October 30, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
(Illustration courtesy Clipart-Library)
A windy, wet weather forecast has spurred several municipalities to change or reschedule their Halloween activities, but McKeesport is not one of them.
Trick-or-treating will proceed as scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, said a spokeswoman for McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko.
"This decision was made because it is very difficult to communicate any changes effectively in a timely manner," the spokeswoman said. "Changes may be easy for some, but please consider families who have made adjustments to their work and/or personal schedules with Halloween in mind."
The National Weather Service in Moon Twp. is predicting a cold and windy Halloween night, with as much as a half-inch to an inch of rain, an overnight low of 35 degrees and winds from 16 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 40 mph.
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October 29, 2019 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Senior drum major Olivia Bakaturski looks over Tiger Band members in the stands at the Franklin Regional away game on Oct. 18. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo, special to Tube City Almanac)
McKeesport Area High School Tiger Band senior Olivia Bakaturski has come a long way musically since she first considered learning to play clarinet back in in fifth grade.
“I originally wanted to do percussion,” she said with a little laugh following a recent halftime show she directed as drum major.
Bakaturski and her band mates found success this season with the group’s industrial-themed “A Day in the Mill,” performed at football games and competitions. The Tiger Band was named Tournament of Bands Chapter 8, Group 2-0 Champions on Oct. 25.
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October 29, 2019 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Author, teacher and philosopher Cornel West meets with Penn Staters prior to Friday evening's discussion at Wunderley Gymnasium in McKeesport. (Photo courtesy Penn State Greater Allegheny via Facebook)
Cornel West is not optimistic about the triumph of equality and justice. But he's hopeful.
There's a difference, he said.
During a discussion Friday night at Wunderley Gymnasium of Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus in McKeesport, West, a philosopher, author and activist, was asked if he found reasons to be hopeful and optimistic about the future lives of Black Americans.
“There is a difference between hope and optimism,” he said. “I'm not optimistic at all, I've never been an optimist.”
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October 29, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, North Versailles Twp. News
Two people have been charged after a car chase and shooting in North Versailles Twp. that left a Pittsburgh man dead and closed Route 30 for nearly 12 hours.
Several people were injured during the incident, which ended with a three-car crash Sunday night between Great Valley Shopping Center and the George Westinghouse Bridge.
Richard N. Littlejohn Jr., 32, of Pittsburgh's Hill District was pronounced dead at the scene, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said Monday. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
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October 27, 2019 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Mary Jane Keller’s final meeting as a McKeesport Area School Board member was a bittersweet occasion for district officials and her fellow school directors.
At Wednesday's school board meeting, Superintendent Mark Holtzman Jr. presented Keller with a bouquet of flowers as well as a plaque recognizing her for a combined 45 years of service to the district, first as a teacher, and later as a school director.
Keller has been on the school board for eight years and served as vice-president for the past four.
An emotional Keller said, “It is my hope that I have been a positive voice for children.”
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October 23, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
The owner of the old McKeesport Connecting Railroad roundhouse in the city’s industrial park will use a state grant to remove environmental hazards and prepare the building for potential new tenants.
Regional Industrial Development Corp. has received $671,200 to perform remediation at the roundhouse; the old U.S. Steel National Works guardhouse on Locust Street; and the open hearth building at the old U.S. Steel Duquesne Works.
The grant, announced Wednesday by state Rep. Austin Davis, is from the state Industrial Sites Reuse Program, which helps fund the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites that are going to be used for housing, businesses or recreation areas.
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October 23, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: White Oak News
The owner of the contracted trash hauler for White Oak borough said Wednesday that charges made against his company at a recent council meeting were not accurate.
Joe Eori Sr., who has owned Big's Sanitation since 1999, said the company is not mixing waste with recycling --- in fact, he said, Big's is trying to encourage recycling.
"I want everyone to recycle, because (Big's) pays by the ton" for landfill disposal fees, Eori said Wednesday. "The more (residents) recycle, the less tonnage I take in."
At Monday's meeting, residents said Big's crews were dumping recyclables into a trash truck. Eori said Big's is using a trash truck to haul recycling.
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October 23, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, North Versailles Twp. News
A pedestrian died Wednesday morning after being struck by at least two cars on Route 30 in North Versailles Twp.
One of the vehicles fled the scene, police said.
Allegheny County police Sgt. Venerando Costa said 63-year-old Ritchie Holmes of North Versailles was struck near the intersection of Route 30 and Taylor Street at around 7 a.m.
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October 22, 2019 |
By Christy Walters | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak residents voiced their opinion at Monday’s council meeting that Big’s Sanitation is not fulfilling its contract, or meeting the needs of the community.
Former councilman Rich Bryce spoke during the public comments section of the meeting to address the issue.
He claimed that workers from the Belle Vernon-based sanitation company pull their trucks up to homes and put both trash and recycling into the same trucks.
“I voted for (Big’s) when I was on council because they had a good reputation and everything else,” Bryce said. “They’re breaking their contract. They’re screwing up. They’re charging us for two things and only doing one.”
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October 22, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Schools in North Huntingdon Twp. and Jeannette were locked-down and some students were sent home early on Tuesday after police received what they regarded as credible threats of violence.
Police allege that a man from the Dayton, Ohio, area made the threats, apparently to create a diversion as he robbed a bank in the Circleville area of the township.
No injuries were reported, but Clay Pike and Robbins Station Road were closed for several hours while the investigation took place.
Police said the suspect, Luke J. Dell, 35, of Beavercreek, Ohio, was taken into custody before he got to the bank. Dell is being held without bond in the Westmoreland County Prison pending a preliminary hearing Nov. 6, court officials said.
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October 21, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
Duquesne and Allegheny County police are looking for three men involved in a shooting Saturday evening on Priscilla Street that injured four people.
Police said three of the victims were sitting on the front porch of a house in the 600 block at around 5 p.m. when a blue Ford Fusion approached and someone inside the car opened fire.
The car then continued down the street where another person was shot, police said.
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October 21, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A North Versailles Twp. man died Sunday night following a one-car crash on the Tri-Boro Expressway in Turtle Creek.
William "Boo" Guyaux, 55, died at a hospital about a half-hour after the wreck, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said Monday.
The office said the accident happened just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of the Tri-Boro and Monroeville Avenue.
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October 17, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Allegheny County police have released these surveillance camera photos of two men who are wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting at the Family Dollar on Versailles Avenue. (Allegheny County police photos)
A Homestead man died after being shot Thursday morning during a dispute in a store on Versailles Avenue.
The Allegheny County medical examiner's office said Dwayne Fuller, 24, died at a hospital about an hour after he was shot at the Family Dollar store in the 3000 block of Versailles Avenue.
Allegheny County police Sgt. Venerando Costa said detectives are reviewing surveillance video in an attempt to identify the persons responsible for Fuller's shooting.
Police said Friday afternoon that they now believe robbery was the motive.
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October 17, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: History, White Oak News
(* — CORRECTION, NOT PERFECTION: This story was corrected after publication.)
This 90-year-old photo shows Allen Evans' Gulf gasoline station at the corner of Long Run Road and what was then known as "White Oak Level Road" — now Lincoln Way.
Although almost everything around the intersection has changed, the same curve is still present in Lincoln Way (below, in an image from Google Maps).
Scanned from the Allegheny County archives by the University of Pittsburgh Libraries for its "Historic Pittsburgh" archive, the image touches on a lot of the history of the McKeesport and White Oak areas.
The Evans family — for whom Evans Avenue is named — was prominent in the history of the McKeesport area.
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October 16, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
First Church of God, 157 N. Second St., West Newton will host an Election Day luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a spokesperson said.
Soup, sandwiches, salads, desserts and drinks will be available to eat in or take out.
The church is wheelchair and walker accessible.
For more information, call (724) 872-7467.
October 16, 2019 |
By Marcy Cendroski | Posted in: Liberty Borough News
Some Liberty residents are upset over the way the borough has implemented new parking regulations.
In response to concerns from police, firefighters and paramedics that emergency vehicles couldn't get through some streets because of cars parked on both sides, council in August drafted an ordinance that designated many streets as "no parking" zones on one side.
The ordinance was officially adopted at September's council meeting, but many residents complained that the borough had given them insufficient notice about the change.
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October 16, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
A boil-water advisory that has been in effect for McKeesport-area residents since Saturday night has been lifted.
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County announced Wednesday morning that water samples over two consecutive days from the city, Port Vue, Versailles and White Oak were all clear.
Storage tank levels are at normal conditions so it is no longer necessary to conserve water, said Matt Junker, authority spokesman.
The advisory was put into place after an intake pump at the McKeesport Water Treatment Plant failed Saturday evening, flooding the facility and forcing it to be closed temporarily. That caused water pressure to fall throughout the system, leading the authority to impose water conservation orders for some communities and a boil-water advisory for all four communities served by the plant.
About 16,000 customers were affected.
October 15, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County's McKeesport Water Treatment Plant (photo courtesy MAWC)
A boil-water advisory for about 16,000 customers in McKeesport, Port Vue, Versailles and White Oak could be lifted on Wednesday.
Matt Junker, spokesman for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, said the first round of testing on water from the McKeesport Water Treatment Plant was clear of any hazards.
"We are hopeful that the advisory can be lifted Wednesday after a second round of good results," Junker said Tuesday.
The authority also provided additional details of the incident on Saturday evening that forced the plant to be shut down, causing a loss of water pressure in parts of the McKeesport area and leading to the boil-water advisory.
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October 14, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
(Tube City Almanac photo)
McKeesport firefighters have installed 700 smoke alarms in city homes since 2015 and would like to make it an even 1,000 before the end of 2019.
Fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik said that in cooperation with the American Red Cross of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the department will install smoke alarms, free of charge, in any residence in the city.
"Just call the fire station or email us," he said. "We will call you back and set up a time for installation. There is no income restriction. It just has to be installed in an occupied residence."
National Fire Prevention Week is held every year in October to commemorate the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and firefighters were busy last week doing safety demonstrations in local schools, Tomovcsik said.
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October 14, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
Local schools and public facilities in areas affected by a boil-water advisory reported Monday they were finding ways to cope.
But the advisory left some businesses in the area --- mainly restaurants --- unable to open.
The failure of an intake pump that pulls water from the Youghiogheny River forced the shutdown on Saturday night of Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County's McKeesport Water Treatment Plant.
The pump was rebuilt and put back into service on Sunday afternoon, but not before many customers in the city, Port Vue, Versailles and White Oak reported no water, or very low water pressure.
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October 14, 2019 |
By Marcy Cendroski | Posted in: Announcements, Liberty Borough News
Halloween in Liberty Borough will be celebrated with a parade and trick-or-treat on Oct. 31, Councilwoman Melissa Morgan said.
The parade will line up on Scene Ridge Road at 5:30 p.m., followed by trick-or-treat from 6 to 8 p.m. Residents are asked to keep their porch light on if they are giving out Halloween treats.
Liberty police and volunteer firefighters will be patrolling throughout the trick-or-treat period.
October 13, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
(This story will be updated with new information periodically)
Volunteer firefighters from White Oak No. 1 and Rainbow handed out cases of bottled water at the borough’s municipal complex on Sunday afternoon. (Photo courtesy White Oak Office of Emergency Management, via Facebook)
The McKeesport water treatment plant is back in production, but is pumping slowly to purge air from the distribution system.
Authority spokesman Matthew Junker said the plant went back into operation at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The plant shut down Saturday night when a pump failed.
However, a boil-water advisory will remain in effect until further notice for the city, Port Vue, Versailles and White Oak. Some customers at higher elevations in Port Vue and McKeesport were reporting a complete lack of water on Sunday.
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October 13, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has now added White Oak to a precautionary boil water advisory that McKeesport and Versailles were placed on last night.
Port Vue was added earlier today. Issues with a repair to the raw water pump caused White Oak to be added as well, said Matt Junker, spokesman for the water authority.
Water tankers are available in White Oak at the municipal building, 2280 Lincoln Way, and PNC Bank, 1612 Lincoln Way, Junker said.
Water tankers also are available at 238 Atlantic Ave. in lower 10th Ward; Walnut and 12th streets, Third Ward; Walnut and Juniper streets, Versailles; and at UPMC McKeesport Hospital.
Additional water tankers are stationed in Port Vue at American Legion Post 447, 304 Gumbert St.; and the shopping center at 1515 Washington Blvd.
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October 12, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
An equipment failure at the McKeesport Water Treatment Plant has some customers under a mandatory conservation order, and others being advised to boil their water as a precaution.
The orders were issued by Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County on Saturday night. More than 16,000 customers are affected.
Customers in McKeesport and Versailles Borough are being advised to boil their water for at least one minute before drinking or cooking with it, while customers in Port Vue and White Oak have been ordered to conserve water.
Water tankers have been placed at 238 Atlantic Ave. in lower 10th Ward; UPMC McKeesport hospital; the intersection of Walnut and 12th streets in Third Ward; and Walnut and Juniper streets in Versailles, said Matthew Junker, spokesman for the water authority.
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October 11, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, North Versailles Twp. News
This house on Duquesne Avenue in McKeesport is listed in a “lease with option to buy” deal for $1,500 down and $378 per month by a South Carolina company, Vision Property Management. Pennsylvania’s attorney general alleges the company’s sales tactics violate state law. (Photo via Zillow.)
A South Carolina company that has heavily marketed its “rent-to-own” homes in McKeesport, Glassport, Braddock and other parts of the Mon Valley is being sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, claims that Vision Property Management of Columbia, S.C, and more than 50 affiliated companies used deceptive business practices to market homes that had serious problems that were concealed or never disclosed, including missing plumbing, insect infestations, defective wiring and leaky roofs.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro brought the lawsuit on behalf of 650 families.
As of Friday, according to the company’s website, Vision Property had 14 houses available in Allegheny County, including one on Duquesne Avenue in McKeesport and others on Maryland Avenue in Glassport and Zimmer Lane in Greenock, Elizabeth Twp.
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October 11, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A two-alarm fire on Grandview Avenue that displaced two adults and one child is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal's office.
But McKeesport fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik said the blaze at 1804 Grandview is not believed to be suspicious in nature.
A 9-1-1 caller reported seeing smoke outside the house at 4:11 p.m. Saturday. The residents were not home at the time, Tomovcsik said.
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October 10, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
A pasta dinner on Sunday will raise money for a West Newton man to purchase a new wheelchair van.
The event is being held from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at the West Newton Lions Field House, 511 Pittsburgh St.
Participants will get ziti with homemade meat sauce, a tossed salad, bread and butter, soft drink and dessert for $10, or $5 for children under 10. Dinners will be available to eat in or take out.
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October 10, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Photo courtesy state Sen. Jim Brewster)
State Rep. Austin Davis and state Sen. Jim Brewster are inviting all area veterans to a free breakfast with them on the Friday before Veterans’ Day.
The veterans’ breakfast will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8 at the White Oak American Legion, 2813 Capitol St., White Oak.
“Our veterans served our country with honor, integrity and bravery,” Davis said. “Sen. Brewster and I find that it’s only fitting to serve them breakfast as a small token of our appreciation for the service they’ve provided to our country.”
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October 10, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport public works employees George Bell and Dave Cuadrado install the first sign promoting "Aly's Rules" at the intersection of Eden Park Boulevard, O'Neil Boulevard and Hartman Street. Similar signs will be going up at more than 30 bus stops around the city. (Tube City Almanac photo)
The first of what will likely be dozens of signs encouraging pedestrians to cross streets safely was installed Thursday morning near McKeesport's Founders Hall Middle School.
The signs promote "Aly's Rules," a safety campaign created by the family of Alyson Higdon, a Founders Hall student who died in 2014 after being struck by a truck at the intersection of O'Neil Boulevard, Hartman Street and Eden Park Boulevard.
Alyson's mother, Cindi Higdon; grandparents Sharon and Rick Tarsala; and siblings Caleb, Haylie and Jonah were on hand to see the first sign installed.
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October 09, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac file photo by John Barna)
(The author has a conflict of interest. See editor's note.)
The former G.C. Murphy Co. home office complex at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Sheridan Street has been donated to the city's redevelopment authority.
Allegheny County deed records show that the five-building complex at 521-531 Fifth Ave., located on four separate lots, was sold to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of McKeesport on Sept. 23 for the nominal cost of $1 for each parcel.
The seller was Exclusive Services Inc., which owns and operates Don Farr Moving & Storage in West Mifflin. The company had owned the buildings since 1993.
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October 09, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Earnest Oatneal of the McKeesport Recreation Board and Mayor Michael Cherepko at the Oct. 2 council meeting. (Tube City Almanac photo)
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko and city council on Oct. 2 honored four people for “Living the McKeesport Message” of Respect, Dignity, Hope and Love.
“Living the Message” awards are presented quarterly by the McKeesport Message Committee, a subgroup of the mayor’s Select Committee on Crime and Violence.
Honored were Ernie Oatneal (respect), Barbara Williams (dignity), Jonathan Stark (hope) and Helene Moux (love). The following biographies of the award recipients were submitted by the committee.
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October 08, 2019 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
Above: On Wednesday, members of the Dougherty and Elash families met with students from the McKeesport Tiger Band to talk about their experiences working in steel mills. The band's 2019 show is entitled "A Day in the Mill." McKeesport's Tournament of Bands begins at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. (Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Area High School Marching Band, via Facebook.)
If you go...
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Tournament of Bands Region 8 competition
Hosted by McKeesport Area High School Marching Band
Where: Weigle-Schaeffer Memorial Stadium, 1960 Eden Park Blvd.
When: Saturday, Oct. 12. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.
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Whether a marching band participant or supporter, there are some disadvantages to mostly-Friday-night performances.
There are only so many home football games, and what if it rains and the band doesn’t get to perform? As a supporter, what if your work schedule includes Friday nights?
Or what if your friend or relative is in a marching band in a different school district?
That’s where competitions such as the Tournament of Bands Region 8 Home Show hosted by McKeesport Area High School Marching Band on Saturday, Oct. 12, provide another opportunity not only to see the hometown band perform, but others from the region as well.
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October 07, 2019 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Sue Klebold spoke at Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus in McKeesport on Wednesday. (Richard Finch Jr. photo)
Twenty years ago, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and one teacher and wounded 21 others at Columbine High School in Colorado, before taking their own lives.
At the time — April 20, 1999 — it was the deadliest school shooting in American history.
Klebold’s mother, Sue, struggled with humiliation and devastating grief following the tragedy. She kept out of the public eye and spent years volunteering for suicide prevention organizations and talking with fellow survivors of loss.
“I never forget for a moment that my son, not only lost his life, but hurt other people,” she said.
Now, as the debate over gun violence and mental health takes center stage, Klebold is speaking out. She was in McKeesport on Wednesday to speak at the Wunderley Gymnasium at Penn State Greater Allegheny campus.
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October 07, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
Pastors Caleb and Christina Acosta will speak at the First Church of God, 157 N. Second St., West Newton, at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 and 10:30 a.m. Oct. 27, a spokesperson said.
The Acostas have a ministry to Spanish-speaking communities and have set up churches in many areas, and will talk about their work.
The church is currently raising money for its own mission trip to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Arizona in 2020.
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October 07, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Shidle Lodge No. 601 of the Free & Accepted Masons will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at First United Methodist Church, 310 Oak St., Irwin, a spokesman said.
Proceeds will benefit local food pantries.
Attendees can have "all you can eat" for $7, and takeout items will be available.
For more information, call Dean Williams at (724) 875-9969 or Ben Douglas at (724) 681-5451.
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October 05, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Guests watch a video depicting a new “endless caster” to be built at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock and North Braddock. (Photo courtesy Maury Burgwin, Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce)
U.S. Steel’s planned $1.2 billion investment in its three Mon Valley plants will open them to new markets, reduce pollution and energy consumption and keep them competitive well into the 21st century.
That's what Kurt Barshick, general manager of the Mon Valley Works, said Friday during a luncheon held by the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce to mark National Manufacturing Day.
“This is going to make Pittsburgh — and the Mon Valley in particular — the epicenter for automotive steel production,” Barshick told about 125 people during the event, held at the Sunset Room in Elizabeth Twp. “Mills in Detroit will not be able to compete with us ... we plan on keeping that job base in Pittsburgh forever.”
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October 04, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Kirby Marchand of North Versailles Twp., past governor of District 14-B of the Lions Club, presents the first of two awards to Annette James, secretary of the McKeesport Lions Club. (Tube City Almanac photo)
A McKeesport resident and city employee who prefers to stay out of the spotlight was honored Wednesday night — whether she liked it or not.
Before a standing-room crowd, Annette James, secretary of the McKeesport Lions Club, was presented with the Lions’ Club International President’s Leadership Award and the President’s Marketing Award.
The leadership award is the third-highest honor available in the international fraternal and service organization, founded in 1917 and based in Illinois.
James, a member of the Lions Club since 2012, “is not someone who hears of a problem or an opportunity for service and sits on it,” said Kirby Marchand of North Versailles Twp., past governor of District 14-B, which includes Allegheny County. “She takes action.”
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October 03, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport's zoning hearing board has denied a request for a conditional use permit at the former David Israel men's clothing store at 507 Fifth Ave.
The permit was requested by the building's owner, the McKeesport Preservation Society, which had sought permission to use the structure for “educational” purposes, said A.J. Tedesco, McKeesport community development director.
The building is in a commercial C-2 zoning district, which according to the city's zoning code is intended for "retail and service commercial uses along with business, professional and medical offices, and other related business uses."
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October 02, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church will host a flea market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 5), a spokeswoman said.
Proceeds benefit Animal Full Life Rescue, a no-kill animal shelter located in Wilkinsburg, and the church.
Tables will be available for vendors and refreshments will be sold. The sale will be held in the undercroft (social hall) of the church, 220 Eighth Ave. at Walnut Street, next to the McKeesport post office.
Items also may be donated for sale. Any gently used item is acceptable except for clothing and electronics.
For more information, call (412) 673-0504.
October 02, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
The author of a new book about the history of women in the U.S. Marine Corps will speak in West Newton Oct. 10.
The West Newton Library is hosting the discussion by retired Col. Nancy P. Anderson at 6 p.m. at the Le Grand Ballroom, South Second Street.
Anderson is a graduate of the Naval War College, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Naval Postgraduate School. She began her career in the Marine Corps in 1972 and made history in 1977 as the first woman platoon commander at the Marine Corps' Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Va.
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October 02, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Mon Yough Chorale will hold a hot dog and bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Busy Beaver, Oak Park Mall, White Oak.
A spokesman said a hot dog, bag of snacks and a beverage will be sold for $2.50, and baked goods will be sold separately. All proceeds benefit the Mon Yough Chorale, a community chorus that performs throughout Western Pennsylvania.
Members of the chorus also will be on hand to discuss how to join the group. Meetings and open rehearsals are held at 7 p.m. Sundays at Sampson's Mills Presbyterian Church, Lincoln Way, White Oak.
For more information, visit www.monyoughchorale.org.
October 02, 2019 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A McKeesport man was ordered held for court after family members told police he attempted to burn down their house.
According to court records, Michael L. Belcher, 43, is currently free on non-monetary bond pending formal arraignment Nov. 1 at the Allegheny County Courthouse.
McKeesport police said that officers were dispatched early on the morning of Aug. 29 to a home in the 2700 block of Grover Street when callers reported someone was pouring gasoline throughout the house.
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October 02, 2019 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Photo courtesy Human Services Center Corp., via Facebook)
The 19th annual Mon Valley HIV/AIDS Awareness Walk will take place Oct. 5, a spokeswoman said.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Bethlehem Baptist Church, corner of Eighth Avenue and Walnut Street, and the walk sets off at 9:15 a.m. A light breakfast is provided before the walk and lunch is provided afterwards.
The walk route is about two miles long, the spokeswoman said.
Organized by the Human Services Center Corp., based in Turtle Creek, the walk is led by its HIV/AIDS Working Group and continues to be the only HIV/AIDS awareness walk in Western Pennsylvania, said Abbie Godollei, outreach coordinator for HSCC.
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October 02, 2019 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Marking the start of construction on a new house along Lemon Street in the city are state Sen. Jim Brewster, McKeesport resident Shawnda Little-Dreher, who owns a house renovated by Habitat; Mike Rizzo, chief risk officer FHLB Pittsburgh; state Rep. Austin Davis; US. Rep. Mike Doyle; McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko; Howard B. Slaughter Jr. of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh; and Michelle Ufner, regional wellness manager,Team Rubicon USA. (Richard Finch Jr. photo special to Tube City Almanac)
Volunteers who came to Lemon Street in McKeesport Monday morning to “raise the wall” of a family’s new home, instead huddled under umbrellas to wait out the rain.
But the rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of Dr. Howard B. Slaughter, Jr., president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh.
“The effort today, to begin this development --- raising the wall --- is important.” Slaughter said.
Habitat of Greater Pittsburgh received an Affordable Housing Grant of $225,000 from Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh for the development of the vacant lot on Lemon Street in McKeesport and two vacant lots in Penn Hills.
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October 01, 2019 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport officials are pressuring owners of vacant commercial properties like this one across from city hall to "either pay the fines and fix the building up, or sell it," Mayor Michael Cherepko says. (Tube City Almanac photo)
In 1960, McKeesport was the second-largest retail center in Allegheny County, with more than 700 stores doing $100 million in sales --- adjusted for inflation, about $857 million today.
Fifty years later, there were only 81 retail businesses in the city, doing about $300 million in business.
Vacant storefronts fill entire blocks of Fifth Avenue, once the city's main commercial street. But over the past year, something new has been showing up on otherwise empty store windows --- condemnation notices.
"As we continue to market our city and try to attract new businesses in addition to new residents, one of the biggest obstacles we face is blight in our commercial district," McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko says. "Over the last year or so, we’ve really gotten aggressive in addressing issues in the Downtown area."
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