April 24, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: State & Region
Attendees at the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative lunch included state Reps. Brandon Markosek and Abigail Salisbury; chamber member and McKeesport real-estate broker Robert Baum; state Reps. Matthew Gergley and Nick Pisciottano; West Mifflin business owner Nick Pisciottano; Lt. Gov. Austin Davis; Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald; business owners Craig Baum and Eva Jovanovic; Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey; and Mon Yough Chamber Board Chair Robert Johnson. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Pennsylvania’s governor is dedicated to making the state more business-friendly to entrepreneurs, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis told the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce during its annual legislative luncheon.
During the event at the Georgetown Centre in Pleasant Hills, Davis told local business leaders that among Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first actions after being sworn in was the creation of the new Office of Transformation & Opportunity.
Davis called the office “a one-stop shop for businesses, to give you the support you need to grow and thrive.”
The administration is also putting pressure on state permit and license agencies to perform, he said. When a business applies for a license, Davis said, “they will have a timeline that the state is required to meet. And if we don’t respond by that deadline–the applicant gets their money back.”
“We’re planting a flag, sending a clear message that Pennsylvania is open for business,” he said.
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April 21, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
A volunteer picks up litter in an Allegheny County park. (Submitted photo courtesy Allegheny County Parks, via Facebook)
Volunteers are needed in several Mon-Yough neighborhoods as local groups celebrate Earth Day on Saturday.
At 8:30 a.m., city officials and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s TreeVitalize program will gather at Kennedy Park on Lysle Boulevard between Market and Walnut streets for a free class in tree-planting, according to McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko’s office.
Then, teams of volunteers will fan out through the city’s Downtown area and Renziehausen Park to plant several trees with help from experts, the mayor’s office said. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and safe shoes. All necessary material will be provided, but participants will receive gloves if they need them.
Afterward, a free lunch will be served. Transportation to and from Renzie Park will be available for people who need it, the mayor’s office said.
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April 20, 2023 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
The cast of “Little Shop of Horrors,” with Brigid Fuller as Audrey (far left) and TJ Betzner as Seymour Krelborn (far right) rehearse the “Skid Row” number from Serra Catholic's spring musical, which opens Friday. (Tube City Almanac photo by Bonnijean Adams)
If you go...
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“Little Shop of Horrors”
Where: Serra Catholic High School gymnasium, 200 Hershey Drive, (412) 751-2020
When: Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students, available from any cast or crew member, in the main office, at the door, or by contacting fedorc@serrahs.org. Rated PG-13.
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Following a string of Disney musicals, Serra Catholic High School’s director and students decided they wanted to do something different this year.
They’ve been hard at work honing skills needed to not only sing and dance their hearts out, but to accommodate an otherworldly, carnivorous plant that is key to the production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” It opens Friday (April 21) at 7 p.m.
“I wanted something completely different,” director Jesse Bush said. “I wanted to step outside our comfort zone and try something new.”
Some of the cast members said they were familiar with the subject matter and music from either watching the movie of the same name or attending Elizabeth Forward’s spring musical last year – while others were not.
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April 19, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Denise Sharbaugh spent the weekend looking for a new home for her 88-year-old father. She’s not sure how well he will adapt to the change.
Chuck Sharbaugh, who has lived at Senior Care Plaza on Lysle Boulevard for several years, is one of the residents who will be displaced when the personal care home closes May 1. A spokesman for the state Department of Human Services said the facility is voluntarily surrendering its license to operate.
A commercial kitchen on the site will continue to operate, employees have told Tube City Almanac, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Everything’s been running smoothly, my dad has been well taken care of,” Sharbaugh of White Oak said. “It’s really clean, and I like it. I’m really taken aback.”
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April 19, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Organizers of the 15th Annual Race for Grace are hoping to raise $165,000 at this year’s event. (Courtesy Reflections of Grace Foundation)
A North Huntingdon Twp.-based charity that has raised more than $1.5 million to support families of children with a rare form of brain cancer is celebrating a milestone anniversary.
The Reflections of Grace Foundation will hold its 15th Annual Race for Grace at Norwin High School this Saturday, a spokesperson said.
Race for Grace is held annually in memory of Grace Ekis, who was 5 years old in 2008 when she died from complications of childhood diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a terminal form of brain cancer.
Organizers said Race for Grace hopes to raise $165,000 this year.
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April 18, 2023 |
By Dianne Ribecca | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
A non-profit veterans organization had the winning bid for a former elementary school in North Versailles Twp.
Wellness for Veterans, located in Blairsville, must raise $615,000 or risk losing its opportunity to purchase the former Green Valley Elementary School at 3290 Crestview Drive, which was offered at public auction.
East Allegheny School Board this month accepted an offer from Wellness for Veterans. The group must deposit $20,000 to secure the sale and complete the transaction in 120 days, officials said.
Steve Miller, founder and chief executive officer of Wellness for Veterans, said he is feeling the pressure to come up with the money or lose the building.
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April 18, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
The last unused building in McKeesport’s industrial park is getting a new owner.
McKeesport City Council has approved a request from W&E Investments LLC to use the former McKeesport Connecting Railroad roundhouse for temporary storage of oil and lubricants used by U.S. Steel plants in the area.
The roundhouse, built in 1906, was used by the railroad for repair of locomotives and other equipment until 1987.
W&E Investments is a project of Cliff Wise, chair of River Materials Inc., which operates a barge and railcar loading facility under the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge.
“It is literally the only building not bought or occupied at this point” in the industrial park, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko says. “We’re going to allow (Wise) to use it for storage for now” while additional plans are developed.
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April 14, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Announcements
(Tube City Almanac photo)
The Lysle Boulevard location of Rite Aid will close on April 20, employees have confirmed.
A sign at the front entrance to the Downtown store claims the location is “moving.” The addresses given are existing Rite Aid stores on Walnut Street in the city’s Christy Park neighborhood and on Monongahela Avenue in Glassport.
Calls to the company’s Camp Hill headquarters near Harrisburg seeking comment were not returned.
In 2022, Rite Aid closed 145 stores and reported a quarterly loss of $67 million in December. According to Forbes magazine, the chain’s executives said it was planning to close more locations in 2023.
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April 13, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
* CORRECTION: This story was corrected after publication.
Senior Care Plaza has been located in the former McKeesport Sheraton Inn since 1992. The facility has announced it is closing May 1. (Tube City Almanac photo)
A Downtown personal care home is closing May 1 after a long battle with state regulators over licensing issues.
Senior Care Plaza, located on Lysle Boulevard, has notified family members about the closure. It has been operating under a provisional license since March 2021, according to files at the state Department of Human Services. The facility, located in the former McKeesport Sheraton Inn, has been open since 1992.
A commercial kitchen that provides service to other providers will remain in operation.
State records indicate the facility is licensed for 100 beds, but according to several sources speaking on condition of anonymity, Senior Care Plaza has not been at full occupancy for some time.
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April 11, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Submitted photo courtesy Carnegie Library of McKeesport)
With National Library Week just around the corner, Carnegie Library of McKeesport is encouraging Mon-Yough residents to take advantage of upcoming programs at the main location and White Oak Branch.
Library Director Vincent D’Alesio said the week of April 23-29 is set aside this year to celebrate libraries, as well as “the people who work at them, and the people who use them.”
Special programs at the main library during library week include a free breakfast for visitors at 8:45 a.m. April 24, free lunch on the lawn at 12 noon and an apron design class at 3 p.m. April 26, a session on how to upcycle used materials into bird feeders and bird houses on April 28, and a karaoke party at 12 noon April 29.
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