Big rigs used to be able to travel through the North Boroughs without too many concerns, due to the lack of a police officer certified in tractor-trailer inspections and safety. That is no longer the case. Avalon Police Officer Sean Khirley set up shop on Route 65 Wednesday, putting into practice the training he has received recently in an effort to make the highways safer and possibly even prevent some road damage in the borough.

Avalon officials showed their appreciation this week for two police officers injured during the pursuit of a suspected drug dealer earlier this year. Working in plainclothes along with Police Chief Tom Kokoski, Officers Sean Khirley and Walt Johnson pursued the fleeing suspect through a 20-foot jump and over a fence, finally nabbing him and recovering a quantity of suspected heroin. Both officers and the suspect were hospitalized after the chase. While Khirley has returned to duty, Johnson remains off-duty with a leg injury.

Whether it was an attempted robbery or a drug deal gone wrong, one man at least faces weapons charges following an incident in Avalon on Jan. 25.

Police were called to Orchard and Cleveland avenues for a fight between two males that involved a gun. They arrived to find one man running down Alley C, while the other claimed to have been the victim of an attempted armed robbery.

The use of a stolen gift card led area police to a Bellevue man, and the discovery of a lot more stolen goods.

The case began on Dec. 27, when two Ben Avon residents reported thefts from their vehicles. One owner reported that a gun had been stolen, along with several gift cards. Ohio Township Police were able to obtain video of the man who used the card at Giant Eagle, and worked with Avalon and Bellevue police to identify that man as Keith Dengler, 23, of Bellevue.

Ben Avon is considering offering a tax abatement to anyone who would like to buy certain property on Park Avenue, with the stipulation that the existing structures would be torn down and that any rebuilding would be done according to the borough's code.

The property currently consists of five buildings containing 19 units. Nearly five years ago, Jeff Garbinski bought it with the idea of renovating the property into 19 affordable housing units. However, little has been done since that time and various problems have ensued.

Ohio Township Police have identified the man who robbed an Emsworth resident on Jan. 10 as the same man arrested Thursday morning for the rapes of two women in Ross Township.

Ohio Township Police Chief Beaver Micklos said that his officers planned to file charges Thursday against Arthur Henderson, 38, of Ross, for the Jan. 10 robbery of Paul Leung in the parking lot of the House of Lee restaurant in Emsworth. Leung was seriously injured and robbed of $4,000 - $5,000 after returning to his residence above the restaurant after gambling at the North Side casino.

A resident of Dawson Avenue reported to police on Jan. 8 that jewelry had been stolen from her home while work was being done there during the week.

A GPS unit was reported stolen from a vehile parked in the 100 block of Lincoln Avenue on Jan. 8.

A Dakota Avenue resident also reported Jan. 8 that someone had broken into her parked car.

The windshield was smashed in a vehicle parked on dawson Avenue. the vandalism was reported Jan. 5.

On Jan. 6, the new owner of rental property on Grant Avenue reported that a red swastika had been painted on the basement wall.

A Pittsburgh man faces an extensive list of criminal charges after reportedly stealing 24 cents worth of gas from a Bellevue gas station and being pursued by police for about 500 feet.

David Marks, 52, of 25 Lanark St., Pittsburgh 15214, was caught after what police say was the latest in a series of gas station drive-offs.

For the second time in as many weeks, an attempt to oust Bellevue’s solicitor has failed.

A week after a motion to seek proposals from attorneys failed in a tie vote at the borough council’s reorganization meeting, a second motion made at the first regular council meeting on Tuesday met the same end.

Bellevue Police investigated a burglary at a South Balph Avenue residence on Dec. 21.

Several thefts from vehicles were reported to police. Thefts were reported from vehicles on Forest Avenue on Dec. 21, Highland Place on Dec. 27, Summit Avenue on Dec. 27, two vehicles on Shade Avenue on Dec. 29, and another on North Jackson Avenue on Dec. 29.

Packages delivered by the post office were reported stolen from the front porch of a residence in the 400 block of Teece Avenue on Dec. 21.

Robert Kitchen, 44, of Bellevue, was charged with robbery on Dec. 21.

Three newly-elected members of Ben Avon Council were sworn in by Mayor Bob Jones Monday evening before council voted to return Lloyd Corder to the president’s chair and committee appointments were announced.

Pictured here from left are Corder, newly-elected council members Earl Bohn, Suzanne Weiss and Michael Bett, and Jones.

Corder was re-elected president of council in a unanimous vote, as was Weiss as vice president.

Corder was prepared to make committee assignments for the coming year, and also named council members to handle special projects.