April 28, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An Elizabeth Twp. man was held overnight following a crash on Fifth Avenue in the city’s East End.
McKeesport police said charges are pending completion of their investigation.
Police said a gray Ford Fusion left the road in the 1700 block of East Fifth Avenue just after 8 p.m. April 20, narrowly missing a car in the oncoming lane, and crashed into the side of the AI Solutions building.
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April 28, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Two teen-aged girls have been charged with arson in connection with several fires in the Grandview area of the city that investigators believe were deliberately set.
The girls, both 14, from McKeesport and White Oak, were arrested following a fire at an abandoned house on Easler Street on April 16, and police believe the youths are also responsible for fires at three other vacant houses in the neighborhood.
The teens are charged with five counts each of arson and causing or risking a catastrophe. Both were arrested April 17 and taken to Shuman Juvenile Detention Center for processing, police said.
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April 22, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
Although in-person activities are on hold for the forseeable future, the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center is scheduling a series of “Fireside Chats” about Western Pennsylvania’s past.
Museum manager Dave Moore (above) will host the chat series on Facebook beginning at 7 p.m. today (April 22) with a talk about the arrival of golf in Western Pennsylvania.
Teresa Trich, community outreach director, said the center is still monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and will follow the advice of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. The center is tentatively hoping to re-open May 12, she said, but “the safety of our staff and patrons comes first and we will only re-open when it is safe to do so.”
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April 22, 2020 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: White Oak News
All White Oak recreational activities have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Councilwoman Julie Opferman, speaking on behalf of the parks and recreation department, said at Monday night’s meeting that the borough will be monitoring the situation to consider when events can possibly be re-scheduled and resumed.
In other business:
Council approved a motion to exercise the first option year with Cargill, Inc., for the purchase of rock salt for the July 2020 to June 2021 contract year.
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April 22, 2020 |
By Richard Finch Jr. | Posted in: White Oak News
White Oak Council voted 4-3 to rehire a former police officer who was terminated over allegations that he assaulted his wife in September 2018.
The motion was introduced at Monday’s meeting by Councilman Lou Bender, chair of the public safety committee. The officer, Timothy Estep, was hired by the borough in 1995 and terminated in December 2018.
Bender and council members Julie Opferman, Ed Babyak and Chuck Davis voted in favor of rehiring Estep. George Dillinger, Ken Robb and George Pambacas voted against.
In a contentious discussion at Monday’s meeting, livestreamed on Facebook and Zoom, veteran Councilman Kenneth Robb warned fellow officials, “If anything happens as a result of the vote to bring him back, and we get sued, I’m going to offer as additional defendants the people who voted to bring him back.”
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April 19, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Commonwealth of Pennsylvania photo)
One day after a local state representative went public with his criticism over the slow rollout of unemployment benefits for some Pennsylvania workers, the website went live and began accepting applications.
On Saturday, Jerry Oleksiak, state Secretary of Labor & Industry, said that the self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers who cannot file for regular unemployment compensation can now begin applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits.
Applications can be filed online at https://pua.benefits.uc.pa.gov/.
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April 18, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Allegheny County illustration)
All Allegheny County voters will have the option of casting a ballot by mail in the June 2 primary election.
County officials on Friday announced that all registered voters will receive an application for a mail-in ballot, as well as a postage-paid envelope. Registered voters also may apply for a mail-in ballot online at alleghenyvotes.com, if they have not already requested an absentee ballot.
A spokeswoman said the county is having difficulty finding enough workers to staff polling stations because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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April 17, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Allegheny County officials said Friday they have a “singular focus” on protecting residents and employees of the four Kane Community Living Centers from novel coronavirus.
Since March 25, 83 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at the Glen Hazel center, including 59 residents and 24 employees, according to data released Friday. The facility is licensed for 255 beds.
Four residents of the Glen Hazel center have died from COVID-19, including three at the facility and one in a hospital. Two residents are currently hospitalized, county officials said.
There are two cases of coronavirus at the McKeesport center, including one staff member who tested positive on Monday, and one resident who is currently in isolation, said Dennis Biondo, executive director of the county-owned and operated Kane facilities.
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April 17, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
State Rep. Austin Davis, shown during a March 11 tour of Steel Center for Career and Technical Education in Jefferson Hills, said Pennsylvania’s rollout of unemployment benefits for independent contractors “has been mired in red tape.” (Submitted photo courtesy of state Rep. Austin Davis)
A state representative from the Mon Valley said Friday that Pennsylvania is moving too slowly to address delays and problems that are keeping some workers from collecting unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our working families are suffering — they are struggling — because they are not getting access to the unemployment compensation benefits to which they’re entitled,” said state Rep. Austin Davis, Democrat of McKeesport.
“The problem has been compounded for self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers, who are still waiting for directions on where to file,” Davis said.
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April 17, 2020 |
By Emily Pidgeon | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
State Rep. Sara Innamorato speaks during an online town hall Wednesday. (Screenshot via Zoom/Facebook)
More than 1 million Pennsylvanians have applied for unemployment benefits since Gov. Tom Wolf implemented his stay-at-home order on March 23, and many of those filers also rent or mortgage their homes.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the world, the order has been extended through April 30, and renters and homeowners remain unsure of the future.
During the “Freedom to Stay” virtual town hall meeting held Wednesday night, members of local and statewide community action groups called on state representatives, senators and local officials to introduce legislation cancelling rent and mortgage payments for residents.
“We’re in unprecedented times, so we need unprecedented legislation,” said state Rep. Sara Innamorato, Democrat from Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.
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