March 16, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Bus driver Stephanie Pollock speaks to the McKeesport Area School Board. She and other drivers are asking for more help with discipline on school buses ‘so that we can put our eyes back on the road.’ (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)
Two drivers implored McKeesport Area School Board to protect area children and increase the number of people working as monitors on bus rides.
Sidney Walker and Stephanie Pollock spoke at Thursday’s meeting and recounted alleged incidents involving strife, violence and misbehavior, while cautioning listeners to act before potential tragedy strikes.
Walker and Pollock, who both drive for Krise Transportation, emphasized that neither is a representative of the company and were merely speaking as private citizens concerned with the wellbeing of local children.
“You have no clue what we as bus drivers have to go through,” Walker said. “I implore you to come ride with us one morning, going to Francis McClure. I have been called out by name. I have been spat on. I have been accused of all kinds of foul things, not only from the children but from the parents.”
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March 16, 2025 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Jah-Chant Robinson. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
Jah-Chant Robinson is a 2013 graduate of McKeesport Area High School and resides in Port Vue. She began her career as an English teacher, and worked her way up to principal at Homeville Elementary School in the West Mifflin School District.
Robinson credits her drive to success from having a strong support system that included her parents and mentors. She said they instilled in her a sense of purpose and understanding that she could pave the way for others, and an unshakable faith in the importance of education as a tool for change.
“Growing up in McKeesport, I was acutely aware of the challenges that came with navigating systems that weren’t always designed with people like me in mind,” Robinson said.
Representation matters, and seeing so few women of color in leadership roles motivated her to push through the obstacles. Robinson said she has endured struggles like many other women of color experience, from being underestimated to having to work twice as hard in proving herself.
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March 13, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Homewood man is being held on homicide charges in connection with a Jan. 20 shooting in Duquesne that claimed two lives.
Ishmeil A. Muhammad, 28, was arrested Thursday by Allegheny County Police and was awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to court officials.
Muhammad, who police said is known by a variety of aliases, including “Cash” and “Tim,” is charged with criminal homicide in connection with a shooting inside a home on Commonwealth Avenue that claimed the life of Sean R. Johnson Jr., 30 of Turtle Creek and Catherine Lawing, 39, of Duquesne.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office, while Lawing died three days later at UPMC Mercy Hospital, Uptown.
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March 13, 2025 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
Patrick Daniels (left) plays detective Hercule Poirot, with Mike Good as his friend and fellow investigator Monsieur Bouc. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)
If you go...
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“Murder on the Orient Express”
Adapted by Ken Ludwig
Where: McKeesport Little Theater, 1614 Coursin St., (412) 673-1100, www.mckeesportlittletheater.com
When: Fridays and Saturdays March 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays March 16 and 23 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students. Available through the theater website, by calling and leaving a message, or through https://www.onthestage.tickets.
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McKeesport Little Theater’s latest production is a return to the murder mystery genre in Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express.”
The classic play is based on a novel by the same name by Agatha Christie. It features one of her favorite characters, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and opens Friday (March 14) at 7:30 p.m.
Christie’s novel, as many of her other works, was inspired by real life experiences.
In the play, a young girl named Daisy Armstrong had been kidnapped and murdered, similar to what occurred to Charles Lindbergh’s son in a story that rocked the world in 1932. Christie also once was a passenger on the real Orient Express.
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March 12, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A former McKeesport police detective is accused of taking more than $260,000 from the department’s evidence room over a four-year period prior to his retirement.
Christopher A. Halaszynski, 54, of Haler Heights is charged by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. Charges were filed Wednesday with Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
Investigators allege that money connected to 159 cases is missing, and accuse Halaszynski of using the cash to pay bills and personal expenses and finance vacation trips.
When detectives confronted Halaszynski, they said, he told them he had “nothing to show for everything I’ve (taken).”
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March 12, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A McKeesport police officer has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the mayor, alleging discrimination in promotions and retaliation for criticizing city officials on social media.
Julian Thomas, a McKeesport police officer since 2009, is Black. His lawsuit claims that he has been passed over for promotion and faced retaliation because he has spoken out against unfair personnel policies.
Thomas this week announced his candidacy for McKeesport Area School Board.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko on Tuesday night called the lawsuit baseless. “Typically in these situations, the city makes no comment,” Cherepko said. “Enough is enough. The entire case is fallacy.”
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March 10, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Visitors and vendors talk during the 2024 Health & Resource Fair. (Submitted photo via Facebook)
Irwin Senior Activity Center will hold its 3rd Annual Health & Resource Fair March 22, a spokeswoman said. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and admission is free.
The fair is open to the public in the surrounding communities and will host nearly 30 vendors from healthcare, insurance and other organizations.
Also on hand will be giveaways, coffee tasting, therapy dogs, basket raffles, a bake sale and reasonably priced Exercise teachers from the activity center also will be on hand to answer questions.
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March 10, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Politics & Elections
CORRECTION: This story was corrected after publication to fix Squires’ job title. We apologize for the error.
Kevin Squires has announced plans to run for re-election to the West Mifflin Area School Board. Squires, 32, is seeking his second four-year term.
A graduate of Point Park University, Squires is a laboratory manager at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a master’s degree in secondary education and currently serves as president of the West Mifflin board.
Squires said in a statement: “Four years ago, I campaigned on advancing education, fiscal responsibility, hearing the community, informing the public, and pushing for transparency.
“Since being elected, the district has changed considerably. I have supported investing millions in new technology, including new laptops for all students and touchscreen TVs for all classrooms, and curriculum materials (some of which had not been updated in over 20 years).
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March 10, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Politics & Elections
(Submitted photo courtesy of the candidate)
A longtime McKeesport police officer has announced his candidacy for the McKeesport Area School Board in the May primary election.
Julian Thomas is running on both the Republican and Democratic tickets. School director positions are officially non-partisan and cross-filing is common.
A graduate of Community College of Allegheny County, Thomas is married and a father of four children, including two attending McKeesport Senior High School.
Thomas, a member of Ebenezer Christian Worship Center in Clairton, described himself as “a passionate community organizer focusing on improving our communities rapport with the local government and school district as well as getting the services and resources to the communities most in need of them.”
He has been a police officer for 15 years.
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March 07, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Politics & Elections
(Submitted photo)
White Oak resident Adam Kitta has announced his candidacy for the 35th Legislative District and is running on the Libertarian Party ticket.
Kitta, a lifelong resident of the Mon Valley, said the driving force of his candidacy has been his “passion to make a difference and determination to bring people together.”
A special election is being held March 25 to fill the vacancy left by the Jan. 19 death of State Rep. Matt Gergely of McKeesport.
The 35th District includes McKeesport, Clairton, Duquesne, Homestead, Liberty Borough, Lincoln Borough, Munhall, Port Vue, South Versailles Twp., Versailles, West Homestead, Whitaker, White Oak and portions of West Mifflin.
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