In what's become a Halloween tradition at Tube City Online since 2006, more or less, we present the story of the blood-sucking monkeys who were raised in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania ... which is really scary territory, kids!
Then the monkeys got too big for West Mifflin, so they hopped on a freight train and went to Sewickley! And then ... well, Count Floyd will tell you the rest.
Just a little blast from the past courtesy of Pittsburgh's own Joe Flaherty and the Canadian sketch-comedy show SCTV. Remember, this film won the Western Pennsylvania Fright Award in 1978.
If you want to feel old, I'll remind you that this clip is from 35 years ago. And that is really scary.
The owner of a Dravosburg-based contracting company pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song said today.
Donald R. Taylor, 78, of Eighty-Four, Washington County, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer in Pittsburgh.
Taylor, the owner of Century Steel Erectors Co., testified in court that he conspired with Watson L. Maloy Jr., 77, of Union Twp., Washington County, to use Maloy’s company, W.M.C.C. Inc., as a "front" company to illegally obtain federally funded subcontracts on bridge projects being completed for the state Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
W.M.C.C. qualified for certain government jobs because it was a minority-owned small business, federal prosecutors said. Century Steel Erectors was not.
The Evangelical Congregational Church, corner of Walnut and Olive streets, will hold a stuffed pork chop dinner this Saturday (Nov. 4) from 4 to 6 p.m., a spokesman said.
The dinner will cost $10 for adults and $6 for children age 11 and under.
Above: "A Letter to SASKIA" by Robert Qualters is one of the works on display in "Working Class Images" at the Bost Building through Dec. 16. Courtesy Rivers of Steel Historic Area.
Works by four local artists are featured in a new exhibition that examines life and culture in the Mon Valley.
"Working Class Images" debuted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bost Building, 623 E. 8th Ave., Homestead, a spokesperson said.
The exhibit --- inside a gallery at the Rivers of Steel Historic Area Visitors Center, near the Waterfront and the former site of U.S. Steel's Homestead Works --- spans four decades and includes paintings, mixed-media installations and photography.
The artists whose works are on display include McKeesport and Clairton native Robert Qualters; Carnegie Mellon University professor Charlee Brodsky; West Homestead-based muralist Jennifer Rempel; and poet and painter Peter Oresick, who died in 2016 from brain cancer.
"The exhibit addresses the struggle of workers to attain economic wellbeing and rights within the workplace, as well as expressions of their inner lives,” said Joel Sabadasz, Battle of Homestead Foundation board member and coordinator for this project. “Themes of work, community, struggle, dignity, faith, democracy, patriotism, play, friendship and love are timeless reflections of the region’s working-class life and culture.”
Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday through Dec. 16, except for Thanksgiving weekend, when the Bost Building will be closed. A $3 donation is requested for admission and includes access to other exhibits as well as the gallery.
Johnathan White, Penn State history lecturer, listens Friday as author and Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson answers an audience question at Wunderley Gymnasium in McKeesport. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Michael Eric Dyson is tired of people --- in the words of the James Brown song --- "talkin' loud and sayin' nothin."
The award-winning author of 20 books, ordained minister and Georgetown University sociology professor came to McKeesport on Friday night to encourage his audience at Penn State University Greater Allegheny to engage each other in debate on serious issues of race, equality, justice and politics --- but to make sure they have the facts first.
"We need to talk about this stuff that people would rather not talk about, but you have to be informed," Dyson said. "When you have that conversation, have the facts. Just because you 'feel' something, doesn't mean you have the facts."
Dyson's latest book, "Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America," is a searing indictment of apathy and complacency in an age when Nazis and white supremacists have come out of the shadows to march in American streets.
County and White Oak officials on Thursday cut the ribbon for a new wedding garden shelter in White Oak Park.
Located just off McClintock Road in the western half of the park, the $60,000 facility replaces an older flower trellis that was not accessible for people in wheelchairs, and which did not provide protection from bad weather.
All of the preparation work on the site --- including regrading the land, pouring the concrete and doing the landscaping --- was done in-house by county personnel, a spokesperson said. The shelter itself was installed by Jeffrey and Associates.
Dravosburg Community Archives will hold a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 at Amity Presbyterian Church, 400 Euclid Ave., a spokeswoman said.
All proceeds will benefit the borough's 115th anniversary celebration, to be held in 2018.
Tickets for ages 13 and over are $7 in advance and $8 at the door. Tickets for children ages 5 to 12 are $5, and children age 4 and under eat for free.
The meal includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread, a beverage and dessert.
Tickets are on sale now at American Legion Post 380 in Dravosburg and at the Dravosburg Volunteer Fire Department No. 1, or call (412) 469-2710.
Take-out orders will be available and there also will be a 50/50 and a raffle on the day of the dinner.
A former McKeesport and Monongahela resident who was released from federal prison after seven years violated the terms of his parole by committing new crimes, federal prosecutors said.
Now, Santana Wygant, 40, faces another three years in prison, plus an additional five years of supervised release.
Wygant was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer in Pittsburgh, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song.
Fischer imposed the maximum sentence allowed, Song said.
Local police departments as well as UPMC McKeesport hospital are participating in the 14th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
The event is designed to remove unused prescription pills, capsules and patches from medicine cabinets, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
UPMC McKeesport hospital will collect unused drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday (Oct. 27) in the first-floor lounge of the Crawford Building.
These other Mon-Yough area sites will collect unused drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 28) in the following locations:
Allegheny County Police Department, Wilmerding Station, 315 Station St., Wilmerding
Clairton Police Department, at Rite-Aid Pharmacy, 623 St. Clair Ave., Clairton
East Pittsburgh Police Department, at Lanigan Funeral Home, 700 Linden Ave., East Pittsburgh
North Huntingdon Twp. Police Department, 11279 Center Hwy., North Huntingdon Twp.
Pleasant Hills Police Department, 410 E. Bruceton Road, Pleasant Hills
West Mifflin Police Department lobby, 1020 Lebanon Road, West Mifflin
Above: Blues guitarist and vocalist Melinda Colaizzi performs during the 13th annual Voices Carry benefit concert. The Oct. 3 event raised $158,358 for McKeesport-based Auberle. (Photo courtesy Auberle.)
This year's Voices Carry concert raised $158,358 for McKeesport-based Auberle, breaking previous records, the social-services agency for children and families has announced.
More than 500 people attended the Oct. 3 concert at Stage AE on Pittsburgh's North Side, including 47 dedicated volunteers, said Deb Hilton, marketing, communications and events manager.
The 13th annual Voices Carry featured vocal performances by Donnie Iris, Jeff Jimerson, Scott Blasey of the Clarks, Chris Higbee and Chris Jamison, a newcomer who made it to the semi-finals on NBC-TV's talent show "The Voice" and is now working at WBZZ-FM (100.7).
WDVE-FM (102.5) radio personality Randy Baumann served as emcee.
Route 837 from Pittsburgh into West Homestead will be closed tonight and Thursday night so that crews can repair broken concrete and remove shielding around the Glenwood Bridge interchange, a spokesperson said.
The closures will occur Oct. 25 and 26, weather permitting, between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., said the district spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation.
The southbound portion of 837 will be closed at Becks Run Road to all vehicles except emergency vehicles.
The posted detour will include the Hot Metal Bridge, Second Avenue, Irvine Street and the Glenwood Bridge. Delays are possible.
Conflict of Interest Note: The writer of this story has a conflict of interest. See editor's note.
Two upcoming events --- in Turtle Creek and Homestead --- will help people who need health insurance to sign up.
The first is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Human Services Center Corp., 519 Penn Ave., Turtle Creek.
The second is from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Mon Valley Initiative, 305 E. 8th Ave., Homestead.
Both events will include "health care navigators" from the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, who will help customers understand their options for purchasing insurance on the marketplace.
“Given all the recent upheaval regarding the Affordable Care Act, questions have arisen about health care coverage, who is eligible and how individuals that need access to care can sign up,” said state Sen. Jim Brewster, whose offce is organizing the Turtle Creek event. “These are critical questions that deserve accurate answers.”
The following is an editorial expressing an individual's opinion. Opinions expressed in editorials and commentaries are those of their authors, and are not those of Tube City Community Media Inc., its board of directors, volunteers, contributors or donors. Responsible replies are welcome.
(Anthony Bourdain talks with Pittsburghers at Kelly's Bar & Grill in East Liberty. Photo courtesy CNN.)
Whatever else Anthony Bourdain's hour-long exploration of Pittsburgh proved this week, it demonstrated that one fact about the region remains as true as it ever has been:
We are notoriously thin-skinned and hyper-sensitive to even the slightest criticism.
Make fun of New Jersey, and will its residents complain? Ah, fuggedaboutit.
Go ahead and knock Chicago. It rolls right off of the city's big shoulders.
But say anything even slightly negative about Pittsburgh, and we erupt in a blast of black-and-gold fury. (Topped with french fries.)
If you love to bake, LifeSpan could use your help this holiday season.
Diane L. Pawlowski, agency support manager for the non-profit senior service organization, says they're hoping to send "sweet holiday wishes" to people who receive meals on wheels in the Mon-Yough area.
She says most of us can remember "the wonderful smell" of homemade cookies around the holidays.
"Many of our participants miss this holiday tradition," Pawlowski says, because unfortunately, "they can no longer bake their own cookies."
Local communities, including McKeesport, Duquesne and White Oak, have posted their Halloween activity schedules.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko invites children 12 and younger to take part in the city’s annual Halloween Parade and Party in Renziehausen Park on Saturday (Oct. 28). Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Tennis Courts and the parade travels to the Jacob Woll Pavilion for an indoor party featuring seasonal crafts, storytime and hot dog lunch. This event is co-sponsored by the Carnegie Library of McKeesport.
Trick or treat hours in the city are 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.
White Oak also will have trick or treat from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.
In addition, White Oak's "Truck-or-Treat" will take place on Saturday (Oct. 28) at the White Oak American Legion,, 2813 Capitol St. The event will include a parade and after party, where attendees are invited to explore a variety of service vehicles such as fire trucks, tow trucks, garbage trucks and ambulances.
Serra Catholic goalkeeper Teddy Almeter slides to try and block a shot by a teammate Thursday at East Allegheny High School. The Eagles open the WPIAL Class A playoffs against Springdale today at North Allegheny. (Photo by Josh Rizzo, special to Tube City Almanac)
When things go wrong, the Serra Catholic boys' soccer team tries to find the right attack.
The Eagles (9-7-1, 7-5) think that's the proper mindset for this afternoon, when they take on seventh-seeded Springdale (12-4-1) in the first round of the Class A playoffs. Game time at North Allegheny is 1 p.m.
The 10th-seeded Serra High team didn’t point to a signature victory as a point of confidence. Heading into the playoffs, the Eagles are ecstatic about a scoreless draw that capped a 1-4-1 slide to end the regular season.
Serra Catholic stayed together on Oct. 17 on the road and tied a Keystone Oaks’ team, which finished 12-5-1 and is headed to the WPIAL Class AA postseason.
Another step has been taken toward the opening of the White Oak Community Center.
At Monday's council meeting, borough Council President Ron Massung said the center has received its official occupancy permit and the building is being cleaned and prepared with supplies.
The official public opening will hopefully happen in December, Massung said, but a so-called "soft opening" will happen next month when White Oak hosts a Steel Rivers Council of Governments meeting at the facility.
In other business:
Council approved the borough's application for a community-development block grant in the amount of $49,000 to demolish houses at 736 O’Neil Blvd., 608 Osborne St., 606 New Jersey St., 700 New Jersey St., 907 Coulter Road, 2420 O’Neil Blvd. and 1828 California St.
Above: Port Authority senior analyst Amy Silbermann and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald greet an audience Monday night at the Palisades ballroom in McKeesport. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Port Authority officials and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald came to McKeesport on Monday night to explain a "bus rapid transit" system that they said would relieve overcrowding and late buses between downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland.
But what residents heard was that McKeesport, Duquesne and Homestead could soon be getting 45 percent less service from the heavily traveled 61C route --- and they don't like it.
At times, the atmosphere in the Palisades ballroom was tense, with arguments breaking out at one table between residents and Port Authority board members, and Fitzgerald exchanging sharp remarks with transit advocates in the audience.
"I chose to live in McKeesport because I saw that the bus service would be beneficial to me," said Dan Beyerlein, who said the 61C is his lifeline to doctors in Squirrel Hill and Oakland, and provides a connection to his church in Wilkinsburg.
Eliminating 45 percent of the 61C's daily runs to McKeesport, Beyerlein said, would make him unable to get his connecting buses. "Then I'm late to my doctor's appointments and there's nothing I can do about it," he said.
(Photos by Vickie Babyak, special to Tube City Almanac)
Volunteers and students from McKeesport's Youth CAST along with staff from GTECH Strategies broke ground Saturday morning for improvements to a greenspace at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Auburn Street.
GTECH, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit, has been working in the city since 2015 to reclaim and re-use vacant lots for community purposes, while Youth CAST, which stands for Communities and Schools Together, is a McKeesport-based leadership development program for young adults in grades 6 through 12.
Last year, in cooperation with students and several other local organizations, GTECH and Youth CAST developed a playground and greenspace --- called a "Green Playce" --- at the corner of Jenny Lind and Butler streets.
Above are Youth CAST members, seated, Ajayla Johnson, Calise Johnson, Paul Francis and Isaiah Johnson, and standing, Nyiana Watson, Youth CAST program coordinator Aaron Johnson, Deja Newby, Skylar Palmer, Nicora Watson, Zekeil Palmer, Denaja Newby, Sontee Peterson, Dajere Newby and Savanah Still.
A suspended attorney pleaded guilty on Monday to charges he embezzled funds from one of his clients, then used the money to support the Mon Valley Independent newspaper.
Keith A. Bassi, 61, of Jefferson Twp., Fayette County, will be sentenced on three counts of mail fraud March 14 by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab, said a spokeswoman for Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song. Bassi faces up to 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both.
Bassi's license to practice law has been suspended, the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania announced on Aug. 16.
Prosecutors said that Bassi had power of attorney over the estate of an elderly client suffering from dementia. They accuse him of engaging in "a series of financial transactions" in which he diverted the estate's assets into his own accounts at CFS Bank and PNC Bank.
Updated Oct. 15 with victim's name and arrest details.
Updated Oct. 16 with bond and arraignment information.
Above: Damien L. Ashley. (Photo courtesy Allegheny County Police.)
A shooting Saturday afternoon in the 1600 block of Jenny Lind Street has left one man dead and another man hospitalized and facing charges.
Allegheny County police said the shooting stemmed from an argument between the two victims. McKeesport police were dispatched to the area at 1:20 p.m. and found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.
One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office as Wyatt L. Gaza, 28, of Pittsburgh.
Minutes later, McKeesport police were called to UPMC McKeesport hospital where a man was reportedly being treated for gunshot wounds. County police said that man has been identified as Damien L. Ashley, 28, of McKeesport.
In a prepared release Sunday afternoon, Allegheny County detectives alleged that Ashley and Gaza were arguing and that they believe Ashley began shooting at Gaza, who returned fire. Police allege that Ashley fled after being shot and said he was driven to the hospital in a private vehicle.
Ashley was later flown to a Pittsburgh hospital's trauma center for treatment, police said.
According to court records, Ashley has been charged with homicide, unauthorized possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and tampering with evidence.
He was arraigned Monday and is currently being held without bond in the Allegheny County Jail pending a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. Oct. 27 before Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning.
Cornell Street is part of the city's Library and Cultural District. (Tube City Almanac file photo.)
If you live in the city's Library and Cultural District and own your home, Joe Costa at ACTION-Housing wants to hear from you as soon as possible.
Costa, a housing associate with the non-profit agency, is putting together a grant request to the state's housing trust fund and is seeking homeowners whose houses need remodeling or rehabilitation work.
"We have one candidate signed up already," he said. "We need 10 candidates altogether. These could be safety upgrades, structural repairs, roof, wiring, plumbing repairs --- anything needed to keep a house up to code."
People who are interested should call Costa at (412) 281-2102, extension 2053, or email jcosta@actionhousing.org.
Interested residents who want to learn more about the program are being urged to attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Oct 17 at McKeesport Presbyterian Church, corner of Versailles and Union avenues.
During Wednesday's city council meeting, Mayor Phillip Krivacek reported that Thomas Cranmer was hired Sept. 15 at the recommendation of police Chief Richard Adams.
“Our great department now has 12 officers, which is the highest we have had in some time,” Krivacek said.
In other business:
Councilwoman June Wilson announced that water rates will be increasing 1.8 percent next year. The rate increase was imposed by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, which supplies Duquesne's water.
Councilman Timothy Caldwell announced that the city has acquired a house at 32 S. Sixth St. in lieu of back taxes following a 10-year court case.
He recommended council survey the property and obtain quotes for demolishing it.
From left: Tony Riggs, Ty-Meer Brown and Brian Evans were honored this month for living the "McKeesport Message" of "Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love." (Tube City Almanac photo.)
Four people were honored this month by McKeesport Mayor Mike Cherepko and the McKeesport Message Committee for upholding the values of respect, dignity, hope and love.
A subgroup of the mayor's Select Committee on Crime and Violence, the committee accepts nominations from the public and makes the selections four times per year.
Citations were presented at the Oct. 4 council meeting to Brian Evans, Tony Riggs and Ty-Meer Brown. Another citation was issued to Linda Brewster, who was unable to be present.
Yukon Croatian Club will kick off the Halloween season with its over-21 Halloween Party on Oct. 21 with a DJ from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The festivities also include a prize for best costume and a door prize ticket, a spokeswoman said. Admission is $1. The club will open at 7 p.m. It is located at 109 Union St. in Yukon, exit 53 on I-70.
(Students of the Psychological Association of Greater Allegheny campus in McKeesport are raising money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, now through the end of October. Penn State photo by Martin Rosenberg.)
When Penn State undergrad Livia Bodner set up a page to raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, she put the goal at $100.
"I thought that was a stretch, but then I saw it hit $200, then almost $300," said Bodner, who's majoring in psychology at the university's Greater Allegheny campus in McKeesport. "We just want it to keep going."
Bodner serves as vice president of the campus' Psychological Association, or "Psych Club." This is the fourth five-kilometer NAMIWalk organized by McKeesport campus students.
Now through the end of October, donations toward the fundraiser can still be made via the NAMIWalks website.
(Above: An actor portrays pioneering woman airline pilot and McKeesport native Helen Richey during the 2015 cemetery tour. Photo courtesy McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center.)
From a Civil War hero to the victim of a tragic train accident, talented local actors will bring to life nine interesting McKeesport residents of the past during the third-annual Living History Tour of McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery.
The tour features some of the area's most intriguing, famous and infamous figures, she said, and also will feature a stop highlighting the interesting history of the cemetery as well as a food-truck round-up offering refreshments for visitors.
A teen-ager was pronounced dead at a local hospital following a shooting Wednesday evening in Duquesne.
Lezra Rice, 15, of North Braddock died at 6:26 p.m., the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Allegheny County police have released few details. Emergency workers said 9-1-1 received a report at 5:06 p.m. that someone had been shot in the alley behind the 400 block of Williams Street. When they arrived, police found Rice suffering from what were described only as "multiple gunshot wounds."
Rice was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, a spokeswoman said.
Allegheny County police homicide detectives are investigating.
A 22-year-old man was arrested in Carrick this morning in connection with a shooting in Braddock.
Dion Parker is charged by Allegheny County police with aggravated assault and violations of the uniform firearms act and is currently being held for questioning, police said.
Emergency personnel said a 19-year-old man was shot just before 3 a.m. in the 400 block of Verona Street in Braddock. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition, police said. His name was not released by police.
Allegheny County police homicide detectives were asked to assist with the investigation.
Above: McKeesport is seeking funds to build two new homes on this vacant lot along Cornell Street in conjunction with ACTION-Housing. (Tube City Almanac photo)
City officials are working with Pittsburgh-based ACTION-Housing to build at least two new homes near Twin Rivers Elementary School and renovate several others.
Last week, McKeesport city council voted 6-0 to apply to the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Fund for a grant to begin a program of new construction and renovations in the Cultural and Library District. Councilman Jim Barry was absent due to work.
The city will meet with the Concerned Citizens of the Library District on Oct. 17 to discuss the program, Mayor Mike Cherepko said.
"We have a lot of rental properties in the city, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but as we continue to move forward, the true future of the city has got to be home ownership," Cherepko said.
Nine local women were recognized for their efforts to better the communities in which they live during last week's Mon River Fleet Women of Achievement Awards Dinner.
Residents of Braddock, Clairton, Duquesne and McKeesport were represented at the annual dinner, held at Stratigos Banquet Center in North Huntingdon Twp., to celebrate outstanding contributions to community health, government and social services in the Mon Valley region.
“The Women of Achievement dinner recognizes great women who have done great things,” said Eliana Latterman, coordinator of the Mon River Fleet and Director of Development at McKeesport Hospital Foundation.
The 2017 Mon River Fleet Women of Achievement are Jacklyn Ahern, Courtney List, Joyce MacGregor, Fawn McDaniel, Sister Mary Parks, Alison Piccolino, Susan "Suz" Rosati, Terry Ruccio and Antonietta Stolic.
Proceeds from the event, which was sponsored by the Mon River Fleet Community PartnerSHIPs, will benefit SHIP initiatives in surrounding communities within the Mon Valley.
The trailer for Netflix's new TV series "Mindhunter" will include a few scenes that seem familiar to employees of the former McKeesport Daily News.
The series, shot during the summer of 2016 partially in McKeesport and other areas around Pittsburgh, used the newspaper's now-closed building as a stand-in for the Sacramento, Calif., police department.
At least one scene (above) clearly shows the former sports and features department on the second floor and other scenes appear to have been filmed in the former composing room on the third floor, and possibly in the press room.
The series is set to debut on Netflix Oct. 13. You can watch the trailer below.
According to one source, fake memos reading "Sacramento Police Department" are still taped to a pillar in the first floor area of the office that was formerly used as the Daily News' display and classified advertising departments, indicated that some scenes utilized the first floor area as well.
Almost 8 mills of what McKeesport Area School District collects in property taxes goes to the city's two charter schools, Propel McKeesport and Young Scholars of McKeesport, according to district officials.
At September's school board meeting, Board President Joe Lopretto said that charter school payments amounting to nearly $6 million are taking away needed revenue from McKeesport's public schools and forcing the district to make painful choices.
"Without that funding coming in it's either cut programs, get rid of teachers, or we've got to raise taxes just to keep the district going," Lopretto said. "With what we're putting out in charter school tuitions every year ... it's coming from our district and it's really hurting us."
Public school districts were once given a 30 percent reimbursement from the state Department of Education to offset payments to charters, Lopretto said, but that was cut in 2011 by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, and has never been restored.
When it came to animal advocacy, Cindy McGraw-Davic believed in doing things in a big way. One Christmas, remembers her sister, Holly Turkovic, McGraw-Davic bought about $2,000 worth of dog bones and drove around the Pittsburgh area, delivering them to animal shelters.
"Every Saturday morning, sometimes before I was awake, she would come to my house and pick up my dogs, and then go to my mother's house and pick up her dogs, and then take them somewhere to go and play," Turkovic says. "She dedicated her life to animals."
It's only appropriate that the second-annual "Bark in the Park" fundraiser, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Romine Avenue Field in Port Vue in McGraw-Davic's memory, is three times as big as last year's event.
"We've tripled everything we did last year," Turkovic said. "We have 70 vendors, ranging from dog-related items and dog treats, to wreaths, perfumes, essential oils, all kinds of makers and artists, you name it."
The event, which is free and open to the public, is raising money to develop a 3.5-acre dog park at the end of Portsmouth Drive, off of Washington Boulevard near South Allegheny Elementary School.
A suspect wanted in connection with a murder in Penn Hills was arrested this morning in McKeesport after firefighters helped police and sheriff's deputies break into an attic to reach him.
Steven L. Sparrow Jr., 20, of Verona is charged by Allegheny County police with homicide, robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with what Allegheny County Sheriff William Mullen described as the "execution-style murder" of Andre Williams, 26.
In a prepared statement, Mullen said that even after breaking into the crawlspace of a home on Bridge Street where Sparrow was hiding, it took pepper spray and 45 minutes of negotiations with McKeesport police and sheriff's deputies before Sparrow surrendered.
Mullen thanked city police and firefighters for what he called "their amazing support and teamwork."
Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus will open an outreach center in the heart of Downtown to offer computer literacy classes, homebuyer counseling and other services.
Jacqueline Edmundson, Greater Allegheny chancellor, said the university is preparing a space on the third floor of the former YWCA building on Ninth Avenue in an effort to re-connect with the Mon-Yough community.
The building is also home to the Ninth Street Clinic and a temporary office for medical cannabis company PurePenn. Those tenants are expected to remain.
The Ninth Avenue location is "an opportunity for us to engage the community in a number of different opportunties, and we'll have students involved in that outreach as well," Edmundson said in an interview.
While Pittsburgh political leaders are encouraging Amazon.com to locate its new headquarters in the Steel City, a state senator representing the Steel Valley wants to make sure his constituents aren't left out.
State Sen. Jim Brewster said that he has suggested former industrial sites in Braddock, Clairton, Duquesne, East Pittsburgh and McKeesport as possible locations for an Amazon campus, as well as another former industrial site in New Kensington, Westmoreland County.
“We have to be collaborative and work cohesively so that Amazon gets a full understanding of the array of sites that are available in our region,” Brewster, a Democrat from McKeesport, said. “There are plenty of locations in Southwestern Pennsylvania that are excellent sites and I am certain that the region’s application will be inclusive and strong.”
Amazon.com, the world's largest Internet retailer, is based in Seattle. But in September the company announced that it was looking to create a second headquarters campus somewhere in North America, and that it was prepared to spend up to $5 billion to do so.
The company expects the second headquarters to include "as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs" and claims it will create "tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment" in the surrounding region.
Amazon, which reported nearly $136 billion in revenue last year and employs more than 268,000 people worldwide, contends that it contributed $38 billion to the economy of the Seattle region between 2010 and 2016.
First United Methodist Church will hold a fall concert at 4 p.m. Oct. 22, a spokesperson said.
Scheduled performers include Angel Redwood of Zion Baptist Church and Gena Wells of Judah Ministries International Worship Center, as well as other local musicians.
The concert is free but "love offerings" will be accepted. Refreshments will be served following the concert.
For more information, call (412) 664-9349. The church is located at 1406 Cornell St., near Twin Rivers Elementary School and the Carnegie Library of McKeesport. The event is co-chaired by Della Meekins and Sandra Christian.
UPMC McKeesport will offer free flu vaccinations, cholesterol screenings, giveaways and more at "Fall Into Wellness" this Saturday (Oct. 7).
The health fair will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the ground floor of the hospital's Kelly Building, 1500 Fifth Ave. Parking in the hospital garage for the event will be free. Call (412) 664-2306.
A spokeswoman said that free screenings to be offered also will include blood pressure and blood sugar tests and lung function tests. Free giveaways will include "cold and flu survival kits," refreshments and other items. Health professionals will be available to answer questions.
The flu vaccinations will not be given to children under age 18, and a nine-hour fast is recommended for anyone who wants to get a cholesterol screening. No appointments are necessary and the event is open to the public.
A plan for a so-called "bus rapid transit" loop between downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland has the potential to change the way commuters in the Mon Valley get to work or school.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County will hold the first of three public hearings on the bus rapid transit proposal tonight at 6:30 p.m. at The Avenue apartments, 325 Braddock Ave. in Braddock.
The second will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Palisades Ballroom, 100 Fifth Ave., Downtown, and the third at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Duquesne City Hall, 12 S. Second St.
Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said in a prepared statement that riders of the 61A, 61B and 61C buses are particularly urged to attend the hearings and provide input.
