March 30, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Martin Luther King East Busway connects Pittsburgh to Rankin and Swissvale. Local lawmakers are urging the federal government to include funds for extending the busway in the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan, to be announced Wednesday in Pittsburgh. (National Association of City Transportation Officials photo via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0)
Ahead of President Biden’s visit to the Pittsburgh area to talk about infrastructure investment, area legislators are asking the federal government to make sure the Mon Valley is included.
According to published reports, Biden on Wednesday is expected to unveil a $3 trillion proposal to invest in roads, bridges, public transit, railroads and waterways, as well as the country’s electrical grid and other utilities.
The speech will be made at the Carpenters Pittsburgh Training Center in Collier Twp. and representatives of other Pittsburgh-area labor unions are expected to attend as well.
Last week, Mon-Yough area state legislators wrote to Pennsylvania’s federal congressional delegation, urging them to include funding for high-priority projects such as the extension of the East Busway and the completion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
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March 30, 2021 |
By Nichole Faina | Posted in: Duquesne News
The city of Duquesne will receive an estimated $550,000 from the federal government as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
At March’s city council meeting, George Doherty, the city’s Act 47 Coordinator, said one of the main purposes of the legislation is to help municipalities recover from funds lost due to the pandemic.
Doherty recommended the city use the funds to backfill revenue that was lost from lower tax collections in 2020, and to reimburse the city for one-time capital purchases such as police cars, public works trucks and major computer systems, and improvements to streets and water systems.
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March 30, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
(Tube City Almanac file photo)
A partial closure of the Jerome Street Bridge begins Wednesday (March 31) and will continue through November.
Steve Cowan, district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the westbound lanes (from Downtown toward Glassport) will close at 7 a.m. to allow the reconstruction of the bridge to proceed.
A single lane of traffic will be maintained eastbound, from 10th Ward to Downtown, Cowan said.
Additionally, barrier installation and line striping work will occur on Thursday, he said.
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March 26, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
South Park wave pool. (Allegheny County photos)
The Allegheny County Parks Department is seeking qualified applicants, ages 16 and older, to fill lifeguard positions at its pools in Boyce, North, Settlers Cabin and South parks for the 2021 pool season.
A spokesperson said candidates must successfully pass an aquatics test and background check and be willing to work the entire season, including flexible hours, weekends and holidays. Returning lifeguards in good standing and applicants ages 18 and older will be given first preference.
Guards are paid between $11 and $13 per hour, depending on their level of experience.
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March 26, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Facebook photo)
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, 901 Hartman St., will hold a Good Friday Fish Fry on April 2, a spokeswoman said.
The event will be pre-order, take-out only. Orders may be picked up in the church social hall from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Good Friday.
Pre-orders may be placed March 28-31 by calling (412) 469-2955. Payment by credit card only.
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March 26, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The Carnegie Library of McKeesport has resumed its spring wise walks.
The wise walks meet at the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center, 1802 Arboretum Drive, Renziehausen Park, at 3 p.m. each Tuesday, weather permitting, for a 45-minute walk, said Mary Rose Bendel, coordinator of adult programs and community outreach.
Club members record their individual steps and then enjoy a healthy snack.
Everyone is welcome and registration is not required. The program is sponsored by the McKeesport Hospital Foundation.
March 25, 2021 |
By Siana Emery | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Johnathan White, assistant teaching professor at Greater Allegheny, moderated a panel discussion that also featured Kathi R. Elliot, chief executive officer at Gwen’s Girls; Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware, doctoral fellow, Steel Smiling; Raven Davis, supervisor, Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth & Families; and Dr. Stella Onuoha-Obilor, vice president for clinical quality, Highmark Health. (Photo courtesy Penn State)
At both the community and the national level, developing a deeper understanding of social, economic and political factors that create gaps in mental health care is imperative in caring for patients.
This was the overarching message of March 18’s Crossing Bridges Summit panel, which discussed the psychological perspectives on Black women’s health.
The panel, hosted by Penn State Greater Allegheny, featured a conversation between five Black female leaders in mental health and social work.
“People walk around saying ‘I’m fine’,” said Dashawna Fussell-Ware, a doctoral student and employee of Steel Smiling. “The reality is, if you are Black or of African descent, unfortunately that’s just not true. There’s so much going on in the world in terms of racism that you can’t help but feel that loss.”
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March 24, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A city man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a March 2020 shooting near the former site of George Washington school.
Kiesean Brown, 20, has been charged by Allegheny County police with attempted homicide and is being held in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, court officials said.
Tony Griffith, spokesman for the Allegheny County sheriff’s office, said Brown was taken into custody without incident.
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March 24, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Letters to the Editor
(Bjarki Sigursveinsson photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Mike Thomas in Georgia writes:
I am writing a magazine article for a Memorial Day tribute and I need the community’s help. The article centers around the soldiers, sailors, merchant mariners and airmen buried in the Normandy American Cemetery in France. (There are no Marines in this cemetery.)
I grew up in McKeesport and graduated in 1970 from McKeesport Area High School. I attended Duquesne University, class of 1974, and entered the U.S. Air Force. I've been away every since, but my family still lives in the local area.
I'm a military historian and researcher and am asking if you would publish my note below or any other type of help would be appreciated.
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March 24, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: Announcements, North Versailles Twp. News
With the help of Fire Department of North Versailles and West Wilmerding volunteer fire department, the Easter Bunny will be touring North Versailles Twp. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday (March 28).
The routes are posted on the township website. The tour will end at 1 p.m. at the North Versailles Twp. municipal building on Greensburg Avenue, and there will be treats and a photo opportunity.
For more information or to RSVP, email nvtparks@verizon.net or call (412) 823-6602, ext. 104.
The spring township clean-up will be held on from 9 a.m. to 12 noon May 1.
Volunteers are asked to meet in the township building parking lot to get gloves and supplies. A large dumpster will be placed at Green Valley Fire Hall for big items.
Anyone who would like to help is asked to email Commissioner Tracy Yusko at bugaboo03@comcast.net. Pizza and refreshments will be served at the community center following the clean-up.
March 24, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
White Oak borough will hold an Easter Egg Hunt on April 3 at Heritage Hill Park.
Councilwoman Julie Opferman, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee, said guests should bring their own Easter baskets.
Ages 3 and under will start at 10 a.m., ages 4 to 7 at 10:30 a.m., and 8 to 10 at 11 a.m., Opferman said.
In McKeesport, a spokesperson for Mayor Michael Cherepko announced that the annual Easter egg hunt will return at 10 a.m. March 27 at Renziehausen Park. Last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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March 24, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
People who came to White Oak’s council meeting this month to protest a controversial feral cat ordinance were sidelined.
Before the March 15 meeting, council instituted a rule restricting the public comment portion to White Oak residents only. None of the people in the audience were borough residents.
Council members said the rule was implemented to improve communication and focus during public meetings.
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March 24, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Development of the former Eastland Mall property is getting closer to becoming a reality.
North Versailles Twp. commissioners announced during their March meeting that a building permit has been issued to Benderson Development Co., the owner of the former mall site on East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard.
It has been rumored that the interested tenant is Amazon.com, although no official announcement has been made. The plan is to build a 142,386-square-foot distribution facility.
“They should have shovels in the ground in June or July,” Commissioner Allen Wagner said.
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March 24, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
A portion of Elizabeth Street in Dravosburg will be closed April 5, the Allegheny County Department of Public Works has announced.
The closure is necessary so that crews can repair damage to a support wall and a guide rail caused by a car crash that occurred in November.
Elizabeth Street connects Route 837 to Maple Avenue. Traffic will be detoured using Curry Hollow Road, Route 837 and McClure Street.
The work is scheduled to be complete in May. The $40,284 project is being done under a contract awarded to Pugliano Construction Co., Inc., of Plum.
March 19, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Letters to the Editor
Becky L. Morrow writes:
I am not an attorney — I am a veterinarian, scientist and former assistant professor of biology.
Based on my experience with grading thousands of papers from undergraduate and graduate students, White Oak Council President Charles Davis and anyone else authoring the borough’s feral cat ordinance definitely deserve a failing grade.
While my students write scientific papers not legislation, I think it is reasonable to expect both to be logical and consistent. Unfortunately, that is not the case with this document.
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March 19, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Two city men have been charged in connection with a joint drug investigation by McKeesport police, county detectives and federal agencies.
Terrance L. Yarbrough, 28, and Obadiah L. Williams, 45, face formal arraignment in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on April 15. Both men waived their right to a preliminary hearing this month before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
McKeesport police said a joint task force including city officers, agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Allegheny County district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office raided a home in the 1900 block of Craig Street early on the morning of Aug. 4.
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March 19, 2021 |
By Ann Belser | Posted in: Liberty Borough News, McKeesport and Region News, North Versailles Twp. News, White Oak News
A Heritage Community Transportation bus pauses on Braddock Avenue in Braddock. The non-profit group connects residents of Mon Valley neighborhoods to main Port Authority bus routes and has provided 1.5 million rides. (Submitted photo courtesy Heritage Community Initiatives)
A year ago, when the state shut down all but essential services, a Braddock-based nonprofit found that one of its services could not stop and the others were more vital than ever.
Paula McWilliams, CEO of Heritage Community Initiatives, said the bus service her organization operates, Heritage Community Transportation, was needed to make sure that workers in eastern communities, including Braddock, Liberty, McKeesport, North Versailles Twp., Port Vue and White Oak, could get to their jobs at hospitals such as Forbes Regional, UPMC McKeesport and UPMC East.
The Heritage buses, which are 14-passenger vans, operate on three fixed routes. They had to be modified for transporting workers and senior citizens who needed to get groceries and to medical appointments while keeping passengers and drivers safe.
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March 16, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is investigating a complaint of child sex abuse against a one-time Mon-Yough area pastor and radio personality.
Bishop Dorsey McConnell announced this week that the accusation was made against Charles W. Appel Jr., who was vicar of the Church of the Good Samaritan in Liberty Borough in the 1970s and 1980s.
Appel died in 2019. He served four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
The alleged abuse happened at the church-run Sheldon Calvary Camp in Conneaut, Ohio, in the 1970s and early 1980s when the victim was a child attending events there, McConnell said.
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March 16, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Kane Karsteter-McKernan, administrative professional with UPMC Health Plan, and Michele Dudek, nurse coordinator for employee health at UPMC McKeesport, prepare to check in someone arriving for a COVID-19 vaccination. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Simeania Young of Braddock was in a good mood Tuesday morning after receiving her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at UPMC McKeesport hospital.
Young, 49, said she spent last year urging her two grown children to be careful, and asking people not to visit. “I was scared to death,” she said yesterday, as she waited a mandatory 15 minutes to ensure there were no complications. “Some people are still not taking it seriously. Especially if they didn’t get sick, they didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Now that she’s on the road to vaccination? “I feel like I can plan a summer vacation this year,” Young said.
She was one of 400 people who were part of a mass vaccination event Tuesday at the Mansfield Building’s Ahmad Conference Center. They will have to return in 28 days for a second dose.
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March 16, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Nearly 80 East Allegheny School District teachers and support employees are on schedule to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Superintendent Alan Johnson told the school board this week.
A clinic was set up at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit offices at the Waterfront in Homestead, and distribution of the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine began on March 11, he said. The focus for the first round has been on vaccinating elementary school staff, Johnson said.
“Just to give you an idea of the demand for this, there were a total of 7,400 doses allocated to Allegheny County for educators and there were 18,000 requests for the vaccine,” he said. “So obviously demand exceeded supply.”
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March 16, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in Allegheny County hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for grants of up to $50,000 to help offset their losses.
The COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program began accepting applications on Monday at the county’s website.
“The hospitality industry is that sector of our economy which has probably been hardest hit by the pandemic,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Thanks to the efforts by the state legislature to provide this funding, we will be able to provide financial grants to small businesses in the county with operations most impacted by COVID-19.”
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March 15, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
Financial assistance is now available to help Allegheny County residents struggling to pay rent or utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Allegheny County Emergency Rental Assistance program has a total of $79.9 million to distribute to eligible county residents. Of that funding, $43 million came from Act 1 of 2021, which state Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law last month.
Applications can be submitted online through Allegheny County’s website at covidrentrelief.alleghenycounty.us, or at www.compass.state.pa.us.
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March 15, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating the cause of a blaze Monday morning that displaced three people from their home in the Grandview section of the city.
McKeesport fire Capt. Jim Shields said firefighters were dispatched at 11:26 a.m. when a caller to 9-1-1 reported a house fire at 1801 Abraham St.
When crews arrived, flames were visible at the rear of the two-story, wood-frame house, and a second alarm was dispatched. No one was home at the time of the fire, Shields said.
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March 11, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
A year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Pennsylvania, White Oak is preparing to reopen its municipal building to the public with limited hours.
At Monday’s council workshop, Borough Manager John Palyo announced that the office is getting ready to welcome the public again in the spring.
“I know we’re all eager to return to some sense of normalcy,” Palyo said. “We’ll have limited hours at the borough building. The Norwin Aqua Club also wants to use Heritage Hill Pool for a nominal fee, as they have in the past.”
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March 09, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The City of McKeesport and the American Civil Liberties Union have reached an agreement that settles a lawsuit brought by four residents after the January council meeting was closed to the public.
Under a consent order approved Tuesday by Allegheny County Judge John T. McVay Jr., the city will provide “meaningful public access” including live-streaming audio or audio and video of proceedings; will permit the public to submit comments in writing as well as audio, video or both; and will permanently preserve those comments in the public record.
Although both sides said they were satisfied with the arrangement, each also accused the other of playing politics.
“Today’s settlement is a total win for government transparency and democracy,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of city residents Fawn Walker-Montgomery, Courtney Thompkins, Tracey Jordan and Janina Riley.
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March 09, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
Protestors lined Lincoln Way in front of the White Oak municipal building March 5 to draw attention to the borough’s feral cat ordinance. (Amanda Coats photo via Facebook)
After 20 years of rescuing dogs and cats, Amanda Coats’ passion for animals remains strong. Over the last 10 years, Coats has trapped, neutered and returned 1,000 cats in the Mon Valley.
As a trap, neuter, return volunteer, Coats, of Murrysville, works with community cats and their caretakers to keep the animals healthy, along with educating citizens and legislators on how to best care for homeless cats.
“Cats can be in suburbia, farms, on the streets … really anywhere humans are,” Coats said. “And they can have up to four litters a year. One colony can have anywhere from five to 50 cats.”
In December, White Oak council passed an ordinance making it unlawful to continue feeding feral cats if it causes a nuisance to neighbors, prompting a protest from 25 animal lovers outside the borough building on March 6.
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March 05, 2021 |
By Siana Emery | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Tiffany Wampler’s children are some of many in the McKeesport Area School District attending school virtually. Their father is considered high-risk for COVID-19, so attending school in person is not an option. However, they’re struggling with the district's online learning platform.
At February’s school board meeting, Wampler told directors about her eldest daughter, an eighth-grader at Founders Hall Middle School. Prior to virtual learning, she was an NHS student with consistently high grades. However, she has been struggling with the online program, and her grades have dropped significantly.
“I get letters from the school stating my children are possibly failing, which I don’t even understand because they sit in front of me from 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon,” Wampler told the school board. “This program is not working.”
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March 04, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
An Allegheny County judge on Wednesday directed McKeesport officials to find a way to allow the public to fully participate in city council meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a hearing held over video-conferencing, Judge Jack McVay Jr. ordered the city to postpone the council meeting scheduled for that evening, and present him with a plan to prevent future violations of the state’s Open Meetings Law.
“You can have a meeting as soon as you implement what was proposed,” McVay said.
On Tuesday, four residents, including former councilwoman Fawn Walker Montgomery, sought an emergency injunction against the city for its plans to close Wednesday’s meeting to the public, and filed a lawsuit accusing the city of violating the Open Meetings Law as well as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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March 02, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Kathleen Tomko Molinaro always hoped someone would break her high school record in swimming — and now, her wish has come to fruition.
“It’s been a long time, but I had always hoped someone would break my record,” Molinaro said. “I’m happy for Autumn.”
East Allegheny High School senior Autumn Christner broke Tomko’s record for the 100-meter breaststroke in a swim meet against North Catholic on Feb. 9.
Molinaro set the record for breaststroke at East Allegheny High School in 1982. In addition to swimming, she was the president of Student Council and the recipient of an American Legion award. She also swam for a year in college.
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March 02, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport officials will allow tomorrow’s city council meeting to be streamed live to the public.
The decision comes after four McKeesport residents sued the city and council for closing the Jan. 6 meeting. City officials had cited the need for COVID-19 safety, and announced plans to close this month’s meeting as well.
On Tuesday, V. Fawn Walker-Montgomery, Courtney Thompkins, Tracey Jordan and Janina Riley filed a lawsuit asking an Allegheny County judge to issue an emergency injunction requiring in-person or electronic access to this month’s meeting, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the public safety building, 201 Lysle Blvd.
The lawsuit and request for an injunction was filed on their behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh law firm of Saul, Ewing, Arnstein & Lehr.
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March 01, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of a blaze that damaged a Soles Street home on Saturday morning.
McKeesport deputy fire Chief Jeff List said city police were dispatched to the house in the 600 block just before 8:30 a.m. for what was originally reported as a “home invasion.”
When police officers arrived, they determined there was no crime in progress, but there was a fire on the second floor. One male resident was home when the fire broke out but escaped safely, List said.
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