Moon Police: Readiness Key to Reacting, Protecting Yourself From Active Shooter

On the heels of several deadly mass shootings, a member of the local Critical Incident Response Team offers insight into reacting to an active shooter.

Just after 9 a.m. Thursday, a 16-year-old boy carried a 12-gauge shotgun into Taft Union High School in Kern County, California.  The boy walked into a classroom halfway through first period and fired, striking and critically wounding a classmate, according to reports. Police took the teenage shooter, whose name has not been released, into custody moments after the incident began. More than a dozen mass shootings in public settings, including one that killed 22 Connecticut elementary students, made headlines in 2012. Thursday's active-shooter was the first of the new year.  "First and foremost, people need to realize that an active shooter is something that cannot be prevented," said Moon Police Officer Frank Starko. "These are people …

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Rockin' the Suburbs

Tis the Season: Yuletide Hunting in Robinson Township

Growing up in Robinson Township has caused columnist Gab Bonesso to associate gunshots with the holiday season.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Bing Crosby crooning in the distance, and jingle bells are all sounds that evoke the Christmas holiday. But if you are a resident of Western Pennsylvania, you need to add the sound of a shotgun to that list. BOOM! Ho, ho, ho … I hear hunters so it must mean that Christmas is around the corner! For as long as I can remember hunting season joins forces with the holiday season here in Robinson Township. I remember as a kid I would ask my mom why we always had the Monday after Thanksgiving off from school and she would simply answer, “it’s hunting season.” I’m not a total hunting novice. I’ve done my Warner Brothers research. I knew that hunting season generally involved a spastic duck named Daffy and a …

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Pedestrian Improvements Coming to Moon, Robinson Intersection

Changes on the way to better accommodate bikers and runners on the Montour Trail.

Bikers and joggers who trek the Montour Trail can breathe a sigh of relief—improvements to pedestrian traffic are coming to the Park Manor Boulevard and Montour Run Road intersection.  Moon Township will oversee a series of upgrades to the busy intersection, which juts between a portion of the Montour Trail, a regional attraction for hiking and biking that winds through both Moon and Robinson.  Members of the Moon Board of Supervisors earlier this month approved $11,618 in improvements to the intersection. Crews will install high-visibility tape to the crosswalk, a "no turn on red" sign and a signal that will provide a countdown timer for pedestrians crossing through the intersection.  Signage will also be placed near the intersection on …

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Rockin' the Suburbs

Time for a Crossing Guard at Robinson Market District

Columnist Gab Bonesso has a scary experience crossing the street at the Robinson Market District Giant Eagle.

I’ve already written about the apparently impossible concept of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists sharing the road with one another without killing one another. The response was mixed. Many cyclists thanked me. Others despise the road pedalers and said “I see too many cyclists riding through stop signs”. It was a polarizing topic which made this people-pleasing columnist tense. With that said, here I go again. I think it is time for the Robinson Township Police to station a crossing guard at the Market District Giant Eagle. Last Sunday my mother and I were shopping at the store in Robinson Township.  Normally when we arrive I drop my mother off directly in front of the store’s entrance so that she doesn’t have far to walk with her cane. …

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Do You Share the Road with Robinson-Area Bicyclists?

In light of two recent bicycle related deaths in the city of Pittsburgh, columnist Gab Bonesso asks all residents to share the road.

In light of the two recent deaths caused by motorists striking cyclists within the city of Pittsburgh, the advocacy group BikePGH is stressing the need for drivers to slow down and share the road with cyclists. One of my best friends from childhood is an avid bike rider. He competes in Iron Man competitions and dualthlons throughout the year. I think he’s even done a partial triathlon once. From the looks of his Facebook page it seems as though he’s competing in at least one event a month. In simple terms, my boy Joe is a beast! He and his wife live within biking distance from his parents’ Robinson Township home (i.e. within biking distance from my house too). I often see him biking to his folks for a quick ride. I’ve even seen him at 7 a.…

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Zambelli's Safety Tips for Independence Day

Zambelli Fireworks offered Patch these safety tips.

Fireworks are an integral part of Fourth of July celebrations all over the country. For aspiring back yard pyrotechnicians, here are some safety tips from the professionals at Zambelli Fireworks.  Keep in mind—only hand, ground sparklers and other novelty fireworks are allowed to be purchased or used without a permit in Pennsylvania. Leave the rest to the Zambelli's. Cherry bombs, M-80s, M-100s and silver salutes are all illegal. Tampering with fireworks or trying to create your own without the required permission and knowledge is also illegal.  Always make sure you purchase fireworks from a dealer approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. These vendors are regulated and can provide legal and safe entertainment for your …

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Red Cross Holding Lifeguard Training School at Pitt Next Month

Participants can choose between two sessions and get certified before summer.

Moon-area students: Are you still trying to figure out where you'll work this summer? If you're thinking of becoming a lifeguard, then listen up. Though weather patterns have been sporadic at best here in Southwestern Pennsylvania as of late, summer is undoubtedly just around the corner, and the minds of many area residents—especially teenagers—have drifted to summer vacation. During the warmer summer months, lifeguarding is a top job pick not only because it offers “fun-in-the-sun,” but also because it’s a job that can save lives. To help area residents prepare for the responsibility of being lifeguards, the American Red Cross is hosting its annual Lifeguard Training School in Pittsburgh May 10 to 13 and May 17 to 20, offering new …

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Weekend Forecast Calls for Wind, Snow Squalls

The National Weather Service reports that 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible.

PennDOT is urging drivers to slow down, pay attention and use caution on area roadways, particularly on elevated areas such as bridges and ramps through this weekend. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is possible in the region, according to the National Weather Service in Moon.  Snow squalls and drifting conditions should be expected across the region as strong winds and bitter temperatures are occurring. Motorists need to be alert for rapidly changing road and weather conditions. Please use extreme caution when driving.  PennDOT offers this advice: Motorists are also asked to allow plenty of space when driving near PennDOT winter maintenance vehicles. Also, for their …

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Pittsburgh International Airport Garners Safety Award

A national travel magazine honors the airport.

   Travel Leisure magazine has given the Pittsburgh International Airport's snow and ice removal systems a safety nod. The publication named Pittsburgh International the fourth safest airport in the country earlier this month. The magazine calculated data from the 35 busiest commercial airports in the United States that had the fewest and least severe runway incidents from 2006 to 2010. The top-15 airports on the list had no life-threatening incidents during the four-year period. Pittsburgh International reported six safety incidents since 2006, according to the magazine. The magazine praised the aiport's state-of-the-art winter operations systems, which include front and rear de-icing teams, runway sensors that relay real-time snow and …

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Talk of the Town

Sound Off: What Do You Think of the Ewing Road Roundabout?

Have you driven through the new traffic circle?

Allegheny County Airport Authority officials said it was built with economic development in mind. Late last month, the authority re-opened the Ewing Road Interstate 376 on-and-off exit ramps to motorists, unveiling a newly designed traffic roundabout that is one of the first to be built in recent years in Allegheny County. The project, which the airport authority funded, cost $950,000 and shuttered the exit ramps for more than four months during construction. Randy Forester, senior director of development for the authority, told Patch the roundabout will improve traffic management in the area as the number of vehicles on the road increases during the next decade. So what do you think? Have you traveled on the roadway? Was the project …

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