March 24, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Duquesne man accused of shooting a city police officer is headed to court.
At a preliminary hearing Thursday morning before Magisterial District Judge Richard D. Olasz Jr. in West Mifflin, Shyhiem Cortez Berry, 28, was ordered held for court on charges of attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and criminal trespass.
Berry is charged by Allegheny County police in connection with an incident in Duquesne early on the morning of Feb. 22. According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the area of Catherine and Ferndale streets at 12:11 a.m. for reports of a rideshare driver being threatened with a gun.
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March 10, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
After months of consideration, Duquesne officials announced that they have chosen names for their portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
The main stretch of expressway that is set to travel through the city will be dubbed, “The Duquesne Veterans Memorial Highway,” while the connector to Route 837 will be named in memory of longtime municipal leaders Carl and Rosemary Denne. “It’s a way to show appreciation and gratitude to our veterans,” said Mayor R. Scott Adams.
In related Mon-Fayette Expressway construction news, council discussed having a crossover on the roadway at Oakmont Street and Route 837. There’s expected to be a crosswalk there for a bus stop and Duquesne would be charged with painting and maintaining the walk way. Council voted 4-0 to accept those responsibilities.
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March 10, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne’s city manager has resigned after less than three months on the job.
At this week’s meeting, officials voted 4-0 to accept accept the resignation of Scott Crawford. Councilman Timothy Caldwell was absent.
Council approved the hiring of Mary Lou Bittner as the new Interim City Manager.
Crawford, 54, had started the job Dec. 19, after Kelly Robertson left the post. George Newsome served as interim city manager before changing jobs to administrative assistant. Since Crawford’s hiring, Newsome has left the city altogether.
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February 22, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Duquesne police officer received a gunshot wound early Wednesday morning following an altercation in the 600 block of Catherine Street, emergency personnel said.
Allegheny County homicide detectives are investigating.
The incident happened less than three weeks after two McKeesport police officers were shot, one fatally, while attempting to obtain mental-health treatment for a Wilson Street man.
The unidentified Duquesne officer, who was taken to a hospital in stable condition, was wounded in the foot but returned fire, Allegheny County police Lt. Venerando Costa said in a prepared statement.
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February 20, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council will consider a proposal to dissolve the city’s 28-year-old redevelopment authority and pass its duties over to Allegheny County.
At this month’s council meeting, Duquesne Solicitor Myron Sainovich said the Duquesne Redevelopment Authority was created in 1995 but hasn’t been active in many years. Sainovich noted that Mayor R. Scott Adams could appoint members to the commission, but hasn’t. The agency has “no debts, no contractual obligations,” he said.
The redevelopment authority could have been closed three years after its inception, so there are no other legal obstacles, according to the solicitor.
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February 10, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council on Tuesday accepted the resignation of two police officers. Mayor R. Scott Adams thanked officers Joseph Hayes and Brian O’Toole for their service. Adams also wished the duo the best on their future endeavors.
Assistant Police Chief Kara Vance told council she has been working on obtaining an $88,000 grant for department upgrades, according to new City Manager Scott Crawford.
“She does the work,” he said. Vance has made steps to obtain a new police vehicle, and that is to be “rolled over” into a separate grant to increase the department’s fleet by three automobiles. The authorities are looking into the lease for the high-mileage vehicles, and Crawford promises more information as it becomes available.
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January 26, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A former Duquesne resident faces more than six years in federal prison and six years probation following his conviction on drug and firearms charges, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung said.
Brandon McCaskill, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti after he was found guilty on charges of possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking.
Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 17, 2020, Duquesne police officers visited McCaskill’s home in connection with a separate incident. While there, prosecutors said, police found McCaskill seated on the front porch with a backpack and detected a strong odor of drugs.
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January 20, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne’s new city manager realizes he has many challenges in his post, but he’s ready to take on the charge.
Scott Crawford, 54, started work Dec. 19; Kelly Robertson had left the job in August, and George Newsome had assumed the Interim duties ever since. Newsome moves over to administrative assistant with the addition of Crawford.
“I’ve been working a couple of different roles,” said Crawford in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He has worked in a variety of different financial roles throughout his career. A Mt Washington native, Crawford was with the city of Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019.
In 2020 and 2021, he was with the Allegheny County Health Department’s financial offices. He tried the private sector with stops at the Rivers Casino and PNC Bank, before finding the vacancy in Duquesne.
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January 12, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Councilwoman Elaine Washington ironed out a few street department “goals” for 2023 at the governing body’s first meeting of the year.
“New street signs,” she noted. Some need to be installed, while others need to be replaced, she told council.
Washington said the post office gave the city a warning about subpar signage “a few years ago,” and she thinks it’s time that street signs should be a priority.
“We also need to look at overgrowth, especially on Route 837,” she said. “It is our [Duquesne’s] responsibility.” She hopes crews will tackle that project in the late spring.
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January 06, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
For months, Tom Shaw has been Duquesne Police Department’s “acting” police chief. That changed Tuesday night as the Mayor Scott Adams and city council removed the interim title from his resume.
By a 4-0 vote, council this week named Shaw the permanent police chief. Councilman Tim Caldwell was absent. Shaw also was unable to attend the meeting, because he was away on business, Adams said.
Council also named Duquesne police Lt. Karra Vance assistant police chief. Vance served as acting police chief after former police Chief Thomas Dunlevy was placed on leave in 2021. Dunlevy was fired by city council on Dec. 6.
Both appointments took effect Wednesday.
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