokeswoman Megan Edwards said the plan includes a $100 per student or $250 per family fee. Waivers would be available for disadvantaged families and the program would raise approximately $60,100 for the district's athletics department.  The school board has taken no action on the proposal, which would be implemented as a cost-savings measure.  School board members have said they intend to balance the district's 2013 budget, which …

Dunkin' Donuts opened its doors today on the corner of Carnot and Beaver Grade roads.  The breakfast eatery, located in the former Hometown Pizza building just off University Boulevard, opened at 5 a.m. today to packed crowds and long lines at the drive-through.  Developers at Heartland Restaurant Group, which operates the Moon franchise location, said the store was orignally slated to open after April 28.  The chain restaurant features free WiFi, a sit-in dining room and Dunkin' Donuts' signature menu of breakfast confections and coffee.  Patch stopped by for a quick caffeine fix, and now we…

Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, told members of the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that closing the Moon-based 911th Airlift Wing would be "like an NFL coach being told to cut its roster by removing its first string."  Murphy argued against the Air Force's planned closure of the installation, slated to take place by the end of 2013. The Congressman touted recent Iraq and Afghanistan deployments by members of the base during his testimony before the committee.  Murphy and other members of the Pennsylvania delegation are attempting to prevent the closing of the airlift wing, which …

The bomb threats at the University of Pittsburgh are continuing at a feverish pace, which makes us wonder how are students, teachers and other workers coping with the scary situation? There have been threats nearly every day for the past week, piled on numerous other false alarms that began in mid-February. They continued over the weekend and are now targeting multiple buildings. Are you a student from this area who is attending Pitt, or a Moon Area School District student considering studying there? Do you know someone who works or teaches on campus and has been affected by the disturbing …

Parents at last night's Moon Area School Board meeting urged school board members to vote in favor of implementing a full-day kindergarten program for students. Now Patch wants to know what you think.  The Moon Area School District has been exploring the option of adopting a full-day kindergarten program for students since 2007. District administrators and teachers in a presentation earlier this month said a full-day program can have academic and cognitive benefits for youngsters.  School board members have expressed support for the program, but said budget constraints could prevent the …

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, will attend a question-and-answer session Friday at the Crescent Township Fire Hall.  The event, with Crescent Commissioner Jerry Keller and resident Christopher Clay as hosts, will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the fire hall on Spring Run Road Extension. Registration is required to attend.  Keller said residents will be able to submit questions prior to the event, which the Congressman will answer during the session. Questions must be approved before they will go before the Congressman. The event will also function as a fundraiser for Murphy's re-election …

Crescent and Moon residents in recent weeks received letters from the Cresswell Heights Joint Authority notifying them that Marcellus shale drilling might soon take place on the grounds of the closed Phillips Power Plant. Authority manager Dan Losco said property owners of the defunct power plant, at 4113 Jordan Street in South Heights, have expressed interest in natural gas drilling at the property. "It's preliminary, but we have received notification that the property owner would like to drill," Losco said. The letter was mailed to the authority's 15,000 customers in Crescent, South Heights…

Sewickley police say the shut down of the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge didn’t produce many headaches during Monday’s rush hour commutes. “It’s a little congested, but it’s been going fairly well,” Sewickley Police Chief James Ersher said on Monday. An overnight snowfall and subsequent road conditions most likely slowed morning traffic. Ersher said no traffic tickets were issued and no accidents were reported. The Sewickley Bridge is being used as the main detour during eight months of repairs to the nearby Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, which officially closed on Saturday. Ersher said much of the …