December 19, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Above: Seasonal public works employees Myselo King, left, and Austin Fagan and load recycle bins for delivery to McKeesport residents in this 2017 photo. Mayor Michael Cherepko said this month many bins are still available for city households. (Submitted photo by Jennifer Vertullo, City of McKeesport.)
McKeesport City Council has extended its contract with its garbage collection service for one more year.
But Mayor Michael Cherepko says the city is again considering purchase of its own garbage trucks and bringing the service back in-house for the first time in more than 35 years.
Council this month by 7-0 vote exercised an option with Big's Sanitation of Rostraver Twp., Westmoreland County, to collect the city's trash until Dec. 31, 2019.
Rather than a rate increase, Cherepko said, Big's has lowered its prices to the 2015 level.
The mayor's office has received some complaints about trash collection over the past year, Cherepko said, but added that Joe Eori Jr., president of Big's, has been "responsive every time the complaints have come in."
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December 19, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(All photos: Courtesy Tom Rosso, City of McKeesport)
With an assist from McKeesport City Electrician Tom Rosso and other employees, crews from McKeesport-based Fort Pitt Flagpole Co. installed one of their namesake products outside city hall last week.
The flagpole is the first to grace the grounds of McKeesport City Hall, located in the former McKeesport National Bank Building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Sinclair Street, Downtown.
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December 18, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Duquesne News
Nine-year-old Arnez Logan, a student of Duquesne Elementary School, is a member of the school's Junior Constable program, run by school security officer and Pennsylvania State Constable Lonzo Boyce Sr., at left. (Cami DiBattista photo, special to Tube City Almanac)
When fourth-grader Arnez Logan began the school year at Duquesne Elementary, he had no idea he would wrap up his first week being labeled a hero.
As a participant in the school’s Junior Constable Program, one of his responsibilities includes being a member of the "safety patrol." Logan was stationed outside the entrance of the school, diligently observing his surroundings, when he saw a kindergarten student run out into the road in front of an oncoming car.
Without a second thought he reacted, grabbing the kindergartener and pulling him to safety as the car sped by.
“He was running and it did not look like he was going to stop,” said nine-year-old Logan. “I hurried up and pulled him back before a car came speeding by.”
“I was across the street and couldn’t get there quickly enough,” said Duquesne constable Lonzo Boyce Sr., who started the Junior Constable Program around five years ago. “It was like it happened in slow motion. As soon as he stepped onto the street, Arnez grabbed him. ‘Nice save, Arnez. Great job,’ was the first thing that came out of my mouth. It was unbelievable.”
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December 14, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Motorists may expect brief delays this week on state Route 837 between Clairton and Dravosburg while crews perform tests.
A district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation says crews from Armstrong Drilling, Inc., are conducting geotechnical drilling between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. today through Friday, weather-permitting, between Lebanon School Road and New England Road in West Mifflin.
Single-lane alternating traffic will be maintained, the spokesman said. Motorists should use caution when traveling in this area.
December 14, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne residents are voicing concerns regarding the new way water bills are being issued.
At the Nov. 27 council meeting, one resident who also owns a rental property said that as the landlord, she's receiving bills, but her tenants are not.
And while she is keeping the bills up-to-date, she said, her tenants are receiving delinquency letters. Other residents said they're receiving bill that are lower than what they know they owe.
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December 14, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Map courtesy Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. )
The water authority serving McKeesport will invest more than $843,000 to improve the water flow to fire hydrants in the Grandview area of the city.
The improvements --- including more than a half-mile of new water mains and eight new fire hydrants --- were approved Wednesday by the board of directors of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County.
Matthew Junker, spokesman for the water authority, said the board is responding to concerns raised by McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko, fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik and residents after a fire June 16 on Cleveland Street leveled one home, severely damaged at least five others and sent several people to the hospital.
"I'm very pleased that they are going to finally make the necessary improvements up there, and make sure that water flow is never a problem again in the Grandview area," Cherepko said Thursday.
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December 13, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
(Photo courtesy Fred Ramos, via LinkedIn)
Thirty-five students will graduate from Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus when the university celebrates its Fall 2018 commencement.
The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Friday in the Wunderley Gymnasium on the McKeesport Campus, said Zack Rosen, a campus spokesman. Twenty-nine students are expected to process in the ceremony, he said.
Fred Ramos (above), senior vice president of corporate communications for Highmark Health, will deliver the commencement address. Ramos is a graduate of Northern Illinois University who joined Highmark in 2016.
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December 13, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne's new Act 47 coordinator is hopeful that the city will be able to exit financially distressed status in the next few years.
George Dougherty Jr. has been appointed by the state to work with the city, which has been considered a distressed municipality for nearly 30 years. He was introduced during the Nov. 27 Duquesne City Council meeting.
Dougherty, who has also worked as Braddock’s Act 47 representative, said he has begun to get familiar with the community and work with the mayor and city manager on developing a budget for Duquesne.
Communities under Act 47 representative must adopt more restrictive spending plans in exchange for the right to have an increased earned income tax rate and favored status on state grant applications.
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December 13, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
CORRECTION, Dec. 14, 2018: Police and fire staffing remain the same in 2019 as in 2018. Two firefighter job classifications have changed and are in a different line on the 2019 budget. This story incorrectly said two positions were being eliminated. We apologize for the error. -JT
McKeesport officials will hold the line on taxes and fees again in 2019.
The city's $24.5 million budget, approved unanimously by council on Dec. 5, keeps taxes at 6.26 mills on buildings and 18.5 mills on land.
One mill represents $1 in taxes paid for every $1,000 for which a property is assessed. A house assessed at $48,000 by Allegheny County would pay approximately $300 in city property taxes.
"There are no increases in taxes and no salary increases, beyond those we are contracted for," McKeesport Mayor Mike Cherepko said last week. "There are no increases for the administration."
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December 11, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
I was pleasantly surprised today to read an editorial in Print, a newspaper serving the East End of Pittsburgh, praising Tube City Almanac for its efforts to cover the Mon-Yough area.
We're grateful for their kind words --- but we're especially grateful for your support over the past three years. Thank you.
According to them, we're "crushing it." I'm not so sure about that. In my opinion, there is a lot of room for improvement in 2019, and many things that need to be done that we're simply not able to get to.
But all of us are doing the very best we can, with very limited resources. And we hope to do even more in 2019.
A quarter-million page views in 2018
Last year, we served 240,745 pages to more than 64,000 readers. That's a 32 percent increase over 2017.
Another 133,983 people used Tube City Almanac's obituaries page. That's an increase of 9 percent over the previous year.
We appreciate your support
If you do use this service, and you can afford to make a donation, we would be grateful for a contribution.
We are an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) charity, and your donations may be tax deductible as allowed by law.
Donations may be made by check or money order to Tube City Community Media Inc., P.O. Box 94, McKeesport 15134; or via PayPal at: http://www.tubecityonline.com/contact/
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