Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 25
Leet planning commission recommends approval of Quaker Valley high school plan
Quaker Valley School District’s plans for a new high school have cleared another hurdle as Leet planning commission voted 4-0 on Aug. 22 to recommend approval of the preliminary and final site plan. The proposed 167,000-square-foot school is on 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. The district property...
Gene the Werewolf to celebrate release of ‘best of’ vinyl recordVideo
Pittsburgh rockers with a throwback sound have taken to a throwback way to listen to their best work so far. Gene the Werewolf is ready to launch its “best of” vinyl album Friday via concert at the South Park Amphitheater. Admission is free to the all-ages show, which is part...
Quaker Valley School District celebrates the first day of classes
Quaker Valley schools were once again packed with young learners and eager teachers. First day of classes for the K-12 school district in the Sewickley area and neighboring boroughs was Aug. 21. About 1,820 students are enrolled in the 2024-25 school year. The district has 323 employees, including 164 teachers....
Quaker Valley area volunteers help restore butterfly garden at Edgeworth Elementary School
Several Quaker Valley area families came together to spruce up an unkempt elementary nature site just in time for students return to school. About 25 volunteers took shovels to dirt at the butterfly garden outside Edgeworth Elementary on Aug. 12. They also cleaned up the walkways around the area. First...
O’Hara, Blawnox officials eager to move forward with new police agreement
Excitement is brewing between Blawnox and O’Hara officials as they look to finalize an intergovernmental agreement for police services. The plan is for the Blawnox’s four full-time officers, including Chief Patrick Goodman, to become O’Hara officers and join the township force at the O’Hara municipal office at the start of...
Aspinwall to examine parking problems via study
Aspinwall officials know they have to do something about parking issues in the borough. What possible solutions there are will be determined through a new study. Council approved a $50,000 deal with Walker Consultants to examine spaces, potential changes to the zoning ordinance, collect data and come up with recommendations...
Aspinwall Police Department’s campaign to slow down speeding motorists in full force
Aspinwall police have launched a new initiative to encourage safe driving habits. The Slow Down Campaign involves placing yard signs at strategic sites throughout the borough, particularly near bus stops, busy intersections and other high-traffic areas. “We are looking to slow down vehicles for back to school,” Mayor Joe Noro...
Upgrades set for McCahill Park in Fox Chapel, including borough’s 1st public pickleball courts
Cora Susi leapt from a wooden ramp onto a small black circular platform and pole and launched herself into the great beyond. That beyond was 30 feet down a zip line at McCahill Park in Fox Chapel. It’s the favorite activity of Cora, 4, and her sister, Mira, 5, at...
Police: 11-year-old girl struck and killed in Natrona
An 11-year-old was struck and killed while walking Tuesday night in Harrison, leaving residents in the neighborhood in disbelief. “I can’t believe this happened,” said Denise Parkin, resident and friend of the victim’s family. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Roxanne Alexis Bonnoni, 11, of Natrona....
McKees Rocks man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for drug, gun crimes
A McKees Rocks man who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and being a felon possessing a gun has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Reginald Bernard Blunt, 32, was sentenced Thursday by Senior U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. Federal prosecutors showed that Blunt was caught with methamphetamine,...
Indiana Township supervisors deny request that could have led to new gas wells and fracking
Plans for Cranberry-based MPF Management to have a portion of Indiana Township rezoned for potential oil and gas development were put to a halt by township supervisors. The board voted 4-1 Aug. 14 to deny advertising a public hearing on a request to change a 59-acre parcel along Route 910...
Plum approves new contract with police chief, promotes 2 officers
Plum police Chief Lanny Conley has a new five-year contract and two newly promoted officers to go along with it. Council approved the contract and promotions at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 12. Conley’s current salary is $154,628. The contact includes 3.5% annual raises with the first effective in January....
Sewickley Academy to welcome students Aug. 29
Sewickley Academy teachers and staff are preparing to welcome their pre-K to 12th grade students back to school. First day for learners at the private campus along Academy Avenue is Aug. 29. Officials said 513 students are enrolled for the 2024-25 school year, including 109 new students. There are 137...
Fox Chapel Area School District to welcome students Aug. 22
Fox Chapel Area School District officials are preparing to welcome students for the start of the 2024-25 school year. First day of classes is scheduled for Aug. 22. Teachers reported to work and had staff meetings with administrators Aug. 14. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said there is a lot of...
Man killed in Wilmerding
Allegheny County Police are investigating the murder of a man in Wilmerding. Officers were dispatched to the 100 block of State Street for a shooting around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. First responders found a man fatally shot. No further information about the victim or possible suspects was immediately available. Anyone with...
4 residents and Plum police officer recognized for saving woman from fiery crash
Several good Samaritans and a Plum police officer were recognized for their efforts in saving a woman from a fiery crash last month. A Lower Burrell woman suffered a medical emergency while driving the morning of July 17. It became a tumultuous ride as her vehicle struck a street sign...
Sewickley Council welcomes new member
Sewickley officials have tapped a retired clinical nursing instructor and former Cornell School District school board member as their new councilwoman. Linda Solecki was appointed to borough council Aug. 13. She fills the vacancy created when former councilman Brian Bozzo moved to nearby Glen Osborne. Bozzo, 39, was appointed to...
Man shot in arm in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood
A man was hospitalized in stable condition Tuesday after being found shot in the arm. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said police continue to investigate the shooting in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood. Officers were dispatched for two ShotSpotter alerts at about 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue...
Plum Boy Scout Troop celebrates 60 years of service
Plum Boy Scout Troop 111 is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Mayor Harry Schlegel delivered a proclamation to the troop and its committee chair Jim Plutto at a council meeting Aug. 12. Schlegel also declared Aug. 24 “Boy Scout Troop 111 Day” in the borough. Troop 111 is based...
Man shot in domestic incident in Penn Hills, police say
A man was shot Monday morning in Penn Hills in what detectives have described as a domestic incident, according to the Allegheny County Police. Officers were dispatched for a shooting shortly before 11:40 a.m. Monday to the 400 block of Elias Drive. Police found a man shot. He was taken...
Steel City Con returns to Monroeville Convention Center
Mardie Baldo of Ross was hoping to just get a high-five and a photo with one of her favorite actors, Thomas Lennon, at the Monroeville Convention Center this weekend. She got a pleasant surprise when the star of “Reno 911” and multiple other shows welcomed her on stage during his...
Former Florida Georgia Line singer’s gig boosts Tarentum police K-9 fund
Many people who attended a benefit concert in West Deer said they had no issue with travel or parking despite a nearby tunnel closure. The 130-year-old Rural Ridge Tunnel on Little Deer Creek Valley Road in Indiana Township closed Friday, the same day former Florida Georgia Line frontman Brian Kelley...
Aspinwall Neighbors’ community event another ‘big’ hit
Joanna Studeny of Aspinwall couldn’t stop smiling as she watched her young daughter make new friends at the borough ball field. Four-year-old June Mastrangelo never hesitated to splatter bubbles or dive into a pile of suds sprayed by Camp Guyasuta volunteers. It wasn’t for a merit badge or some cooperation...
Kennywood, Idlewild to close Friday because of Tropical Storm Debby
Kennywood Park in West Mifflin and Idlewild Park and SoakZone will be closed Friday because of expected bad weather. Company officials cited remnants of Tropical Storm Debby moving through the area as their reason for the closure. The announcement was made via the amusement parks’ websites Thursday. All tickets for...
New Sewickley business features Nigerian sun-dried spices
A Nigerian native who has been bringing a taste of her country’s culture to Western Pennsylvania and beyond recently opened her first shop in Sewickley. The ribbon has been cut at KizzleFoods along Beaver Street, home of a variety of organic sun-dried, hand-ground spices from West Africa. It is also...
