April 17, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Area School Board unanimously approved a preliminary budget for the 2025-26 school year.
At Thursday’s meeting, school directors by 8-0 vote approved a budget of $86,579,617, which represents a 5 percent increase in expenses at McKeesport Area School District.
Property tax millage remains the same, at 20.96 mills. A homeowner whose house has an assessed value of $100,000 would pay $2,096 in school property taxes annually.
Among those expenses is a $50,000 line item for salaries for a “bus matron/monitors.”
The item, as School Director David Seropian explained, was inserted “per the request” of School Director Diane Elias. Elias’ request comes on the heels of comments made about student safety last month by Sidney Walker and Stephanie Pollock.
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April 17, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Area School Board is seeking applications from residents of the community to replace School Director Dan Goughnour, who has resigned.
Goughnor’s resignation was accepted by the board at last week’s meeting. He won the special election to the state General Assembly and was sworn into office on April 7.
During the April 10 meeting, school district Solicitor Gary Matta said the school board has 30 days to appoint a replacement for Goughnour.
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April 11, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
* Correction: Due to an editing error, this story was corrected after publication.
(City of McKeesport photo)
McKeesport Area school board members expressed surprise on Thursday that the district is being charged a permit fee for the use of athletic fields at Renziehausen Park.
At this week’s board meeting, School Director Jason Pavlecic reported the district “recently received a bill from the city charging us a few thousand dollars to rent the fields.”
The bill, according to Pavlecic, included a $500 cost to use Jimmy Long Field, a $500 cost to use Filotei Field and a $1,000 fee to use Helen Richey Field.
“And that is to increase next year,” Pavlecic said. “To my knowledge, as well as [MASD Athletic Director] Charley Kiss’ knowledge, this has never occurred previously.”
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April 10, 2025 |
By Stacy Alderman | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Fitness trainer Jessica McCauley demonstrates equipment at her new facility, Flash Fitness, located in the city’s 10th Ward. (Stacy Alderman photo for Tube City Almanac)
Since becoming a certified trainer in 2016, Jessica McCauley has worked at multiple gyms throughout the area. Along the way, she met clients who followed her from place to place, even if it was to a temporary gym in her garage.
Now, those dedicated customers, along with new ones, have the opportunity to see her in action as the owner of her own facility, Flash Fitness, at 524 West 5th Ave. in the city’s 10th Ward.
The facility will host its first public event on May 31st, a spring “VIP dance” where kids can bring their “VIP” to hang out, dance, and enjoy snacks and a photo booth. “There’s are always father-daughter dances,” McCauley says. “But this is an event where kids of any age, whether you’re 5 or 15, can bring a grandparent, aunt, sibling, or mentor to enjoy an evening of fun.”
Tickets are $25 per couple.
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April 09, 2025 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: State & Region
Michael B. Carroll, state secretary of transportation, delivered the keynote address at the annual legislative luncheon sponsored by the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Pennsylvania is serious about the need to replace, repair and upgrade the commonwealth’s many bridges, the state’s transportation secretary told Mon-Yough area business leaders last week.
But Secretary Michael B. Carroll cautioned: “The price tag is pretty steep.”
Carroll delivered the keynote address at the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative luncheon, held at the Georgetown Centre banquet hall in Pleasant Hills.
Guests at the luncheon included members of local borough and city councils as well as state Sen. Jay Costa.
Several candidates for Allegheny County Council also attended. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chamber presented lifetime achievement awards to McKeesport real estate executive Robert “Bob” Baum and retiring District 9 Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey.
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April 07, 2025 |
By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Hall, the dormitory at Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus. (File photo by Ryan Kegel via Wikimedia Commons, used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license)
A five-minute McKeesport Area School District meeting, which featured zero comments during a hearing of citizens and only a brief overview of items set for vote at next week’s school board gathering, included one small ask seeking sizable change.
School Director Matthew Keller called for a resolution offsetting efforts to shutter Penn State University’s Greater Allegheny campus.
Located steps from McKeesport Area High School, the 59-acre campus is one of 12 Penn State campuses slated for potential closure following the 2026-2027 academic year — the university maintains 24 campuses across the commonwealth.
University-wide downsizing stems from declining student enrollment, financial pressures and demographic changes, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in February.
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April 07, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: State & Region
Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly applaud newly sworn-in State Rep. Dan Goughnour, his wife, Lauren, and their children, Gavin, Gannon and Gracelynn. (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania photo)
Dan Goughnour took the oath of office at the state Capitol on Monday to become the new representative for Pennsylvania’s 35th Legislative District.
Goughnour was joined by his wife Lauren and their children, Gavin, Gannon and Gracelynn, along with McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko, City Administrator Tom Maglicco and other guests and Mon-Yough area officials.
“Swearing in a new member is always a special occasion in the state House of Representatives,” Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton said.
“I know that Rep. Goughnour will leverage his 16 years of experience as a public servant and local elected official to work on policies that will help his Mon Valley neighbors and communities across the state thrive,” she said.
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April 03, 2025 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
(Courtesy Western Pennsylvania Conservancy)
TreeVitalize Pittsburgh is looking for volunteers to help plant 30 trees in McKeesport this Saturday, a spokeswoman said.
Volunteers will help plant 10 trees in Renziehausen Park, six along Sixth Avenue and 14 along Market Street.
Trees are selected that are slower-growing, native to Pennsylvania, compatible with an urban environment and safe around sidewalks and overhead utility lines, according to TreeVitalize’s website.
TreeVitalize Pittsburgh is a project of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Allegheny County Parks, the City of Pittsburgh, Tree Pittsburgh and the state Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.
Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at 500 Market St.
To register, contact Alicia Wehrle at awehrle@paconserve.org or 412-586-2386, or visit the Water Land Life website.
April 03, 2025 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
• RELATED STORY: Crowd Presses City on Man’s Arrest, Reform
A city man injured March 8 during an arrest by McKeesport police was trying to hit another man with a brick, a criminal complaint alleges.
Callie Stinson Sr., 72, is charged by McKeesport police with two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest in connection with the incident. He faces a preliminary hearing April 28 before Magisterial District Justice Eugene Riazzi.
Stinson’s family has alleged that police used excessive force in arresting Stinson, causing broken ribs and contusions on his face and neck. Stinson has a tracheotomy tube to assist his breathing, they said. A video of Stinson’s arrest, recorded by a bystander, was widely shared on social media last month.
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April 02, 2025 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
• RELATED STORY: Police say man tried to hit victim with brick
A large group of residents and visitors from surrounding communities crowded McKeesport City Council chambers Wednesday night to address concerns about the arrest of a 72-year-old man that resulted in his hospitalization.
A video of police officers arresting Callie Stinson Sr. on March 8 was widely shared on social media. Police allege that Stinson threatened a neighbor with a brick and had to be restrained after he threw a punch.
“My brother right now has four broken ribs in his chest, and another broken rib in his back,” Kay Stinson of McKeesport told city council, adding that Black residents of McKeesport are “still treated like it’s the 1950s and ’60s. Enough is enough.”
All McKeesport police officers are required to wear so-called body cams — body-worn video cameras — while on duty. McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko told the audience that the city has joined community groups to ask for body cam footage of the arrest to be released to the public.
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