Two Bellevue police officers, several firefighters and a female resident of 323 Lincoln Ave. were taken to the hospital Thursday morning after fumes inside the home caused irritation and triggered concerns that they may be toxic. Pictured here, members of the Allegheny County hazardous materials team get hosed off in a decontamination pool set up on Lincoln Avenue after investigating chemicals found in the basement of the building.

Bellevue Police seized 250 stamp bags of heroin and more than $2,700 in cash during a raid on a home in the borough on Monday. Police are not disclosing the exact location of the bust in the northern section of the borough, or the names of the individuals taken into custody. Police Chief Matt Sentner said that the investigation was headed by officers Aaron Nutter and Jim Niglio, and involved the assistance of the city and county police narcotics units. The five “bricks” of heroin seized have an estimated street value of about $5,000, Sentner said.

One of two new Bellevue Police officers was sworn in Tuesday evening, while a current officer was officially promoted to the position of sergeant.

Nicholas McGaughey was the only new officer sworn in. According to Chief Matt Sentner, the other applicant offered a job with the borough is considering another position. He expects to bring another candidate to council in the coming weeks.

Bellevue Police are calling a drive-by shooting that occurred on Lincoln Avenue Tuesday afternoon a "transient event" not substantially connected to the borough.

The victim of the shooting at this point appears to be a gray Oldsmobile, as both young men in the car fled the scene on foot and have not yet been located.

Amid concerns about the cost of accepting a grant that would put another police officer on Bellevue’s streets, the borough’s police chief has pledged to come up with the necessary funds.

Bellevue Police Chief Matt Sentner would like to see the borough council budget money next year to hire a new police officer -- one who will patrol on four legs instead of two.

Sentner told council members Tuesday that outside funding likely is available not only to pay for a police dog, but the training necessary for both dog and the officer who will be handling him. The major expense facing Bellevue, he said, will be for a special police car that contains a built-in kennel. That car will stay with the dog and the human officer at all times, he said.

After voting two weeks ago not to apply for a Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) grant unless there was no financial obligation on the part of the borough, Bellevue Council reversed itself at Tuesday's work session and voted to allow the police chief to update and revise a COPS grant application.

Bellevue previously was denied a request for funding that would cover the salaries and benefits of two officers for three years. The officers would have to be new hires, and would have to remain employed by the borough for one full budget cycle after the three-year period.

Bellevue may hire a graduate student to serve as interim director of administrative services.

Members of Bellevue Council held a special meeting Tuesday to discuss four options presented by finance committee chairman Mark Panichella, and seemed to reach a compromise on how to manage the borough's government until a permanent DAS can be hired to replace Connie Flasher, who resigned last month.

Police have arrested a man they say fired several shots and assaulted a Bellevue doctor and his wife Wednesday evening before stealing narcotics.

Police were called to the Suburban General Professional Building at the corner of Lincoln and South Jackson avenues shortly after 5:30 p.m. when shots were reported fired in an office on the basement floor of the building.

As the eyes of the world turn toward Pittsburgh and international leaders prepare to meet in the Steel City, few will have any idea how far and wide the impact of the G-20 Summit will reach locally.

While most resources will be focused within the City of Pittsburgh, the suburban areas will not be left unaffected by the Summit and its related events.

For school children throughout the North Boroughs, the Summit is providing an opportunity to learn everything from economics to geography to statesmanship. For municipal officials, however, the darker side of the Summit must be addressed. For others, the event is providing a renewed commitment to community involvement.

We just received word from PennDOT that the planned closing of Union Avenue will not occur this weekend after all. Motorists can, however, expect lane closings on I-279.

There are a number of stories in this week's edition of The Citizen that you won't want to miss. Among them are: