Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 19
Seniors celebrate at annual Leetsdale Manor Christmas party
More than 50 senior citizens celebrated the holidays with a party at the Leetsdale Manor apartments on Dec. 11. It was the third annual Christmas party organized by Mayor Sandra Ford. The event was sponsored by the borough and the Quaker Valley Salvation Army. Dinner included pulled pork, chicken, green...
Bell Acres officials hold the line on borough real estate taxes in 2025
Bell Acres officials held the line on real estate taxes and maintained services in their 2025 budget. Council voted 5-0 on Dec. 9 to pass next year’s spending plan and keep the millage rate at 4.82 mills, which includes 4.32 mills for general purposes and a 0.5-mill fire tax. Council...
Quaker Valley School District police force to be under new leadership in January
Quaker Valley School District police will start the new year with new leadership. David Watts was promoted to top school cop following the resignation of chief Aaron Vanatta, who resigned this month to take a similar role at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Pittsburgh. The board approved...
Proposed Plum church clears zoning hurdle
Plans for a new church in Plum, to be built very close to an existing house of worship, cleared a procedural hurdle with approval from the borough’s zoning hearing board. Jubilee International Ministry sought a variance to build an estimated 6,100-square-foot, single-story church on its property. It would seat 252...
Sewickley’s 2025 budget approved with no tax hike, garbage and sewer fees remain stagnant
Sewickley property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council voted unanimously on Dec. 10 to pass the borough’s projected $10.76 million spending plan and maintain the millage rate at 6.25 mills. The garbage collection and sewer fees also will remain the same....
Additional hearing required for proposed injection well in Plum
Plans for a proposed injection well project in Plum will once again be debated before the borough’s zoning hearing board as the governing body adheres to a state court ruling. Board members voted 5-0 Thursday determining a section of the zoning ordinance involving setbacks applies to Penneco Environmental Solutions’ request...
Indiana Township holds taxes steady; some firefighters will get a break
Indiana Township property owners will not have to pay more in township property taxes in 2025. Some township volunteer firefighters also will receive a tax break as part of a new relief program. Supervisors unanimously voted to pass their estimated $6.5 million 2025 budget. The millage rate remains at 3.47...
Leet commissioners approve 18% tax hike next year
Leet property owners will see their township real estate taxes go up about 18% next year. The township commissioners voted 4-0 on Dec. 9 to pass the 2025 budget, which includes the first township tax hike in the last seven years. Commissioner Rody Nash was absent. The millage rate will...
Blawnox to see no rise in real estate taxes, garbage fees; water/sewage bills will increase
Blawnox property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council unanimously voted Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the tax rate at 10.85 mills. Garbage collection fees also remained the same. Council raised taxes by 1 mill for the 2023...
No change in Aspinwall’s real estate taxes, sewage fees for 2025
Aspinwall property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council voted 6-0 on Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the millage rate at 8.36 mills, including 0.5-mill for public safety. Councilman Lou Curcio was absent. One mill generates about $150,000...
Light Up the Wall in Aspinwall draws huge holiday crowd
An illuminating holiday tradition drew hundreds of people tiny Aspinwall on Dec. 7. The annual Light Up the Wall is one of the largest events organized by the Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce and presented in partnership with the borough. Freezing temperatures did not stop dozens of families across the Fox...
Sewickley Light Up Night draws thousands, sparks holiday spirit
Graham Walker sat stoically in the Sewickley Public Library surrounded by balloons, marshmallow snowmen and inflatable reindeer antlers. The Sewickley teen was focused and determined as he dared not jingle a single bell stacked on a popsicle stick. He walked out a victor in one of the many games taking...
Blawnox officials celebrate their police officers’ next chapters
Blawnox police Chief Patrick Goodman sat at the main desk of the police station talking with his fellow officers on the first floor of the borough building. Some wearing fully-equipped uniforms and a part-timer in plain clothes. It was a familiar scene since 2019 when Goodman took over the small...
O’Hara property taxes going up about 14%
O’Hara property owners will have to pay about 14% more in real estate taxes as part of the township’s 2025 budget. Council voted 5-2 on Dec. 10 to pass its spending plan and raise the millage rate from 2.1 mills to 2.4 mills. Council Vice President Mike Hamill and Councilman...
West Mifflin High School shifts to remote learning after auditorium fire
West Mifflin Area High School students will have a remote learning day Tuesday to learn remotely after a fire ripped through the auditorium. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire around 5:30 p.m. Monday at 91 Commonwealth Ave. Allegheny County officials are investigating the cause of the blaze,...
Fire at Verona apartment leaves at least 6 people homeless
At least six people were left homeless Thursday evening after a fire ripped through an apartment building in Verona. Multiple fire departments responded to the call for a fire with entrapment shortly before 5 p.m. in the 400 block of Center Avenue. Bystanders and borough police were kicking in doors...
Sewickley Valley YMCA, Heritage Valley Health System Thanksgiving tradition trots on
A little rain did not dampen the spirits of participants in the eighth annual Sewickley Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. About 1,900 people took part in the race organized by the Sewickley Valley YMCA and Heritage Valley Health System. It benefits the Y’s Faith in Action program, which matches elderly...
Still time to donate to Aspinwall’s Presents from Police toy drive
Aspinwall police officers again will serve as Santa’s deputies as they and other law enforcement agencies join forces to deliver presents to children. The 14th annual Presents from Police is underway with about 20 departments, including the Allegheny County and state police, joining in Aspinwall’s holiday efforts. New, unwrapped gifts...
Fox Chapel Area School Board reelects president, vice president, assistant board secretary
Fox Chapel Area School Board leadership will remain the same heading into the new year. The school directors reelected Marybeth Dadd and Ron Frank as president and vice president, respectively, for the nine-member panel. Board member Vanessa Lynch also was reelected as assistant board secretary. Votes were unanimous at a...
Quaker Valley School Board reappoints president, vice president
Quaker Valley School District will head into the new year with familiar faces leading its school board. Jonathan Kuzma and Daniela Helkowski were reappointed as board president and vice president, respectively. The unanimous votes were made at a reorganization meeting on Dec. 4. Kuzma, a Leetsdale resident and 2001 Quaker...
Proposed 2025 Glen Osborne budget has no real estate tax hike
Glen Osborne officials hope to hold the line on property taxes with their 2025 budget. The proposed $800,0000 spending plan is expected to be passed Dec. 17. Projected revenues include about $391,600 in real estate taxes, $255,000 in earned income taxes, $45,000 in real estate transfer taxes and $9,000 in...
Medical examiner: Deaths of Mt. Lebanon woman, daughter found dead in South Park ruled murder-suicide
The deaths of a Mt. Lebanon woman and her daughter who were found dead in their car in June has been ruled a murder-suicide. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office released the findings late Tuesday into its investigation into the deaths of 43-year-old Serena Guan and her 10-year-old daughter, Abigail...
No tax hike in proposed 2025 Edgeworth budget
Edgeworth officials plan to hold the line on real estate property taxes next year. Council voted 5-0 on Nov. 19 to advertise its proposed $3.355 million spending plan. Councilman Dan Wilson and councilwoman Beth Genter were absent. Budget documents indicate the millage rate will remain at 4.5 mills. Next year...
Sharpsburg magistrate announces candidacy for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas judge
District Judge Matthew Rudzki of Sharpsburg wants to become a judge for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Rudzki announced his candidacy to become a county judge Dec. 4, a few days after the death of Judge Alexander P. Bicket. Bicket, 68, of Mt. Lebanon died on Dec. 2...
New sensory rooms planned at Quaker Valley Middle School and Edgeworth Elementary
Quaker Valley School District officials know life can be stressful for their young learners. Managing school work, extracurricular activities, home life and other situations can sometimes cause students to feel overwhelmed. That’s why the district plans to create two new sensory rooms, one at the middle school and one at...
