July 27, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Brownstown Road in North Huntingdon Twp. will be closed for three days, beginning Tuesday (July 28), so that crews can make emergency repairs to an underground pipe.
Township police said the closure will be near the Larimer Volunteer Fire Department, and motorists are asked to avoid the area.
July 24, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Doug Kerr photo via Flickr/licensed under Creative Commons)
. . .
Paving continues this weekend on two separate sections of Route 51, which will lead to restrictions near the Pleasant Hills cloverleaf.
And work gets underway Monday near the Elizabeth Bridge, where southbound traffic will be restricted for about two weeks.
A district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said paving and concrete patching will begin tonight and continue through Monday morning along Route 51 in Baldwin, Whitehall and Brentwood.
Traffic will be restricted to one lane from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. in the southbound lanes (toward Elizabeth) as crews conduct resurfacing and concrete patching operations.
The work is part of an overall $15.9 million project that includes milling and resurfacing, signal improvements, drainage work, intersection and curb improvements, bridge repairs, guiderail upgrades, pavement markings and other miscellaneous construction activities between Lebanon Church Road and the Liberty Tunnel.
July 24, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Police are asking for the public's help in locating the driver of a vehicle that rear-ended another car near Finleyville, then fled the scene.
Southwest Regional Police say Carla Abrasheff, 47, of South Park Twp. was on Route 88 in Union Twp., Washington County, when another driver rear-ended her Honda sedan. The other driver failed to stop, police said.
The other vehicle was described as an older model, black Lincoln with West Virginia plates. Police did not say if any injuries were reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call Southwest Regional Police at (724) 929-8484.
In other news, police say a resident of Elrama reported that someone stole the license plate from their trailer while it was parked in the 4500 block of Finleyville-Elrama Road. Anyone with information is asked to contact Southwest Regional Police.
July 22, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Above: Quintin B. Bullock, president of CCAC, and Nancy L. Herron, interim chancellor of Penn State Greater Allegheny, ceremoniously exchange the pens they used to sign the Articulation Agreement. (Penn State photo)
. . .
Students at Community College of Allegheny County will be able to seamlessly transfer credits to six Penn State campuses --- including Greater Allegheny Campus in McKeesport --- under a new agreement effective this fall.
The "articulation agreement" smoothes the transfer of CCAC students into bachelor's degree programs at six Penn State campuses, including Beaver, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, New Kensington and Shenango.
“Penn State and CCAC share the common goal of enhancing education for students in our region," said Nancy Herron, interim chancellor of Penn State Greater Allegheny. The agreement will make it easier for CCAC students "to earn an affordable, quality college education," she said.
The agreements provide students who earn their associate degree an academic pathway to transfer into a parallel bachelor’s degree program at the six campuses. The coordination of transferrable coursework, supported through academic advising, will support the successful transition for students.
July 22, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
Born in 1923 in Pittsburgh's Highland Park neighborhood, jazz pianist Erroll Garner was playing on KDKA radio at the age of 7 and working with Charlie Parker by his mid 20s.
He became one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 1950s and '60s (and a favorite of Tonight Show host Johnny Carson) before his untimely death at age 55.
He never had a song called "Begin the Begg-ine," but he should have, at least for our purposes.
We are once again producing a video webcast of International Village, and this time, for the first year, your donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. (P.S.: Webcasts from previous years are still online.)
We would like to raise at least $750 to defray our expenses ... including our hosting, along with Skymagik Internet Services, of the International Village website --- which we do at no cost to city taxpayers.
We have so far received $75 in donations --- so we're 1/10 of the way there.
If you're able to help, click this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6AK7BYYTM8C6N
ADVERTISING:
If your business or organization would like to advertise during our International Village webcast, we need your information right away! Contact me at tubecitytiger@gmail.com or (412) 614-9659.
July 20, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
The Clairton Police Department is advising residents to keep car doors locked at all times.
"We have had a recent rash of items stolen from unlocked vehicles in several areas around the city," said Clairton police Sgt. Robert Ferry, acting police chief, in a statement.
Any residents who see suspicious activity around cars are asked to call 9-1-1, Ferry said.
July 20, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Did you know that McKeesport very nearly had its own TV station? In the 1950s, local businessman Eddie Hirshberg, then-owner of WEDO (810) radio, pushed hard to get a TV station licensed to McKeesport or Irwin.
He was foiled by well-heeled Pittsburgh investors, backed by the Hearst Newspapers fortune, as well as (supposedly) lobbying from Pittsburgh Mayor David Lawrence; the station, instead, became WTAE-TV (4), located in Pittsburgh but with its transmitter in Elizabeth Twp.
Someday, I'll tell that story.
Meanwhile, I have bigger video fish to fry: We are once again producing a video webcast of International Village, and this time, for the first year, your donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. (P.S.: Webcasts from previous years are still online.)
We would like to raise at least $750 to defray our expenses ... including our hosting, along with Skymagik Internet Services, of the International Village website --- which we do at no cost to city taxpayers.
We have so far received $75 in donations --- so we're 1/10 of the way there.
If you're able to help, click this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6AK7BYYTM8C6N
ADVERTISING:
If your business or organization would like to advertise during our International Village webcast, we need your information right away! Contact me at tubecitytiger@gmail.com or (412) 614-9659.
You could get a spiffy commercial during the broadcast, like this one:
For $100, we will make a minimum of one 30-second announcement for your group, business or organization every hour, plus we will run a banner ad on Tube City Online for at least 30 days.
For $250, we will make a minimum of one 60-second announcement for your group, business or organization every hour, plus we will run a banner ad on Tube City Online for at least 60 days. (Advertising does not qualify as a charitable contribution.)
July 16, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Podcast
Last week on "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes," I talked to Maury Burgwin, president of the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce, about programs offered by the chamber and its goals.
We discussed the need for regional cooperation and the signs of progress --- albeit too slow for many people's tastes --- in the Mon Valley.
And we also talked about the possible completion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway from Route 51 into Pittsburgh. A few years ago, the project was given up for dead, but recent news reports indicate state officials are taking another look at the final leg of the controversial highway.
Borrowing an idea from Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show," I decided to post an extended version of our conversation online.
. . .
Tomorrow on "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes," we'll talk to Juan Garrett, executive director of the Riverside Center for Innovation (and a McKeesport native). The Riverside Center has expanded from its roots on Pittsburgh's North Side to offer redevelopment help throughout the Pittsburgh region ... including, recently, in McKeesport and Clairton.
"Two Rivers, 30 Minutes" airs at 9:30 a.m. Fridays on WEDO (810), 8 a.m. Sundays on WZUM (1550), and is available as a free podcast from Stitcher and iTunes.
. . .
ADVERTISEMENT: Support for "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes" comes in part from the McKeesport Hospital Foundation. Since 1976, the foundation has addressed key concerns that affect our good health, as well as our education, social needs, recreation, and safety and security. The foundation partners with UPMC McKeesport and other agencies to eliminate barriers to all services for all residents of the Mon Valley. Visit www.mckhospitalfoundation.com, or call (412) 664-2590.
July 15, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Tube City Community Media Inc. is looking for a few good men and women to serve on its board of directors.
Nominations are currently being accepted. Anyone may nominate someone, and you may nominate yourself. Nominations will be considered at the board's next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 2, and should be received by Aug. 1.
Nominees should be at least 18 years old, be able to pass a background check, and live within a nine-mile radius of McKeesport.
A nine-mile radius of McKeesport includes Swissvale, Forest Hills, Churchill, Wilkinsburg, Monroeville, Pitcairn, North Versailles, White Oak, parts of North Huntingdon (Markvue Manor, Circleville, Hartford Heights), Elizabeth, Greenock, Clairton, Glassport, Pleasant Hills, West Mifflin, Brentwood, Munhall, Whitaker and parts of Pittsburgh (including Lincoln Place, Glenwood, Hazelwood and Squirrel Hill). (See map here.)
Most importantly, they should have a sincere interest in local, non-profit media and in promoting the McKeesport area via the Internet, radio and other means. Previous experience is not necessary but is helpful.
The board has only one regular meeting per year, but board members are asked for advice and help as necessary.
If you would like to suggest someone else or nominate yourself, write to tubecitytiger@gmail.com, call (412) 614-9659, or write to Tube City Community Media Inc., P.O. Box 94, McKeesport 15134.
July 14, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A robber hit two banks near Century III Mall --- the most recent on Tuesday morning --- and police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are seeking the public's help.
Special Agent Gregory Heeb of the FBI's Pittsburgh office said the man (shown above) entered the First National Bank on Lebanon Church Road near the intersection with Lebanon Road at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday morning and handed a teller a note demanding money.
No weapon was seen, the FBI spokesman said.
July 14, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A former West Mifflin doctor has been sentenced to 33 months' imprisonment and nearly $312,000 in restitution for putting patients into hospice care who didn't need it.
Oliver W. Herndon, 43, formerly of Peters Twp., Washington County, also was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab to three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton said.
Herndon, who once had a medical practice on Lewis Run Road and advertised himself as a "pain management specialist," was sentenced in 2012 for writing more than $700,000 in fraudulent prescriptions for painkillers.
Herndon was the medical director for Horizons Hospice on Mosside Boulevard in Monroeville. Hickton said Herndon falsely certified that patients were eligible for hospice care in order to inflate the company's billing to federal insurance programs.
July 14, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
I've just spent some quality time updating the International Village website to make it easier to view on phones and other mobile devices, which reminded me ...
International Village is less than a month away!
We are once again producing a video webcast of International Village, and this time, for the first year, your donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. (P.S.: Webcasts from previous years are still online.)
Thanks to the generosity of one of our board members, we have new video cameras (formerly used by one of Pittsburgh's tee-vee stations), which should give us a better picture than in previous years. We also have a new 4G LTE wireless connection, which should enable a more solid connection to the Internet.
But it all costs money. We would like to raise at least $750 to defray our expenses ... including our hosting, along with Skymagik Internet Services, of the International Village website --- which we do at no cost to city taxpayers.
If you're at all able to make a tax-deductible donation, we would very much appreciate it. PayPal will instantly email you a receipt, and we will send you an acknowledgement by U.S. Mail at the end of this year.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6AK7BYYTM8C6N
ADVERTISING:
If your business or organization would like to advertise during our International Village webcast, we need your information right away! Contact me at tubecitytiger@gmail.com or (412) 614-9659.
For $100, we will make a minimum of one 30-second announcement for your group, business or organization every hour, plus we will run a banner ad on Tube City Online for at least 30 days.
For $250, we will make a minimum of one 60-second announcement for your group, business or organization every hour, plus we will run a banner ad on Tube City Online for at least 60 days. (Advertising does not qualify as a charitable contribution.)
July 13, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The Allegheny County Department of Public Works will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 28 to discuss the planned closure and rehabilitation of the Homeville Viaduct.
The meeting will be held in the auditorium of West Mifflin Middle School, 81 Commonwealth Blvd.
Officials from Allegheny County, the state Department of Transportation, the borough and West Mifflin Area School District will be on hand to answer questions and address concerns.
Located between West Mifflin Area High School and the Duquesne Village shopping center, the 779-foot-long bridge, built in 1955, carries Homeville Road between Homestead-Duquesne Road and Commonwealth Boulevard. It crosses the Union Railroad and a creek.
Work to repair and upgrade the bridge is scheduled to start this August and will force its closure through late 2016.
The meeting is intended to offer the opportunity for the public to hear a brief presentation and ask questions related to the $10.2 million project.
July 09, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
July 09, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The closure is necessary for crews to perform a roadway stabilization project just south of the intersection with Lincoln Way, the spokesman said. Work is being performed by Pugliano Construction of Plum Borough.
Traffic will be detoured along Lincoln Way through North Huntingdon Twp. to Park Hill Road and Ridge Road (the green line on the map). The closure is anticipated to last approximately three months.
July 09, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
West Mifflin police are asking for the public's help in identifying whoever fired the shot that hit a woman leaving Kennywood on July 4.
The shooting happened at about 10 p.m., just after Kennywood's fireworks display, as the park was closing for the night. A 26-year-old woman leaving the park was struck by a bullet in the upper chest, near the shoulder.
According to published reports, investigators believe someone outside the park may have been shooting at random into the air, possibly at a July 4 celebration.
Anyone with information regarding suspicious activity or firearm activity in the area around Hoffman Boulevard in West Mifflin is asked to contact the police department's tip line at (412) 589-WMPD (9673).
July 07, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The store, which sells and installs new and used tires, is located at 1319 Washington Blvd., a spokesperson said.
Since 2009, Champ Tires has been based on Route 885 near Allegheny County Airport, first operating only as a website selling used tires across the United States. Two years later, it added a retail outlet in West Mifflin.
The West Mifflin location will remain the company's headquarters, said Brad Rea, Champ Tires' owner and president.
"Opening the Washington Blvd. store will let us easily offer different tire options for Pittsburgh drivers," Rea said. "We have attracted drivers from across the region to our West Mifflin location, and the new store will just make it more convenient for customers in the East End and northern suburbs."
Roughly 40 percent of Champ Tires' business comes from local sales, he said. The company has 10,000 used tires in its inventory at any time, allowing the company to match brand names and tread levels to drivers' existing tires.
July 07, 2015 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The two-year-long reconstruction of Lincoln Way in White Oak is causing more pain this week for McKeesport and Norwin area motorists.
Between Henderson Road (Epler's gas station) and Route 48, the southbound lane of Lincoln Way was closed on Monday and will remain closed through July 19, weather permitting.
A district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation says the closure is necessary to accommodate the ongoing reconstruction of the road. Northbound traffic --- from Route 48 toward Route 148 --- is not affected.
About 16,000 cars daily use that stretch of Lincoln Way, according to PennDOT traffic maps.
Businesses located on both sides of Lincoln Way remain open to customers during construction, the PennDOT spokesman said.
Lincoln Way is in the midst of a $6.9 million improvement project which includes widening to add turning lanes, intersection realignment, milling and resurfacing, drainage and traffic signal upgrades through the borough's business district. Overall work is set to be completed in May 2016.
Last week, crews also began paving the section of Lincoln Way between Route 48 and the Westmoreland County line.
The project is part of a $4.14 million contract to resurface four roadways in Allegheny County, and included milling and resurfacing, bituminous pavement installation and pavement marking improvements.
July 02, 2015 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Podcast
For folks who attend International Village each year, Mikey Dee needs no introduction. The McKeesport native and McKeesport Area High School graduate serves as master of ceremonies, but since he was a teen-ager, he's also been a working, touring musician, both with his own band and with musicians such as Frankie Yankovic and Harold Betters.
Dee has just recorded what he says is his "20th or 21st" album --- "In Your Dreams" --- an album of polka tunes, including covers and several originals.
We asked him to explain some of the culture of polka music, the reasons for its enduring popularity, and why it still holds such an important role in the lives of people of Eastern European descent in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee and other cities.
You can hear the interview --- and two tracks for Dee's new CD --- on "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes." The show airs at 9:30 a.m. Fridays on WEDO (810), 8 a.m. Sundays on WZUM (1550), and is available as a free podcast from Stitcher and iTunes.
Last week, we broadcast John Hoerr's 2009 speech at McKeesport Heritage Center, when he discussed the life of McKeesport-born playwright Marc Connelly, as well as his own novel about McKeesport, "Monongahela Dusk":
. . .
ADVERTISEMENT: Support for "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes" comes in part from the McKeesport Hospital Foundation. Since 1976, the foundation has addressed key concerns that affect our good health, as well as our education, social needs, recreation, and safety and security. The foundation partners with UPMC McKeesport and other agencies to eliminate barriers to all services for all residents of the Mon Valley. Visit www.mckhospitalfoundation.com, or call (412) 664-2590.
