October 06, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne Fire Chief Frank Cobb told city council Tuesday night that the department has received a nearly $50,000 federal grant for a new compressor that will help keep firefighters' air tanks full.
Cobb explained that when a firefighter is on a call and the air tank on their back is depleted of oxygen, the department gets them filled at the nearby Duquesne Annex station in West Mifflin. With this grant, the department will be more efficient. Out of three bids, the department will spend $48,157.42 to purchase the compressor.
“We’ve been trying to get this for 30 years,” Cobb told council. “Multiple times we have been denied.” He said that the investment is important to stave off bigger expenditures down the road.
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October 06, 2022 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne City Council has ratified the return of police officer William Spangler to the full-time active roster.
At this week’s meeting, by a 4-0 vote (with Councilman Tim Caldwell absent), council also approved a motion to interview, test if applicable, and hire part-time police officers.
Recently, Spangler had resigned to take a new position, but he has returned, Duquesne officials said.
Mayor Scott Adams noted that the next round of testing for potential officers is Friday. Act 47 Coordinator George Dougherty also told council that there are police grants available for potential police officers to attend the police academy through Robert Morris University.
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September 30, 2022 |
By Jason A. Mignanelli | Posted in: Sports
An explosive second quarter led by Serra quarterbacks Quadir Stribling and Elijah Ward pushed (4-1) Serra Catholic past (2-3) Imani Christian Academy last Friday night.
The 4-1 Eagles normally like to keep a quick tempo. In the matchup with Imani, the Eagles scored early but didn’t really start soaring until the second quarter. Once they got rolling, however, they were able to secure a 47-12 victory and keep their four-game winning streak alive.
Stribling and Ward will be showing off their talents tonight as the (4-1) Eagles welcome an (0-5) Derry team at home in McKeesport at 7 p.m.
“We are always trying to play fast as a no-huddle offense. Imani did a great job after our first drive settling down and playing good defense. We found some plays that worked in the second quarter and continued to run them as they had great success,” said Michael Betler, Serra Catholic assistant head coach.
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September 30, 2022 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, White Oak News
(Submitted photo)
Thursday yoga classes with Alice Kemp will be returning to Angora Gardens in White Oak this winter, and wreath and crochet classes will resume in November, a spokeswoman has announced.
The health and wellness center, operated by UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Mon Yough, has released its October schedule, and also is seeking volunteers.
“Volunteering at Angora Gardens is an extremely rewarding experience that provides a valuable service for our community,” says Julie Pecora, program supervisor. “We offer volunteer activities for adults and youth.”
Individuals, families, scout and church groups, schools, corporate teams and others seeking community service hours are encouraged to participate.
The facility is located at 3 Muse Lane in White Oak Park.
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September 28, 2022 |
By Elizabeth Laughlin | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Courtesy YOUnique Boutique (Via Facebook)
For owner Stephanie Smalls, opening a business in McKeesport was unexpected.
“Even I was shocked to be there,” Smalls said. “But I asked, ‘Which way should I go, Lord?’ And that’s where I ended up.”
In 2013, Stephanie Smalls decided to leave her job in the corporate world and start her own business. That’s when she and her daughter, Jazmine, opened YOUnique Boutique, located in the Masonic Building at 522 Walnut St. They are not originally from the McKeesport area, but the location was affordable.
Whether YOUnique Boutique can survive much longer, however, is a question. Smalls said the store took a big financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I worked for 25 years in the corporate world,” Smalls said. “But this is what I always wanted to do. I’ve always appreciated thrift shopping.”
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September 28, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A team of investigators is still working to determine the cause of an Aug. 2 blast that heavily damaged the former YWCA of McKeesport on Ninth Avenue.
Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie M. Downs said Tuesday that city officials and the county fire marshal’s office will arrange a meeting at the scene with building tenants, the state Public Utility Commission and representatives of Peoples Gas to examine the structure and determine what parts are safe to enter.
According to witnesses and emergency officials, a contractor was using heavy equipment at the rear of the building to dig up a portion of the parking lot shortly before an explosion occurred.
The contractor, who has not been publicly identified, was working to construct a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
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September 28, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, State & Region
The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting at Kennywood on Saturday night that injured three people remains at large, Allegheny County police said.
In the meantime, officials at the landmark amusement park in West Mifflin have announced enhanced security measures for when the park reopens, including a requirement that all guests age 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult age 21 years or older, and that their chaperones must have valid ID.
Details of the new security policies are posted on Kennywood’s website.
Three people, including two teen-agers, were wounded by gunshots after a suspect described as a Black teen-ager wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a face mask opened fire near the Musik Express ride.
The park was open Saturday night for its annual Halloween-themed “Phantom Fall Fest” celebration.
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September 28, 2022 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
State Rep. Summer Lee, who represents the 34th Legislative District was the keynote speaker for the McKeesport Unit NAACP’s 60th Anniversary celebration. (Photo by Vickie Babyak for Tube City Almanac)
A race riot in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown in 1908 led to the organization of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In Springfield, Ill., during the summer of 1908, a white woman alleged a Black man had attacked her. The woman later admitted before a special grand jury that, in fact, she actually was beaten by a white man but wouldn’t disclose his name.
But in the meantime, an angry mob of around 5,000 surged through the streets in violence. Eight Black men were killed, more than 50 men, women and children were beaten, and their homes and businesses were burned down forcing 2,000 Black residents to abandon their city, losing their livelihoods and wealth.
Remembering that history — and celebrating the hard work done over the past century to overcome racial discrimination and prejudice — members of the McKeesport Unit of the NAACP came together this month to celebrate their own 60th anniversary at the group’s annual Freedom Dinner.
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September 26, 2022 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Family of the late McKeesport Mayor Joe Bendel gathered Sunday morning with Mayor Michael Cherepko, state Sen. Jim Brewster and others to re-dedicate the Bendel Lighthouse at McKees Point Marina. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Family and friends of the late Joe Bendel gathered Sunday morning to re-dedicate a lighthouse at McKees Point Marina to the former mayor’s memory.
First erected in 2008 following a fundraising drive, the Bendel Lighthouse was heavily damaged in a storm two years ago. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said repairs to the lighthouse — which is a scaled-down version of a full-size coastal lighthouse — were completed by Vegely Welding in the city’s Third Ward and paid for by insurance.
Bendel, who served on city council and then as mayor from 1995 to 2000, died in 2003. Cherepko and others credited Bendel with working to slow a long period of decline in the city that began in the 1980s with the loss of U.S. Steel, G.C. Murphy Co. and other large employers.
The lighthouse symbolizes the “vision that Joe Bendel had of the marina and bike trail,” Cherepko said. “He saw all of this happening long before we ever imagined it.”
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September 25, 2022 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
(UPDATED with statement from Kennywood management.)
Kennywood will remain closed until Sept. 30 as police and park officials investigate a shooting on Saturday night near the Musik Express ride.
Three people — including two 15-year-olds — were taken to area hospitals with gunshot wounds, while other people reportedly suffered minor injuries while running for the exits following the 10:49 p.m. incident at the West Mifflin amusement park.
Witnesses said that a brawl broke out near the Pirate Ship ride shortly before shots were fired. Dozens of police officers from throughout the Mon Valley descended on the park following the shooting, which caused the closure of Kennywood Boulevard into the early morning hours on Sunday.
The park is “closely collaborating with police,” said Mark Pauls, Kennywood general manager, in a prepared statement. “We will continue to cooperate with authorities throughout their investigation.”
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