October 19, 2021 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Lee Wagner, shown at left, is program manager for Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard. He spoke to members of the Altrusa clubs during a meeting in McKeesport on Saturday. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Lee Wagner wants to help break down the barriers and stigma attached to frightening topics like suicide and substance abuse among veterans.
Wagner, the program manager for Pittsburgh-based Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of Robert Morris and Point Park universities. He spoke Saturday at a workshop for members of Altrusa International, hosted by the McKeesport Altrusa club.
“I don’t talk about happy things,” Wagner warned club members. Instead, he talked about the special challenges faced by women who have served in the military, and the resources available for them.
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October 18, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
Members of the Young Rotarians of District 7305 help unload donations at McKeesport Agape Center. The charity, located on Lincoln Way in White Oak, opened a cafe in September. (Young Rotarians of District 7305 via Facebook)
When Kelly Doyle opened McKeesport Agape Center in 2019, she knew she wanted to love and serve her community like God.
In September, Kelly and her husband Mike expanded their mission by opening a restaurant, Cheese and MAC Café.
“The more people knew about us, the more requests we got. Our needs and cost kept going up, so we needed a way to raise funds. Plus, it’s a good play on words,” Doyle said.
Located on Lincoln Way next to PNC Bank, Cheese and MAC Café serves breakfast sandwiches, pastries, bagels, fudge, cheesecake and more. All the proceeds go to the McKeesport Agape Center.
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October 18, 2021 |
By Siana Emery | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Parked school buses sit idle near Chicago. (John Picken photo via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 2.0)
After weeks of cancellations that have stranded hundreds of students, McKeesport Area School District and its school bus provider are operating under an agreement being monitored by an Allegheny County judge.
But McKeesport students aren’t the only ones who have found the beginning of the 2021-22 school year to be a bumpy ride.
On Monday, as part of School Bus Safety Week, the state Department of Transportation released a public service announcement from Rick Focht of Clearfield County-based Fullington Trailways Co. appealing for more drivers.
“Students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely riding on a school bus than in a private car. And the drivers are skilled professionals,” Focht said.
“Unfortunately there is a shortage of school bus drivers,” he said, urging viewers to contact their local school bus providers or school districts for information about employment: “It just might be the best job you never knew you would love.”
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October 18, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(File photo)
A Wisconsin-based investment group is purchasing the former G.C. Murphy Co. distribution center in Christy Park and plans to “immediately commence upgrades to the facility to accommodate new tenant occupancy.”
Phoenix Investors LLC announced Monday that it will purchase the 627,000-square-foot facility, which stretches over 36 acres between 28th and 35th avenues.
The building has been occupied since 1995 by Magic Creations, which manufactures and distributes plastic housewares and other items to discount stores. The company will continue to occupy a portion of the facility, Anthony Crivello, executive vice president of Phoenix Investors, told Tube City Almanac.
Terms of the deal are not yet being disclosed, Crivello said.
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October 14, 2021 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Drum major Josh Wos leads the Tiger Marching Band in fine tuning "SOLARbration!" for its exhibition at the Oct. 16 home show. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)
After months of preparation, McKeesport Band, Orchestra, and Guard Boosters will host the Tournament of Bands Competition home show on Saturday.
It will feature performances by 10 high school bands and and exhibition by the home band of its popular “SOLARbration!” The show starts at 5 p.m. at Weigle-Schaffer Stadium, 1960 Eden Park Blvd.
“This season has been a very memorable one with the return of band competitions and our home show showcasing the music talents of so many young people,” McKeesport Area High School Tiger Marching Band director Drew DeCarlo said.
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October 14, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
First Church of God, 157 North Second St., West Newton will hold an election day lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 2, a spokesperson said.
Selections will include chili, chicken noodle or broccoli cheese soup, chicken salad and ham barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs with sauerkraut, potato salad or macaroni salad, and pie or cake. For more information, call (724) 872-7467.
October 14, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
All lanes of the Jerome Avenue Bridge will be closed Sunday night so that crews can replace portions of the bridge deck, a district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said.
The inbound lanes from 10th Ward to Downtown McKeesport will be closed from 5 p.m. Sunday through 5 a.m. Monday morning, weather-permitting. Eastbound traffic will be detoured via River Road, the 15th Avenue Bridge and Walnut Street.
As a reminder, the Jerome Avenue Bridge is closed in the westbound direction around-the-clock through November.
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October 14, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Increased security and police presence are being utilized throughout the East Allegheny School District this week.
Early Tuesday morning, a threat of violence was made via social media against the junior-senior high school, officials said.
Although North Versailles Twp. police determined the threat had only minor credibility, the district is taking the additional measures to “ensure a safe school experience for all and hopefully alleviate some anxieties” parents and students are feeling, according to a statement posted on the district’s Facebook page from Jamie Griesbaum, district secretary, on behalf of Superintendent Alan Johnson.
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October 12, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak borough will consider adding three additional vacant homes to the list of structures already targeted for demoltion.
Under Pennsylvania’s Act 152, every county in the state can collect a fee for blight removal whenever a deed or mortgage is recorded at the courthouse. Borough manager John Palyo suggested using the revenue from that fee to tear down abandoned structures.
“If we’re budgeting funds for demolitions, why not do more? We could proceed with more properties even without grant money,” Palyo said.
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October 12, 2021 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Robin Marshall-Kelly points out the overgrowth in the empty lot next to her home on North Grandview Avenue. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
For many residents of McKeesport, the battle against blight is one worth fighting, even though the struggle can feel overwhelming at times.
“Help us stay in McKeesport,” said Robin Marshall-Kelly, a North Grandview Avenue homeowner. “I own my home, and with all the abandoned properties, sometimes, I feel like I’m losing.”
Jackie Blake has lived in McKeesport for 27 years and owns her home in Grandview.
“My friends keep asking me when am I going to move, but I have too much invested in my home,” Blake said. “I don’t want to move.”
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