December 28, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
NAMI McKeesport, a support group of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will meet at 6 p.m. Jan. 4 in room F122 of the Frable Building of Penn State Greater Allegheny. The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
Updates on programs and other information will be discussed.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
For more information about NAMI McKeesport, call (412) 527-6600. For the NAMI Helpline, call (412) 366-3788 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or visit www.namikeystonepa.org.
December 27, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: White Oak News
The White Oak Borough 75th Anniversary Committee will hold a planning meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at the municipal building, 2280 Lincoln Way, Councilwoman Julie Opferman announced.
Anyone interested in helping plan the borough’s anniversary celebration is welcome to attend.
At council’s Dec. 19 meeting, Opferman also awarded the winners of the Holiday Home Decorating Contest.
“Best Traditional” display was awarded to Josh Shega, the “Clark Griswold” award was presented to Russell Morgan, the “Buddy the Elf” award for the “most festive” decorations was presented to Dawn Riggs, and the “Kids Choice” award was presented to Diana Ray.
December 27, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: White Oak News
Correction: A quote from Councilman George Pambacas was corrected after publication. We regret the error.
White Oak council will hold a special meeting at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday to finalize the borough’s 2023 budget and to award a contract for trash collection.
At a meeting last week, council members expressed their frustration over the increasing cost of waste hauling. The borough’s current hauler is Big’s Sanitation.
Councilman George Pambacas, who chairs the public works committee, said the deadline for residents to pay a reduced “early bird” rate has been moved to April 30. “Isn’t there something else we can do to help the average citizen with this bill?” Pambacas said.*
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December 27, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Duquesne News
After three years in Duquesne’s industrial park, Laurel Print & Graphics is preparing to almost double the size of its facilities.
Regional Industrial Development Corp., the Pittsburgh-based non-profit that operates the City Center of Duquesne, announced this month that Laurel has signed an amended seven-year lease to expand into additional space in the Millwrights Building, located on the former site of U.S. Steel’s Duquesne Plant.
The move will expand Laurel’s current 10,000-square-foot facility to roughly 19,800 square feet, a RIDC spokeswoman said.
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December 27, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: White Oak News
Santa visited White Oak neighborhoods on the night before Christmas, courtesy of the borough’s two volunteer fire departments. Although many Mon-Yough communities give Santa a lift during December, White Oak officials think the community is one of only a few that holds the event on the night of Dec. 24. (Submitted photo)
On Christmas Eve, two local volunteer fire departments — Rainbow Volunteer Fire Company and White Oak Volunteer Fire Company #1 — celebrated the holidays by visiting neighborhoods in White Oak. Riding the back of fire trucks, Santa Claus waved and handed out candy canes.
Brandon Schmidt is the fire chief of Rainbow Volunteer Fire Co., located on Jacks Run Road, and has been an official member for 20 years. Most of his family, including his parents and brother, have also been affiliated with the organization. Currently, there are 42 active members of the company.
Schmidt expressed his excitement over the Christmas Eve tradition. Although many fire departments in Western Pennsylvania give Santa a ride through the community each holiday season, Schmidt said the White Oak departments are one of the few that do it on the night before Christmas, “to the best of my knowledge.”
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December 21, 2022 |
By Dianne Ribecca | Posted in: Announcements, North Versailles Twp. News
North Versailles Twp. has announced winners of the holiday light contest for 2022.
Township Commissioner Tracy Yusko said this year’s winners are:
• Thomas residence at 785 Angeline Dr. won Best Children’s Theme.
• Procacina residence at 206 Taylor St. won the Traditionally Elegant category.
• Clark Griswold award went to the Nichol residence at 302 Lincoln Ave.
Each of those homes won a $50 gift card for Home Depot.
The Connelly residence at 515 Cedarhurst Dr. won the Best Overall category and was awarded a $100 gift card for Home Depot.
December 19, 2022 |
By Dianne Ribecca | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
There will be no local property tax increase for North Versailles Twp. residents in 2023 — but sewerage rates will be increasing slightly.
Commissioners this month approved next year’s $8 million spending plan with a property tax rate of 7.25 mills and a fire-tax of 0.50 mills. The fire tax helps fund buildings, vehicles, equipment and operations of the township’s volunteer fire companies and also helps pay for the training of fire personnel.
The 2023 budget is slightly less — about 1 percent — than the 2022 budget. (PDF download)
The commissioners also approved an increased budget of $4.68 million for the North Versailles Twp. Sanitary Authority. Sewerage rates will increase by $1.50 per 1,000 gallons of water used.
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December 19, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne’s 2023 budget is expected to hold the line on real-estate and earned-income taxes.
City council will vote on the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting.
The preliminary spending plan, developed by interim city Manager George Newsome and Councilman Derek Artim, was posted on the city’s website Dec. 7.
Duquesne officials say there will be no increase in the real estate or earned income tax in 2023. The municipal real estate tax rate is a blended $21.33 per $1,000 and the earned income tax rate is 1.65 percent for residents and 1.30 percent for non-residents.
Also unchanged is the 1-mill of current real estate tax dedicated to the fire department expenditures. This amount does not include the approximate $20,000 from the Firemen’s Relief fund.
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December 15, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Model Railroad Club)
The McKeesport Model Railroad Club will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday for its final holiday train show of 2022.
The organization, which formed in the 1950s, first met in a McKeesport freight train station before moving to their current location on Walnut Street. Every Christmas season, they open their doors to the community to observe their model-railroad layout.
“We just want people to enjoy it,” Vice President Steve Raith said. “We have families that come back every year as a tradition.”
Raith became involved with the club after his young son expressed interest. After attending a few meetings, Raith decided to volunteer and eventually became one of the board members.
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December 14, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
McKeesport Area High School is offering counseling and support to students following a shooting outside of a convenience store that killed one 16-year-old and sent another teen-ager to the hospital.
The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Chance Naylor, 16, died Tuesday afternoon in the emergency room of UPMC McKeesport hospital following the incident on Versailles Avenue.
Naylor’s death has been ruled a homicide.
The other victim is reportedly in critical condition at a hospital.
Allegheny County police said the shooting happened at around 3:30 p.m. near the corner of Versailles and Grandview avenues. The shooter has not been publicly identified by police.
The school district announced that both the high school and East End Academy would have virtual classes Wednesday. Both of the victims were students at the high school, the district said.
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December 09, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne’s city hall stood in for the Fayette County Courthouse this month when “American Rust” filmed some scenes there. The web-based TV series is expected to return in early 2023. (Thomas Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Parts of Duquesne were transformed into the fictional Fayette County community of Buell this month when the cast and crew of “American Rust” came to town.
Crews filmed exterior scenes in front of City Hall on Second Street, and even employed some Duquesne police officers for overtime, said Interim City Manager George Newsome.
Based on a novel by Phillip Meyer, “American Rust” is a gritty police drama with Jeff Daniels playing sheriff Del Harris and Maura Tierney as his love interest.
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December 09, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
More than a dozen people had to be assisted by the American Red Cross after fire swept through an apartment building on Hartman Street on Wednesday afternoon.
One person jumped from a third-floor window and two tenants were rescued by firefighters using ladders, emergency officials said. The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office.
The fire at 916 Hartman St. was reported at 1:03 p.m., emergency personnel said, and quickly escalated to three alarms. The building is a four-story brick structure with 16 units, according to county real-estate records, and is owned by a McKeesport resident.
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December 09, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
After three years of a sometimes-frustrating relationship with its contracted garbage collection company, McKeesport is changing vendors and preparing to go to court.
At Wednesday’s meeting, city council by 7-0 vote approved a three-year contract with Big’s Sanitation of Rostraver Twp., Westmoreland County, to collect trash and recyclables. Big’s was the city’s garbage hauler from 2015 until 2019, when the contract was awarded to County Hauling, also of Rostraver.
The city is considering legal action against County Hauling over its poor performance, Mayor Michael Cherepko said Wednesday night.
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December 07, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections, State & Region
Summer Lee and Austin Davis, shown here at their Mon Valley Youth Expo in 2019, have resigned their respective state legislative seats. Lee has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, while Davis is slated to become Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant governor. (Submitted photo courtesy Pennsylvania House of Representatives)
Mon-Yough area voters will be asked to choose replacements for two state legislators who have been elected to higher offices.
State Rep. Austin Davis of McKeesport and State Rep. Summer Lee of Swissvale, both Democrats, submitted their resignations on Wednesday. Davis has been elected lieutenant governor, replacing John Fetterman of Braddock, while Lee has been elected to the congressional seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, who is retiring.
On Wednesday, state House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia announced that a special election will be held Feb. 7 to replace Davis, Lee and state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, who died in October.
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December 07, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council has officially terminated former police Chief Tom Dunlevy.
At this week’s meeting, council voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution terminating “Employee X” from the police department.
City Solicitor Myron Sainovich confirmed that Dunlevy was the unnamed employee and noted that former chief did not attend recent meetings with Duquesne officials prior to the decision.
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December 07, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Duquesne News
A Duquesne man was taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after he leapt from the front porch of his Kennedy Avenue home to escape a fire.
The victim, in his early 50s, was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, Uptown, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released, said Frank Cobb, Duquesne fire chief. The house is likely a total loss, Cobb said.
The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze, which was reported at about 5:30 a.m. Cobb said when crews arrived, fire was visible on the first floor of the two-story wood frame home at 1410 Kennedy Ave.
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December 07, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A fire on Tuesday afternoon that heavily damaged a home near Renziehausen Park is under investigation by the Allegheny County fire marshal.
Although the two residents were not present at the time of the blaze, five dogs were located on the second floor of the house, said Jeff Tomovcsik, McKeesport fire chief. Firefighters, McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service and a UPMC paramedic administered oxygen in an attempt to revive the animals, but were not successful, he said.
The blaze at 3917 Main St. was reported just after 3 p.m. when neighbors reported seeing smoke from a window.
When crews arrived, Tomovcsik said, smoke was present from multiple windows on the first and second floors of the two-story wood frame house.
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December 05, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, State & Region
Volunteers and staff from Pittsburghers for Public Transit and members of its “Fair Fares Now” coalition helped spread the word about a discount program during an event Nov. 17 in downtown Pittsburgh. A 12-month experimental program will offer discounted transit rides or $10 credits to eligible Alleghney County residents ages 18 to 64. (Submitted photo courtesy Pittsburghers for Public Transit)
Applications are now being accepted for a pilot program that will provide discounted transit fares for Allegheny County residents on low and fixed incomes.
The discount program is being managed by the county’s Department of Human Services and is limited to people ages 18 to 64 who received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as of Sept. 30.
Participation is voluntary. Participants will randomly be enrolled in one of three programs and will receive either unlimited free fares on all PRT trips for 12 months; a 50 percent discount for 12 months; or a ConnectCard pre-loaded with $10 in free transportation.
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December 05, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
Angora Gardens will host a holiday open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 16 featuring photos with Santa, vendors, a miniature village, entertainment and crafts for children, a spokeswoman said.
Donations of gift cards and new holiday-themed items also are being accepted through Dec. 9 for the Mistletoe Magic Mega Auction Basket raffle, said Julie Pecora, program supervisor.
“Come make a memory at Angora Gardens!” she said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming you back to our Holiday Open House! Our community events are open to everyone and feature unique activities and entertainment for all ages.”
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December 05, 2022 |
By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
Medicare’s annual open enrollment period ends Dec. 7, so if you’re one of the 2.8 million Pennsylvanians eligible for Medicare, decisions need to be made now for the coming year.
Joanne Grossi, Pennsylvania state president emeritus for AARP, said it is important for anyone on Medicare to review their coverage options, and make sure their plan still meets their health care needs, because the coverage can change from year to year.
She said picking a plan can be complicated, but help is available.
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December 05, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
McKeesport Area High School orchestra and jazz band will perform this Thursday (Dec. 8) at the Allegheny County courthouse, a spokeswoman said.
The orchestra will perform at 12 noon and the jazz band at 12:50 p.m. on the Grand Staircase of the Allegheny County Courthouse, 436 Grant St., downtown Pittsburgh.
Concerts are free and open to the public, and are also broadcast on the Grant Street side of the courthouse so downtown shoppers and workers may enjoy the concert, county spokeswoman Amie Downs said.
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December 02, 2022 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
The cast of Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” at McKeesport Little Theater takes a quick break from rehearsal. (Photo by Bonnijean Cooney Adams for Tube City Almanac)
If you go...
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Disney’s “Frozen Jr.”
Presented by McKeesport Little Theater Juniors
Where: McKeesport Little Theater, 1614 Coursin St.
When: Fridays and Saturdays Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m.; Sundays Dec. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for adults and $10 for students. Available through the MLT website, by calling the theater at 412-673-1100, or via onthestage.com.
There are two special, pre-show activities requiring advance reservations set for Dec. 4 and Dec. 10, but spots are going quickly, as are tickets for the shows. The first is Olaf’s Character Brunch, and the second is a Coronation Day Ball. MLT management recommends those planning to attend should call the theater at 412-673-1100 for availability and pricing.
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There’s a lot of pressure on the young performers in McKeesport Little Theater’s Juniors program as they undertake the latest production, which opens tonight (Dec. 3).
That’s because the show is Disney’s “Frozen Jr.,” with a storyline and songs familiar to audiences of all ages from the movie and Broadway production.
The most experienced performers with lead roles — and even director Dorothy Fallows, who has been in charge of the Juniors’ program and affiliated with McKeesport Little Theater for at least 30 years — said it’s definitely challenging to give audiences what they know and expect, while adapting the show to fit MLT’s unique venue and talents of the cast.
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December 02, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Submitted photo via Facebook)
The Mon Yough Chorale will be presenting its annual Christmas concert, “Songs of the Season,” at 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at Sampson’s Mills Presbyterian Church, 1665 Lincoln Way, White Oak, president Donna Dineen announced.
Admission is free but a goodwill offering will be accepted. All monies collected will help defray the cost of hosting the state-wide competition, Saengerfest, in June 2023, which we will be hosted by the local group.
A cookie reception will follow the concert. For more information, visit the chorale’s website.
In addition, the chorale is performing at 3 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 4) at Carnegie Library of McKeesport, 1507 Library Ave., in a concert sponsored by the library and the McKeesport Music Club. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit the library’s website.
December 02, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Duquesne News
Delays are possible next week on Kennywood Boulevard while crews inspect the bridge that crosses the Union Railroad yard, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said.
Single-lane restrictions will occur in both directions on the Route 837 bridge over the Union Railroad tracks between Overland Avenue and North Second Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5-8, weather permitting, said Steve Cowan, PennDOT spokesman.
Crews from The Markosky Engineering Group, Inc. and the Sofis Rigging Co. will conduct the inspection work. Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns.
December 01, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Local residents interested in careers as special education teachers, paraprofessionals, physical and speech therapists and in other positions are invited to a career fair on Wednesday in Homestead.
Allegheny Intermediate Unit will hold a Special Education Career Fair at its headquarters, 475 East Waterfront Drive, from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 7.
To register, email recruitment@aiu3.net, but a spokeswoman said walk-ins will be welcome.
The AIU operates three schools for children with multiple and complex needs that foster the growth of academic, social and employment skills needed for independence. It also provides a variety of special education supports and services to students throughout Allegheny County.
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December 01, 2022 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Tiger Marching Band musicians and color guard at Mansion Field in Altoona, where they placed first in the Class 2 Open category in the first state Tournament of Bands competition. (Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Area Tiger Marching Band)
McKeesport Area Tiger Marching Band sparkled and shined through a successful season, garnering the top score and taking home the title in the Group 2 Open category at the first Tournament of Bands state competition.
They earned a coveted 90-plus score with a 90.30, plus awards for High Auxiliary and Percussion for “All That Glitters” at the end of October at Mansion Park in Altoona.
Band director Drew DeCarlo said “All That Glitters” is an original competition, featuring uplifting concepts and show styles.
“We all shine in our unique ways,” he said.
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December 01, 2022 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Members of the Serra Catholic Eagles Marching Band gather on the field to celebrate with their championship banner. (All photos courtesy of Serra Catholic Marching Band)
In the closest competition of his career, band director Jesse Bush said he thinks everyone at Mansion Field in Altoona heard him yell when Serra Catholic was announced in first place – by a mere two hundredths of a point (0.02) – to win the Tournament of Bands 1-A state championships.
Serra received a 91.75, edging out Tyrone with a 91.73, and followed closely by East Allegheny with a 91.13.
- See Also: McKeesport Area High School Tiger Marching Band, which also competes in the Tournament of Bands Region 8 but in a different category of Group 2 Open, took home that state title with a score of 90.30 and awards for High Auxiliary and Percussion. Read More
The state competition on Oct. 29 capped a season showing steady improvement in the pirate-themed “X Marks the Spot” since the Serra Eagles placed second in their category with a score of 76.18 in the TOB Preview Show on Sept. 10 at Penn-Trafford.
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