Rented items appeared to be popular choices for burglars in Avalon during the past week, with two different incidents involving the reported theft of goods leased from a rental center.

A North Home Avenue resident reported Oct. 1 that someone had broken into her apartment. In addition to a quantity of expensive jewelry and purses, two rented coffee tables and a rented flat screen television were reported stolen.

The man believed to have stolen a wallet from an Avalon Library employee was quickly apprehended on May 2. Items from the wallet taken from a purse at the library were found scattered along Jackman Avenue, although the victim’s driver’s license and bank card were missing. The victim checked her bank account on-line and found a transaction that was found to have occurred at the East Coast bar at the Avalon Motel. Officers investigating at the bar noticed a man fitting the description of the suspect seen in the library, and recovered the missing driver’s license and bank card from him.

DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS

Editor:

The FBI is investigating the armed robbery of a Bellevue bank that occurred just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 15.

The white male, armed with a semiautomatic gun, was dressed in dark blue clothes and wore a black mask over his face. He carried a book bag.

Bellevue Police questioned a man fitting the description, but determined he was not involved in the robbery.

Saturday’s rains created a dangerous condition in Lowries Run Creek, and resulted in a Kilbuck Township boy having to be rescued from the rapidly moving waters on Sunday.

Ohio Township Police, NorthWest EMS and Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company responded Sunday afternoon to a report that a 17-year-old was under water in the creek behind his Kilbuck home.

Police say that Justin Singer’s mother was able to get him out of the water and onto the far creek bank. Firefighters set up rescue lines to get him back to the Camp Horne Road side of the creek.

By ROBERTA SLANINA O’BRIEN

With officials still coming up empty-handed when it comes to reducing costs, the Northgate School Board has approved a preliminary 2010-11 budget that will increase property taxes by the full 3.1 mills allowed by the state.

Initially limited to a tax increase totalling a fraction of that amount, the district successfully applied for exceptions from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that gave the school board the power to raise the millage rate beyond the annual index amount without having to obtain voter approval of a ballot referendum.

Education funding urged A resolution approved by the Northgate School Board will be sent to the state legislature, urging representatives to maintain state funding for schools.

"They're talking about giving us less money than they did last year," said superintendent Dr. Reggie Bonfield at the school board's committee of the whole meeting on Monday. "Hopefully that won't happen."

Team elimination? Northgate could eliminate its ninth grade boys' basketball team in an effort to bolster the school's varsity program.

A 16-year-old Bellevue boy has been charged with the March 19 robbery of the West View Savings Bank on Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue.

According to Bellevue Police Sgt. Richard Czapko, an anonymous tip to the Bellevue police desk was investigated by the FBI and resulted in the arrest of the youth. When questioned by the FBI, Czapko said, the boy confessed to robbing the bank.

Due to the teen’s age, prosecution of the case has been turned over to Bellevue Police to handle through Allegheny County’s Juvenile Court. The youth is being held at Shuman Center, Czapko said.