June 18, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
State Rep. Nick Pisciottano, Duquesne Councilwoman Elaine Washington, Duquesne Mayor R. Scott Adams, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission Chair Hayley Haldeman and Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey celebrate the unveiling of a historical plaque for jazz musician Earl “Fatha” Hines. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
A recording of Earl “Fatha” Hines’s music filled the air outside his childhood home on Tuesday morning as crowds gathered to pay tribute to one of Duquesne’s favorite sons.
At a ceremony in the 600 block of Priscilla Street, local elected officials, historians and jazz fans unveiled a historical marker commemorating the life of a musician and bandleader considered one of the most influential figures in the history of American jazz.
Promising to keep the program tight and quick to avoid impending 90-degree summer heat, Duquesne Councilwoman Elaine Washington, who also serves as President of the Phyllis Wheatley Literary Society, recognized dignitaries, such as Duquesne Mayor R. Scott Adams, county Councilman Bob Macey, state Rep. Nick Pisciottano and Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission Chair Hayley Haldeman.
Macey presented a proclamation from Allegheny County Council and Pisciottano joked that “Fatha” was the “second most famous ‘Hines’ from Pittsburgh.”
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June 12, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Duquesne City Council has passed a sweeping new ordinance that regulates on-street parking of commercial and recreational vehicles, parking near the Duquesne Education Center, and other problem areas.
At its June meeting, council voted unanimously to enact a new city-wide parking regulation. The new rules are available on the city’s website.
Among its provisions, the ordinance:
• Bans on-street parking of trailers, motorhomes and boats for more than 48 hours
• Requires all vehicles to be parked with legally marked spaces
• Prohibits “angle parking” outside of painted parking spaces
• Prohibits long-term parking of commercial vehicles in residential areas, except while loading or unloading during deliveries or while services are being performed in a neighborhood
• Prohibits use of lawns as parking areas
• Restricts parking near Duquesne Education Center between 2 and 4 p.m. on school days
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April 09, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
City officials recently took a tour of Duquesne streets to identify problem parking areas, including cars blocking emergency vehicles and parked on sidewalks.
The group included Mayor R. Scott Adams, Police Chief Tom Shaw, Solicitor Myron Sainovich and Public Works Director Steve Arbasak.
Among other issues, Sainovich said, “we wanted to see if fire trucks could make turns.”
Many of the concerns are centered around the area of Overland and Clearview avenues and Richford Street. In some areas, officials said, are forced to walk in the middle of streets because so many cars are pared on sidewalks.
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April 09, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council unanimously approved the disposal of three blighted properties through the Allegheny County Vacant Property Recovery Program.
At April’s meeting, council approved a resolution authorizing the acquisition and subsequent disposition of 122 Overland Ave. to Jamie Gatewood of Duquesne.
County tax records indicate that the property includes a one-story 768 square foot home listed in “Grade D” condition. According to an online obituary, the previous owner passed away in 2017.
Two vacant parcels of land on Viola Street only identified by lot and block numbers were obtained by Mustard Seeds and Soil Properties of Glassport. According to its website, the company does property flips and other services.
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April 04, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council will ask residents to serve on a committee that will study the adoption of a home-rule charter.
By a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Aaron Adams dissenting, council voted to approve a referendum to create a seven-member Government Study Commission.
Duquesne is currently governed by the state’s third-class city code, which can only be changed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. A home-rule charter would give the city more flexibility to adopt new ordinances, codes and bylaws.
Braddock, McKeesport and Monroeville are among the local home-rule communities in our area. Braddock created its government study commisison in 2018 and approved its home-rule charter in 2019.
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April 01, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Braddock woman faces homicide charges in connection with the death on Saturday night of an East Hills man.
Latiya D. Hicks, 24, is being held in the Allegheny County Jail pending a preliminary hearing April 12 in Pittsburgh Muncipal Court. She is charged with fatally shooting Lamont Nichols, 30, of Pittsburgh inside an apartment on North Second Street in Duquesne.
Allegheny County police said that Hicks was arrested at the scene.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Allegheny County Night Court, when Duquesne police officers asked “where is the shooter?” Hicks identified herself and directed them to her handbag, where a 9-mm handgun was found.
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March 29, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News, White Oak News
(Photo via Facebook)
The remains discovered in a wooded area of White Oak earlier this month have been positively identified as those of a Duquesne man who had been missing since May 2023.
The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Friday that a body reported to White Oak police on March 16 was that of 72-year-old Nicholas “Butch” Miljus Jr., formerly of West Mifflin. The cause and manner of death have not yet been released.
An Army veteran, Miljus, who was known around the community as “Cookie Man,” was reported missing to Duquesne police by his daughter in September 2023. According to reports, Miljus had been evicted from his residence in May 2023, and police said the last transaction on his bank account had been reported in June.
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March 21, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Shoppers explore the Giant Eagle Mobile Market during its first visit to Duquesne on Sunday. The market will return every Sunday afternoon for 90 minutes, bringing fresh and packaged foods. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Grocery shopping in Duquesne has gotted a little more convenient. Giant Eagle’s Mobile Market made its first stop in the city on Sunday.
On a sunny, 47-degree afternoon, the Mobile Market swung into the Duquesne Plaza Shopping Center just off Route 837. Giant Eagle’s Gwen Johnson and driver Ryan Mancini jumped out of the truck that pulled the trailer, pulled out retractable ramps at designated “Entrance” and “Exit” points and within minutes were ready for residents who stopped in for essentials.
The mobile market is scheduled to return every Sunday afternoon for 90 minutes.
Johnson, who runs the day-to-day operations for the Mobile Market, had just wrapped up its Sunday stop in Rankin Borough. The grocery store on wheels now has 11 stops on its weekly schedule, including outside of the Glen Hazel High Rise and Second Avenue in Hazelwood. Some spots, like Rankin, have about twenty shoppers a week, while others welcome 60 or more.
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March 14, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne will seek grants to fund demolition of dangerous abandoned buildings and other improvement projects.
At this month’s council meeting, Councilwoman Denise Brownfield discussed the possibility of using Gaming Economic Development Tourism funds to demolish dangerous properties in the city. Duquesne recently was awarded $75,000 for a demolition project that’s estimated to cost $285,000.
Officials are to prioritize which properties among the 17 listed should be razed first. In Brownfield’s report, it was recommended that the city seek bids to demolish 32, 33 and 125 on South Seventh Street, as well as 733 Klere St., 138 and 151 Auriles St., and add 11 to 31 South 7th Street as alternatives.
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March 08, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council on Tuesday night tabled a proposed ordinance to limit parking on a part of Overland Avenue.
For months, officials have talked about the need to discuss upgrades on parking conditions of Overland between Clearview Avenue and Richford Street. Solicitor Myron Sainovich told a resident during public comment that a parking ordinance had been drafted but he “wasn’t happy with it.”
Instead, he floated the idea of Mayor Scott Adams and Police Chief Tom Shaw joining him on a tour of Overland, as well as other streets in the city where parking has been a problem.
“We have to look at some places, and fill in blanks,” he said. “We hope to go out next week.”
In addition to parking, Sainovich and other leaders want to discuss the need for stop signs, sidewalk concerns and the like.
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