June 29, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Foul play is not suspected in the death of a man who was found unconscious in a swimming pool at a home on Grandview Avenue Monday afternoon.
The victim was identified as Kurt Bills, 34, said the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause and manner of death are pending an autospy.
McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer said Bills had been swimming with a family member at home. The family member went inside for a brief period of time and came back outside to find Bills unresponsive.
Paramedics were called and attempts were made to revive Bills, Alfer said, but he was pronounced dead at UPMC McKeesport hospital. Police are awaiting the medical examiner’s ruling, he said.
June 24, 2021 |
By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Kate Hester, a 19th century McKeesport saloon-keeper, is credited with coining the word “speakeasy” to describe an illegal bar. Hester’s story and that of other local and national celebrities will be told this weekend in Renziehausen Park, McKeesport. The photo is not of Hester’s saloon but depicts a 1919-era tavern. (Library of Congress collection)
Some of the best stories to come out of the 15132 zip code will be told with a dramatic flair this Saturday within the trails and landmarks of Renziehausen Park.
The first-ever “Renzie Ramble Walking Tour,” presented by the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center and the McKeesport Little Theater, will go beyond the Living History Tours that have taken place for the past seven years in the McKeesport & Versailles Cemetery.
“It’s stuff we would like to do on the cemetery tour but can’t because either they are not buried there or we don’t have the exact facts,” said David Moore, museum director at the MRH&HC. “When we do the cemetery tour a lot of research goes into every single one of those characters, whereas for this we did the research but if we couldn’t confirm it we had to fill it in.”
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June 24, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A McKeesport woman is free on $25,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing on charges related to a May 2 shooting that sent another woman to the hospital.
Olivia Faith Lynn Lewis, 22, is charged by McKeesport police with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
According to a police report, officers were dispatched to Building 55 of the Crawford Village housing development just before 6 p.m. when a ShotSpotter sensor detected a gun shot. A 9-1-1 call was received one minute later, reporting a shooting.
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June 24, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A McKeesport woman faces a preliminary hearing Friday in connection with a crash involving a school bus.
Lakeya Dodoo, 42, is free on her own recognizance pending proceedings before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
According to a police report, on the afternoon of June 2, a black Ford Fusion sedan collided with the bus on Eden Park Boulevard, not far from the McKeesport Area High School campus.
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June 23, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Port Vue police will be tagging and towing cars and trucks parked on public streets without valid inspection stickers and license plates.
In an email, Police Chief David J. Petruski said the enforcement push is an effort “to clean up Port Vue by removing the unsightly junk vehicles that populate the borough.”
Under borough ordinance, vehicles without valid licenses or inspections may be tagged with warning notices. Owners then have 48 hours to move the vehicle off of the road, or rectify the problems, police said.
Petruski said all vehicles parked on borough streets must have valid and current registration plates and inspection stickers.
June 22, 2021 |
By Jason A. Mignanelli | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Sports
Additional reporting by Kristen Keleschenyi
When the McKeesport Dek Hockey Association announced in March that they would have adult leagues in the spring, interest was high after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. Although youth leagues were postponed, enrollment in the adult leagues flourished.
The rink offered a dose of normalcy for adults during the pandemic. Not only was the rink a location for adults to gather safely to get some much-needed exercise, but it also gave players an opportunity for fellowship.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Andy Miller, a Glassport resident who plays in the adult leagues. “I started playing here about two years ago. Now, I’m usually here three or four nights per week playing games.”
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June 22, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
West Newton Library will hold a dedication and open house of its new children’s room from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 30, a spokeswoman said. The room is being dedicated in memory of Patricia Medsger and Emma Jean Pritchard.
Visitors are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. The library is located at 124 N. Water St.
The spokeswoman said the library specificaly needs used adult fiction hardcover book donations. The library is open from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, 12 noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Books being donated for sale should not be placed in return book drop box. Outside of business hours, books can be dropped off in bags or boxes on the front porch.
June 22, 2021 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport’s affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will meet at 6 p.m. July 1 in the pavilion adjacent to the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center in Renziehausen Park, a spokeswoman said. The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. It offers understanding and support unique to those who are affected by these conditions. NAMI McKeesport occasionally invites mental health professionals to speak about treatment and resources.
For more information about the McKeesport meeting, call (412) 527-6600. For the NAMI Helpline, call (412) 366-3788 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
June 22, 2021 |
By Matt Germaine | Posted in: Duquesne News
In March 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic forced all Pennsylvania schools to switch to remote instruction, state Rep. Austin Davis visited Duquesne Education Center to read to pupils. (Courtesy State Rep. Austin Davis)
Despite a year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Duquesne City School District finished the 2020-2021 academic year strong and with an optimistic outlook on the year to come.
“We’ve had about 25 [cases] total, it really has been remarkable,” said Sue Mariani, the Duquesne City School District’s superintendent. “We’ve been very, very fortunate. To me, it’s the due diligence of everybody just doing their part to keep everyone safe.”
In March 2020, the district sent each of its 360 students home with either an iPad or a Chromebook, depending on grade level and teacher pedagogy. But while students learned from home, the district’s faculty and staff adopted a proactive mindset regarding the logistics of the months to come.
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June 18, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Three people, including a child, sustained minor injuries Wednesday afternoon when a school bus collided with four cars near the 15th Avenue Bridge.
McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer said the accident occurred at 4:25 p.m. on Walnut Street just north of the intersection. The school bus, carrying middle-school-age pupils home from an extra-curricular activity, was following four other vehicles south toward Christy Park, he said.
According to a police report, as the traffic reached the intersection at 15th Avenue, the light turned red. Although the first four vehicles stopped for the traffic signal, a preliminary investigation indicates that the bus driver was momentarily distracted and didn't realize that traffic had halted, Alfer said.
“He hit the brakes, but it was too late to stop,” Alfer said.
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