February 28, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: West Newton News
West Newton Lions, 511 Pittsburgh St., will be holding an Ash Wednesday Fish Fry fundraiser for take-out only, a spokesperson said.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 2. All sales are cash only. The menu includes deep-fried, breaded Alaskan cod dinner with two sides for $13, or a fish sandwich for $9. Sides include macaroni and cheese, haluski, potato soup or cole slaw. Homemade pierogis with slaw will be sold for $13.
For orders or more information, call (724) 972-3779 or (724) 872-8853. Parking will be available at the rear of the building.
February 28, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: West Newton News
(Submitted photo)
The West Newton Library will hold its fifth annual basket auction fundraiser from 12 noon to 4 p.m. March 13 at the Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Dept. Hall, 90 Supervisors Drive, South Huntingdon Twp., a spokesperson said.
Doors open at 11 a.m. Tickets are $15 and include a light lunch and 25 general gift basket tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the library, 124 N. Water St.; at Gary’s Chuck Wagon Restaurant, South Second Street; or online at ticketleap.com.
There will be games of chance, a Presidents Gift Basket Tier, 50/50 drawing, and additional activities. The fundraiser benefits the fully volunteer-run library.
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February 28, 2022 |
By Paul Wintruba | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton created the “Dolly Parton Imagination Library” in 1995 to serve children near her home in eastern Tennessee. The program has recently expanded into the McKeesport, Glassport and Duquesne areas. (Submitted photo)
“There is really nothing much better you can do to support your children, getting them ready for school than reading them a book,” Mary Denison says.
Denison is the founder and executive director of Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization that began in Homestead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a charitable program created by the singer-songwriter that sends a free book monthly to parents of children younger than five years of age.
Created in 1995 to serve children near Parton’s home in Tennessee, the imagination library now operates across the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia. In February, the program expanded into McKeesport, Glassport and several other Mon-Yough ZIP codes.
“McKeesport is prime real estate for this program,” says Vincent D’Alesio, director of the Carnegie Library of McKeesport. “I have no doubt it will prove useful to our patrons.”
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February 28, 2022 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
East Allegheny School District may soon make a change to its COVID-19 health and safety plan.
The current plan states masks are required to be worn by students, staff and visitors throughout the day in school and on the bus. At the February meeting, Superintendent Alan Johnson said that with the substantial decline in COVID-19 cases it might be time to join other local districts and drop the mask mandate.
“If we are continuing to see the kind of drops in the incident rate that we are seeing presently we are probably going to ask the board to approve a change to the health and safety plan to eliminate the use of masks that we have in place now,” Johnson said.
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention relaxed its mask guidelines. Many parents have taken to social media wondering what the policy would be moving forward for EA students in light of the new guidance.
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February 28, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: Announcements
Outgoing Semper Fidelis president Norine Jenkins pins a corsage on incoming president Jacqueline Blake. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
McKeesport’s Semper Fidelis Club installed its new officers during a luncheon ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
The club, which is marking its 101st anniversary this year, promotes educational programs, provides scholarships for students of African-American descent, and promotes civic and social activities within the community and, whenever feasible, regionally and nationally.
Club members said the group also has been a source of input and support on issues that affect women and supports other local charities.
Newly installed officers for 2022 are Jacqueline Blake, president; Joanne Rodgers, vice president; Tia Wanzo, treasurer; Laura Green, financial secretary; T. Renee Easley, recording secretary; Fawn Walker Montgomery, assistant recording secretary; Amber Webb, corresponding secretary; Anica Jones Paige, parliamentarian; Paula Robinson, chaplain; and Joy Simmons, historian.
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February 28, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The McKeesport affiliate of the National Association on Mental Illness will host a teleconference meeting at 4:30 p.m. March 2 with Elaine Cole, public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration.
Cole will answer questions about Social Security benefits for those living with mental illness, a spokeswoman said.
For information on how to join in the telephone conversation call (412) 527-6600 for the link. There will be no in-person meeting at Penn State Greater Allegheny in March.
Elaine Cole received a Bachelor of Science in business administration and human resource management from Robert Morris University in 2003, and a Master of Science in executive leadership from Champlain College in 2017.. Cole became a public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration and has been serving in this position for 10 years.
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February 27, 2022 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak’s 2022 paving project will go out to bid in mid-March, members of council announced at Monday’s meeting.
Borough engineer Ken Hillman provided updates on the borough’s ongoing infrastructure projects.
“The paving project is out to bid — the bids are due March 11,” Hillman said. “We’re also halfway done replacing the inlets on Fawcett Avenue.”
On a related note, Mayor Ina Jean Marton announced that White Oak and McKeesport Area School District will discuss conducting a traffic study around the Francis McClure school in mid-March.
“We’re meeting in mid-March to discuss having a traffic study conducted around Francis McClure for a school zone,” Marton said.
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February 25, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
A $3.4 million renovation of the McKeesport Transportation Center is nearing completion.
Adam Brandolph, spokesman for Port Authority of Allegheny County, said contractors are finishing the last remaining items and that a ribbon-cutting will be scheduled soon.
“We should have more information about that in the next week or so,” he said. The new station is not yet open and transit riders should continue to catch their buses at temporary stops along Lysle Boulevard, Brandolph said.
Located on Lysle Boulevard between Huey and Sinclair streets, the transportation center closed in January 2021 for improvements that included complete removal of the old parking lot, four new bus shelters with benches, ticket vending machines and improved access to the Great Allegheny Passage biking trail.
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February 24, 2022 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The disagreement over the renewal of the superintendent’s contract by outgoing members of the McKeesport Area School Board continues to divide the district — and some parents say it’s a distraction from student education.
Wednesday’s meeting began 32 minutes after its scheduled 7:30 p.m. start time, and it wasn’t long before tempers flared.
Last month, school directors voted 5–4 to hire an outside counsel to review July’s decision by the outgoing board to allow Superintendent Mark Holtzman Jr. to resign, and then be re-hired for another five years.
Attorney William C. Andrews of Andrews & Price reviewed the enforceability of the contract on behalf of the board. On Wednesday, School Board President Mindy Lundberg asked that Andrews’ memorandum be included in the minutes of the meeting.
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February 24, 2022 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
When Chris Tricarico and his wife Heather moved to Pittsburgh in July 2020, they knew they wanted to continue the family tradition of serving high-quality food.
“My family has been in the food business since the 1950s in New York and is what gave us the confidence to make the move here to McKeesport. We love food and have lots of experience owning and operating restaurants,” Tricarico said.
Originally from New York, the Tricaricos spent 19 months working on their new restaurant, Tube City Brew Works, which opened for reservation-only seatings on Feb. 19 and is now open 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, according to Facebook.
A grand opening is scheduled in March.
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February 21, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Dorothy Kuharski, left, and Carol Lasch, right, of the White Oak Lions Club present a 100th anniversary banner to Joe Clemente, president of the McKeesport Lions Club. (Tube City Almanac photo)
More than 250 people gathered at the Palisades Ballroom on Saturday night to wish the McKeesport Lions Club a happy 100th anniversary — and cheer on its work.
Invited guests included city, county and state officials, as well as representatives of Lions Clubs from throughout Western Pennsylvania. Entertainment was provided by the rock group Dancing Queen.
“A 100th anniversary is an awesome thing,” said Larry Edwards of Altoona, a member of the board of directors of Lions Clubs International. “Not many organizations last for 100 years.”
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February 21, 2022 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
The borough of White Oak has several infrastructure projects planned this year, council members announced at the Feb. 14 workshop meeting.
Borough engineer Ken Hillman provided updates on the construction projects planned for this spring.
“Work on inlets started last week, and our 2022 paving project is going out to bid in March. Maintenance garage roofing will start in the spring,” Hillman said.
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February 16, 2022 |
By Paul Wintruba | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council has approved hiring three new police officers, pending completion of all necessary exams.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council made the job offers contingent on the candidates passing all requisite background checks, medical and psychological evaluations.
This would bring Duquesne’s police force to 14 officers including acting Chief Tom Shaw, city officials said.
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February 16, 2022 |
By Paul Wintruba | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne officials are working to resolve questions that residents may have about their water and sewerage bills.
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Councilman Aaron Adams said “the most recent sewer bill that went out to everyone should be correct.”
Some residents have reported their sewerage bills are higher than their water bills, he said. Pennsylvania American Water Co., which treats wastewater, has higher rates than the city’s water department, Adams said.
The city of Duquesne is delaying water shut-offs for two weeks while issues with billing are dealt with, he said.
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February 15, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Editor’s Note: The writer of this story has a conflict of interest. See explanation at the end of this story.
An engineering report has concluded that only the front part of the former Penn-McKee Hotel, shown here, can be salvaged. McKeesport’s redevelopment authority will make a decision later this year on whether to demolish the entire structure, or try to save a portion of it for reuse. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Matthew Craig was late to the McKeesport Redevelopment Authority meeting on Tuesday, but for a good reason: He stopped to buy a box of Eat’n Park Smiley cookies.
“Because you can’t be sad if you’re eating a cookie,” he said, offering them to the board members.
Although board members didn’t say whether they were sad, they do have some tough decisions to make regarding the historic Penn-McKee Hotel on Fifth Avenue, Downtown.
An engineer’s report presented at Tuesday’s meeting concluded that although part of the building could be saved for reuse, a large portion of it should be demolished — and the cheapest option would be to tear down the entire structure.
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February 14, 2022 |
By Paul Wintruba | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Pittsburgh Community Task Force for Police Reform’s report on changes to policing was the focus of the Crossing Bridges summit on Feb. 10.
This was the third installment of the program put on by Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport.
The most recent installment of the summit, “Voices from the Judicial System and Police,” follows two previous online discussions. The first took place between activists and scholars in October 2021 directly following the release of the PCTFPR report, and the second focused on victims of police violence in November 2021.
The Feb. 10 panel was moderated by Sandra Trappen, assistant professor of administrative justice. Panelists included Kim Berkeley Clark, Allegheny County president judge; Iris Richardson, director of diversity, equality and inclusion for Penn State University Public Safety; and David A. Harris, law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
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February 11, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Versailles Avenue Bridge was closed Friday to both motorists and pedestrians after an inspection this week raised concerns among city officials. McKeesport is seeking funding from the federal government for its replacement, estimated to cost $8 million to $10 million. (Photo special to Tube City Almanac)
Citing an inspection report that determined the span had become dangerous, McKeesport officials closed the Versailles Avenue Bridge to all traffic on Friday morning.
“We received notification Thursday evening that we should be working to close this bridge within 10 days,” McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said Friday. “It is in the best interest of the safety of our residents that we are proactive in closing this bridge immediately, rather than waiting for any time at all.”
Both pedestrians and motorists are being asked not to use the span, a spokesperson said.
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February 10, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, McKeesport and Region News
Pittsburgh police Chief Scott Schubert, McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro speak before an event Thursday at the Palisades. (Photo special to Tube City Almanac)
An intensive, six-month focus on stopping gun and drug trafficking in the McKeesport area has so far led to 71 arrests and the seizures of 46 guns used in crimes, state and local officials announced Thursday.
The partnership between state investigators, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office, McKeesport police and other law-enforcement agencies also shows the value of cooperation, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said during a press conference at the Palisades ballroom, Downtown.
“This is hardly the end of the conversation,” Shapiro said. “It is a confirmation that law-enforcement collaboration works, and it is also a call for further action. We need to learn from this model, we need to use it here and in other communities across the commonwealth.”
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February 06, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Correction: This story was corrected after publication
The loss in a fire at the city’s public works garage could be at least $2 million, McKeesport officials said Sunday.
The blaze Sunday morning destroyed four large snow plows, a paving machine, a roller and other equipment, and Mayor Michael Cherepko declared a state of emergency to give city officials flexibility in sourcing replacement gear.
“We’ve obviously been working all day long, coming up with solutions,” Cherepko said. “We are in the process of negotiating with a neighboring community and they will probably be providing us with two large dump trucks, equipped with snow plows, ready to go. We think another one is coming in on Tuesday.”
With several recent cold snaps and an ice storm just a few days ago, the mayor acknowledged that there couldn’t be a worse time to lose snow-plowing equipment.
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February 06, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
This is a developing story and will be updated.
A fast-moving fire destroyed four of the city’s snow-plowing trucks on Sunday morning, officials said.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko has declared a state of emergency following the blaze, which broke out just after 6 a.m. inside the public works garage near the 15th Avenue Bridge.
“Formally acknowledging a state of emergency opens up a variety of resources that we may need to utilize at this time,” Cherepko said. “It also gives us more flexibility as we look to replace all of the vehicles, equipment, and even the building that we lost today.”
Four large dump trucks, a sewer-cleaning truck and a street-sweeper were inside the public works garage when the fire broke out. The garage itself also was destroyed, officials said. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
“While this is a very unfortunate situation for the City of McKeesport, I am very grateful that there were no injuries resulting from the incident,” Cherepko said. “I’m grateful for our firefighters, who contained and extinguished this fire — stopping it from spreading to our other structures.”
February 03, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A list of properties designated as “blighted” by McKeesport City Council on Wednesday. In 2022, the city will be targeting approximately 300 abandoned and vacant properties for demolition or reuse through the vacant property recovery program, Mayor Michael Cherepko said. (Click to explore map)
McKeesport will continue its aggressive fight against blighted and abandoned properties in 2022, Mayor Michael Cherepko has vowed.
At Wednesday’s meeting, city council added another 49 homes and lots to the “blighted” list and made them available for purchase by other property owners through McKeesport’s vacant property recovery program.
“It’s hard to attract new residents when you have blight on the street,” Cherepko said. “We intend on being very aggressive with the McKeesport Rising program in 2022. We will be coming to (council) with a lot of others as well.”
The city’s vacant property recovery program, administered by the city Redevelopment Authority, allows applicants to petition for the right to purchase abandoned properties that have been declared blighted, and which have been tax delinquent for three years or more.
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February 03, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Allegheny County Health Department has approved air-pollution reduction programs for 10 local industrial plants, but rejected six others submitted by plants in Clairton, North Braddock, Port Vue and West Mifflin.
The plans were required under new legislation, approved last year by Allegheny County Council and signed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, called the Mon Valley Episode Rule.
The rule requires the health department to warn Mon Valley residents when air quality is likely to be unhealthy; and also requires major sources of air pollution in the Mon Valley to take steps to reduce their emissions during certain weather events commonly called “air inversions.”
When combined with small particles of air pollution and noxious gases, air inversions can create dangerously bad air quality, especially for children, senior citizens and people with lung and heart conditions.
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February 02, 2022 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
North Versailles Twp. commissioners recently honored retired township manager, Patricia Logo, with a plaque for her years of service. Pictured are Greg Evashavik, solicitor; Frank Bivins, board president; Logo; and George Thompson, commissioner. (Kristen Keleschenyi photo for Tube City Almanac)
North Versailles Twp. employees who get or have received their COVID-19 vaccination will receive a $100 bonus.
Township commissioners unanimously approved the bonus at their January meeting. Also approved were five paid days off for employees who contracted COVID-19 if they were vaccinated prior to Dec. 31, 2021.
The additional days are valid through March 31, 2022.
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February 02, 2022 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
A representative of a landlord that owns properties in North Versailles Twp. is questioning the municipality’s recently enacted rental registration ordinance.
Kurt Skvarla of Addleman Realty and Landmark Companies spoke at the January board of commissioners meeting. The company owns apartment complexes on Dix Drive, near the intersection of Routes 30 and 48.
Skvarla said the fees are a hardship for the family run business and might lead to raising the rent for their tenants.
“The North Versailles Twp. license fee on our Dix Drive property is 25 times higher than if that same building was located in East McKeesport,” Skvarla said. He asked for documentation illustrating how the fees were determined and what they are used for.
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February 01, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
• Arrest records published here were provided by the McKeesport Police Department.
• Not all arrest records are published.
• An arrest does not mean the person identified has been convicted of a crime.
• All people arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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February 01, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A man from Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond on charges that he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl repeatedly over a period of several weeks in 2020.
Robert A. Clark, 41, was arrested by McKeesport police on Dec. 28 and faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 7 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
Court officials said bond was denied because Clark has failed to appear for past court dates on 14 separate occasions.
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