March 30, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An unidentified man is in critical condition following a shooting late Tuesday night on Sumac Street in the city.
Allegheny County police said city officers received a ShotSpotter alert in the 1400 block of Sumac at around 11:42 p.m. Police arrived and found evidence of a shooting at that location.
A short time later, police said, a victim arrived at the emergency room of UPMC McKeesport suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Allegheny County police homicide detectives are investigating. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
March 30, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
NAMI McKeesport affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will meet at 6 p.m. April 6 at Penn State Greater Allegheny in Room F122 of the Frable Building, a spokeswoman said.
The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
Printed copies of the information presented in March by a Social Security Administration representative will be available. The information deals with qualifications necessary to apply for Social Security Disability benefits for those with medically diagnosed mental illness conditions. A "care and share" session will follow for those in attendance.
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March 30, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An Irwin man has been charged by Allegheny County police in connection with a fatal shooting last week in North Versailles Twp.
Court officials said that Samuel Trusso, 40, is awaiting formal arraignment in Allegheny County Court on charges of criminal homicide and dischargining a firearm into an occupied structure.
Allegheny County police have accused Trusso of shooting and fatally wounding 38-year-old Travis G. Sanner of North Versailles during an argument March 22 at a home just off of Crooked Run Road. Police said Trusso fled when officers arrived, then turned the gun on himself and shot himself in the head.
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March 30, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Economic development will be the focus of the annual legislative lunch, sponsored by Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce.
The keynote speaker at the April 29 event will be state Sen. Jim Brewster of McKeesport and special guests will include Richard Vilello, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, and Lance Chimka, director of Allegheny County Economic Development.
Tickets are $40 and may be purchased from the chamber’s website, www.monyoughchamber.com, or by calling 412-678-2450.
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March 29, 2022 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment, McKeesport and Region News
Sharing their perspectives on their roles in "Mamma Mia!", seated, are Kaitlyn Majewski as Donna Sheridan and Cooper Kuchma, who plays bass guitar. Standing, from left, are Nya O'Neil as Tanya, Collin Klein as Bill Austin, Leila Wertz from the ensemble, Jonah Higdon as Sky, and Autumn Tavaglione as Sophie Sheridan. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)
If you go...
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‘Mamma Mia!’
Where: McKeesport Area High School Auditorium, 1960 Eden Park Blvd.
When: Opens Thursday, March 31 and continues Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m., with a Saturday, April 2 matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens. Available via mckmusical@gmail.com, or presale at the high school through Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 and noon to 1:30, and Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m.
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“Mamma Mia,” McKeesport Area High School’s spring musical, was selected as a fun, upbeat experience for students and audience alike.
“The team chose this show before auditions,” co-producer Sarah Persin said. “We knew we wanted to do something really fun and really upbeat. COVID interfered with our shows for the last two years, so we wanted to be sure this year’s show was a real hit.”
The musical is based on songs by ABBA, woven into a storyline set on a Greek island as 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan and her mother Donna Sheridan are making final preparations for her wedding.
Sophie, on a quest to find her father so he can walk her down the aisle, stumbles upon her mother’s diary from the year she was born. In it are details suggesting three possibilities, so she invites them all, without telling Donna.
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March 29, 2022 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: Entertainment, North Versailles Twp. News
Nora Keleschenyi (Katherine), Austin Phelan (Bill), Colby Miller (Jack Kelly), and Kason Sciullo (Romeo) rehearse a scene from the musical “Newsies.” (Kristen Keleschenyi photo special to Tube City Almanac)
If you go...
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‘Newsies’
Where: East Allegheny Junior-Senior High School, 1150 Jacks Run Rd, North Versailles, PA 15137
When: April 7–9 with shows each night at 7:30 p.m. along with a 2 p.m. matinee on April 9.
Tickets: easd.Booktix.com.
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Disney’s “Newsies” will mark the first “post-pandemic” musical performance at East Allegheny Junior-Senior High School. It has been an interesting journey these past two years to raise the curtain on spring musicals.
“Awesome 80’s Prom,” a play adapted to include musical vignettes, was performed in the outdoor court of the junior-senior high school in April of 2021.
“A Pirate’s Tale,” the show originally planned for 2020 but was cancelled, was performed just a few months after Prom with masks required and auditorium seating in every other row. (Many of the students who were originally cast in “A Pirate’s Tale” returned for the show including a number of 2021 graduates.)
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March 25, 2022 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak will hold several community events this upcoming spring, members of council announced at Monday’s meeting.
Health and Environment chair Loree Scharritter announced several upcoming events the community can participate in.
“Borough Clean-Up Day has been scheduled for April 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Heritage Hill Pavilion. The Electronics and Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Collection drop off will be May 3 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the borough building,” Scharritter said.
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March 25, 2022 |
By Emily Scott © Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
The United States and the United Kingdom have struck a deal to remove U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum along with U.K. tariffs on U.S. bluejeans, whiskey and motorcycles.
Some Pennsylvania lawmakers said the steel tariffs have been key to leveling the global playing field. In 2018, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act was used to impose 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs, respectively, on some steel and aluminum imports to stabilize domestic production.
State Rep. Frank Burns, a Johnstown Democrat and co-chair of the House Steel Caucus, said the federal government should be cautious about easing tariffs on some countries.
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March 23, 2022 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
In contrast to recent meetings, where heated confrontations took center stage, Tuesday’s meeting of the McKeesport Area School Board was brief, on time and student-focused.
After congratulating students and coaches on athletic achievements, including postseason success for McKeesport’s Color Guard and Girls Basketball and Bowling teams, School Board President Mindy Lundberg humorously commented on the board’s punctuality by saying, “We’re out on time today, so that’s even a bigger accomplishment.”
Highlighting the 40-minute combined open agenda and school board meeting was an audit presentation by Peter J. Vancheri, of Hosack, Specht, Muetzel & Wood LLP.
Vancheri’s report noted that during the school year ending June 30, 2021, the district’s expenditures exceeded its revenues by about $1.1 million — revenues for the year were $71 million, with approximately $61 million in expenditures and almost $10.6 million in other uses.
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March 19, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A bumble bee gathers pollen from a rosemallow (hibiscus moscheutos) flower. Bumble bees are natural pollinators and are generally docile. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Residents of McKeesport, Glassport and other local communities are learning more about the wildlife in their own backyards with the help of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
In 2018, the Audubon Society created its Certified Backyard Habitat program, which connects residents of southwestern Pennsylvania with resources to make their yards and patios into a natural habitat for birds, pollinators and wildlife. Since then, over 650 households have enrolled in the CBH program.
Audubon is currently working with four local community groups to create Certified Backyard Habitats in McKeesport, Glassport, Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood.
“We selected these communities based on the local community organizations’ interest in partnering on the project and opportunities to make positive impacts,” said Conservation Director Sarah Koenig.
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March 19, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A North Versailles Twp. man is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond in connection with a homicide Thursday in Wilmerding.
Edwin R. Green, 47, of Verona was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after the incident, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said.
Jason E. Grubb, 47, is charged by Allegheny County police with criminal homicide, carrying a firearm without a license and recklessly endangering another person. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 8 before Allegheny County Judge Kim Berkeley Clark.
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March 18, 2022 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
Roofing is under way at the Borough Maintenance Garage, members of the White Oak Council announced at Monday’s workshop meeting.
“It will probably take two weeks to get done, depending on the weather,” Borough Manager John Palyo said. “Street paving and inlet repairs are underway.”
Palyo also announced that the lowest bid for the 2022 paving project was from Tresco Concrete Products, and the equipment for the new Cool Spring Road traffic signal is scheduled to arrive in mid-May.
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March 15, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Local homeowners who are facing foreclosure or other financial hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for help.
The Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund will help homeowners whose annual household income is at or below 150 percent of the area median.
In the Mon-Yough area, Mon Valley Initiative is one of the agencies that will provide help through the program.
“PAHAF is designed to assist homeowners facing mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and the loss of utilities or home energy services,” said Jonathan Weaver, housing counselor at MVI, which has offices in Charleroi and Homestead.
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March 15, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Tube City Online file photo)
Allegheny County will hold a virtual career fair on April 13 to fill a variety of vacant positions, including full- and part-time jobs and internships, a spokeswoman said.
Two sessions will be held, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Job seekers can register beginning today, she said, and the event will be “mobile-friendly,” allowing participants to use their computer, tablet or phone.
No software is needed, only Internet access, county spokeswoman Amie Downs said.
“We saw during the pandemic just how important county services were to residents. Each and every day, county operations have an impact on someone’s life,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “There are opportunities available in departments across the county with competitive pay and good benefits. These aren’t just jobs, but the start of a career.”
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March 13, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A rally will be held at 9 a.m. Monday in front of the Allegheny County Courthouse to support the family of 18-year-old Dontae McKenith.
Family members and Take Action Mon Valley are trying to draw attention to McKenith’s death on July 24, 2021, after police said he was shot by 16-year-old Phillip Payne on Soles Street in the city.
Payne was charged with criminal homicide and a firearm offense. But family members said they’ve heard that Payne may be allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a lighter sentence — possibly as little as three years in prison.
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office has not confirmed whether Payne has been offered a plea bargain. A hearing in the case is scheduled Monday.
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March 11, 2022 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
A mixed cast of McKeesport Little Theater veterans and newcomers to that venue are in final rehearsals for the comedic mystery "Exit the Body." Missing from the photo is Cory Sigler. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)
When a successful mystery writer rents a cottage in New England for a change of scenery while seeking inspiration for her next novel, the result isn’t exactly what she anticipated.
That’s the situation Kacie Greenlief as novelist Crane Hammond finds herself in as she makes her McKeesport Little Theater debut in “Exit the Body.”
Written by Fred Carmichael, it premiered in 1961, which led to some decisions whether to update to 2022 for the MLT production.
Ultimately, the show that opens Friday (March 11) and continues March 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20, remains set in 1961, including using a rotary phone to dial “0” to reach the operator.
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March 08, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
City officials estimate that repairs to the Lysle Boulevard parking garage, closed since 1999, will cost about $900,000 more than previously believed. (Tube City Almanac file photo)
The rehabilitation of the Lysle Boulevard parking garage is temporarily on hold while McKeesport seeks additional funding for the project, city officials said.
City council has approved an application to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for $1 million to pay for masonry and concrete work, painting, drainage improvements and other repairs on the facility at the corner of Lysle and Locust streets.
The garage, built in 1959, has a capacity for more than 400 cars, but has been closed to the public since 1999, when pieces of its concrete decks began crumbling. The garage has been used for storage since then.
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March 08, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport City Council has awarded contracts totalling more than $1 million for an extensive street paving program this spring and summer.
At Wednesday’s meeting, council voted 6-0 to award two contracts to El Grande Industries of Donora, Washington County. El Grande was the lowest of three bids, city officials said. Council Vice President Lu Ethel Nesbit was absent.
Mayor Michael Cherepko said the paving project will complete repaving on Versailles Avenue — with the exception of the viaduct over Ravine Street — and also will include portions of Ohio, Pirl, Evans, Bailie, Jenny Lind, Grandview and Fawcett streets.
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March 08, 2022 |
By Emily Scott © Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf greets Iryna Mazur, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Philadelphia, during a press conference Monday in Harrisburg. (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania photo)
A Pennsylvania group that helps resettle refugees is asking federal officials to provide more support to people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, said Ukrainian refugees already here are worried about their relatives still in the country.
“The family petitions require processing at a U.S. embassy, and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine is closed,” said Miller-Wilson. “But, I mean, it will take a long time. The Ukrainian has to successfully flee and then get in touch with their relatives here. The paperwork has to be filed. It’s a very, very long process.”
Pennsylvania has the second-highest Ukrainian population of any U.S. state, with more than 122,000 citizens claiming Ukrainian heritage, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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March 08, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: White Oak News
A contractor on Wednesday will begin the process of clearing away a landslide that has closed Lincoln Way in White Oak since last week.
“We expect that work will continue into next week,” said Steve Cowan, district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.
PennDOT will meet back at the site this Friday to review the progress and evaluate the condition of the road, he said.
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March 08, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A White Oak man was killed and two other people were injured in a crash Wednesday on state Route 148 in East McKeesport.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said that John D. Semenko, 59, died at a hospital about an hour after the wreck.
An Allegheny County police spokesperson said Semenko was the driver of a Ford SUV that collided with a Dodge mini-van just before 11 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Congress Street.
The Dodge’s driver, a 24-year-old man, and a passenger in the minivan, a 22-year-old woman, were taken to area hospitals in stable condition, police said. Their names were not released.
Allegheny County police homicide and collision detectives are investigating.
March 01, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Area High School staff placed positive notes of encouragement in school hallways to boost students' morale. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
After two years, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause shortages of teachers, substitute teachers and bus drivers for school districts across the country — and McKeesport Area School District has been no exception.
So a group of teachers, counselors and staff decided to come together and brainstorm ideas on how to uplift everyone's morale at McKeesport Area High School. They looked for budget-friendly activities to start a wave of positive emotions.
The “positivity project” was born.
“Students have had to adapt to new ways in accessing their education and teachers have had to learn new ways in delivering that education," said Sherri Geyer, school counselor. “Mental health and morale get lost in the process.”
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March 01, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a blaze that damaged a Union Avenue home on Sunday afternoon, but the fire is not considered suspicious in nature.
McKeesport firefighters were dispatched to a duplex at 1307 Union Ave. just after 12 noon when one of the occupants of the home spotted flames in an upstairs bedroom, said firefighter Garrett Segelson.
Their quick decision to call 9-1-1 probably saved the home and helped keep the fire from spreading, he said.
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March 01, 2022 |
By Jason A. Mignanelli | Posted in: Announcements
A portrait of restaurant founder Matilda DeMarino Teti Smith — better known to everyone as “Tillie” — graces the dining room at Tillie’s Restaurant in McKeesport. The restaurant is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month. (Jason A. Mignanelli photo for Tube City Almanac)
On a recent Saturday night, a steady crowd of McKeesport regulars — along with others who were visiting for the first time — funneled into the tiny entrance of Tillie’s Restaurant on 36th Avenue.
Some were aware that Tillie’s was approaching its 60th anniversary. Others had no idea. But people who frequent Tillie’s have many fond memories of the restaurant throughout the years.
“I remember coming here with grandma when I was just young. She’s no longer living but it brings back memories,” said Robyn Lewis of McKeesport, who was waiting to be seated with her husband, Wayne, and their daughter Taylor.
For Wayne, his favorite dish is plain old spaghetti and meatballs. For Taylor, it’s the homemade gnocchi. As for Robyn, she sticks with the giant raviolis made from scratch.
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March 01, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church of McKeesport-Duquesne will hold fish fries on March 4, 11, 18 and 25 during Lent.
The fish fry menu will be for take-out only. Orders may be placed by phone, or at 901 Hartman St., a spokeswoman said. The menu may be found on the church’s website.
The menu is similar from week to week with the exception of a different soup each Friday.
Pre-orders will be taken prior to each event from Sunday through Wednesday by calling DeeDee Baskot at (412) 469-2955. Pre-order payment will be by credit card only. On the day of the fish fry, orders may be picked up in the church hall from 2 to 6 p.m.
March 01, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Two men were in critical condition following a shooting on Monday night on Sixth Avenue in the city.
McKeesport police and paramedics were dispatched to the Hi-View Gardens apartment complex just before 12 midnight when callers to Allegheny County 9-1-1 reported a shooting.
Crews found two men — one 21-years-old, the other 22-years-old — suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, Allegheny County police said.
Both men were taken to area hospitals in critical condition. One man was detained at the scene for further questioning and county homicide detectives are investigating, police said.
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