Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 28
Spring Art Fling in Blawnox draws crowd, artists to borough
A giant purple hand, student sketches, miniature creations and a snake made out of painted rocks were just a few of the artworks on display at this year’s Spring Art Fling. The third annual Best of Blawnox artistic celebration took place June 15. About 200 people visited the borough that...
Blessing of the Animals set for June 29 in Aspinwall
One of the Rev. Scott Hill’s favorite annual services will soon take place. The Aspinwall Presbyterian Church will conduct a blessing of animals at 10 a.m. June 29 on the Third Street side of the church grounds. The church is at 299 Center Ave. in Aspinwall. The informal service is...
Leetsdale Council president receives state recognition for community service
Leetsdale Mayor Sandra Ford knows a hard worker when she sees one. Someone who helps make the borough better through countless hours of community participation, continuing education and volunteerism. It is that spirit and drive that Ford sees in Maria Napolitano, council’s president and planning commission secretary . The elected...
Shaler Area School District to raise real estate taxes 6.6% with its 2024-25 budget
Shaler Area School District property owners should prepare to pay 6.6% more in real estate taxes. School board members were poised to adopt their near $98.76 million 2024-25 budget at the June 19 meeting. That schedule was after presstime for this issue. The proposed final budget was posted in the...
Penn Hills School District administrator to become assistant superintendent at Shaler Area
A North Hills High School graduate who was voted most likely to teach in the district will start next school year as one of the top administrators in a neighboring community. Brian Brown, 42, will become Shaler Area School District’s new assistant superintendent in August. He grew up in the...
Illuminated crosswalk signs installed along Freeport Road in Blawnox’s business district
Motorists driving through Blawnox have some new lights to look out for. The borough recently installed solar-powered illuminated crosswalk signs at four intersections along Freeport Road. They are located at North, Cable and McKinley avenues as well as Humbolt Street. Police Chief Patrick Goodman said those locations were approved by...
Families throughout Quaker Valley area to gather in Sewickley for Night Mart
A monthly summer tradition of bringing various craft and candlemakers, food vendors and artists to Sewickley is set to begin. Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Night Mart returns June 28, July 26 and Aug. 30. The borough’s business district along Beaver Street will be bustling from 6 to 9 p.m....
Leetsdale ‘hump’ along Washington Street to be removed by end of the year
Councilman James DeGori has lived along Washington Street in Leetsdale long enough to witness his share of near misses at an intersection colloquially called the hump. It is at the intersection of the former Leet Street Bridge, which was closed to traffic in 2013 and removed in 2017. The bridge...
Aspinwall starting to post council meeting videos online
Aspinwall Council’s meeting videos are now being posted for public consumption. The borough has provided a livestream Zoom feed for its workshop and voting sessions for a long time. However, the footage was not available online after the meeting ended. Council unanimously voted to change that and post at least...
Butler man sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug, gun crimes
A Butler man who was the shooter in an incident in Butler nearly 3½ years ago that led to discovery of a large amount of heroin and fentanyl in his car has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Darnell Wynn, 44, was found guilty of possession with intent...
Ribbon cut on Allegheny RiverTrail Park expansion in Aspinwall
O’Hara couple Dennis and Lynn Marsico find riding their bikes on various trails keeps them young. Gearing up to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August, they were among the first riders to use the Allegheny RiverTrail Park’s trail extension shortly after park and government officials cut the ribbon June...
Quaker Valley School District selects new mental health service provider for 2024-25 school year
Quaker Valley School District officials believe taking care of a student’s mental health is just as important as their academics, arts and athletics. That’s why various administrators and professionals evaluated service providers the past several months in order to select one that would best fit the district’s needs. School board...
Aspinwall police join North Hills DUI Task Force
The Aspinwall Police Department is the latest municipal law enforcement agency to join the North Hills DUI Task Force. Council unanimously voted to authorize a cooperative agreement June 12. The multijurisdictional police force can now do DUI checkpoints and other related activities in the borough. Chief Dave Nemec said it...
Moving out of town, Sewickley councilman announces he will step down in July
Sewickley Councilman Brian Bozzo is stepping down and moving to another town. The registered independent announced his soon-to-be independence from his elected position at a council meeting June 11. He told his colleagues he and his wife, Lindsay, and their three children will be moving next month out of the...
Speeding motorists in Sewickley cause concern for Laughlin Children’s Center officials
MaryAnn Perkins understands speeding is a problem in every town. Speed limits are more like suggestions for aggressive drivers. What she is most concerned about is the safety of the youths at Laughlin Children’s Center along Frederick Avenue in Sewickley. The center sits between Walnut and Broad streets. “It is...
Fox Chapel Area School Board passes 2024-25 budget with 3.75% tax hike
Many Fox Chapel Area School District property owners will pay 3.75% more in real estate taxes next school year. The school board voted 8-0 on June 10 to pass the district’s $119.1 million budget for 2024-25, using a tax hike and money from the district’s fund balance to balance it....
Sewickley Academy graduates 39
Anjali Shah knew her message at Sewickley Academy’s graduation ceremony needed to be memorable. The Senior School student body president and member of the class of 2024 stood behind the podium with poise at the private school’s commencement ceremony on June 7. She talked about how she started her academic...
Missing ‘at risk’ man located by Pittsburgh police
A man considered “at risk” by Pittsburgh police has been located after more than a week missing. Gregg Patterson, 41, had been last seen June 3 at his workplace, Waffles INcaffeinated, along the 400 block of Fifth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz reported. Pittsburgh police enlisted...
Major wall repair project in Edgeworth to be approved in July
Edgeworth officials are moving closer to awarding one of the borough’s biggest repair projects in recent history. The proposed reinforcement of a failing stone wall that supports Beaver Road between Church and Edgeworth lanes, and related upgrades, is estimated at $1.6 million. The sidewalk along the aforementioned stretch has been...
Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg libraries promote summer reading with adventurous videoVideo
Books can serve as educational tools, historic documentations and even doorways to galaxies far, far away. They often take readers on an adventure, which is what many Allegheny County libraries are stressing with the summer reading program theme “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel and...
Longtime Aspinwall-area postman recognized for decades of service
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night could keep longtime postman Donnie Bauerle Jr. from the swift completion of his appointed rounds. The O’Hara resident delivered the mail to Aspinwall and Sharpsburg residents and businesses for 37 years. His last day was April 30. Aspinwall Mayor Joe...
Pittsburgh police locate missing at-risk teen
Pittsburgh police says they have found an at-risk missing girl, who was last seen on June 1....
Quaker Valley School District to use new communication system to reach families, students
Quaker Valley School District plans to launch a new mass communication system to better reach families and keep folks informed about district activities. The board recently approved spending about $9,800 annually over the next three years for ParentSquare, a communication tool district officials believe will help save time and streamline...
Quaker Valley School District celebrates the Class of 2024
Quaker Valley School District families celebrated the class of 2024 and their transition from students to alumni May 30 at Chuck Knox Stadium. Several administrators and school board members congratulated the 155 graduates as they walked across the stage to get their diplomas. The high school concert band, led by...
Art celebration set for June 15 in Blawnox
A celebration of all things art will soon take place in Blawnox. The third annual Spring Art Fling along Freeport Road is set for Saturday, June 15. Sponsored by Dollar Bank and presented by the nonprofit Best of Blawnox, it’s a chance for families to check out paintings, drawings, ceramics,...
