Allegheny County’s Board of Elections will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday (April 13) to discuss the upcoming municipal primary election, a spokesperson said.
The Elections Division will provide an update on its plans, including discussion on preparations for polling places, poll workers and other related administrative functions.
The public may view the meeting at https://bit.ly/3uo3leN. Anyone wishing to address the board must submit their comments via email to BOE@AlleghenyCounty.us prior to 2 p.m. April 12.
Pennsylvania voters will be electing mayors, borough councils, township commissioners and supervisors, school directors and other offices. The primary will be held May 18.
Panelists will discuss “Political Influences on Black Women’s Health” at 3 p.m. April 15 during Penn State Greater Allegheny’s final Crossing Bridges Summit for the 2020-21 academic year.
The Crossing Bridges Summit began in 2017 and has become a signature program at the McKeesport’s Penn State campus. Its purpose is to bring students, faculty, staff and community members together and to bridge racial divides in the Mon Valley.
This year’s summit considered issues raised in the 2019 report, “Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race.”
Rev. Earlene Coleman, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, speaks to members of the media Wednesday. Also shown are Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, state Sen. Jim Brewster, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Allegheny County Health Department Director Debra Bogen. (Photo special to Tube City Almanac)
The COVID-19 vaccine shortages and website crashes that frustrated Pennsylvania residents in January and February are not likely to be repeated, Gov. Tom Wolf said in McKeesport on Wednesday.
Joined by city, county and state elected officials, Wolf visited the city to tour a vaccination clinic set up in the fellowship hall of Bethlehem Baptist Church on Walnut Street, Downtown.
“By the second week in May, we should have reached the point where at least one dose will have reached everybody who wants the shot,” Wolf said.
The biggest issue is the number of people who remain reluctant to be vaccinated, he said — which is where churches like Bethlehem Baptist can help.
I wanted to write a quick note about the audio feed of Wednesday’s council meeting, and apologize and take responsibility for some technical problems.
I know there was intense interest in the meeting because of the lawsuit filed over access, and because residents wanted to address the Dec. 20 manhunt for a suspect accused of shooting a police officer.
We did hear from several people during the meeting that they were having trouble hearing, or that the audio was dropping out, and I apologize.
There was no intention to censor anyone’s remarks. We worked as quickly as we could to rectify the problems in real time.
• If you missed any of the audio, you can find a downloadable MP3 at our website. It was posted less than an hour after the meeting ended.
• For those who do not have the ability to listen to MP3s, there is another file on YouTube that includes the entire meeting.
Accepting this year’s $100,000 payment toward the city’s neighborhood assistance program are Melissa Ernst, secretary of the McKeesport redevelopment authority; city Councilman Jim Barry; A.J. Tedesco, community development director and executive director of the redevelopment authority; McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko; Evan Zuverink, community reinvestment act officer for First Commonwealth Bank; Scott Vidovich, market leader for First Commonwealth Bank; Kristen Lupari, White Oak branch manager; Paul Sturgess, member of the redevelopment authority; and Stu Wilson, president of the redevelopment authority. (Submitted photo)
First Commonwealth Bank has donated its former Downtown location to the city’s redevelopment authority.
Jonathan Longwill, vice president and media relations specialist for the Indiana, Pa., based bank, said the building at 225 Fifth Ave. has been donated to facilitate ongoing redevelopment work in McKeesport’s central business district.
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Eastland Mall in North Versailles Twp., located on a hill overlooking McKeesport and Duquesne, was demolished more than a decade ago. The mall is rumored to become the site of a new Amazon.com distribution center. (Photo by Jacob via Flickr, used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.)
More than a decade after the demolition of Eastland Mall in North Versailles Twp., a developer is planning to build a distribution center on the property, reportedly for Amazon.com.
Most people in this area can probably remember Eastland Mall, which closed permanently in 2005. When the mall first opened in 1963, its major tenants were department stores such as Gimbels and J.C. Penney Co.
Some might even remember that the North Versailles Library was in that mall. I recall regularly going to the library with my mother and sister to pick out books.
Infrastructure projects in the city, Clairton, Duquesne and Munhall are the latest recipients of funding from Allegheny County’s Community Infrastructure & Tourism Fund.
Projects awarded funds in the most recent round of grants include $250,000 for renovations to the People’s Building, Downtown McKeesport, including replacement of the heating system; and $100,000 for replacement of a water line on South Fifth Street, Duquesne, between Kennedy and Priscilla avenues.
CITF grants provide financial assistance to municipalities, councils of government, non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses to facilitate economic development projects in Allegheny County.
The McKeesport affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will meet at 6 p.m. April 8 at the Dravosburg American Legion, 51 Duquesne Ave., second floor, a spokeswoman said.
A presentation by a certified educator about NAMI’s Family to Family program will be given along with various resource information.
Visitors should enter meeting room via ramp at rear of parking lot, the spokeswoman said.
NAMI is a support and educational organization for families and friends of loved ones who suffer with mental illness. For more information please call (412) 527-6600.
White Oak Mayor Ina Jean Marton enjoys the company of Luke and Chewie during a 2019 fundraiser for the White Oak Animal Safe Haven. Marton has retired as director of the shelter after 18 years. (Tube City Almanac file photo by Cami DiBattista)
After 18 years and 16,000 dogs and cats rescued, Ina Jean Marton has retired from her role as director of the White Oak Animal Safe Haven.
“I’d been planning it for six to eight months. After 18 years, I felt like it was time to enjoy my life,” said Marton, who also serves as White Oak borough mayor.
Shelter vice president Laura Massie has taken over as director. She expressed optimism about the shelter’s future.
“We’re building a catio (cat exercise area) and renovating our office,” she said. “We’re also bringing in new volunteers and brainstorming ideas for fundraisers. I just want to do whatever I can to make the shelter successful — especially with kitten season coming up.”
