A horror film that pays tribute to classic slasher movies of the 1980s — and which was produced by a largely Mon Valley cast and crew — will get its big screen debut this month.
“Massacre Academy” will premiere July 31 at the Lamp Theatre in Irwin. A feature-length slasher-comedy, the film was created by Mark Cantu, a San Antonio, Texas, native turned McKeesport resident.
Much of “Massacre Academy” was shot in and around McKeesport, with city officials happy to provide access to numerous locations, including the former site of the McKeesport Daily News.
“From industrial and modern to vintage, urban architecture, McKeesport truly does have everything you’re looking for as a filmmaker and I am proud to call it my home,” Cantu said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf joined members of the state legislature and LGBTQ advocates on June 15 to unveil the PA Fairness Act. (Photo courtesy state Rep. Dan Frankel’s office)
As a Pittsburgh-area LGBTQ rights advocate, Ciora Thomas has heard too many stories about how members of that community are discriminated against — from medical maltreatment to housing and employment discrimination.
As a Black trans woman, she’s had those experiences herself.
But Thomas — founder of Sisters PGH, a Black and trans-led nonprofit based in Swissvale which provides resources for the transgender and gender non-conforming community — is hopeful that a piece of legislation introduced this month in the state House will help those stories and experiences be a thing of the past.
Kate Hester, a 19th century McKeesport saloon-keeper, is credited with coining the word “speakeasy” to describe an illegal bar. Hester’s story and that of other local and national celebrities will be told this weekend in Renziehausen Park, McKeesport. The photo is not of Hester’s saloon but depicts a 1919-era tavern. (Library of Congress collection)
Some of the best stories to come out of the 15132 zip code will be told with a dramatic flair this Saturday within the trails and landmarks of Renziehausen Park.
The first-ever “Renzie Ramble Walking Tour,” presented by the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center and the McKeesport Little Theater, will go beyond the Living History Tours that have taken place for the past seven years in the McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery.
“It’s stuff we would like to do on the cemetery tour but can’t because either they are not buried there or we don’t have the exact facts,” said David Moore, museum director at the MRH&HC. “When we do the cemetery tour a lot of research goes into every single one of those characters, whereas for this we did the research but if we couldn’t confirm it we had to fill it in.”
When the McKeesport Dek Hockey Association announced in March that they would have adult leagues in the spring, interest was high after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. Although youth leagues were postponed, enrollment in the adult leagues flourished.
The rink offered a dose of normalcy for adults during the pandemic. Not only was the rink a location for adults to gather safely to get some much-needed exercise, but it also gave players an opportunity for fellowship.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Andy Miller, a Glassport resident who plays in the adult leagues. “I started playing here about two years ago. Now, I’m usually here three or four nights per week playing games.”
McKeesport’s affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will meet at 6 p.m. July 1 in the pavilion adjacent to the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center in Renziehausen Park, a spokeswoman said. The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. It offers understanding and support unique to those who are affected by these conditions. NAMI McKeesport occasionally invites mental health professionals to speak about treatment and resources.
For more information about the McKeesport meeting, call (412) 527-6600. For the NAMI Helpline, call (412) 366-3788 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Children wait to take a ride on the kiddie train at McKeesport’s Good Neighbor Day. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Approximately 40 organizations participated in McKeesport Good Neighbor Day along Fifth Avenue between Market and Locust streets on Wednesday.
McKeesport residents and their neighbors from surrounding communities came together to enjoy the festivities. Events started at 10 a.m. and lasted until 4 p.m. Admission was free.
Agencies provided information about women’s health, family support systems, well-being of children, and local businesses promoted their products. Food vendors sold drinks, snacks and complete meals. Children enjoyed feeding farm animals at the petting zoo, took rides on a kiddie train, and jumped in a bouncing house.
The annual event, sponsored by the City of McKeesport, was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paramedics from McKeesport Area Rescue Service joined city police and firefighters to talk to local students about public-safety careers. (Submitted photo)
McKeesport Area School District students participating in a day camp are getting a close-up look at career paths this week.
On Monday, first-responders from McKeesport police and fire departments and McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service met with students to answer questions and show them how emergency equipment works.
The summer camp, funded by the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, includes daily sessions focused on hands-on learning, athletics and enrichment. This week is “Career Week,” organizers said.
A fast-moving storm knocked down this tree in McKeesport’s Renziehausen Park on Monday afternoon. (Kristen Keleschenyi photo)
For the second day in a row, intense thunderstorms slammed parts of the Pittsburgh area on Monday, flooding streets, knocking down trees and turning out the lights for thousands of residents.
Duquesne Light Co. said more than 5,200 customers were without power Monday night, including about 1,000 in McKeesport, North Versailles Twp. and Port Vue. About 3,000 West Penn Power customers in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties also were without power, including in White Oak, Coulter and Elizabeth Twp., company officials said.
A fast-moving line of storms swept through the Mon-Yough area between 2 and 3 p.m., bringing dangerous lightning, high winds and pea-size hail.
Correction: This article was corrected after publication to fix a misspelled name. We apologize for the error. —JT
Senior members of the McKeesport Area High School Choir gather for their final spring concert on May 11. (Submitted photo)
Twenty-seven McKeesport Area High School seniors — some even participating in all three music ensembles — performed their final band, choir and orchestra concerts to culminate a challenging year during a pandemic.
The choir concert was May 11, while band and orchestra performed May 13.
Although practices, classes, and performances definitely were different than in the past for the students and their directors, some shared reflections of how they overcame the obstacles.
Three seniors receive awards annually for outstanding contributions, while a fourth is presented with a scholarship in honor of a long-time McKeesport Area High School music teacher and band director who passed away in 2017.
