May 23, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A graphic provided by Penn State University shows the location of all of the regional, or commonwealth, campuses, as well as those slated to close. (Courtesy Penn State University)
Local officials and Penn State students and alumni are breathing a sigh of relief over the decision by the university’s board of trustees to keep the Greater Allegheny Campus open.
Seven other campuses will close under the plan approved by the board — although not without controversy — during a live-streamed meeting on Thursday night.
Penn State University currently has 20 regional, or “commonwealth,” campuses. The proposal approved by a 25 to 8 vote would close campuses in New Kensington, Fayette County and five other locations. Penn State is promising additional investment in the remaining locations, including Greater Allegheny.
“I love it,” State Rep. Dan Goughnour of McKeesport said. “I’m saddened that some campuses are being shuttered. I was hoping that there was a solution to keeping them all open. But obviously (Greater Allegheny) is near and dear to my heart and I’m happy that the administration and the board saw the value in it.”
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May 21, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Submitted photo via Facebook)
Duquesne City Councilman Aaron Adams defeated two challengers to capture the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Council District 9.
According to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division, Adams had 5,401 votes (54.8 percent) versus 2,845 votes (29 percent) for Kellianne Frketic of Elizabeth Twp. and 1,472 votes (15 percent) for Dylan Altemara of Elizabeth Twp.
There were 148 write-in votes. The district includes Dravosburg, Duquesne, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Twp., Forward Twp., Glassport, Liberty, McKeesport, Munhall, Port Vue, South Versailles Twp., Versailles, West Elizabeth, West Mifflin, Whitaker and White Oak.
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May 20, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
According to unofficial returns, Duquesne Mayor R. Scott Adams won the Democratic nomination for re-election to a second term by a substantial margin. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
A comeback attempt by the former mayor of Duquesne to reclaim the office has apparently fallen short.
Following Tuesday’s primary, unofficial but complete returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division showed R. Scott Adams leading Nickole Nesby for the Democratic nomination, 429 to 135 votes.
No Republican candidate filed, but there were 25 write-in votes on the Republican ballot. Barring a successful write-in campaign, Adams will be the only candidate on the ballot in the Nov. 4 election.
Adams was elected mayor of Duquesne in 2021, replacing Nesby, who made headlines as the city’s first Black mayor and first woman mayor following her election in 2017.
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May 20, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Unofficial returns showed Joe Pero with a substantial lead in the race for both the Democratic and Republican nominations in Magisterial District 05-02-13. (Submitted photo via Facebook)
McKeesport’s former police chief was on track Tuesday night to become the city’s next magisterial district judge.
With 32 of 32 precincts reporting, unofficial returns from the primary election showed Joe Pero leading Michael Cherepko on both the Democratic and Republican ballots.
Allegheny County’s Elections Division showed Pero with a 59 to 41 percent lead on the Democratic side — 1,257 to 863 votes — and a 79 to 21 percent lead on the Republican side, 408 to 109 votes.
Judicial races in Pennsylvania are officially non-partisan, allowing candidates to cross-file.
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May 20, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An unindentified man was in critical condition Tuesday morning following a shooting outside of UPMC McKeesport hospital, Allegheny County police said.
Detectives said the incident occurred after the victim attempted to force his way into a car in the parking lot and that there was no danger to the general public.
The emergency room was closed temporarily following the incident and a clinic inside the hospital was closed after sustaining damage, a UPMC spokesperson said.
In a prepared release, county police said the incident began just after 3 a.m. when the shooting victim attempted to force his way into someone’s car outside of the hospital.
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May 20, 2025 |
By T.J. Martin | Posted in: East McKeesport News
East McKeesport Council voted to purchase a second-hand police car for the department’s fleet, but not without some debate.
At borough council’s May meeting, members voted 5-1 to purchase a 2022 Ford Explorer Interceptor for $29,100 from Mosside Specialty Cars in Wall.
The vehicle has approximately 33,000 miles on it and will replace a 2017 Ford Explorer with approximately 140,000 miles on it in the department’s four-vehicle fleet. The purchase price includes a $2,000 trade-in on the 2017 vehicle.
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May 15, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Student Community Center at Penn State Greater Allegheny opened in 2003. (File photo taken by Ryan Kegel, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.)
A leaked report this week revealed that Penn State University’s nearly 78-year-old campus in McKeesport would survive a round of cuts that would lead to the closure of seven other regional sites.
The report, revealed by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Spotlight PA ahead of a planned Penn State board of trustees meeting, recommends the closure of regional campuses in Uniontown and New Kensington, as well as DuBois, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York.
Two campuses in southwestern Pennsylvania would be spared — Penn State Beaver and Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport.
Local officials reacted with relief at the unofficial, though widely reported, news.
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May 13, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: State & Region
The Downtown McKeesport Rite Aid location closed in 2023. (Tube City Almanac file photo)
Pennsylvania’s attorney general is advising Rite Aid customers they have until June 6 to use any gift cards, coupons or reward points they have accumulated.
In addition, said state Attorney General Dave Sunday, the stores will stop accepting returns or exchanges on June 4.
Barely seven months after exiting federal bankruptcy protection, the Philadelphia-based pharmacy chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again last week.
Financial analysts have said that Rite Aid, like competing chains Walgreens and CVS, expanded too quickly and are now struggling with declining prescription reimbursements from insurance companies and the federal government.
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May 13, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne Mayor R. Scott Adams is running for re-election to his second term. He is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20 primary. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
R. Scott Adams believes that he has brought “stability back to the office” of mayor in Duquesne. As he enters his fourth year in office, he looked back at the progress he said the city has made.
Adams is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20 primary. Former Mayor Nickole Nesby is challenging him.
“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Adams said. “But I’m proud of our work. We’ve improved the infrastructure and upgraded the water department. And the police department.”
In a recent interview, Adams used the word “stability” frequently. During Adams’ tenure as mayor, the city emerged from Act 47 financially distressed status, and is now moving toward a Home Rule Charter.
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May 13, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Nickole Nesby served as mayor of Duquesne from 2017 to 2021 and is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20 primary. She argues that the city needs closer management of its finances. (Submitted photo)
Four years after losing a re-election bid, Nickole Nesby is back on the ballot to be mayor of the city of Duquesne. Nesby is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20 primary.
After one term in office and breaking barriers as the city’s first Black woman mayor, Nesby lost the Democratic primary in 2021 to R. Scott Adams, who went onto win the November election. Adams is running for re-election this year.
Nesby has long criticized city leaders for what she calls “decades of neglect and corruption” and alleges that two of the people running against her in the primary in 2021 wouldn’t have been eligible to serve if they had won.
Nesby said that “concerned citizens” came to her recently and asked her to run again in hopes of improving the city’s financial accountability. Nesby said that when she took office in 2018, the city “had a deficit of $328,000” and when she left in 2022, Duquesne had a “$915,000 surplus.”
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