The Week in Review

Each weekend, we revisit many of the top stories that happened around the area, and this week had plenty of interesting things happening. A drug addiction counselor was charged with selling heroin, several smash-and-grab thefts have occurred recently and Bridgeville firefighters found more than a dozen reptiles in a home.

A drug abuse counselor was arrested last week after investigators said they caught him selling heroin in Scott Township and Carnegie. Vincent Scott, 44, of Ross Township, was charged on April 1 with numerous drug crimes after Scott Township police and the district attorney’s drug task force said they witnessed him selling heroin multiple times last week. Before his arrest, Scott had worked as a counselor with the Peer Support and Advocacy Network in Pittsburgh.

A rash of smash-and-grab thefts at Great Southern Shopping Center is prompting police to issue common sense safety measures to prevent others from becoming victims. At least three cars parked outside LA Fitness have been broken into in the past two weeks, and items were also stolen from inside another car parked outside nearby Arby’s. Meanwhile, numerous other similar break-ins have occurred in neighboring areas.

When firefighters rushed into a burning home in Bridgeville over the weekend, they found an usual assortment of exotic animals and reptiles living inside. Firefighters rescued many of the animals and a wild life expert in Washington County is caring them for them while the family that lives in the house takes care of other matters. The unusual situation led borough police to investigate whether the dozen or more lizards, snakes and other animals were kept in the home legally.

The McLaughlin Run Road bridge is scheduled to close Wednesday morning and local residents and nearby businesses are leery about how it will affect them. Construction to widen the bridge and move a sewer pipe is expected to take about six months. The state Department of Transportation has posted detours around the area between Bridgeville and Upper St. Clair, but motorists will still be able to drive on McLaughlin Run Road up until the bridge. Local store owners along the road are bracing for the closure while stressing that they will remain open for business.

Living on a tight budget because of the recession has taken second-hand shopping to a new level. Shoppers looking to get the most bang for their buck or people who have unwanted items collecting dust can find several second-hand and consignment stores to donate, sell or buy used merchandise.