September 25, 2021 |
By Emily Scott © Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf joined state and local officials in East Liberty in June to celebrate the 56th anniversary of Medicaid and the second anniversary of Pennsylvania’s state-based health insurance marketplace, known as Pennie. (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania photo)
Pennsylvanians have less than two months until open enrollment through Pennie, the state-run health insurance marketplace, and medical professionals say there is a lot to consider when trying to pick a plan which is right for you.
For residents who need to purchase their own plan for 2022, open enrollment through Pennie will run from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. Twelve insurance companies are offering individual market plans through the exchange, with an average proposed rate increase of 2 percent from the previous year.
Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare employer and individual, said planning ahead is key when finding an affordable plan.
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September 25, 2021 |
By Matt Germaine | Posted in: Duquesne News
After nearly three years of seeking grant funds to demolish an abandoned house at 129 South First St., Duquesne City Council has approved a measure to raze the structure using city funds.
“The demo [has been] tricky for grants to approve because the house is in an Historic District,” said LaFranz Hemphill of Glenn Engineering. “If the city pays for it, then there is no need to get a grant to demo the house.”
According to residents who commented during the meeting, the structure has become a hazardous nuisance over the years due to falling building matter. Bids to perform the demolition have come in at around $10,500, and the work can begin as soon as Oct. 4, city officials said.
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September 24, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Take Action Mon Valley and The Wellness Collective will host “Grandma & Grandpa’s Soul Carnival” from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Renziehausen Park.
The event will include music, games, food and vendors, a spokesperson said, and live performances, as well as a series of McKeesport Black history moments presented by local residents.
The “Soul Carnival” is a series of pop-up events that have been held throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporters include the African American Elder Council Ukombozi, The Wellness Collective, Blaqk Ops, Blaqk House Collections and MiMi’s Kinder Connection.
Transportation is available from TAMV. For more information, contact TAMV via its website.
September 24, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, Duquesne News
Members of Clifton Pitts’ family and local officials join state Rep. Austin Davis and state Sen. Jim Brewster during a ceremony to celebrate the designation of a portion of Route 837 as the “Clifton P. Pitts Memorial Highway.” (Submitted photo courtesy state Rep. Austin Davis)
A portion of state Route 837 in Duquesne and West Mifflin has been renamed to honor the late Clifton P. Pitts.
Local, county and state officials gathered Friday morning at Macedonia Baptist Church to dedicate part of the road as the Clifton P. Pitts Memorial Highway. Pitts died in November 2020 of complications of COVID-19. He was 76.
Pitts was born in Pittsburgh but grew up in Duquesne. In the 1970s, Pitts worked as a community activist throughout the Mon Valley, working for a local anti-poverty campaign and also volunteering his time to fight segregation and racial discrimination, and to encourage Black residents to register to vote and run for local offices.
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September 24, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: Announcements, North Versailles Twp. News
Trick-or-treat hours in North Versailles Twp. will be 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, commissioners announced this week.
Other upcoming events include homecoming festivities for East Allegheny Junior-Senior High School.
The homecoming parade through the township will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30, and there will be a tailgating event at the high school stadium on Oct. 1 before the 7 p.m. football game versus Deer Lakes High School.
The township parks & recreation department will sponsor a night at the Haunted Hills Hayride from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets are $6 for township residents and must be purchased by Oct. 11. For more information, call the parks & recreation department at (412) 823-6602, extension 104, or email nvtparks@verizon.net.
September 24, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
North Versailles Twp. will join an organization that helps return vacant and abandoned properties back to the tax rolls.
At the September meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to join the Tri-COG Land Bank.
Founded in 2017 by Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments and Steel Rivers Council of Governments, the land bank was created to deal with the increasing nuisance of vacant and abandoned properties in the Mon Valley and the blight they create.
“They have authority, if this township joins, to identify properties that qualify and the land bank can then acquire ownership, rehabilitate them, sell them and get them back on the tax roll,” said township solicitor Greg Evashavik.
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September 23, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
The borough building will be ready in time for Election Day, White Oak council announced Monday.
Borough engineer Kenneth Hillman told council that renovations are nearly complete.
“Flat roof work on the borough building will start tomorrow, Sep. 21. The insulation should arrive by mid-November. Signs are being constructed, the sidewalks and lighting are in…it’s just around the corner,” Hillman said.
In related news, plans for the borough’s 2022 street paving program are underway, and various properties are being surveyed, he said.
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September 23, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News
“I don’t know if I can ever find peace” if the murderer of Karli Short (right) isn’t brought to justice, said her father, Brandon Short. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of her killer. (Submitted photo courtesy Short family)
The family of a pregnant woman found shot to death at her Christy Park home are hoping that a reward will entice someone to come forward with information that leads to the arrest of her killer.
At a memorial service Thursday morning at Renziehausen Park attended by friends, local officials and police, the family of Karli Short, 26, announced the $20,000 reward had been put up by Richard Bazzy, owner of Shults Ford.
Short’s body was found Sept. 13. Short was pregnant with a boy — her first child — at the time of her death, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office. She was due to give birth in February 2022.
“We know the narrative,” said Short’s cousin, Troy Blackwell, a coach at McKeesport Area High School. “We know the first things that were in people’s heads. That wasn’t the case at all with her.
“That completely wasn’t her,” he said. “There wasn’t any underhanded stuff that she was involved in.”
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September 22, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Three men face charges following an incident Monday afternoon in Renziehausen Park that resulted in the recovery of drugs and a stolen handgun.
Two of the suspects were apprehended after they fled police and crashed their car into a metal barrier along Eden Park Boulevard, McKeesport police said.
No injuries to bystanders were reported, but police said “multiple people and children were in the park area at the time of this incident, thus putting them in danger.”
McKeesport police said officers were dispatched to the Jakomas Blue-Top Pavilion just before 4 p.m. after 9-1-1 callers reported a fight was in progress. While en route, police said, a caller reported hearing what might have been a gun shot.
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September 20, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Paul Fields portrays McKeesport's first Black police officer, George W. Simmons, during the 2016 Living History Tour. (Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center)
Tickets are on sale now for McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center’s seventh-annual Living History Tour, 12 noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3.
A spokesperson said guests will to enjoy a walking tour while learning stories of some of the notable, famous and infamous McKeesporters who were laid to rest at historic McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery. To ensure social distancing protocols can be maintained, tours will be limited in size.
Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for students.
“The Living History Tour has become a signature event for the Heritage Center,” event chair Andi Cartwright said. “It’s a unique opportunity for folks from McKeesport and surrounding communities to learn about McKeesport’s past by taking a glimpse into the lives of some really intriguing characters.
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