May 16, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photos)
Demolition began Monday on the former G.C. Murphy Co. home office complex at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Sheridan Way, Downtown.
The complex includes the former Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a building along Lysle Boulevard once used as the Wernke Carriage Works, a three-story building once used as a shoe store, and two five-story structures, the Hartman and Ruben buildings. It was used as the headquarters for the G.C. Murphy Co. between 1906 and 1989.
The site also was the home of the first five-and-10 cent variety store ever opened by George C. Murphy, an Indiana County, Pa., native who relocated to McKeesport in 1899. Following Murphy’s death, the G.C. Murphy Co. grew to a chain of more than 500 stores in 24 states and Washington, D.C.
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May 14, 2022 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, North Versailles Twp. News, Sports
McKeesport Tigers varsity baseball players include, first row, Brady Boyle, Colin Scharritter, Duston Strom, Brayden Kovach, Jason Peterson and Ryan Tucker, and second row, Jaden Smith, Jake Miller, Logan Shiffler, Noah Marcic, Austin Riggs, Alex Reigh and Ricky Heyz. (Submitted photo)
For fans disappointed in the Pittsburgh Pirates, high school baseball is an exciting alternative in the Mon-Yough area.
For the first time in 23 years, East Allegheny High School’s Wildcats are section champs (WPIAL Division 3A) as they advance to the playoffs and for the first time in 21 years, McKeesport Area High School’s Tigers (WPIAL Division 5A) have earned a playoff spot in their conference.
But why has it been so long since these teams have had something big to celebrate? According to Ron Bishop, head coach of McKeesport’s varsity team for the past nine years, it takes a long time to create a competitive team. Sometimes his players are coming together, for the first time, at the high school level.
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May 12, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A new roof and restrooms will be installed at the Lions Bandshell in Renziehausen Park this summer.
City council this month awarded a $175,000 contract to Kucich Construction of McKeesport for several projects in the park, including replacement of the roof on the bandshell at a cost of $47,000, replacement of the restrooms at a cost of $52,000, a new roof on the concession stand at Jamie Brewster-Filotei Field at a cost of $35,000.
Kucich also will be replacing the deck and steps at Brewster-Filotei Field, as well as the siding on the concession stand.
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May 02, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, McKeesport and Region News
UPDATED Monday night with news that David Newell’s appearance has been postponed.
The spring commencement for Penn State University’s Greater Allegheny Campus will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Wunderley Gymnasium. Jacqueline Edmondson, chancellor and chief academic officer, will preside over the ceremony and recognize 37 candidates with degrees.
Namy-Paul Kihonia Makiese will deliver the student commencement address. Makiese, who is earning a bachelor’s in information sciences & technology from PSGA, is a student athlete who has captained the men’s soccer team for the past three seasons.
He also set the Penn State Greater Allegheny school record for the 200-meter and 60-meter track events. An active member of the Pan-African Union, Makiese is the son of Samuel Kihonia Makiese and Nancy Manzeke Nzasa.
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May 01, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Editor’s Note: The writer has a conflict of interest. See note at the end of this story.
“Try to sleep,” said Alvin Decker of this CSX Railroad train that was parked — engines still running — behind his home for 72 hours last week. A federal spokeswoman said there are no regulations about how long a train can idle. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Alvin Decker has lived in the city’s 10th Ward since 1950 — long enough ago to remember when steam engines pounded the rails on the tracks behind his Pacific Avenue home.
But the noise, he said, was nothing like the racket created by CSX Railroad’s diesel engines when they park — still running — for hours, and sometimes days, at a time.
It happens several times a month, said Decker and other neighbors.
Last week, a CSX freight train stopped Wednesday morning with its diesel engines running. It didn’t leave until Friday afternoon — more than 72 hours later.
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April 29, 2022 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A series of presentations at Wednesday’s meeting of McKeesport Area School Board congratulated community members.
Superintendent Mark Holtzman Jr. dedicated his initial comments to honoring former McKeesport Mayor Louis Washowich and presenting Washowich’s family with a plaque highlighting the late civil servant’s contributions to communal betterment.
The honorary gesture, Holtzman explained, was the suggestion of School Director Dave Donato, who in February said that Washowich should be recognized in the McKeesport High School Hall of Fame.
Washowich’s son Michael accepted the award and thanked the group before recounting the late mayor’s childhood, time at McKeesport High School and efforts to serve the city.
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April 29, 2022 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Area School District is facing budgetary pressures from charter school tuition, salaries and employee benefits, Superintendent Mark Holtzman Jr. told the board this week.
Holtzman dedicated a portion of Wednesday’s meeting to informing school board members of the budgetary pressures facing the district.
The projected preliminary budget for 2022-23, Holtzman said, is $79,772,968, a 1.68 percent decrease from the previous year.
Holtzman noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, taxes were not raised — “for good reason,” he said — though that decision did mean the loss of $1.7 million in revenue for the district.
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April 21, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Mike Huwar, Peoples Gas president; Linda Brewster of the McKeesport Trail Commission; Jacqueline Ziemianski, Peoples Gas manager of corporate giving and community relations; and McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Drizzle didn’t deter more than two dozen volunteers from Peoples Gas who volunteered to paint, clean and pull weeds around the overnight shelter on the McKeesport section of the Great Allegheny Passage.
Peoples on Thursday also presented the McKeesport Trail Commission with a check for $10,000 for capital equipment purchases, upkeep to the trail hostel and summer programming.
The McKeesport stop — tied to the annual celebration of Earth Day — is one of more than 20 volunteer events being held by Peoples employees throughout the company’s service area, said Jacqueline Ziemianski, Peoples manager of corporate giving and community relations.
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April 20, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Kaylie Waugaman, daughter of Chaz and Charlize Waugaman of Dravosburg, found a special golden egg at Saturday’s Easter egg hunt and couldn’t contain her excitement as she showed it off to her dad. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Despite gray skies and rainy weather, local families gathered in Dravosburg Saturday to enjoy Easter festivities.
Residents met at the Dravosburg Masonic Hall on Duquesne Avenue at 11 a.m. for an exciting day of activities as Omni Masonic Lodge No 582 and Harry S. Truman Masonic Lodge No. 765 held their second annual Easter egg hunt.
The event was free to residents and registration was not required to attend.
Even with cool weather and scattered showers, the children were delighted to find Easter eggs hidden in piles of hay spread out on the lodge grounds. The egg hunt was divided into age groups, zero to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 10.
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April 18, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
City native Art Rupe, shown outside his Specialty Records office in Los Angeles in the 1950s. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rupe died Friday at age 104. (Courtesy Arthur N. Rupe Foundation)
Arthur N. Rupe—McKeesport native, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame record producer, oil and gas entrepreneur, and philanthropist—died Friday at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was 104.
Born Arthur N. Goldberg on Sept. 5, 1917, to a Jewish working-class family in Greensburg, Art Rupe grew up in nearby McKeesport.
Growing up in an ethnically and racially diverse neighborhood in McKeesport, Rupe developed a keen interest in rhythm & blues and gospel music.
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