November 04, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne Police Department now has 13 full-time officers, including acting Chief Tom Shaw, as a trio of new officers were hired at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
Brandon Morris, Ryan Drohn and Tobias Yuhouse were officially added to the force, according to council’s unanimous vote. Drohn and Yuhouse have already started patrols, and Morris is set to take his first shift Nov. 6.
All are experienced officers, according to Shaw. Duquesne’s police department has lost a few officers in recent months, largely due to better pay elsewhere; however, Council has successfully added the new hires.
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October 26, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne officials will seek a state grant to purchase license-plate readers for the police department.
At the October meeting, Mayor Scott Adams said the city is seeking $100,000.
The mayor said he also hopes that the state can obtain funding with the help of state Sen. Jim Brewster to purchase a new pickup truck with snow-plowing and road-salting capabilities for the public works department
In other business, the city is moving forward with programs to address the number of vacant and abandoned properties in Duquesne, Adams said.
The city’s goals include both redeveloping vacant properties and removing abandoned structures, Adams said.
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October 25, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
Allegheny County police are investigating the death of a teen-ager who was found slumped over the wheel of a car on Tuesday morning in Duquesne.
Durobb Johnson, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 900 block of High Street of apparent gunshot wounds, said a spokesperson for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office.
In a prepared statement, county homicide detectives said a caller to 9-1-1 just before 6 a.m. reported the incident. Police are investigating but have released no other details. Anyone with information concerning the incident is being asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
October 06, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne Fire Chief Frank Cobb told city council Tuesday night that the department has received a nearly $50,000 federal grant for a new compressor that will help keep firefighters' air tanks full.
Cobb explained that when a firefighter is on a call and the air tank on their back is depleted of oxygen, the department gets them filled at the nearby Duquesne Annex station in West Mifflin. With this grant, the department will be more efficient. Out of three bids, the department will spend $48,157.42 to purchase the compressor.
“We’ve been trying to get this for 30 years,” Cobb told council. “Multiple times we have been denied.” He said that the investment is important to stave off bigger expenditures down the road.
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October 06, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council has ratified the return of police officer William Spangler to the full-time active roster.
At this week’s meeting, by a 4-0 vote (with Councilman Tim Caldwell absent), council also approved a motion to interview, test if applicable, and hire part-time police officers.
Recently, Spangler had resigned to take a new position, but he has returned, Duquesne officials said.
Mayor Scott Adams noted that the next round of testing for potential officers is Friday. Act 47 Coordinator George Dougherty also told council that there are police grants available for potential police officers to attend the police academy through Robert Morris University.
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September 22, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Duquesne man died early Wednesday morning after a shooting in the 700 block of Grant Street.
Demetrius T. Pirl, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
In a prepared statement, county police said 9-1-1 was notified of the shooting just after 12 midnight.
First responders found the victim, identified as Pirl, suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.
County homicide detectives are investigating but have released few other details. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
September 05, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A 14-year-old from Duquesne died Friday evening following a shooting near the intersection of Caroline Street and Priscilla Avenue.
La’Japonis Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said.
Allegheny County police said Roberts was a passenger in a car in the 700 block of Priscilla Avenue when someone opened fire just after 5 p.m. The driver fled the scene, police said.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
August 26, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City School District has opened a new esports arena for its students. It is the first in the Pittsburgh area specifically designed for middle school students.
The arena, which includes Xboxes and vibrant-colored chairs, is in the K-8 building and was previously a school board meeting room.
It officially opened on Thursday at 1 p.m. with a grand opening and ribbon cutting.
The esports arena was funded by Robert Morris University, the Penn State Readiness Institute and the Heinz Endowments, as well as federal COVID-19 relief funding.
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August 18, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Before Duquesne City Manager Kelly Robertson left the municipality for a different job, she noted that helping to improve finances was one of her biggest accomplishments. According to city leaders, making finances more efficient is progressing.
While delivering the finance report at this week’s city council meeting, City Councilman Derek Artim noted that new budget forms are coming and spending policies will change.
He said that all receipts will be accounted for at the end of each month, and receipts, such as gasoline purchases for city automobiles, will have to include the vehicle used. “This will assure the validity of charges,” Artim said.
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August 18, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Some Duquesne officials seemed surprised that the city’s clerical and public works departments had quickly accepted a four-year contract extension without so much as a fight.
The news was reported this week at the city council meeting by Acting City Manager George Newsome.
Councilwoman Elaine Washington asked “who approved” the proposal, and a somewhat surprised Mayor Scott Adams commented that with his “30 years in city government, I have never seen it approved the first time. Kudos to those involved.”
City Solicitor Myron Sainovich noted that while clerical and public works employees of Teamsters Local 205 accepted the proposal, it still must be ratified by a vote of council, which can reject the pact if it doesn’t work for Duquesne.
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