Duquesne City Council on Tuesday night voted to dissolve its little-used Redevelopment Authority, and is in the process of joining Allegheny County’s larger agency.
By a 4-0 vote, with Councilman Timothy Caldwell absent, city officials went through with previously-discussed plans to eliminate the authority.
Mayor Scott Adams said the city originally planned until a new city manager was hired, but ultimately decided that they needed to get it done.
Solicitor Myron Sainovich said that all of the proper paperwork has been delivered to his office and the next step in the process is to join Allegheny County’s infrastructure agency. A resolution was then adopted, 4-0, for the city to participate in the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County’s RAAC Vacant Property Recovery Program.
Above: Dewitt Walton, vice president and program director for the Pittsburgh chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, talks to visitors during a July 2022 session. (Submitted photo courtesy APRI Pittsburgh, via Instagram)
Labor leaders in various industries recently celebrated the 85th anniversary of a federal law that laid the groundwork for registered apprenticeship programs in Pennsylvania and across the country.
However, a new report says not everyone gets a fair shot at these opportunities.
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that Black apprentices are underpaid and underrepresented in registered apprenticeship programs. Dewitt Walton, vice president and program director for the Pittsburgh chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, said the key to changing this is for more people to know what's available.
“The opportunities for life-changing careers in the construction and building trades, we have to increase the awareness of those opportunities,” he said, “and promote them in a more comprehensive and successful manner than we have in the past.”
(Courtesy First Step Recovery Homes Inc. via GoFundMe)
A fire that damaged an apartment building on Penny Steet last week has left First Step Recovery Homes Inc. temporarily unable to accept any new residents.
The charitable organization, which helps people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, is waiting to find out if insurance will cover its losses, said Keith Giles, founder of First Step. The city-based non-profit has created a GoFundMe to raise additional money, he said.
Four residents were displaced by the fire, which began Wednesday night at the rear of a wood-frame two-story house at 330 Penny St., destroying the back porch, traveling up the back wall, and damaging the roof and attic. The cause of the fire is under investigation but McKeesport fire officials said last week it is not considered suspicious.
The third in a continuing series of meetings focused on reducing gun violence in the city will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 4) at McKeesport Area High School, 1960 Eden Park Blvd.
The meetings are being convened under the auspices of the McKeesport Unit of the NAACP.
Speakers at this week’s meeting will include Unit President Brenda Sawyer and McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko, a spokesperson said. The topic of the meeting is “Building Community to End Violence.”
Participants also will work to form committees focused on various tasks, the spokesperson said. For more information, email buffy0185@aol.com.
McKeesport Area High School physical education teachers Richard Satcho and Victoria Pomilio look over plans as they co-teach the new Partners in Physical Education class. The program matches general education and special education students to build social skills and self-confidence. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
A group of McKeesport Area High School students are creating warm and caring friendships while participating in a Partners in Physical Education class.
Partners in PE is a nationwide program that matches general education and special education students to help each other in physical ed activities. The concept was reportedly first adopted in the Pittsburgh area by the Baldwin-Whitehall School District in 2001 and has since spread throughout the region, including at Belle Vernon Area, West Allegheny and other districts.
The program’s goals include helping students use physical activity as a way to build their social skills and self-confidence.
Brianne Lion, assistant special education coordinator at McKeesport Area, is pleased with the results so far.
“As we walk through life, our interaction with those who have different strengths and needs from our own, leaves a lasting impression on how we gain perspective, friendship and grow compassion for one another,” she said. “Partners in PE allows for all students to gain access to their full potential and to build these friendships that shape their future success.”
While a proposed increase in basic education funding in Pennsylvania is appreciated, public school officials that represent small school districts said last week it’s not enough.
Last week, five members of the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools — including East Allegheny School District — held press conferences to appeal to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly to treat school district funding as a crisis that needs more attention.
In addition to EA, school officials in Greater Johnstown, Upper Darby, Lancaster and Bethlehem all presented specific financial information regarding the gap between the revenue they receive each year, and their operating and mandated costs.
A fire Wednesday night damaged a Penny Street apartment house owned by a city non-profit agency.
Just before 8 p.m., multiple callers to Allegheny County emergency dispatchers reported that the rear of a two-story building in the 300 block of Penny Street owned by First Step Recovery Homes Inc.
When the first crews arrived, fire was visible on the back wall of the building and was spreading up toward the roof, McKeesport fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik said.
A second alarm was sounded and additional firefighters responded from Allegheny County Airport, Duquesne Annex, Glassport Citizens Hose Co., Liberty Borough, Port Vue Vigilant Hose Co. and White Oak No. 1.
The McKeesport robotics team poses after qualifying for a championship at the Miami Valley Regional FIRST Robotics competition at Xavier University in Cincinnati. (Submitted photo courtesy Team 1708)
The robotics team based at McKeesport Area High School is headed to the world championship in Texas next month.
Amp’D Robotics — McKeesport-based FIRST Robotics Team 1708 — was chosen to compete for trophies and cash prizes from April 19 to 22 at the annual FIRST Robotics Competition in Houston.
FIRST — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — is an international organization that sanctions science, engineering and robotics clubs and contests for high school students.
Co-lead mentor and former team member Jason Mols has been mentoring and coaching the team since 2014. A mechanical engineer by trade who works for RE2 Robotics, Mols shares the mentoring duties with Derek Price another former member of the team.
“We are based out of McKeesport High School, but we have students from four local high schools on our team,” Mols said. Also represented are students from East Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward and Norwin plus one home-schooled student, he said.
McKeesport Area junior Cameron Goldinger and his brother, senior Dillon Goldinger, have been with the program since 9th grade. Their dad, Chris Goldinger of McKeesport, has now seen four of his kids go through the program.
A video produced by Divine Restoration Church of God in Christ is being used to introduce the “Wake Up!” campaign to Duquesne. Organizers are hoping the message takes root in McKeesport, as well. (YouTube)
Rallies in McKeesport and Duquesne this week will bring together multiple faiths and community organizations in an effort to urge young people to “Wake Up!” from their apathy and work to reduce gun violence.
Walkers will gather at 1:30 p.m. Thursday (March 30) at the Healthy Village Learning Institute, located at the former St. Pius V School, then walk along Versailles Avenue to the Family Dollar store at 3215 Versailles Ave.
“We timed this so that kids would be coming home from school about that time,” says the Rev. Jessica McClure Archer, pastor of Sampson’s Mills Presbyterian Church in White Oak. “We want to tell them, ‘wake up, you’re beautiful, you’re smart.’ We want to speak into the void of hopelessness so many of them are feeling.”
That walk is open to the public.
On Friday, Duquesne School District teachers and staff will attend a separate event being organized by the Rev. Eric Ewell, pastor of Divine Restoration Church of God in Christ and director of continuing education at Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was corrected after publication to clarify that the move was made at no cost to the McKeesport 23 committee.*
A monument that honors 23 McKeesport-area veterans who lost their lives during the Vietnam War has been relocated from the campus of McKeesport Area High School to a more accessible location.
Organizers are planning a re-dedication at 3 p.m. May 13 when the monument is unveiled outside the McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center in Renziehausen Park.
An indoor reception will follow the outdoor celebration.
Joe Hoffman, a member of the McKeesport 23 committee, says the monument was originally placed in the high school courtyard because most of the veterans honored were McKeesport Area High School graduates.
But over the years, access to the monument has been restricted due to safety concerns about allowing visitors onto the campus, he says. The monument also hasn’t been accessible during weekends or school holidays.
