Despite freezing temperatures and gusty winds, McKeesport marked Veterans Day on Tuesday with a ceremony at Memorial Park on Lysle Boulevard.
After thanking God for the “nice crisp day,” the Rev. Christine Pope Portiss of True Vine Ministries recalled how her grandmother had put stars in the window for her five family members who were serving during World War II.
She also recalled how her high school boyfriend was killed while serving in Vietnam.
“This day means a lot to many of us, so if you have somebody who served, thank God for them, and thank them for their service,” said Portiss, who offered the opening prayer. About 75 people attended, fighting to stay warm amidst snow flurries and a steady gale that kept American flags flying stiffly and several times threatened to topple a memorial wreath.
Ed Shoucair, president and co-founder of The Collaborative, prepares to lead a group of about 30 residents on a walking tour Thursday afternoon in Downtown McKeesport. (Tube City Almanac photo)
A group of internationally known community planners has begun its third day of meeting with city residents and business owners as they begin the process of developing a strategy for reinventing McKeesport’s Downtown.
On Wednesday, the consultants — known as The Collaborative — met with local elected officials and a group of students at McKeesport Area High School.
They were impressed with the students’ “great and relevant ideas” and will be meeting with them on a regular basis as they develop a plan, said Ed Shoucair, president and co-founder of The Collaborative.
The process is expected to take about nine months, said Matthew Craig, executive director of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, which obtained the grant to hire The Collaborative on behalf of McKeesport.
Crystal Reist relies on SNAP benefits to care for herself and her mother: “If it’s between paying a bill or purchasing food, we will choose having food on the table.” (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Although two federal judges have ordered the U.S. Government to pay supplemental nutrition benefits to about 42 million Americans, the funds remain frozen.
That has left nearly 2 million Pennsylvania residents — including 160,000 people in the Pittsburgh area — unsure how they’re going to pay their bills this month.
Crystal Reist is a 40-year-old McKeesport resident receiving disability benefits due to bipolar disorder, debilitating migraines and herniated discs in both her neck and back. She shares an apartment with her mother, who also receives disability benefits.
Without the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Reist said, she worries about making ends meet and hopes nothing major such as a large appliance breaks down, because they won't be able to cover costs for repairs. It will be out of the question to buy clothes or shoes, and we’ll need to cut back on everything, she said.
“If it’s between paying a bill or purchasing food, we will choose having food on the table,” Reist said.
Two polling places in Duquesne will move to new locations for Tuesday’s election, Allegheny County officials announced.
Voters in precincts 3-1 and 3-3 who usually vote at St. Peter and Paul Byzantine Church Social Hall will vote instead at the Orchard Park Apartment Offices, 1001 Ridge St.
A county spokeswoman said approximately two dozen total polling locations have moved since the last election, so every voter is encouraged to check their polling place and make a plan to cast their ballots. Voters can check their polling place here.
(Written by Adam Reinherz, Leslie Savisky and Jason Togyer)
Four seats are open on the McKeesport Area School Board and six candidates are currently seeking election on Tuesday.
Polling places are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A county spokeswoman said that anyone in line as of 8 p.m. on Election Day will be allowed to vote. First-time and newly registered voters will be asked to show an approved form of identification upon arrival to the polling place.
Although school board elections in Pennsylvania are officially non-partisan, in May’s primary, voters selected candidates to run on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.
Top vote-getters in the primary were, on the Democratic side, Matthew Holtzman, Arla Payne, David G. Donato and Kevin Kovach; and, on the Republican side, Holtzman, Donato, Kovach and Bob Boyle.
Donato and Holtzman are current members of the school board running for re-election.
In addition, Josh Lefcowitz, a White Oak resident who was appointed to a vacant seat on the school board in May, is running as a write-in candidate.
Biographical sketches of each candidate follows. To find your polling place and verify that you’re registered, visit the Allegheny County Elections Website.
A Dravosburg man died early Monday morning following a shooting at a house party in Duquesne.
Shawn O’Leary, 32, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said.
Allegheny County police said emergency personnel were called to a home in the 1000 block of Crawford Avenue just before 1 a.m. for a report of shots fired and discovered a victim, identified as O’Leary, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
County homicide detectives are investigating. In a release, police said preliminary information shows there was a house party at the residence when the shooting occurred.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.
McKeesport Area School Board held a special meeting Thursday to authorize the immediate hiring of several employees, including several teachers and a school nurse.
“We need them to start,” Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said. “We need those folks in, and we didn't want to have to wait.” If the district hadn’t held a special meeting, the next meeting was scheduled for Dec. 4.
Holtzman said it behooved the district to act now. “Those jobs need to be filled,” he said. “The whole objective is taking care of our kids and educating our kids, so we decided to come out for a special meeting, get those folks hired and get them in place and ready to go.”
Two people were wounded Thursday night during a shooting at a Downtown bar. The tavern’s owners have announced plans to permanently close in the interests of safety.
Allegheny County police said the incident happened inside the McKeesport Beer Barrel in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue just after 9:30 p.m.. In a prepared statement, homicide detectives said a man and a woman were both injured and taken to area hospitals. The male victim was in critical condition, police said.
The names of the victims were not released and police did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Anyone with information concerning the incident was asked to call the county police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers may remain anonymous.
On Friday, the bar’s owners announced via social media their plans to close.
Last year, Duquesne officials approved plans by EOS Energy to build this manufacturing facility in the city. City officials say they’re disappointed and saddened that the company has apparently abandoned the project without telling anyone. (Illustration courtesy Gateway Engineers via City of Duquesne)
Eos Energy Enterprises has apparently abandoned plans to construct a manufacturing facility in Duquesne — but no one bothered to tell city officials.
In 2024, New Jersey-based Eos Energy Enterprises, which operates a factory in Turtle Creek, received planning approval from Duquesne officials for a 181,000-square-foot facility on the site of the former U.S. Steel Duquesne Plant that would have employed 300 to 400 people.
But since then, the company has gone quiet, even after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that Eos plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Pittsburgh’s North Side and open its new manufacturing facility in Marshall Twp. in northern Allegheny County instead.
“All of us — the city, our city manager, all the council members, the planning commission, zoning board — nobody had any idea,” said Duquesne City Councilman Aaron Adams. “We were caught off-guard (when) the announcement came out from the state and county.”
Family caregivers in need of support and help are invited to a free session Nov. 13 at Kane Community Living Center on Ninth Avenue in McKeesport.
A spokeswoman said “Family Caregiver Support 101” is sponsored by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The event will discuss taking care of a family member when you’re “in need of support (and) running on empty.”
The event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in Room 124 on the main level of Kane McKeesport. To attend, RSVP to Lisa at (412) 401-6315 by Nov. 11.
