January 01, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak borough has joined other municipalities like North Versailles Twp. and will allow residents to keep chickens at their homes.
Ordinance 2020-29, approved in December by borough council, allows White Oak residents to keep hens, but not roosters, at their own single-family dwelling if it includes at least one-half acre of property.
No more than four hens or chicks may be kept at any residence, and owners must provide a safe, stationary, enclosed, roofed coop, at least 30 feet away from any building on an adjacent lot, according to the ordinance.
Read More
January 01, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak council has enacted a property tax increase to close a nearly $1 million budget gap.
At the Dec. 28 meeting, council by 6-0 vote adopted the 2021 budget and set property taxes at 8.00 mills. Councilman Louis Bender was absent.
The tax rate for 2020 was 6.41 mills on each dollar of assessed valuation, said Councilman George Dillinger, chair of the finance committee, said. The increase amounts to roughly 25 percent.
Each mill represents $1 in taxes on each $1,000 of assessment. A homeowner with a house and land valued at $100,000 can expect their property taxes to increase $159.
Read More
December 30, 2020 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
Sherry Brakeall’s home was named the “Best Traditional” entry in White Oak’s first home decorating contest. Organizers are hoping it becomes an annual event. (Submitted photo)
White Oak’s parks and recreation committee made some Christmas magic and boosted the holiday spirit with the borough’s first home decorating contest.
Organizers are hopeful that they’ve created a new tradition.
“I’d like to thank everyone who made our inaugural year possible,” said Councilwoman Julie Opferman, who chairs the parks and recreation committee. “It gave us the Christmas joy we’ve been missing this year.”
A total of 40 houses registered for the contest. Participants could enter in one of three categories:
• “Best Traditional” for classic and elegant displays,
• “Clark Griswold,” named after the character in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” for the most extravagant light displays, or
• “Buddy the Elf” for the most festive display, i.e., themes and inflatables.
Read More
December 15, 2020 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
The Macey family couldn’t imagine White Oak without Veltre’s Pizza. So in July, when owner Vince Veltre announced his retirement after 37 years in the business, they resolved to do something about it.
Veltre’s of White Oak re-opened Monday as Patti’s La Cucina, operated by the Maceys, who opened Patti’s Pasticceria on Lincoln Way in 2011.
“We’ve always been Vince’s customers,” Andrew Macey, son of Patti’s La Cucina owner, Patti Macey, said. “He’s been a mentor to us.
“We can’t imagine White Oak without Veltre’s,” he said. “He’s done so much for the community — and we need some normalcy during COVID.”
Read More
December 14, 2020 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
Foster Road in White Oak is scheduled to close today for repairs, weather permitting, a district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation announced. The closure is expected to last through Dec. 24.
Crews need to repair damage caused by a slide on Foster Road between the two intersections with Carmella Drive, a PennDOT spokesman said.
The posted detour includes State Street, Lincoln Way and Crooked Run Road.
November 20, 2020 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
Bella, 8, canine companion of Autumn and Dan Dougherty, models a sweater for tomorrow’s “Fido Walk.” (Submitted photo)
White Oak Rotary Club will host a “fido walk” at 10 a.m. Saturday to raise money for the White Oak Safe Animal Haven.
Rotary member Dan Dougherty said the fundraiser is designed to replace the “Fido Ball” gala usually held in November.
“With COVID-19, that naturally couldn’t happen, so we came up with the idea of a 5K to replace it this year, and call it the Fido Walk,” Dougherty said. “Folks are invited to bring their dogs to walk with them if they’d like, as long as they’re under control and cleaned up after.”
Read More
October 30, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, Duquesne News, Liberty Borough News, McKeesport and Region News, North Versailles Twp. News, White Oak News
With Halloween on Saturday, you’ve hopefully already made a plan for a costume. But have you considered the safest way to trick-or-treat this year?
Most local communities — McKeesport, North Versailles Twp., White Oak, Port Vue, and Liberty Borough — will observe Halloween with trick-or-treating during the hours of 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Duquesne will observe trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. and will have a costume contest, with “grab-and-go” treats, from 4 to 5 p.m. at Memorial Park on Grant Avenue. To comply with COVID-19 safety recommendations, participants should enter via South Second Street and exit via South Third Street. The event is made possible by city officials, Duquesne PRIDE and the Duquesne PartnerSHIP.
Dravosburg will observe trick-or-treating from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with a Halloween costume parade at the borough’s ballfields at 4:30 p.m. Social distancing rules will be in place and attendees are asked to wear face masks.
Prizes will be given to the prettiest costume, ugliest/scariest costume and most original costume. Children ages 0 to 13 are allowed to participate.
Read More
October 24, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has approved an upgrade project designed to make the McKeesport water treatment plant, shown here, more reliable. A small mechanical equipment building, shown at lower left, will be replaced by a new facility with room for expansion. (Submitted photo)
The water authority that serves McKeesport, Port Vue, Versailles and White Oak has approved a $7.8 million project to replace the intake structure at the city’s water treatment plant.
That could prevent a repeat of an incident in August that caused an overnight water outage for some local residents served by the facility, and a more serious problem last year that resulted in a boil-water advisory.
At a meeting this month, the board of directors of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County authorized the upgrades, which will improve water supply reliability for customers supplied by the plant, said Matthew Junker, authority spokesman.
The McKeesport plant draws water from the Youghiogheny River and treats it for its own customers, as well as for residents of Duquesne, which buys water in bulk from MAWC.
Read More
October 08, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, McKeesport and Region News, White Oak News
A longtime city police officer is recovering at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Oakland, after being injured in a serious motorcycle crash on Route 48.
McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer said Detective Joseph Osinski was southbound at Ripple Road at around 3 p.m. Monday when his motorcycle collided with a car pulling out onto the highway.
White Oak police are investigating. Chief Mark Sargent could not be reached for comment.
Osinski and his wife, Brenda, are the owners of Puzzlers’ Restaurant & Lounge in Christy Park and founders of the Joey-O Foundation for Autism Awareness, and are frequent contributors to charitable causes around the region.
Read More
May 21, 2020 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: Crime and Police News, White Oak News
White Oak police Officer Gregory Smith has been commended for his help investigating a bank robbery in December.
At Monday’s council meeting, Mayor Ina Jean Marton read a letter from FBI Supervisory Special Agent Timothy Wolford commending Smith for providing “exceptional assistance” in assisting the FBI during the investigation of the Dec. 14, 2019 robbery of the PNC Bank in White Oak.
The investigation led to the indictment March 3 by a federal grand jury of Chezeq Morgan, 26, of Monroeville, on robbery charges.
Read More
