If you use Tube City Almanac, and you can afford to make a donation, we would be grateful for a contribution this year. We are an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) charity, and your donations may be tax deductible as allowed by law.
Donations may be made by check or money order to: Tube City Community Media Inc. P.O. Box 94 McKeesport, PA 15134
A gas-drilling site in Penn Twp., Westmoreland County, shown in October 2022. (Ted Auch photo for FracTracker Alliance, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic)
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is asking the public to weigh in on a federal Environmental Protection Agency proposal to curb methane emissions from oil and gas sites.
Methane is a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and is thought to be a driver of climate change.
Barbara Jarmoska, former director of the Responsible Decarbonization Alliance who lives in Lycoming County, said the EPA plan is built on Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act efforts. Its federal funding has been cut but people can still review the plan and share their feedback during the public comment period. She noted the EPA proposal would decrease pollution, improve air quality and create jobs.
Drivers who use Patton Street to travel from Wilmerding to Monroeville Boulevard and vice versa are having to find another way to get where they’re going until at least September.
The street is closed between Monroeville Boulevard and Mt. Pleasant Drive to allow for construction of a retaining wall, paving, drainage improvements, pavement marking and guide rail replacement, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works.
In foreground, from left, are Joe Kosha as Jeremy Heere, Danny Gavlik in one of his several roles as Mr. Reyes, Katie Hall as Jeremy’s love interest Christine Canigula, and Michelle Roque Alvarez as The SQUIP. (Bonnijean Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)
When a high school junior finds out there might be an easy way for him to overcome his low self-esteem, advance his social standing, and win the girl of his dreams, he embraces the opportunity ... but at what cost?
That answer and much more can be found in the musical "Be More Chill," which opens Friday at McKeesport Little Theater.
Based on a 2004 novel by Ned Vizzini, with original music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, the show follows Joe Kosha as Jeremy Heere and his classmates as they deal with finding one's identity, popularity, jealousy, betrayal -- theme definitely not confined to the teen years.
If you have tires, old appliances or other hard-to-recycle items in your garage or basement, Pennsylvania Resources Council has an event for you.
The non-profit group, in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department, will host two events to collect hard-to-recycle items such as electronic waste, tires and small Freon appliances.
Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Elizabeth Forward Middle School, 401 Rock Run Road, Elizabeth Twp.
Aug. 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Boyce Park, 754 Center Road, Plum
We once again are broadcasting this year’s McKeesport International Village from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12, 13 aqnd 14, and we could use your help.
If your business, group, or organization would like to sponsor the broadcast, sponsorships are $175 for one 30-second announcement per hour, or $300 for two 30-second announcements per hour. Please email your announcement to tubecitytiger@gmail.com.
If you would simply like to make a donation in exchange for being mentioned during the broadcast, please visit our website and click the "Donate" link: http://www.tubecityonline.com/contact/
Deadline for sponsorships is Aug. 5. Tube City Community Media Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and donations may be tax-deductible as allowed by law. This is not tax advice; consult a tax professional for information.
About a month ago, we asked readers for help. Advertising income is down, expenses are way up, and we’re going to need to raise about another $5,000 every year just to keep going.
Well, I’m very humbled to report that readers and listeners came through in a big way!
We received around $900 in PayPal donations in June, which is a major jump from our normal revenue.
Many, many of you also sent donations in the mail, via check, and we’ll be depositing those soon.
The bad news is that we’re going to have to raise money on a regular basis from now on; I hate writing that sentence even more than you hate reading it, but there’s no use beating around the bush about it.
If you would like to donate to support Tube City Community Media Inc., we are a tax-exempt non-profit corporation. You may send a check or money order to Tube City Community Media Inc., P.O. Box 94, McKeesport, PA 15134-0094. Every dollar we raise goes directly to pay our writers for their work, and our expenses, including rent, Internet service and other fees.
In the meanwhile, here is an old-school thank you to everyone who donated via PayPal:
Leonard Ashcroft, McKeesport Chris Bach, White Oak Thomas Callahan, McKeesport Richard Collage, Elizabeth Twp. Daniel Cook, White Oak Pamela Eisele, McKeesport Renee Elwood, Pittsburgh Michaeline Kasa, Latrobe Janet Kulis, Elizabeth Twp. Kelly Laidacker, McKeesport Mara Layman, Elizabeth Twp. August Marconi, North Huntingdon Twp. Doris Martino, North Huntingdon Twp. Suzanne Mesiarik-Golik, Elizabeth Thomas Molanick, Duquesne Virginia Ogurchak, McKeesport James Piergrossi, Fayette City Matt Porter, Stowe — in honor of The Electric Crush Jennifer Sheets, McMurray Glenn Sloane, Prescott Valley, Arizona Janice Starbuck, Winchester, Indiana Michele Stefanides, Wellsboro John Stegman, White Oak Jim Stripsky, McKeesport Gary Thorne, Belleair Bluffs, Florida Mary Tomovcsik, McKeesport Susan Walters, White Oak — in memory of Bill Phillips Debra Wesolowski, Jefferson Hills
McKeesport City Council has approved a contract to demolish another 20 blighted structures.
At this month’s meeting, council awarded a $319,500 bid for demolition/construction to Betters Company Inc. City officials said the list original had 35 buildings, but had to be trimmed down.
The contract includes demolition of houses on Abraham and Atcheson streets, one on Atlantic Avenue, four on Bailie Avenue, and properties on Butler, Craig, Erie, Freeland, Garbett, Huey and Jenny Lind streets; as well as units on Madison Avenue and two on Manor Avenue.
Also included are two on Maple Street, one on Shaw and two on Spring Street, and others on Stewart and Versailles Avenue, as well as Washington and three on Willow Street.
Volunteers with the Mon-Yough Trail Council dedicate a few hours each week to keeping their portion of the Great Allegheny Passage trail clear and open. (Photo courtesy Mon-Yough Trail Council)
After heavy storms and flooding affected much of the Mon Valley earlier this summer, Ken Medved with the Mon-Yough Trail Council was glad to see that its section of the Great Allegheny Passage didn’t have any weather-related damage.
Thankfully, volunteers have been able to focus on their usual summer maintenance — mowing, grooming weeds, and checking for erosion — readying this part of the trail for their busiest season.
Those members who give their time every Wednesday and Saturday are dedicated to keeping the 15-mile stretch of the GAP trail from Port Vue to the Westmoreland County line as accessible and welcoming as possible. This care and passion is evident in the events they host, like the recently held Half Marathon and five-kilometer Run/Walk.
New McKeesport police Chief Josh Alfer shares a laugh with Senior Magisterial District Judge Thomas Brletic, a former police chief. (Thomas Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Four former McKeesport police chiefs were in attendance Wednesday night when Josh Alfer officially sworn into office as the newest.
Alfer, a city native who has been with the department since 2006, had been serving as acting police chief since former chief Mark Steele retired in January. He had previously served as assistant police chief and as a lieutenant.
The new chief was sworn in by his father-in-law, Senior Magisterial District Judge Thomas S. Brletic. Brletic — himself a former McKeesport police chief — gave Alfer his badge with instructions, “Don’t tarnish it.”
The badge promptly fell to the floor. “I meant ‘don’t bring shame to it’,” Brletic added, to laughter.
Duquesne City Council has amended its landlord-tenant ordinance to clarify several points — including to exempt publicly owned housing.
At this week’s meeting, council clarified the ordinance to “clearly identify who is applicable under the ordinance, including the exemption of County- and Commonwealth-owned properties.”
Mayor R. Scott Adams said that landlords will be charged a rental fee each year. That fee was not immediately announced.
Council also voted to “clearly identify boats as recreational vehicles and to delineate the proper area for storage.” In recent meetings, the council has discussed changing the law as a way to prevent residents from parking boats on the city’s narrow streets.
TM
