October 31, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)
McKeesport Area School Board held a special meeting Thursday to authorize the immediate hiring of several employees, including several teachers and a school nurse.
“We need them to start,” Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said. “We need those folks in, and we didn't want to have to wait.” If the district hadn’t held a special meeting, the next meeting was scheduled for Dec. 4.
Holtzman said it behooved the district to act now. “Those jobs need to be filled,” he said. “The whole objective is taking care of our kids and educating our kids, so we decided to come out for a special meeting, get those folks hired and get them in place and ready to go.”
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October 31, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
(Photo via Facebook)
Two people were wounded Thursday night during a shooting at a Downtown bar. The tavern’s owners have announced plans to permanently close in the interests of safety.
Allegheny County police said the incident happened inside the McKeesport Beer Barrel in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue just after 9:30 p.m.. In a prepared statement, homicide detectives said a man and a woman were both injured and taken to area hospitals. The male victim was in critical condition, police said.
The names of the victims were not released and police did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Anyone with information concerning the incident was asked to call the county police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.
On Friday, the bar’s owners announced via social media their plans to close.
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October 31, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Last year, Duquesne officials approved plans by EOS Energy to build this manufacturing facility in the city. City officials say they’re disappointed and saddened that the company has apparently abandoned the project without telling anyone. (Illustration courtesy Gateway Engineers via City of Duquesne)
Eos Energy Enterprises has apparently abandoned plans to construct a manufacturing facility in Duquesne — but no one bothered to tell city officials.
In 2024, New Jersey-based Eos Energy Enterprises, which operates a factory in Turtle Creek, received planning approval from Duquesne officials for a 181,000-square-foot facility on the site of the former U.S. Steel Duquesne Plant that would have employed 300 to 400 people.
But since then, the company has gone quiet, even after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that Eos plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Pittsburgh’s North Side and open its new manufacturing facility in Marshall Twp. in northern Allegheny County instead.
“All of us — the city, our city manager, all the council members, the planning commission, zoning board — nobody had any idea,” said Duquesne City Councilman Aaron Adams. “We were caught off-guard (when) the announcement came out from the state and county.”
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October 30, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Family caregivers in need of support and help are invited to a free session Nov. 13 at Kane Community Living Center on Ninth Avenue in McKeesport.
A spokeswoman said “Family Caregiver Support 101” is sponsored by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The event will discuss taking care of a family member when you’re “in need of support (and) running on empty.”
The event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in Room 124 on the main level of Kane McKeesport. To attend, RSVP to Lisa at (412) 401-6315 by Nov. 11.
October 30, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac file photo)
A nationally known group of economic development specialists will be in the city for three days next week to develop a proposal for reinvigorating McKeesport’s moribund Downtown business district.
The Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh has contracted with The Collaborative, a Boston-based network of city planners, designers and engineers, to tour the Downtown area and meet with residents, said Matthew Craig, executive director of YPA.
The Collaborative, YPA and Mayor Michael Cherepko will host a walking tour from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 6) beginning at the Palisades Ballroom and heading up Fifth Avenue.
Then, at 7 p.m., the mayor’s office, YPA and the Collaborative will hold a community forum at the Palisades. Refreshments and child care will be provided.
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October 30, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
State Rep. Dan Goughnour talks to a constituent during an event at the Palisades on Oct. 16. (Submitted photo courtesy Pennsylvania House of Representatives)
State Rep. Dan Goughnour has distributed a list of emergency food resources for families affected by the ongoing federal government shut-down.
The crisis, now nearly one month old, has caused the federal government to stop paying many employees and also led to the loss of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called “SNAP.”
“As of Oct. 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to the state,” Goughnour said in a release. “If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, please remember that there are resources available. All of my offices have contacts and can direct you to the closest location that food is available.”
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October 30, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: State & Region
Fresh produce is prepared for distribution by Mission: Agape at the Croatian Club in Versailles on Sept. 26. Mission: Agape and other food banks are alarmed by the federal government shut-down that has caused an end to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for nearly 2 million Pennsylvania residents. (Submitted photo courtesy Mission: Agape)
Listen:
Charla Irwin-Buncher of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Kelly Doyle of Mission: Agape were our guests this week on “Two Rivers, 30 Minutes,” our weekly talk show that airs on Tube City Online Radio, WEDO (810) and WZUM (1550/101.1 FM)
Organizers at local food banks say the panic has already begun for more than 2 million Pennsylvania residents — mostly senior citizens and children — who use the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to buy groceries each month.
The SNAP program — still commonly referred to as “food stamps” — has run out of money due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which began almost a month ago.
Charla Irwin-Buncher, chief external affairs officer for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne, said the federal government has already missed the deadline for recipients to receive their November benefits.
“The crisis is already here,” Irwin-Buncher said. “It’s causing a lot of anxiety and stress amongst people who are recipients of the SNAP program. We have seen a surge in demand at our on-site food pantry attached to our building in Duquesne. People are preparing in advance, knowing that their SNAP benefits might not come through in November.”
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October 27, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story was retracted because it incorrectly stated that a replacement for former Assistant Superintendent Matthew Mols had not been named. The school board named an assistant to the superintendent on Oct. 9. We apologize for the error and for any confusion we caused.
Outgoing McKeesport Area School District assistant superintendent Matthew Mols is set to begin a new chapter at Ligonier Valley School District.
Following an Oct. 20 vote by LVSD school board members, Mols will serve as superintendent beginning Nov. 3.
LVSD school board members signaled their enthusiasm for the new hire by praising both his “energy” and “perspective.”
The comments echo earlier approval from McKeesport Area School District. “There were some folks who didn’t believe in him. We believed in him,” MASD School Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said on Oct. 9. “He’s pretty damn good.”
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October 27, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The author of this piece has a conflict of interest. See Editor’s Note.
Homestead-based Mon Valley Initiative held its 37th annual community awards dinner at the Palisades Ballroom, Downtown. (Tube City Almanac photo)
At a time when many Americans are struggling to feel a sense of unity and purpose, the volunteers of the Mon Valley’s many non-profits have created “a very unique hub.”
“The way the world is, we struggle so hard to find community,” said April Hoover, chief financial officer of Mon Valley Initiative, during that organization’s 37th annual awards banquet. “So I want to remind you that this is a community. Tap into the other people in this room. Just remember, where there is service, where there is hope, lasting impact can happen.”
More than 200 people attended the event at the Palisades Ballroom in Downtown McKeesport. Awards were presented to three individuals and four Mon-Yough area organizations.
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October 23, 2025 |
By Leslie Savisky | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Students show off craft items during a 2023 show. (Photo courtesy Kristen Keleschenyi)
All of the items are supposed to be “strictly homemade” when the East Allegheny High School Band hosts its next craft show Nov. 15.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the high school’s indoor court, located at 1150 Jacks Run Road.
There will be 50 vendor tables showcasing handmade items. Each vendor has graciously donated an item for the basket raffle.
Vendor booths include quilters, wood working, resin work, crocheted and knitted items, baked goods, shirts and tumblers. “People look for that personal touch,” said band parent and craft show organizer Toni Lucas.
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October 21, 2025 |
By Advertising | Posted in: Announcements
Tube City Community Media Inc., the non-profit publisher of The Tube City Almanac and operator of Tube City Online Radio, is accepting applications from people interested in serving on its board of directors for 2025-26.
This is an unpaid position.
Applications will be considered by the board of directors at an upcoming meeting. Deadline is Nov. 15, 2025.
Applicants should be at least 18 years old, be able to pass a background check, and live within a nine-mile radius of McKeesport. Most importantly, they should have a sincere interest in local, non-profit media and in promoting the McKeesport area via the Internet, radio and other means.
Previous experience in college or professional radio; at a college or professional newspaper; or on another non-profit board is helpful.
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October 21, 2025 |
By Stacy Alderman | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
North Versailles Twp.’s Apple Harvest Bakery & Catering had a booth at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Arts Festival this summer. (Submitted photo courtesy Facebook)
When owner Larry Newcomer decided to start using his catering building on Third Street in North Versailles Twp. as a bakery storefront this past spring, pastries soon started flying off the shelves.
Anchored by General Manager Michelle Martin and head Chef Vasil Oblockovich, business for Apple Harvest Bakery & Catering has been booming thanks primarily to word of mouth and social media.
“Two weeks ago, a little girl was in here and made 3 TikTok videos,” Martin said. “And they already have tens of thousands of views.”
According to Oblockovich, business increased so much after the videos were posted that they had to hire two new staff members.
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October 20, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
(Screenshot from WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh)
A Monroeville teen-ager who is charged with stealing $108,000 worth of merchandise in the burglary of a North Versailles Twp. vape shop bragged about the crime to his friends in chat messages, police said.
Police allege that Sean D. Stitt, 19, of Monroeville took pictures following the burglary and sent them to friends, saying, “gonna be lit ... look at all the weed.”
Stitt is being held in Allegheny County Jail in lieu of bond after being charged by township police with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. He faces a preliminary hearing Oct. 30 before Magisterial District Judge Roxanne Sakoian Eichler.
He also faces additional charges in McKeesport, Monroeville and Moon Twp., court documents indicate.
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October 17, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A Duquesne Avenue man accused of setting fire to a home was allegedly targeting two people who owed him money for drugs, according to police — but those people were no longer living there.
Arthur “Bibbler” Franklin III, 32, also known as “Red,” is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond after a magisterial district judge said he represents a danger to the community. He faces a preliminary hearing Monday before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
Franklin was apprehended Oct. 9 in the city’s Downtown area and now faces additional narcotics charges in connection with that arrest, according to court records.
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October 16, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: White Oak News
Funeral arrangements have been made public for a Liberty Borough man shot to death on Sunday afternoon in White Oak.
Kenneth Hayman, 33, will be buried Nov. 1, said the DeCarbo Funeral Home in New Castle, Lawrence County, which is caring for the arrangements.
Hayman died Sunday in AHN Forbes Hospital, Monroeville, about one hour after police said three or four armed men shot attacked him at the intersection of Lincoln Way and Route 48 in White Oak.
Witnesses said Hayman was on his motorcycle at the intersection when a Chevrolet Silverado truck approached and the occupants opened fire with rifles. The vehicle then fled on Lincoln Way.
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October 16, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Entertainment
In a satire of a popular book and movie series, members of the Puffs house at a certain school of magic are entertaining McKeesport Little Theater audiences with stories of their trials and triumphs. (Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Little Theater)
If you go...
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“Puffs”
Where: McKeesport Little Theater, 1614 Coursin St., (412) 673-1100, www.mckeesportlittletheater.com
When: Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students available through the MLT website or http://www.onthestage.tickets/show/mckeesport-little-theater. This show is not rated, but is PG-13 in nature.
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McKeesport Little Theater's current production promises to take audiences through “Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” when “Puffs” takes to the stage for its final weekend beginning Friday (Oct. 17).
Written by Matt Cox, the play premiered in December 2015 at The People’s Improv Theater in New York City, and is recognized as a parody of the Harry Potter series — but PG-13 in nature.
Cox explained to a reporter that the idea of the play came to him on a subway ride one night, when he considered how terrifying it might have been for other students at magic school through seven years of trials and tribulations with a famous wizard in attendance.
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October 15, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Photo “Socks at Rest” by Sally Cummings via Flickr, licensed as CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 220 Eighth Ave. at Walnut Street, is collecting new, unused socks, hats and mittens for adults to be distributed via local homeless shelters.
Items for “Socktober” are being accepted now through Oct. 31. To donate an item, call Karen at (724) 281-3002.
October 15, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
State Sen. Nick Pisciottano and state Rep. Dan Goughnour will host a Senior Wellness & Safety Expo at the Palisades on Thursday (Oct. 16) from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This free community event will connect older adults with local organizations and resources dedicated to promoting health, safety, and well-being. Attendees can receive a variety of free screenings and services, enjoy live entertainment, refreshments, and door prizes, and speak with local agencies about available programs and benefits.
Free screenings and services will include:
• Flu Shots
• Bone Mineral Density Scans
• Height, Weight, Body Mass Index
• Hearing Screening
• Glucose Screening
• Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL
• Blood Pressure
• PRT Senior ConnectCards
The Palisades is located at 100 Fifth Ave., near the McKees Point Marina. Free parking is available in the marina lots.
October 13, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)
McKeesport Area School District recognized students, staff and school director achievements during an Oct. 9 school board meeting.
Eighth-grader Evan Durst was celebrated for his selection to the US Youth School Junior Olympic Development Program. The program, according to Superintendent Donald MacFann, is a “pathway for identifying and developing top players across the country.”
Retiring golf coach Joe Bower was honored for 12 seasons of leading McKeesport golfers.
School director David Donato called Bower’s contributions to the program “incredible,” and said, “it takes a very special person to get these guys together and want to come every day.”
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October 12, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
(This is a developing story and will be updated.)
A local man is dead following a shooting Sunday afternoon in White Oak.
Allegheny County homicide detectives and White Oak police were on the scene gathering evidence following the 2:18 p.m. incident at the intersection of Route 48 and Lincoln Way.
Witnesses said the victim, identified by the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office as Kenneth Hayman, 33, of Liberty Borough was on a motorcycle on Route 48 when a dark-colored Chevrolet Silverado approached and two men armed with rifles opened fire.
Shoppers at nearby Rainbow Village Shopping Center and Oak Park Mall described hearing multiple, rapid shots that sounded “like fireworks.”
The vehicle then fled on Lincoln Way, witnesses said.
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October 09, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council will put a price on the possible sale of its water system, but said there are no plans to divest the municipality of the water department.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, the city authorized administrators to request proposals for the sale of the Duquesne water distribution system.
City officials said the request for proposals will allow the city to determine the market value of its water system before investing in needed upgrades to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection requirements.
Duquesne faces “significant liabilities and responsibilities that come with running a system of our size and significant resources are going to be needed” to meet EPA and DEP mandates, city officials said.
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October 09, 2025 |
By T.J. Martin | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak Mayor Ina Jean Marton (at podium) introduces new White Oak Chief of Police Jason Binder at the September borough council meeting. (T.J. Martin photo for Tube City Almanac)
After a months-long selection process, White Oak Borough has appointed a new police chief.
Jason Binder was introduced as the new chief of police at the borough’s September meeting after being sworn in earlier in the month. He replaces Mark Sargent, who resigned in March.
In July, Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Loree Scharritter told her fellow commissioners that, after accepting applications for the Chief of Police position for a month, she and the other members of the Public Safety Committee were joined by Mayor Ina Jean Marton, Borough Manager John Palyo and chiefs of police from neighboring communities to conduct the first round of interviews.
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October 08, 2025 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
If you go...
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Encore Presentation: Living History Tour
Where: McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center, 1832 Arboretum Drive (Renziehausen Park)
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9
Tickets: $12 members, $15 non-members, $6 kids (12 and under)
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Cemeteries are usually a solemn, serene place of final rest, but on Saturday and Sunday the McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery was alive with historical figures of McKeesport’s past, portrayed by local actors.
The McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center presented its 11th annual Living History Tour featuring characters like Thomas Tilbrook the first mayor of McKeesport, trail blazing journalist Phyllis Garland, and Woodene Merriman, a longtime reporter and lifestyle editor for the McKeesport Daily News.
All together, 10 historical figures were represented by actors, Isaac Richardson as the gravedigger, Greg Nemchick as John Corey, Kim Moore as Woodene Merriman, Ellie Valentine as Jane Berry Smith, Ellis Michaels as Thomas Tilbrook, Wayne Minnicks as Russell Goetz, Ashden Burgman as B.B. Coursin, Isabel Newport as Sarah E. Johnson Phillips Means, John Patalona as John Sellman, and Nie’Zhay Jefferson as Phyllis Garland.
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October 07, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
Pros of Wrestling will present a “family friendly” event at White Oak Athletic Association on Oct. 25 featuring eight matches, a spokesman said.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and wrestling begins at 7:30 p.m.
The main event will feature AAA Lucha Libra star Sam Adonis, a Pennsylvania native and a graduate of Gateway High School who has been wrestling professionally for 20 years. Adonis, who has wrestled in Mexico, Japan, Italy, England and Canada, will be pitted against Bryant Starr of New York City.
Tickets are available from Eventbrite.com and at the door.
Merchandise and refreshments will be available, as well as prizes. WOAA is located at 1798 Lower Heckman Road in White Oak. For more information, call (412) 335-1622 or visit Pros of Wrestling on Facebook or X.
October 07, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(With reporting from Vickie Babyak and Jason Togyer)
Residents wait outside Midtown Plaza Apartments on Sunday after fire forced the evacuation of most of the high-rise building. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Six residents and four firefighters sustained minor injuries Sunday after fire broke out in a trash chute in a Downtown high-rise apartment building.
McKeesport fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik said the blaze at Midtown Plaza Apartments went to three-alarms and that some residents — who have heard false alarms in the past — were reluctant to evacuate.
The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office is investigating.
Many of the residents of the building are senior citizens or on fixed incomes. The building was previously owned by a subsidiary of PNC Bank, but was sold in December 2024 for $500,000 to a New York-based company, according to county records.
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October 07, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A crash Tuesday morning in the city’s 10th Ward sent two people to area hospitals.
Allegheny County police said the wreck occurred just after 9:30 a.m. on West Fifth Avenue between Ramp No. 2 and the Mansfield Bridge.
Police said their preliminary investigation indicates that a car driven by an unidentified male driver went out of control and crossed into the opposing lane of travel, sliding sideways.
The car was then struck by another vehicle, traveling in the opposite direction, driven by an unidentified woman, police said.
The male was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the woman was in stable condition, police said.
The Allegheny County Police Department’s collision reconstruction unit is investigating. Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.
October 07, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
A fire that heavily damaged a concession stand at East Allegheny High School’s stadium over the weekend was accidental, the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office has ruled.
The fire was caused by a mishap involving cooking left unattended, according to a spokeswoman for the fire marshal. There were no injuries.
The blaze at Churchman Stadium off of Jacks Run Road in North Versailles Twp. was reported Sunday morning prior to a youth football game, the school district said. Although the fire was quickly contained and extinguished, all athletics games scheduled for the day were cancelled.
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October 03, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport City Council has denied a request for a conditional use variance for Noise Makers Motorcycle Club to use this former bar on Ringgold Street as a meeting space. (Tube City Almanac photo)
City council has voted down a request for approval to open a motorcycle club on Ringgold Street in the Downtown business district.
By 4-3 vote, McKeesport council rejected the recommendation of the city’s planning commission to approve an application from Noise Makers Motorcycle Club to turn the former Bubba’s Bar & Grill into a private club.
Council Members Jim Barry Jr., Richard Dellapenna Jr., Brian Evans and Jill Lape voted no. Council Members Keith Soles, LuEthel Nesbit and Amber Webb voted yes.
Club President Ryder Simpson expressed frustration with the city’s permitting and planning process, especially after finding out that the group would not be able to get an occupancy permit for the property because the previous owner owed thousands of dollars in delinquent property taxes.
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October 02, 2025 |
By T.J. Martin | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
(T.J. Martin photo for Tube City Almanac)
In its long history, North Versailles Township has had many commissioners. At its September meeting, the Board of Commissioners welcomed the township’s first-ever Junior Commissioner.
Sophia Sciulli was sworn into the position by District Judge Roxanne Eichler.
Sciulli, a senior at East Allegheny High School, said she applied for the position after reading about it in the district newsletter “to get more involved in local government.”
October 02, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Versailles Avenue Viaduct was closed in February 2022, less than two weeks after a similar bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park. (Tube City Almanac file photo)
City residents vented frustrations Wednesday night at a public hearing to discuss the replacement of the Versailles Avenue Viaduct.
A standing-room-only meeting in council chambers became contentious, as citizens questioned why government agencies moved so quickly to replace other bridges — notably the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh — while McKeesport will have to wait until 2027.
The Versailles Avenue span was closed in 2022, less than week after the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed, after an engineer’s report concluded the bridge was no longer safe for travel. A new Fern Hollow Bridge, which carries 14,000 vehicles a day, opened less than a year later.
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