October 25, 2020 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: Crime and Police News, McKeesport and Region News
Devin Brown, 7, of McKeesport is introduced to K9 Officer Ryco by his handler, police Sgt. Fran Angert, as his mom, Heather Nelson, looks on. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
A second-grader at Propel McKeesport surprised city police on Saturday morning with 47 custom-ordered face masks.
Devin Brown, 7, of McKeesport, has admired police officers since an incident at a Greensburg diner, said his mother, Heather Nelson.
A Pennsylvania state trooper stopped in to eat lunch and gave Devin a “junior trooper” sticker badge. “Ever since then, he’s wanted to be a policeman when he grows up,” Nelson said. Devin has plastic handcuffs and plays with his pretend police toys all the time, she said.
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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.
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October 23, 2020 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Commentary-Editorial
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Gov. Tom Wolf and Pardons Board Secretary Brandon Flood (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania file photo from November 2019)
Opinions expressed in editorials and commentaries are those of their authors, and are not those of Tube City Community Media Inc., its board of directors, volunteers, contributors or donors. Responsible replies are welcome.
By Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, State Rep. Jake Wheatley and Brandon Flood
Earlier this year, House Bill 2050 was introduced — a measure to allow for the legal sale of adult-use cannabis (marijuana) through a permitting structure for growers, processors and dispensaries.
There are several great components contained in this bill, including provisions to help our youth, support affordable housing, and provide resources to help minority and women-owned businesses. In addition, it would provide a much-needed influx of revenue to our state at a time when we face significant economic challenges.
Unfortunately, one component of the bill that got lost in the media attention following its introduction is the Cannabis Clean Slate initiative, which would provide for the expungement of cannabis-related offenses for non-violent drug offenders.
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October 22, 2020 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Politics & Elections
“#298” by Kelley Minars, via Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Take Action Mon Valley is one of several groups that is offering free transportation to polling places on Election Day.
A spokeswoman said the non-profit group will provide Allegheny County voters in McKeesport, Duquesne, Clairton, Braddock, Rankin, West Mifflin and nearby communities with free rides via Lyft, Uber or in a volunteer’s vehicle.
That includes transportation Sunday (Oct. 25) to the county’s satellite polling place at CCAC South Campus in West Mifflin, where absentee and vote-by-mail ballots may be deposited in person, or to the polls on Nov. 3.
To request a ride in from TAMV, call or text (412) 440-8268.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport officials remain unhappy with service from County Hauling and may go “in a different direction” when the current contract expires.
At this month’s council meeting, Mayor Michael Cherepko said service from the company has improved from a few months ago, when he and other city officials were accompanying trash trucks on their routes and picking up missed garbage.
“They definitely have gotten better,” he said. “Am I happy? No. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we go in a different direction.”
In response to questions from Tube City Almanac, a spokesman for the Rostraver Twp. based company said they “apologize for any inconvenience to residents” and urged them to “reach out to us directly so we can resolve isolated issues.”
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October 21, 2020 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
There will be a prescription drug take-back day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 24) at the North Versailles Twp. police station, 1401 Greensburg Ave., officials said.
In addition, a township-wide clean-up will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon Oct. 24. Anyone who would like to participate is asked to meet at the township building.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
Upcoming events and news of several new businesses topped the agenda at this month’s meeting of the North Versailles Twp. commissioners.
Commissioner Allen Wagner said there will be an open house at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25 for Walkers Pet HoTail’s new location at 1751 Lincoln Highway.
In addition, a slag reclamation plant is being developed near the George Westinghouse Bridge and has received all of the necessary permits. The business will take slag and convert it into road construction material that can be used in concrete and asphalt, officials said.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Allegheny County elections officials are reminding voters who plan to use an absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballot that they must put their ballot into a secrecy envelope and sign the voter’s declaration before mailing or depositing it. Sample envelopes are shown. (Allegheny County photos)
Over the past two weekends, nearly 27,000 absentee ballots have been returned in-person at temporary Allegheny County elections offices, a county spokeswoman said.
Last weekend, 12,675 ballots were returned at five locations, including CCAC South Campus in West Mifflin, where 1,950 ballots were returned during the two-day period, said Amie Downs, county spokeswoman.
During the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11, approximately 13,950 ballots were returned to five temporary elections offices, Downs said.
Although Pennsylvania does not allow early in-person voting, absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballots may be returned by voters, in-person, to a county election office.
Allegheny County is opening temporary, satellite elections offices at locations throughout the Pittsburgh area to accommodate voters who do not want to wait in lines on Nov. 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A Texas man remains in Allegheny County Jail on charges that he led officers on a chase through McKeesport, then bailed out of his vehicle following a crash in Dravosburg.
City police used an aerial drone and a tracking dog to help locate Kendall L. Mikell, 33, of Fort Worth, who remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Nov. 23 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
City and Allegheny County police were working a crime suppression detail on Walnut Street, Downtown, on the evening of Sept. 18 when a black Toyota sedan with Texas license plates turned onto Shaw Avenue, traveling at a high rate of speed.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
The non-profit corporation that oversees Tube City Almanac, McKeesport Obituaries and WMCK Internet Radio has elected its board of directors and officers for 2020-2021.
The board also announced its plans to transition all of Tube City’s online content to the trademarked “Tube City Online” name during 2021.
At its annual meeting, the board re-elected for one-year terms current directors Alycia Bencloski, Andrea Luketic Cartwright, Dan Dougherty, Daniel C. Malesky, William C. Phillips, Dianne Ribecca, Judy Rosenfeld, Rev. Chris Stillwell, Thomas Schroll Jr., Jennifer Sopko and Jason Togyer.
The board also elected William Phillips as chair, Alycia Bencloski as treasurer and Jennifer Sopko as secretary.
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