May 03, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport is on track to demolish 300 vacant houses in 2018 in "every ward of the city," Mayor Michael Cherepko said Wednesday.
The effort, part of the mayor's previously announced "McKeesport Rising" initiative, is aimed at stablizing neighborhoods and transforming the entrances to the city.
Council by 6-0 vote awarded a $711,500 contract to Jadell Minniefield Construction Services, Inc., a demolition contractor based in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood, to tear down 97 vacant houses.
The city will be holding condemnation and demolition proceedings on another 200 houses in the coming months, Cherepko said, and hopes to award another bid in July.
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May 03, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A much-needed reconstruction of Bowman Avenue in the city's Highland Grove neighborhood is expected to begin in a few weeks.
At Wednesday's meeting, McKeesport City Council by 6-0 vote awarded a $181,260 contract to Morgan Excavating of Belle Vernon to dig out the existing bricks, install a new roadbase, and resurface the road from the North Versailles Twp. line to near Cliff Street. Councilman Jim Barry Jr. was absent.
The repairs will require a complete shutdown of the road to through traffic, said Steve Kondrosky, city public works director, and a detour will be posted.
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May 03, 2018 |
By Josh Rizzo | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Sports, White Oak News
(Photo: Penn State Greater Allegheny, via Twitter)
Brandon Short sees the world much more clearly now that he lives in London.
Having a broader world view has strengthened the 40-year-old McKeesport native’s belief in the concept of the American Dream.
That’s why it was important for Short to espouse the importance of higher education in front of a crowd of 110 people during a talk at the Crossing Bridges Summit Wednesday night at Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Wunderley Gymnasium.
Despite some of the country’s flaws, Short believes everyone has a chance for upward mobility. Short, who had a seven-year career in the NFL with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers from 2000-06, is running for a spot on Penn State University’s Board of Trustees.
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May 02, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
The new owners of the sewage treatment plant serving more than 64,000 people in the McKeesport area are inviting area residents to inspect the facility --- and ask questions about how it works.
Pennsylvania American Water will hold an open house and offer free tours of the McKeesport Wastewater Treatment Plant from 9 a.m. to 12 noon May 12, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Tours will last about 45 minutes each and will include gifts, refreshments and activities for kids.
“Our McKeesport team treats approximately 13 million gallons of wastewater each day,” said Chuck Schultz, operations superintendent for PAWC. “This open house will provide our customers with a unique opportunity to learn more about wastewater treatment and meet the professionals who make it happen 24/7.”
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May 02, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Duquesne News
Around 30 people attended Duquesne’s first town hall meeting, which was held last week to provide community members with an opportunity to discuss their vision of the city’s future.
“The first meeting went well,” Mayor Nickole Nesby said at Duquesne's recent city council meeting. “We had a nice turnout and covered several subjects such as new businesses in the areas and employment opportunities, pending grant applications, the Mon-Fayette Expressway, our health insurance plan and recent audits and payments of past due bills.”
Attendees were encouraged to volunteer for one of the new committees established in an effort to address areas in need of improvement within the city.
The next "town hall" meetings are slated for 6 p.m. on May 8 and 22 at Duquesne Elementary School. All are invited and encouraged to attend.
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May 01, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Photo special to Tube City Almanac)
Several lots that have been vacant since a disastrous Downtown fire more than 40 years ago could be the site of a new retail development.
The five lots at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street, owned by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of McKeesport, have been purchased by area businessman Jon Stark, said A.J. Tedesco, the city's community development director.
Terms have not yet been made public, but Stark will ask the city's planning commission on May 16 to approve a proposal to consolidate the five lots into one.
Stark is a partner or owner of several nearby businesses, including Compulsive Paintball; a custom countertop company, Lexmar USA; and Legion Arms, all located on Market Street, less than a block away.
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May 01, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
(*CORRECTION -- This story was corrected on May 9, 2018.)
White Oak officials and managers of Heritage Hill Pool are preparing for the 2018 season.
At April's meeting, council established a rate of $60 per resident for a season pass or $100 for a nonresident.
The pool is scheduled to open May 28 (Memorial Day), and will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week, weather permitting.
Council is considering a request from the White Oak Swim Team Board requesting permission to place a storage shed on the pool grounds and to sell and hang fundraising banners on the fence of the complex. A decision will be reached at a later date, officials said.
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May 01, 2018 |
By Charlotte Hopkins | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Above: John Fischetti and Diane Brown are two volunteers at the Blessing Board. (Photo courtesy The Blessing Board)
A demonstrated need drew an Oakmont-based charity into the McKeesport area.
Now, after several moves within the city, The Blessing Board is open two Saturdays per month at 820 Market St., in a former auto parts store shared with First Step Recovery Homes.
The Blessing Board was established to help people who are struggling to furnish their homes. People who want to use it need only two things --- an appointment and access to a truck, said Amy Hehn, who sits on the board of directors and is a member of the Day of Blessings Team.
“We know they are here because they have a need, they do not have to prove that,” she said. “Here people can furnish their home with love and that's Gods love.”
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April 26, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
The annual White Oak Borough spring clean-up is slated for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (April 28) at the Heritage Hill Pavilion. Volunteers are welcome to participate and are encouraged to come at 9:30 a.m. to prepare for the event.
The purpose of the event is to remove litter and debris from roadside and to increase public awareness of litter problems in the borough, Councilman Lou Bender said.
Volunteers will be issued safety clothing and rescue and police vehicles will travel with groups to ensure safety.
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April 25, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
McKeesport native Brandon Short will deliver the keynote remarks at Penn State Greater Allegheny's second-annual Crossing Bridges Summit.
The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 2 at the Wunderley Gymnasium on the McKeesport campus. General admission tickets are free, but an RSVP is required. VIP tickets are $15. For more information, visit the university's website.
Short is a 1995 graduate of McKeesport Area High School, where he was a standout athlete, lettering in both basketball and football. He was part of the team that won a state football championship in 1994, and was named Associated Press Pennsylvania Big School Player-of-the-Year during his senior year.
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