Limited Reopening Planned for Duquesne City Hall

May 26, 2021 |

By Amanda B. Gillooly | Posted in: Duquesne News

Duquesne residents can expect changes in the way the city does business, with officials announcing a “soft opening” for the municipal building, planned website upgrades, and some procedural changes with delinquent water bill collection.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, City Administrator Kelly Robertson announced that the municipal building would again be open to the public as of June 1, after being closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those who visit the building will be required to wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Public restrooms would not be available.

“No one will be able to leave the lobby,” Robertson said.

 
Read More

Incumbent Duquesne Mayor Loses Primary,
Macey Holds Off District 9 Challenger

May 20, 2021 |

By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections

Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby was defeated for the Democratic nomination for a second term in office, but Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey held off his primary challenger.

Winners of primaries in each party will face one another in the general election Nov. 2.

Duquesne Mayor

According to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division, Nesby, the first Black woman elected mayor of Duquesne, was defeated in the Democratic Primary by City Councilman R. Scott Adams by a sizable margin.

 
Read More

Fire Guts Duquesne Building, 6 Displaced

May 13, 2021 |

By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Duquesne News

(Image via Google maps)


More than a dozen fire companies from two counties spent several hours Wednesday night battling a blaze at a Duquesne building that forced six people out of their apartments.

The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office is investigating the source and cause of a fire that destroyed the second floor of the building at 414 Grant St. and threatened a neighboring church.

No injuries were reported, but Duquesne fire Chief Frank Cobb said some fire hoses and a ladder were damaged when part of a second-story porch collapsed.

There were two apartments on the second floor of the building. The first floor at one time housed Capristo’s Barber Shop but it was vacant and was being remodeled, Cobb said.

The American Red Cross is helping the victims, Cobb said, and a GoFundMe has been set up for one of the displaced families.

 
Read More

Clairton, Duquesne Share $168K for Park Projects

April 30, 2021 |

By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Duquesne News

Duquesne will receive a grant of $25,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Polish Hill Playground Project, state Rep. Austin Davis has announced.

The project will replace old equipment with new playcenters, new swings and rubber safety surfacing. It also includes new benches, a trash receptacle and installing a drainage system.

In addition, $143,394 was awarded to Clairton for Clairton City Park Green Infrastructure. The project includes the design and construction of five rain gardens that will control stormwater runoff, reduce flooding and help protect water quality within the Peters Creek Watershed.

 
Read More

Duquesne Council OK’s Hiring 2 Officers

April 30, 2021 |

By Nichole Faina | Posted in: Duquesne News

On the second attempt, Duquesne City Council approved a proposal from police Chief Tom Dunlevy to hire two additional officers.

At the April meeting, council agreed to hire the officers after Dunlevy reported that the police department had clocked about 400 hours of overtime pay in the previous month.

Council in March rejected the request for additional personnel.

According to Dunlevy, the overtime included construction details, and federally funded reimbursable overtime for drug investigations. The 400 hours “doesn’t mean the totality of what we had on the streets, that’s the overall number,” he said.

 
Read More

Green Grocer Back in Valley Towns Again

April 20, 2021 |

By Matt Germaine | Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News

Two Green Grocer team members at a recent market stop. (Submitted photo courtesy of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank)


The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Green Grocer truck is back on the road and making regular visits to a handful of Mon Valley communities for the 2021 season.

Originally launched in 2015 with an itinerary of three stops, the food bank’s popular mobile farmer’s market has since expanded to include semi-monthly visits to 20 different neighborhoods within the Greater Pittsburgh area, including Glassport, Clairton, and Duquesne.

As a food access program, Green Grocer focuses on providing fresh and locally-sourced fruits and vegetables to communities in which healthy food providers are otherwise scarce, said Josh Anderegg, the food bank’s Mobile Markets Supervisor.

 
Read More

Clairton Man Dead Following 837 Crash

April 16, 2021 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News

A Clairton man died following a crash early Friday morning near the intersection of North Second Street and Route 837 in Duquesne.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Ralpheal Franz Greene, 30. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Allegheny County police said Greene was thrown from the vehicle following the crash. An unidentified juvenile passenger in the car was taken to the hospital and was reportedly in stable condition.

County police homicide detectives and the Collision Reconstruction Unit are investigating. Anyone with information about the crash is being asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

Duquesne to Host Mayoral Candidate Forum

April 16, 2021 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, Duquesne News

Duquesne residents will have the chance to see their candidates for mayor during an online debate at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 20).

According to the Allegheny County Elections Division, five people are currently seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor of the city, including Councilman R. Scott Adams, Councilman Timothy Caldwell, Charles Morgan IV, incumbent Mayor Nickole Nesby and Councilwoman Elaine Washington.

No candidates have registered to run for mayor in the Republican primary, the division said.

The debate will be presented on Zoom. The meeting ID number is 827 4836 1032 and the passcode is 222910. Persons without Internet access may participate by telephone by calling (312) 626-6799, (646) 558-8656 or (301) 715-8592, and entering the same ID number and passcode.

The primary election is May 18. The last day to register to vote in the primary is May 3. Mayors are elected for a four-year term.

For voter registration information, visit votespa.com.

 

Duquesne Hopeful About Aquaponics Plant

April 16, 2021 |

By Nichole Faina | Posted in: Duquesne News

Editor’s note: This is the second of two stories about In City Farms. The first may be found here.

An architect’s rendering shows what In City Farms’ Duquesne facility will look like. Construction is expected to begin soon. (Submitted image courtesy In City Farms)


When businessman Paul Schink learned that In City Farms aquaponics plant was slated to be built in Duquesne, he said it would mean “more customers and more traffic” for his store, Schink’s Hardware, and other local businesses. His father founded Schink’s Hardware in 1945 and he began working at the store in 1959.

Schink, who witnessed Duquesne’s industrial decline over the last few decades, is glad for new industry to come to the area.

This spring, In City Farms is breaking ground in RIDC’s Industrial Center of Duquesne business park, located on the former U.S. Steel Duquesne Plant.

The 25-acre development is a 175,000-square-foot aquaponic plant dedicated to growing vegetables such as bok choy, collard greens and mixed salad greens and raising fish.

 
Read More

Federal COVID Funds Headed to Duquesne

March 30, 2021 |

By Nichole Faina | Posted in: Duquesne News

The city of Duquesne will receive an estimated $550,000 from the federal government as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

At March’s city council meeting, George Doherty, the city’s Act 47 Coordinator, said one of the main purposes of the legislation is to help municipalities recover from funds lost due to the pandemic.

Doherty recommended the city use the funds to backfill revenue that was lost from lower tax collections in 2020, and to reimburse the city for one-time capital purchases such as police cars, public works trucks and major computer systems, and improvements to streets and water systems.

 
Read More

Google™ Custom Search
McKeesport booked.net
+69°F

High: +69°

Low: +59°