October 10, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News
Sue and Steve Braunfield, who donated musical instruments to Duquesne and McKeesport schools, posed with members of Rachel Shively’s music class in Duquesne. (Photo courtesy Jeremy Tepper, Allegheny Intermediate Unit)
Music is transformative. That’s one of the primary reasons why Western Pennsylvania natives Sue and Steve Braunfield returned to the Mon Valley last week to donate brand new musical instruments to students in need.
The retired First Energy employees visited both the McKeesport Area and Duquesne City school districts to deliver clarinets, saxophones and trumpets.
The gesture comes in memory of Sue’s brother, Frank Sprentz Jr. of McKeesport, a passionate drummer, singer, songwriter and band member — he played with Sudden Grace, Harmony, and Glenn Pavone & The Cyclones — who died Feb. 13 at age 73.
When Sprentz passed, the couple decided they wanted to cement his legacy in a way that would make him happy. And while the Braunfields now live in Painesville, Ohio, they hadn’t forgotten their roots.
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October 08, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
The owner of the former St. Hedwig’s Roman Catholic Church in Duquesne wants public input on what to do with the building.
A meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at the church, corner of Fifth Street and Kennedy Avenue, to discuss the possible reuses of the building.
The church, built in 1928, was closed following the merger in 2020 of several area Catholic churches into the new St. Thomas the Apostle Parish.
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October 08, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council has passed an ordinance to restrict parking on two streets where residents and emergency personnel have identified problems.
At the October meeting, council by 4-0 vote adopted an ordinance establishing “No Parking Anytime Zones” on Crawford Avenue between South Fifth Street and Mifflin Street, and on Overland Avenue between Richford Street and Clearview Avenue. Councilman Aaron Adams was absent on business.
Council also passed a new Property Maintenance Code by a 4-0 vote.
During Mayor R. Scott Adams’ Public Safety report, council discussed the possibility of public vehicle charging stations for electric vehicles. Officials are currently in talks with the school district, which owns the property adjacent to City Hall, about creating a charging station. Currently, council is talking about having two or three electric connections available for public use.
In her Public Works Department report, Councilperson Elaine Washington noted that the city has received a final cost quote for an excavator. The cost is set at $185,722. “It would help with demolition of houses destroyed by fire,” she said. The money for the equipment would come from the city’s liquid fuel tax funds.
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October 04, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
(File photo)
Duquesne needs additional people to serve on a committee to study a home-rule charter and city officials are urging interested residents to run as write-ins in the November election.
Mayor R. Scott Adams said four residents are running to serve on the commission in the Nov. 5 election but additional people will be needed to fill the remaining three seats on the seven-member board.
The committee would serve for a year and would recommend whether or not the city should scrap its current form of government for a new, more flexible home-rule charter.
Currently, the city is governed by the state’s third-class city code, which can only be altered by the state legislature. A home-rule charter can be changed and amended by residents and city council.
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September 26, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Duquesne News
Jennifer Marks, editor-in-chief of Home & Textiles Today, is shown here with American Textile’s Lance Ruttenberg, executive vice president, and Blake Ruttenberg, chief executive officer, at a Sept. 18 award ceremony in New York City. (Submitted photo)
A Duquesne-based manufacturing company with facilities in McKeesport has received the 2024 Home Excellence Leadership Award from the Home Fashions Product Association.
American Textile Company received the honor Sept. 18 in New York City. Lance Ruttenberg, American Textile president and chief executive officer, and Blake Ruttenberg, executive vice president, accepted on behalf of the company’s more than 1,000 employees.
The award comes as the company announced plans for significant investments in infrastructure and personnel to meet what it called rising demand for its products.
Founded in 1925 in Pittsburgh, American Textile makes pillows, mattress covers and other products sold in more than 40,000 stores, including Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Macy's, according to published reports, as well as through Amazon.com and Overstock.com.
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September 17, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
This abandoned home on Auriles Street in Duquesne is targeted for demolition by city officials. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Duquesne City Council has approved the demolition of another 21 vacant properties.
During a special session Sept. 3 before the regular monthly meeting, council and Mayor R. Scott Adams unanimously agreed that one house on South Fifth Street, nine on Seventh Street, two on Auriles, one on Klere, two on Earl and six vacant homes on Erwin should be razed.
The properties are vacant and, according to records, behind on Allegheny County taxes.
However, that doesn’t mean that a wrecking ball will start soon. Mayor Adams and Councilwoman Elaine Washington noted that they will have discussions with Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey, as well as County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office, about obtaining funding to begin work.
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August 27, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne police have filed criminal charges against the city’s former mayor, Nickole Nesby, stemming from a traffic stop.
According to a criminal complaint, Duquesne police Officer Ryan Drohn was in a marked car and sitting stationary on Commonwealth Avenue at State Route 837 at 12:08 a.m. Aug. 7 waiting for a traffic light to turn green.
The complaint states that a black GMC SUV negotiated a wide turn off of 837 and entered his eastbound lane. Drohn wrote that the vehicle nearly struck the front driver side panel of his patrol vehicle “before turning abruptly back into the westbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue.”
According to the complaint, Drohn estimates that the SUV missed the cruiser by less than a foot. The complaint states that he turned the patrol car around and followed the SUV. He “observed it to be drifting over the double yellow line by approximately a half tire width for approximately two seconds with ongoing traffic in the eastbound lane.”
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August 06, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Providing a rhythmic soundtrack for the Duquesne Community Day Parade were members of the Healthy Village Learning Institute in McKeesport, including Michael Wilson, Khalid Mikell, Jornee Murphy and Keith Murphy. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
The City of Duquesne marked its annual Community Day on Saturday with its first municipal parade in nearly two decades.
Helmed by City Councilwoman Denise Brownfield and a committee of about a dozen others, the parade included elected officials, military veterans, youth cheerleaders and football players and others.
The parade officially lined up by the Duquesne City School, began at Fourth and Grant and moved up to Polish Hill Park. The weather was ideal for the nearly half-way trek, with 75 degrees, a slightly overcast and small breeze.
The event took only about 10 minutes, because a house fire on Erwin Street that started less than 30 minutes before the 11 a.m. start sent police and firefighters racing to the scene. According to Duquesne fire Chief Frank Cobb, no one was injured in the fire.
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August 02, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
After months of planning, Duquesne’s Community Day Parade is back and this Saturday.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. at the corner of Fourth and Kennedy streets and will move up Grant Street to Polish Hill (Memorial Park).
City Councilwoman Denise Brownfield has helped lead the committee that has planned the event. In an email she noted that the city will boast a Pittsburgh Pirate Pierogy, members of the Pittsburgh Passion women’s football team, a stilt walker, a juggler and others. There will be a “Steel Dragon,” marchers playing African drums, horses, veterans, pastors, classic cars and elected officials.
“As you know, we face many challenges but remain steadfast in the Lord,” wrote Brownfield, who is in her first year with Duquesne City Council and is the Community and Economic Development committee chair. “A group of 12 faithful residents wanted to restore hope to the community. Collectively, we saw an opportunity to have a parade.”
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July 23, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Leonard Evagues and Donald Lennon have both been re-appointed to the Duquesne’s Zoning Hearing Board.
At this month’s meeting, council approved appointments for Evagues, whose term will expire on Dec. 31, 2026, and Lennon, whose term ends on Dec. 31, 2027.
In other business, plans for the Duquesne Community Day parade are being finalized. The parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 3, beginning at the corner of Fourth and Grant streets and proceeding upwards toward Polish Hill Park.
Councilman Aaron Adams reported that there was nothing significant to report from the city’s water department. Consumer Confidence Report information is being included in all customers’ water bills this month.
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