December 02, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport police Chief Mark Steele and Mayor Michael Cherepko (right) congratulate new assistant chief Josh Alfer (center) following his promotion. (Tube City Almanac photo)
McKeesport’s new assistant police chief comes from a family with deep local roots, and helped create the department’s program to recruit and train new officers.
Josh Alfer, an 18-year veteran who previously served as the lieutenant in charge of patrol, was appointed second-in-command of the department in November. The position of assistant chief had been vacant since current police Chief Mark Steele was promoted from assistant chief more than a year ago.
Mayor Michael Cherepko said Alfer and other candidates were screened by the personnel committee following civil service testing.
“We had unbelievably qualified candidates, but obviously there comes a time to make a very difficult decision,” Cherepko said, adding that he was confident in Alfer’s abilities.
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November 30, 2024 |
By Vickie Babyak | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Photographer Vickie Babyak captured these views of last week’s 2024 Salute to Santa Parade in Downtown McKeesport. Members of the Better Block Foundation served as grand marshal for the Nov. 23 event, along with special guest Cooper the Emu.
Nie’Zhay Jefferson, representing McKeesport Little Theater, was crowned as the queen of the parade, while Gabrielle Poston, representing the McKeesport Little Tigers, was crowned as princess.
Other candidates included princess nominees Skylar Crenshaw (McKeesport Area Shared Ministry, Beulah Park Campus); Sydney Hrinda (McKeesport Little Theater), Dee’Asia Little (LaRosa Youth Club), Mariah Robinson (McKeesport Little Tigers), and Zariah Swindle (McKeesport Area High School Cheerleaders)
Queen nominees included Alaysia Brewton (MAHS Cheerleaders), Kaitlyn Brush (McKeesport Area High School Tiger Marching Band), Madison Martino, (McKeesport Area High School National Honor Society), Elizabeth Nemes (MAHS Choir), Saniya Rivers (LaRosa Youth Club), Riley Sheposh (MAHS Student Council) and Ashley Slagle (MAHS Colorguard)
To request a reprint of any photo, email vbabyak@yahoo.com.
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November 27, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Investigators are probing a fire that damaged an apartment building Tuesday morning on Versailles Avenue.
McKeesport firefighters said crews were dispatched to 3212 Versailles Ave. just before 7 a.m. after Allegheny County 9-1-1 reported receiving multiple calls about a fire in a second-floor apartment. The blaze at the corner of Versailles and Craig streets quickly went to two alarms.
The first floor of the building previously housed Omerta Ink, a tattoo parlor. According to a post on Facebook, Omerta Ink closed Sept. 26.
Firefighters said the upper floor of the building was not occupied as a residence at the present time and appeared to be a storage area.
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November 20, 2024 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Azael Alvarez, project manager for the Better Block Foundation, helps to paint the Cox’s Corner parking lot on Monday. (Tube City Almanac photo)
City officials, Penn State Greater Allegheny and the Texas-based Better Block Foundation will use this weekend’s Salute to Santa parade to encourage economic and cultural investment in the Downtown business district.
The parade — still among the largest Christmas parades in Western Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh — gets underway along Fifth Avenue between Market and Sinclair streets beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 23). Tube City Almanac will provide live-streamed video coverage, weather-permitting.
Better Block, with support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, is transforming the Cox’s Corner lot — a parking area on the site of the former Cox’s Department Store at Fifth and Walnut streets — into a colorful temporary performance area.
A pop-up holiday market is being created for this Saturday only across the street in the People’s Building and the vacant D&K Stores and CVS Pharmacy. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
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November 15, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office is investigating blazes this week that destroyed a vacant house on Jenny Lind Street and severely damaged two other homes on Packer Street.
The Jenny Lind Street fire is considered suspicious, McKeesport fire Chief Jeff Tomovcsik said.
The first fire was reported early Sunday morning in a home at 1803 Packer St. and quickly spread to a neighboring house at 1801. When crews arrived, the first house was heavily engulfed in fire and the second house was catching, and a second alarm was issued.
Both homes were wood-frame construction, according to Allegheny County property tax records. The houses were less than 10 feet apart.
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November 13, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Council Member Amber Webb speaks during a town hall meeting Nov. 2 at Jacob Woll Pavilion. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Relationships between local police and community residents — especially Black residents — are burdened by a legacy of racism and stereotypes, said speakers at a town-hall meeting organized by Take Action Advocacy Group.
But most speakers at the event, held Nov. 2 at Jacob Woll Pavilion, stopped short of using language such as “defund the police,” instead arguing that resources should be allocated for other first-responders and organizations to respond to mental-health crises and non-violent situations, and for the use of conflict resolution techniques to resolve neighborhood disputes.
About 20 people attended the event, which included Take Action co-founder and chief executive officer Fawn Walker-Montgomery, McKeesport Council Member Amber Webb, and Autumn Redcross and Margo Hu from Abolitionist Law Center-Court Watch.
Former Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby and former Allegheny County Councilwoman Olivia Bennett were among those who also spoke at the meeting.
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October 30, 2024 |
By Yousuf Lachhab Ibrahim | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections
Former President Bill Clinton, who visited McKeesport in 1992 while running for president, helped lead a “get-out-the-vote” rally for local Democrats at Renziehausen Park on Tuesday. (Yousuf Lachhab Ibrahim photo for Tube City Almanac)
Former President Bill Clinton came to McKeesport on Tuesday for a Get Out the Vote rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president.
With early voting underway and Election Day less than a week away, Democrats, Republicans, and the Green Party are trying to secure votes with the little time they have left in Pennsylvania, which is considered the key swing state this year.
On the same day that Clinton came to McKeesport, Trump held a rally in Allentown. Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate, will be coming to McKeesport tonight (Wednesday) for an environmental justice forum in Renziehausen Park from 5 to 8 p.m.
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October 21, 2024 |
By Yousuf Lachhab Ibrahim | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The McKeesport Area School District has received 12 applications for the open position of superintendent, and is hoping to receive some more before the cut-off date on Oct. 31, officials said last week.
The hiring process began after the previous superintendent, Tia Wanzo, resigned amidst allegations of a failure to properly report a case of sexual contact between a 24-year-old security guard — Alexis Brown — and a 17-year-old student.
That case is separate from rumored allegations against an anonymous McKeesport Area teacher who was reportedly placed on administrative leave after being accused of sexual misconduct by a student. District officials have declined comment in that case.
At a sometimes contentious board meeting last week, McKeesport resident Bridgette Truss raised the issue of special education students. Two positions have been vacant since the beginning of the school year, she said, coordinator of special education and assistant coordinator of special education and accessibility.
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October 16, 2024 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Carla Lukehart and Andrew J.G. Schwartz of Environmental Planning & Design presented a report to McKeesport officials at the October council meeting. It recommends a series of phased improvements to make three key corridors safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. (Tube City Almanac photo)
A new report envisions a series of street and sidewalk improvements that would reshape three main corridors through the heart of McKeesport to improve access for bicyclists, pedestrians and bus riders.
The report — created by Environmental Planning & Design after more than two years of data collection and community input from city residents — stops short of recommending dedicated bike lanes, such as those in Pittsburgh and other major cities.
Instead, the report recommends the city plan to make investments in improved signage, safer drains and storm basins, and curb-cuts to make it easier for bicyclists, walkers and people in wheelchairs to connect to the Great Allegheny Passage, bus routes and shopping and recreation.
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October 14, 2024 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport Area School Board is asking for the public to provide input as it searches for a new superintendent.
At last week’s agenda meeting, resident Louis Patil suggested that although the last two superintendents were graduates of McKeesport Area schools and longtime employees, the district’s next leader should not have any connection to the district.
“You’re looking for input about the new superintendent,” Patile said. “I honestly think the next superintendent should not have any connection to McKeesport from before. When businesses get in trouble, they don’t promote from within. They go out and find someone from outside who has no pre-conceived notions.”
District Solicitor Gary Matta said he welcomed those kinds of comments. “We are trying to get public input on expectations for a superintendent,” he said. “Then we can give it to the consultant” and talk to the people that truly want the job.
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