July 28, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Glenwood Bridge superstructure. (Photo by PixOnTrax via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.)
Mon-Yough area motorists who commute to Pittsburgh via Second Avenue can expect some delays beginning next week.
The Allegheny County Department of Public Works has announced that the right-hand northbound (inbound to downtown Pittsburgh) lane of the Glenwood Bridge will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays, beginning Monday, and continuing through Aug. 17.
The lane closure is needed so that Duquesne Light can safely remove electrical conduit ducts.
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July 28, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The McKeesport chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 2 in Room 122 of the Frable Building at Penn State Greater Allegheny, a spokeswoman said.
The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
Sara Steinberg Levine, manager of special events and technology for NAMI Keystone, will speak about the annual NAMI Walk on Oct. 1 at Monroeville Community Park West. She will bring flyers and raffle tickets for an array of items and stress the importance of supporting outreach efforts.
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July 28, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church of McKeesport-Duquesne has scheduled its annual “Taste of Serbia” festival for Sept. 29 and 30 at the church social hall, 901 Hartman St., a spokeswoman said.
This is the fourth year the popular event will be held at the church. This year, food may be purchased and eaten inside the hall, under canopies in the courtyard, or as take-out orders. The menu is currently under revision.
Full details will be released at a later date. For updates, please check the church’s web page at stsavapa.org.
July 27, 2023 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, North Versailles Twp. News, Wilmerding News
Stephanie Spingola looks over items in the costume studio, including a Westinghouse sewing machine. She is a member of the Class of 1963 and taught art for fourth through sixth graders after high school students from Wilmerding moved to East Allegheny. Below: The main entrance to Westinghouse Arts Academy reflects the building’s historic past as a school, and includes access to the auditorium, home of many student performances. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photos for Tube City Almanac)
For some, it had been a long time since they last set foot inside the main building that now houses many of the programs at Westinghouse Arts Academy in Wilmerding.
As a prelude to activities for the second all-class gathering (1937-1969) of Westinghouse Memorial High School, more than 30 former students met on the school steps the morning of July 22 before breaking into smaller groups to tour that building and the neighboring Westinghouse Castle.
Ray Adams, a Westinghouse Memorial graduate who came back to teach at his alma mater, was part of a committee that decided to hold the first all-class event in 2022, then again this year.
Adams taught social studies, photography, and videography there and at East Allegheny Junior-Senior High School before he retired in 1995. He also was the advisor for the Class of 1969, so said he agreed to be on the committee when asked.
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July 26, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
The Westmoreland Library Network, Westmoreland County Parks & Recreation and West Newton Public Library will host a concert by the barbershop quartet 3Rivers4 at noon on Aug. 31, a spokesperson said. Registration in advance is required because seating is limited.
The concert at the West Newton Senior Center will include lunch of turkey chef salad, vegetable soup, dessert and milk. Tickets to the show are free but lunch is a $2 donation for adults age 60 and over, and $3.97 for people under 60.
This free entertainment program is funded in part by a grant from Westmoreland County Parks & Recreation, the Westmoreland Library Network, and the West Newton Public Library. To register, call (724) 872-4976 before Aug. 23.
July 25, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, North Versailles Twp. News
A North Versailles Twp. man was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound in the parking lot of a defunct movie theater just after 7 a.m. Monday morning.
Daniel A. Sloane, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said. The manner of death is still pending an investigation and autopsy.
Sloane’s body was discovered outside the vacant Phoenix Big Cinemas in the 1700 block of Route 30. The medical examiner’s office said that North Versailles police were investigating.
No further details about the death have been made available. Messages left for township police Chief James Matrazzo and an Allegheny County spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
July 25, 2023 |
By Advertising | Posted in: Announcements
Tube City Community Media Inc. is seeking two or more freelance writers to cover occasional news and feature stories in the McKeesport area.
Contributors will be paid on a per-assignment basis. These are not salaried or contracted positions and these positions may be eliminated at any time, with or without warning.
Writers will be expected to attend a monthly school board or council meeting and file a report within 24 hours. Other topics may, from time to time, be assigned.
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July 24, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Turtle Creek woman is in the Allegheny County Jail after being accused of sending death threats to a district magisterial judge in Duquesne.
Rose Ann Kardell, 58, is charged by the Allegheny County sheriff’s office with making threats toward a public official — a felony — along with criminal coercion, stalking, disorderly conduct and harassment that began July 17 toward Magisterial District Judge Scott Schricker.
Kardell was jailed in lieu of $25,000 cash bond pending a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. July 31 before Magisterial District Judge Kim Berkeley Clark in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
She also has been ordered to have no contact with Schricker or anyone else associated with the case, court records indicated.
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July 18, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Commentary-Editorial
A United Parcel Service truck makes a delivery in New York City in 2014. (File photo by Chris Sampson via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0)
State Reps. Nick Pisciottano of West Mifflin and Elizabeth Fiedler of Philadelphia write:
Pennsylvania’s history is the history of organized labor. Our fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and generations beyond literally risked their lives to stand up against the robber barons and their corrupt allies in government that put the rich above the people.
They shed their blood in dangerous mines and factories. They died in preventable accidents caused by greed and indifference toward the plight of working people. They led the fight for the things we take for granted today: 40-hour workweeks, paid holidays, health insurance, a chance to retire, and so much more.
The Mine Workers, the Steelworkers, the Autoworkers, the International Ladies Garment Workers — those organizations turned America’s economy into the most powerful economy in the world and did it by creating the strongest middle class on the planet, full of workers paid fairly with enough money and enough time to spend their dollars in the community.
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July 18, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
One man was hospitalized following a shooting early Monday morning in Wilmerding.
Allegheny County police said the incident happened just after 5 a.m. in the 600 block of Airbrake Avenue. The victim’s name was not released. Homicide detectives said police and paramedics found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to an area hospital in stable condition.
No further details were released. Anyone with information concerning the incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1 (833) ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
July 17, 2023 |
By Dianne Ribecca | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
The principal of Logan Elementary School has been named acting superintendent of the East Allegheny School District.
At a special board meeting on June 26, Joseph Dilucente was hired to fill the role for one year, starting July 1.
The appointment was necessary after the school board voted in February not to renew former Superintendent Alan Johnson’s contract, which expired June 30.
Although Johnson was not present at the special board meeting, Toni Valicenti, board secretary and director of fiscal affairs, thanked him for his efforts to lead the district during the COVID pandemic.
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July 17, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Food vouchers redeemable at local farmer’s markets will be distributed to local senior citizens beginning on July 25, the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging has announced.
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program helps eligible older adults supplement their diets with locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by providing a set of four vouchers for a total of $50.
Vouchers will be distributed by the AAA senior center network on a first-come, first-served basis, a spokesman said. The vouchers may be used through Nov. 30 to purchase Pennsylvania grown produce from participating vendors at farmers’ markets throughout Allegheny County.
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July 17, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
Artist Duane Michals, a McKeesport native, clowns with Meagan Donnelly, community outreach coordinator and research specialist at McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center during an event Friday night. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Pittsburgh’s most famous 20th century artist wasn’t known for being articulate, one of his contemporaries told a crowd of McKeesporters on Friday night.
Talking to Andy Warhol — who was notoriously shy and tongue-tied — was “like talking to a phone off the hook,” Duane Michals said, imitating Warhol: “Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh.”
Michals, 91, a McKeesport native whose photography has appeared in galleries around the world and in magazines such as Life, Time, Mirabella and Vogue, returned to his hometown to lead a three-day photography and filmmaking safari in McKeesport, Rankin and Pittsburgh.
On Friday, more than 150 people were regaled with stories of Michals’ interactions with the rich and famous — his opinion of former President Donald Trump, who he photographed for a magazine feature story, is best described as “not family friendly” — and not-so-famous, like Arnold Varga, an illustrator for McKeesport’s Cox’s Department Store whose work went onto win national awards.
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July 13, 2023 |
By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
A new study sheds light on the urgent need for policies to reduce emissions from U.S. oil and gas production, showing the public health effects are costing billions of dollars.
The research estimated in 2016, in the U.S. alone, oil and gas-related pollution caused $77 billion in health damages, contributing to 7,500 early deaths and more than 400,000 asthma exacerbations.
Dr. Barbara W. Brandom, a retired professor of pediatric anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the Concerned Health Professionals of Pennsylvania, said she saw firsthand the impact of poor air quality on children's health because asthmatic kids had complications with anesthesia.
“Basically, we need to stop burning fossil fuels,” she said.
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July 11, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer, left, and Mayor Michael Cherepko, at right, pose with newly hired police officers Dylan Culbertson, Rich Dell, Ca’leb Brevard and Dylan Vaniel. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Although many police departments nationwide have reported a shortage of applicants, McKeesport’s police chief said that targeted recruiting has paid off for his agency.
At this month’s meeting, city council approved hiring four additional full-time officers, bringing the department to 44 full-timers and two part-timers. In addition, council approved the promotion of Detective Dan Goughnour to lieutenant. Goughnour heads the department’s juvenile squad, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said.
Police Chief Adam Alfer said that recruiters from McKeesport have worked with the Allegheny County and Indiana University of Pennsylvania police academies to identify candidates.
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July 07, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Workers at a Downtown supermarket were sanitizing shelves and throwing out merchandise Friday morning following a “Consumer Alert” from the Allegheny County Health Department.
Jeff Ross, owner of the Shop ’n Save on Fifth Avenue at Coursin Street, said the store has been battling mice ever since several buildings were torn down next to the supermarket.
“Please tell our customers we appreciate their business and we’re here in McKeesport to stay,” he said Friday. “Obviously, we want to correct the problem quickly, but it will be a little bit of a process. We hope they will work with us.”
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July 05, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Duane Michals, 91, shown here in a 2002 self-portrait taken in the ruins of his childhood home in McKeesport, will return to the city this month to mentor a group of aspiring local photographers. (Duane Michals photo © 2002)
Internationally known photographer and McKeesport native Duane Michals will return to his hometown this month to lead a three-day workshop for both aspiring and experienced local artists.
Michals, 91, a self-taught photojournalist whose works hang in galleries and museums around the world, will join with local artist and educator Richard Kelly on July 14, 15 and 16 to teach “Picture This: A Photo Experience” on location at several Mon Valley sites, including the former McKeesport Daily News Building and Carrie Furnaces in Rankin.
Although the three-day event is sold-out, the public also is invited to meet Michals, Kelly and other participants at 6:30 p.m. July 14 at the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center in Renziehausen Park.
Kelly, an adjunct instructor at Point Park University who previously taught at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, says he’s hoping the Michals visit sparks more creative interest in McKeesport and the surrounding area.
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July 05, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, North Versailles Twp. News
A 1-year-old girl died Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a car in a parking lot in North Versailles Twp.
Arionna Porter was pronounced dead at the scene of blunt-force traumatic injuries, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Wednesday. Allegheny County police are investigating.
In a prepared statement, homicide detectives said the accident occurred just before 4:30 p.m. at the Eastland Apartments on East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard.
The driver of the vehicle, whose name has not been released by police, remained on scene, detectives said. An investigation has been initiated. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
July 05, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
In another attempt to help beautify the community, Duquesne officials agreed to enter into a street-sweeping program with Steel Rivers Council of Governments.
From now until September or October, a sweep sweeper will patrol the streets at $95 per hour to pick up litter, city officials said.
City officials said they will work to let residents know that they must move their parked cars on street-sweeping days. If automobiles aren’t moved on the designated day, those streets will not be cleaned.
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July 05, 2023 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and there are several events commemorating the milestone.
“We’re hosting a 75th anniversary Hero Run on Saturday, July 29 at Heritage Park,” Councilwoman Julie Opferman, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee. Proceeds will benefit the family of McKeesport police Officer Sean Sluganski, who was slain Feb. 6, and Officer Chuck Thomas Jr., who was wounded.
Participants should register online by July 14 in order to receive a T-shirt. The walk costs $25 for adults and $15 for those under 18 years old.
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July 05, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Martha Rial leads the McKeesport Community Newsroom project of Point Park University. The group’s writing workshop will hold a reading at Carnegie Library of McKeesport on July 20. (Tube City Almanac file photo)
“You never know that you got the right shot, because you can’t see it,” said Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Martha Rial. “The shutter snaps.”
That was one of the takeaways from a presentation from the Regent Square resident as she discussed the “challenges and joys” of her 40 years as professional and one of the most highly regarded photographers in Pittsburgh. The hour-long review of her career was held by the Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh at Point Park University in June.
In addition to her own work as a photojournalist, Rial also teaches photography at local universities and is currently the program director for the McKeesport Community Newsroom, a citizen journalism initiative for high school students and adults, funded by Point Park.
The group Rial leads in McKeesport, Tube City Writers, will hold its next public reading at 6:30 p.m. July 20 at Carnegie Library of McKeesport, 1507 Library Ave.
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July 04, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
Downtown West Newton Inc. and Moose Lodge 31 will hold a spaghetti fundraiser at 5 to 7:30 p.m. July 15 at the lodge hall, 102 S. Water St., to raise money to pay for the new Christmas decorations.
Meals will include spaghetti, side salad, bread and homemade desserts for $12. Dinners will be held the third Saturday of each month until further notice, a spokesperson said. For more information or to pre-order tickets, call the Moose Lodge at (724) 872-7264 or DWNI at (724) 872-0100.
