Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Facing Difficult Roster Decision at TE
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have concluded Organized Team Activities and departed for a midsummer break. Training camp waits on the other side of roughly six weeks off and later will come roster cuts as the team trims down to a final group of 53 men.
Some of the decisions the Steelers need to make will be easier than others. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s The Starkey Show that he believes tight end will be the most difficult of them all to cut down from five guys to three.
“Tight end is so hard for me to predict right now,” Fittipaldo said. “You got [Pat] Freiermuth, you got Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams and they brought in [MyCole] Pruitt, who was with Smith in Atlanta. That’s five guys right there. Are you gonna keep even four of those guys…That’s going to be hard for them on cutdown day,” he said.
Freiermuth and Washington figure to be locks to make the roster as the top two tight ends on the roster, which leaves it as a three-man race for what will be no more than two tight end spots on the 53-man roster when the time comes. Heyward has shown some playmaking flashes over his two seasons in Pittsburgh. Williams has experience in the program and Pruitt has more snaps played in the system as a former Atlanta Falcon under Smith’s coaching.
Heyward has filled a sort of hybrid role for the Steelers, at least during OTAs as the full roster gets accustomed to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s new system. He’s lined up at tight end, in the backfield and as a slot receiver at times. And even more versatility will give him a leg up in the race for a roster spot, according to Fittipaldo.
“I’ll tell you one thing – you better play special teams,” Fittipaldo said. “Special teams are going to be a big factor in that and luckily for Heyward he’s a good special teams player.”
There will be plenty of speculation over the coming weeks but no decisions until the Steelers hit the fields at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, throw on pads and get back to playing football.
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A man from Fayette County has been arrested and is facing over 1,000 charges related to alleged animal cruelty and neglect.
Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said that John Saxberg, 57, is facing charges in connection with what he called “a suspected illegal kennel operation” in Washington Township.
According to DA Aubele, Saxberg is accused of subjecting numerous animals to “deplorable conditions” and “circumstances constituting torture,” adding that approximately ten animals suffered serious bodily injuries.
Court records show that Saxberg is facing 1,029 criminal charges in total with offenses including aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, neglect of animals, penalties related to dog licensing, and violations of vaccine requirements.
52 of the charges that Saxberg is facing are felonies, according to court records.
Online court paperwork shows that Saxberg was arraigned on Tuesday afternoon and is being held in the Fayette County Prison after bail was posted at $85,000.
A preliminary hearing for Saxberg is scheduled for late next week.
An Allegheny County park with 200-year-old trees has been added to a growing network of protected and publicly accessible old-growth forests.
Local leaders announced on Tuesday that Hartwood Acres is now part of the Old-Growth Forest Network, which consists of over 340 forests, though this is Allegheny County’s first.
The 692-acre property features a Tudor mansion built in 1929, and while about a quarter of the park is maintained, the other 75% is forested. Some of the oldest trees include a black oak that’s over 200 years old, and a sugar maple and red oak that are nearing 200 years old.
“Hartwood Acres is one of Allegheny County’s greatest natural treasures, and this designation recognizes both the ecological value of these forests and the generations of stewardship that have protected them,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said in a press release. “As we work to build an Allegheny County where everyone can thrive, that includes ensuring residents have access to clean air, green spaces, and the opportunity to connect with nature close to home.”
The Old-Growth Forest Network, founded in 2012, aims to create a national network of protected, mature and native forests that are accessible to the public. The goal is to preserve at least one forest in every U.S. county that can sustain a forest.
“The importance of the preservation of these rare forests cannot be overemphasized,” said Brian Kane, the Mid-Atlantic regional manager with the Old-Growth Forest Network. “As seen at Hartwood Acres, forests perform critical environmental services that benefit communities, such as storing carbon, providing wildlife habitat, and retaining stormwater. OGFN is grateful that Allegheny County values its old-growth forests and will enable its residents and visitors to marvel at these old hardwoods far into the future as they grow even more mature and majestic.”
An overturned truck spilled hazardous materials onto the 62nd Street Bridge late Monday night and crews spent several hours working to contain the spill.
The Cherry City Volunteer Fire Company said it was assistant on a “large scale hazmat incident” along with crews from Allegheny County Emergency Services and the city of Pittsburgh’s Bureau of Fire.
A truck turned onto its side on the Sharpsburg side of the Senator Robert D. Fleming Bridge, also known as the 62nd Street Bridge, late Monday night and the fire company said crews were working to contain the leak.
An aerial view from the KDKA Drone Team around 3 a.m. Tuesday showed the large response from crews working at the scene of the crash.
A first responder told KDKA’s news crew at the scene that the chemical that was spilled was peroxide and the fire company said crews were working to keep the material from entering drainage systems.
Around 4 a.m. Tuesday, the fire company provided an update and said that all “hazardous materials have been mitigated,” but that the bridge is expected to remain closed for an extended period of time.
Drivers are being urged to use alternate routes for the morning commute.
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