June 27, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Editor’s note: This story was edited after publication to remove a charge that was withdrawn without prosecution.
June 16, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
A new series of tours aimed at elementary school kids will introduce them to the technology that powered the steel industry during its 20th century heyday.
"Kids at Carrie" will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. June 26, July 31 and Aug. 21 at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark site, located in Swissvale near the Rankin Bridge. Advance registration is encouraged.
Ron Baraff of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, which maintains the site, said the tours are designed to be short, kid-friendly, and interactive.
June 15, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Route 30 in East Pittsburgh will be closed this weekend so that workers can put a top coat of latex paving on a new bridge.
Beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, the bridge that carries Route 30 over Bessemer Avenue between Center Street and Clyde Avenue, will close to traffic in both directions continuously through 6 a.m. Monday, said a district spokesman for the state Department of Transporation.
June 15, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Crews will be repaving part of Route 885 between CCAC South Campus and Ravensburg Boulevard in Clairton, beginning next week.
A district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said that parts of the road will be restricted to single, alternating lanes of traffic, weather permitting, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Weekend work between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. is also possible.
Flaggers will assist motorists through the work zone.
The project includes milling and paving, concrete pavement patching, base repairs, guide rail updates, shoulder work, signal improvements and line painting activities. Work will conclude in late July. Lindy Paving Inc. is the prime contractor.
June 15, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Residents of 45 municipalities --- including many in the Mon-Yough area --- can acquire vacant lots and structures in their neighborhoods through Allegheny County's Vacant Property Recovery Program.
The application period has opened for the 2016 Side Yard and Blighted Structure program, which allows people to purchase abandoned properties at a substantial discount, a county spokeswoman said. Applications must be received by Aug. 31.
Qualifying communities in the Mon-Yough area include Braddock Hills, Dravosburg, East McKeesport, Elizabeth Twp., Forward Twp, Liberty Boro., Munhall, North Versailles Twp., South Versailles Twp. (Coulter), Swissvale, Turtle Creek, Versailles, West Homestead, West Mifflin, Whitaker, White Oak and Wilkins Twp.
June 13, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Carnegie Library of McKeesport will participate in "World Wide Knit in Public Day," an annual event started in 2005 and designed to encourage people who knit or crochet to meet other hobbyists.
The library's event will be held on the main lawn at 1507 Library Ave., weather permitting, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (June 18), a spokeswoman said. Everyone is invited and the event is free.
A picnic lunch will be served, but registration is requested at (412) 672-0625.
Created by Missouri hobbyist and clothing maker Danielle Landes, there were only 25 local knitting events on the first "World Wide Knit in Public Day." There are now hundreds of events in the United States and more than 50 other countries, including Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa and Sweden.
June 13, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Twenty-nine basketball mini-camps will be held this summer in locations around Allegheny County, including in McKeesport, Braddock, Clairton, East Pittsburgh, Homestead, Rankin and Wilmerding, a spokesman said.
The "Hometown Hoops" mini-camps are free and open to ages 9-18, and participants may attend as many mini-camps as they like. The camps are run by the Allegheny County Parks Department.
Both boys and girls may participate. Students will learn basketball skills from local coaches and players with experience in the NBA, NCAA and WPIAL. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and organizers are strongly recommending advance registration.
The camps will be held in the following Mon Valley locations:
June 13, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Photo: Joanne Dorazio and Kathy Ryan, two of the three co-chairs for the Corpus Christi Parish Festival, sample some of the foods that will be served at the parish social hall from June 23 to 25. Michael Mattis is also a co-chair.
. . .
An annual summer celebration featuring entertainment, homemade ethnic food, and games returns to Market Street as Corpus Christi Parish holds its festival June 23 to 25 at the church's social hall, 803 Market St., Downtown.
Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Live music will be provided each night, including Glitzando from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the Soul Searchers from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, and the Majestics2 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Balloon artist and magician Billy Heh will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. nightly.
June 10, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The McKeesport Regional History and Heritage Center will host it's next Summer Speaker Series program at 2 p.m. June 18.
The film "Silent Tales from Richland Cemetery" will be shown, highlighting some of the historical figures buried there, and members of the Dravosburg Community Archives will be available to discuss the film, which was directed by Smith Laure and written by Pamela Palongue, Beth Rohach and Robert Scott.
The program is free for members of the center and $2 for non-members, and the public is welcome. The McKeesport Regional History and Heritage Center is located at 1832 Arboretum Drive in Renziehausen Park. For more information, call (412) 678-1832 or visit the center's website.
June 10, 2016 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport officials made what Auditor General Eugene DePasquale called a "costly pension mistake" when they spent more than $729,000 in state pension aid on general operating expenses, instead of depositing it into employee retirement funds.
Although the auditor general made no allegations of intentional wrongdoing, DePasquale said on Thursday the error does put future state contributions to city pension plans into jeopardy until the problem is fixed.
And the mistake only exacerbated a $2.3 million shortfall in four different pension funds covering 164 employees who have retired from McKeesport's police, fire, public works and administrative departments.
City officials acknowledged the problem and will make amends, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said.
June 07, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
June 06, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Community leaders and developers cut the ribbon Thursday (June 2) on a new mixed-use development in Homestead.
One Homestead is located on East Eighth Avenue at Amity Street and has 51 housing units, including three-story loft apartments, two- and three-story townhouse units, and one- and two-bedroom apartments with patios or sunrooms.
The complex incorporates original Eighth Avenue buildings --- including the old Homestead post office, recently used as the borough police station --- as well as new construction. The developer was A.M. Rodriguez Associates of Pittsburgh and Akron.
One Homestead "was a very challenging project, but it will stand the test of time," said Victor Rodriguez, president of the company. "We put a great deal of thought into the design. We look forward to continuing to work with the Borough of Homestead on new developments, including the opening of a new brewpub in the old Levine Hardware store on 8th Avenue.”
June 06, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
O'Neil Boulevard will be closed near Founders Hall Middle School for most of June and July as crews work to stabilize part of the hillside.
A spokesperson for the Allegheny County Department of Public Works said the closure begins at 9 a.m. June 13 (Monday) at Porter Street, when construction workers from Pugliano Construction of Plum will begin reconstructing the hillside. The project has an estimated cost of $300,000.
The work will continue through the end of July. The official detour will take motorists over Eden Park Boulevard, Walnut Street, 30th Avenue and Patterson Avenue.
June 06, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Work has finally begun on the replacement of a traffic light at the Whitaker end of the Rankin Bridge.
A spokesman for the Allegheny County Department of Public Works said crews began replacing the signals on Route 837 near Bob's Autotorium this morning and repairs will continue, Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The repairs are expected to be complete by the end of June.
The traffic signals at the intersection were heavily damaged in April 2015 when a car driven by a Florida man crashed into two other cars and then into the side of Bob's Autotorium. During the collision, utility poles and the control system for the traffic lights were destroyed.
Temporary traffic signals have been in place at the intersection since then. According to PennDOT traffic maps, between 20,000 and 22,000 vehicles pass through the intersection on Route 837 every day.
June 03, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The City of McKeesport Kids Fishing Derby (previously advertised for June 4) has been rescheduled for 8 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, June 11 at Lake Emilie in Renziehausen Park.
This event is for children age 16 and younger. Registration is 50 cents. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish and other contests. Children must be present for the duration of the event to claim their prizes. For more information, call 412-675-5020, ext. 610.
June 01, 2016 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Update: Traffic closures will now be "intermittent" on Monday and Tuesday, according to the mayor's office.
A Netflix TV series being filmed in the Pittsburgh area will utilize the former offices of the McKeesport Daily News for some scenes.
Sources told Tube City Almanac that the landmark Art Deco building at the corner of Lysle Boulevard and Walnut Street will stand in as an FBI office a police station in the upcoming series "Mindhunter," a series based on a 1996 book about criminal psychologists working for the FBI.
UPDATED: Signs labeling the building as the "Sacramento Police Department" appeared over the weekend.
Construction crews today removed plywood that has been covering the windows of the Daily News since the paper was closed by its parent company, Trib Total Media, on Dec. 31.
UPDATED: Filming will cause "intermittent closures" of Lysle Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday (June 6) and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday (June 7), with a full closure of Lysle Boulevard from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 2 a.m. Wednesday (June 8), said a spokeswoman for McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko.
The road will be closed between Locust and Market streets. Detours will be posted.
According to published reports, "Mindhunter" is set in the 1970s, and producers have been seeking 1960s and 1970s cars to use in background scenes. The series is being produced by Jennifer Orme Erwin and actors Kevin Spacey and Charlize Theron.
Shooting was budgeted at $80 million, according to a story by Jason Cato in the Tribune-Review.
June 01, 2016 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A Glassport woman will serve 18 months in prison and pay restitution of nearly $250,000 after pleading guilty to defrauding her employer and the government.
Deborah A. Mattie, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond, U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton said.
Mattie is a former office manager for Finney Funeral Homes, court officials said. In January, she pleaded guilty to felony counts of forging checks, access device fraud and theft of government property, according to a spokeswoman for Hickton.
