February 21, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Penn State Greater Allegheny photo)
Seven college students from Puerto Rico are enrolled in classes at Penn State Greater Allegheny this semester and are working on internships near the McKeesport campus.
The students from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez arrived on Feb. 2, a Penn State spokesperson said.
The move is designed to allow the students to continue their education as the U.S. territory struggles to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which five months ago devastated the island. About one-third of Puerto Rico's residents --- nearly 1 million people --- still have no electricity, according to published reports.
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February 19, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A North Hills man is being held in Allegheny County Jail after McKeesport police said he deliberately rammed a police car with the stolen vehicle he was driving.
Antwuan Berry, 21, faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi. He is currently being held in lieu of $25,000 bond, court officials said.
The charges against Berry stem from an incident early on the morning of Feb. 3. City police said Sgt. Steve Kondrosky was on routine patrol along Lysle Boulevard when he spotted a car that had been reported stolen.
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February 19, 2018 |
By Cami DiBattista | Posted in: Duquesne News
CORRECTION: This story as originally published Jade Burleigh's name spelled incorrectly. The spelling was incorrect on paperwork supplied by a city official. We apologize for the error.
(Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby swears in newly appointed city Controller Jade Burleigh. Cami DiBattista photo, special to Tube City Almanac)
Jade Burleigh was sworn in as the new Duquesne City Controller at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Burleigh has a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Phoenix. A vice president at BNY Mellon, he will fill the term of former city Controller Beth Kracinovsky, who resigned last month.
Council also appointed Duquesne resident Tammy Pratt to serve as the emergency management coordinator for the city.
“After attending the local government academy, we realized the emergency plan for Duquesne hasn’t been updated in the last 25 years,” Mayor Nickole Nesby said. “Tammy has volunteered to work with us and the local 9-1-1 (center) to update our plan.”
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February 19, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, White Oak News
A home invasion on Thursday resulted in a lockdown at Francis McClure Elementary School in White Oak, but there was no threat to students, police said.
White Oak police Chief Mark Sargent said the incident began at 10:17 a.m. when a resident of a home in the 100 block of Carmella Drive heard his dog barking downstairs and went to investigate. The homeowner had a personal firearm for protection, Sargent said.
On the first floor, the homeowner found an intruder with a pistol stuck in his waistband, standing near the home's back door, Sargent said.
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February 16, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
McKeesport Unit of the NAACP will hold its annual pancake breakfast Feb. 24 at Renziehausen Park, a spokeswoman said.
The event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 12 noon at Jacob Woll Pavilion. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under.
The menu will include regular, buckwheat and fresh blueberry pancakes; turkey, pork and beef sausage; fruit cocktail; coffee, tea, water and juice; and assorted desserts for sale.
For more information, call (412) 292-5852.
February 16, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac file photo by Denise L. Ritter)
The cost of providing air conditioning at Renziehausen Park's Jacob Woll Pavilion has led McKeesport officials to increase the fee to rent the facility.
City council unanimously approved an increase of $50 for rentals, taking the cost to $450 for Allegheny County residents and $500 for non-county residents.
The lack of air conditioning had left the pavilion uncompetitive and under-utilized in the summer. But since installing air conditioning in the pavilion, "our costs have risen dramatically," Mayor Mike Cherepko said. "We're looking to balance that cost over 12 months."
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February 15, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Commentary-Editorial, Podcast
On our podcast, "Two Rivers, 30 Minutes," we recently talked about gun violence --- especially the emotional impact it has had on the Mon-Yough area --- and asked if there's anything we can do about it.
In 2017, there were 109 homicides in 2017. Nearly three dozen of them were in the Mon Valley in communities such as McKeesport, Swissvale and Turtle Creek, but practically no community of any size was unscathed --- and virtually all of the homicides were the result of shootings.
Our guests were Vanessa Mayers-Snyder, a community engagement & mediation specialist for the Center for Victims, and Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFire PA.
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February 12, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Homestead Borough will receive $100,000 toward creation of a one-mile-long trail and bike park that will provide a direct connection between the Eighth Avenue business district and the Great Allegheny Passage bicycle trail.
The grant was one of 45 projects in 22 counties --- totalling $41.5 million --- funded last week through grants from the state Department of Transportation's Multimodal Transportation Fund.
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February 12, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport officials are thankful to unionized police and public works employees for helping the city contain personnel costs --- especially when it comes to health insurance.
Council last week unanimously approved new three-year labor agreements with both bargaining units, who are represented by Teamsters Local 205 in White Oak.
The contracts provide unionized police officers with wage increases of 4 percent in the first year and 3 percent in the second and third years; and public works employees with a wage increase of 2.5 percent in the first year and 1.5 percent in the second year, McKeesport Mayor Mike Cherepko said.
Among other concessions, police officers will pay a deductible on their health insurance for the first time, while public works employees are accepting a wage freeze in the third year, Cherepko said.
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February 12, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Submitted photo courtesy Heartland Hospice)
Heartland Hospice is seeking volunteers with the compassion to offer a smile, an ear and a warm heart to patients and their families, says Patrick Fisher, volunteer coordinator in the Irwin office.
The service covers the Mon Valley, Westmoreland, Washington and Allegheny counties, as well as part of Armstrong County, he says.
Volunteers are needed to visit with patients who have serious and terminal illnesses, so that staff can help assist their families in need, Fisher says.
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