Coast Guard Might Move its Station from Sewickley Area

The region’s U.S. Coast Guard could be consolidating and moving its command and maintenance center to the Bridgeville area. But one federal lawmaker is questioning if that’s the best place for it to be located.

The region’s U.S. Coast Guard’s command and maintenance center could be coming to the Bridgeville area, but one federal lawmaker is questioning if that’s the best place for it to be located. Congressman Tim Murphy said the Coast Guard is expected to accept a bid this week to consolidate its three area centers--including McKown Lane in Sewickley-- into a building in or around the Chartiers Valley Shopping Center in Collier Township. “I question the wisdom of putting the Coast Guard headquarters so far from the water,” Murphy said in an exclusive interview to Patch.com. “They wanted to be in the Pittsburgh pool. It’s not near there.” Murphy, a Republican from Upper St. Clair, didn’t blame the Coast Guard, but said it’s the federal government…

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Around the Rivers

Organic Farmer Catches ‘Acting Bug’ in Promised Land

Troy Bogdan of Bridgeville says he caught the “acting bug” after a back injury sidelined him from working on his Crawford County organic farm last April. He played an extra in the new movie "Promised Land" that hit theaters Friday.

Troy Bogdan, an organic farmer living in Bridgeville, says he caught the “acting bug” after a back injury sidelined him from working on his Crawford County farm last year. An audition for a role as an extra last May has snowballed into a flurry of acting parts in several movies filming around western Pennsylvania, including the major production of “Promised Land,” which opened in theaters Friday morning. “I’ve been a fan of movies all my life, but I never thought I would be working for them,” Bogdan said. “It’s a hobby and we’ll see where it goes. I don’t have any expectations of being a movie star, but maybe it can lead to part-time income to supplement the farm income. I’ll do it as long as I’m still having fun.” The work started after …

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Prayer Vigil Planned for Jimmy Slack

Family and friends will gather Thursday night outside Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville.

A candlelight vigil is being planned tonight for family members and friends to gather and pray for the safe return of Jimmy Slack. The prayer vigil will begin at 7 p.m. outside Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville. “It’s about strength and courage and peace, because this is Christmas and a hard time of year to go through this,” said Maureen Shields, who is the missing Bridgeville man’s sister. “What more can you ask for? We can ask for miracles, but right now we’re just asking for strength.” Slack has been missing since Dec. 7 after attending the String Cheese Incident concert at Stage “AE” on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Although the family and police detectives organized several searches for him over the past two weeks, clues into his …

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Still No Clues in Bridgeville Man's Disappearance

No one has heard from Jimmy Slack since he went to a concert in Pittsburgh on Dec. 6.

Investigators still have very few clues in the disappearance of a Bridgeville man nearly a week after he vanished while at a concert in Pittsburgh. Jimmy Slack went missing after a concert on Dec. 6 at Stage “AE” on the North Side, but police and his family are still working hard to find any information about where he might be located. “We are pretty much exhausting everything we can do as a department,” Bridgeville police Chief Chad King said, adding they’ve assigned to officers to the investigation. “We’re working our tails off on this.” King said he is especially concerned because the 25-year-old's cell phone has been off since the time he went missing and he has not used any of his bank cards. “It’s just a bad situation,” King said. “…

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PennDOT Spokesman's Talents Include Writing Books, Singing in Metal Rock Band

Jim Struzzi of Bridgeville launches Web site to promote his books.

Jim Struzzi writes plenty of news releases every day while working as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s spokesman at the District 11 headquarters in Collier, but in his free time the Bridgeville resident tries to showcase his literary skills as a novelist. “Writing has always been my passion and something I’ve wanted to pursue,” Struzzi said. “It’s pretty cut and dry when it comes to writing a press release about roads and bridges. For a creative person, you need to have an outlet.” Struzzi, who has lived in Bridgeville for the past five years, has already released two books—The Christmas Secret and Jacob’s Haunting—and is “polishing up” a third one. To move his creative writing portfolio forward, Struzzi recently launched a …

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Bites Nearby

Bites Nearby: Sauce

The Bridgeville eatery serves up an American-style menu with a twist.

If you’re exploring the area for a new place to eat, take the Parkway to Bridgeville where you’ll find a modern burger joint with an old-school feel. Sauce, on Washington Pike, will transport you back in time to an an old-fashioned diner of a bygone era. The setting is intimate, the crowd is fun, and the food is delicious. The main dining area is very narrow and resembles a long hallway split in two. The black vinyl semi-circular booths, which are open to the center of the restaurant, line one side, while the other side consists of an elongated, chic bar. Although the bar has no draft beer, it offers an extensive drink list, with a wide selection of bottled beer and daily happy hour specials. The exuberant atmosphere aside, Sauce serves up…

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