Plum Advance Leader category, Page 27
Plum girls lacrosse picks up pace, improves playoff positioning
The Plum girls lacrosse team has made adjustments as the season has progressed. When the Mustangs’ young attacks needed time to grow into their roles, Plum counted on its upperclassmen to help carry the fight in the midfield. The Mustangs have been scoring at an impressive clip this season. While...
Advance Leader notebook: Plum boys lacrosse sets program record
The Plum boys lacrosse team routed Winchester Thurston earlier this month and did it with 17 goals, the most in the nearly decadelong history of the program. Juniors C.M. Sillman and Noah Parente each scored four goals, while junior Dom Colamarino and senior Caden Anderson added two goals apiece in...
Plum firefighters schedule trainings at former borough building ahead of its demolition
Firefighters from Plum’s four volunteer departments will be using the former borough building for training exercises beginning this week and running into early June, Holiday Park fire Chief James Sims said. The first sessions at the vacant building on New Texas Road will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m....
Plum equipping school buses with cameras to catch drivers passing illegally
Electronic witnesses could catch drivers illegally passing stopped school buses in Plum. The Plum School District has equipped about one-third of its vehicles with external cameras and is working toward having cameras on all of them, according to Assistant Superintendent Ashley Boyers. The district placed multiple cameras on 23 buses...
American Legion Honor Guard commander ends run after 27 years of funerals in W.Pa., beyond
Joseph Paradise has given military funeral honors to more than 3,000 veterans in Western Pennsylvania and beyond, no matter the weather. At 93, the Penn Hills resident is finally ready to retire, save for his work as a school crossing guard at Long Road and Datura Drive. He’s stepping away...
Plum baseball continues winning ways with shutout of Gateway
Plum is starting to hit its stride in Section 1-5A. The Mustangs have won five straight games after a tough section sweep at the hands of Penn-Trafford. Plum took care of Penn Hills twice last week, scored a key nonsection victory over North Allegheny last Friday and finished off a...
Democrat Pisciottano, Republican Dintini will vie to succeed retiring Sen. Jim Brewster
Democrat Nick Pisciottano and Republican Jen Dintini will vie in November to replace retiring Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster. Pisciottano, 34, a state representative from West Mifflin, cruised to victory in the Democratic primary over Makenzie White, 29, of Brentwood, a social worker and environmental consultant. With 100% of precincts...
McAndrew secures Democratic nomination for 32nd District state House seat
State Rep. Joe McAndrew, who became a member of the state House in a special election last year, survived a challenge by Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. With 100% of precincts counted, McAndrew of Penn Hills received 6,779 votes over Calabrese’s 2,822, according to unofficial results....
Jury returns split verdict in teen’s 2021 slaying in Wilkinsburg
A jury on Tuesday returned a split verdict for two men charged with killing a teenager in Wilkinsburg in 2021. The panel found Deontae Nalls, 24, of Plum, and Daeshuan Smith, 22, of Penn Hills both not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. However, the jury...
Doerfler brothers, Plum alumni, make 2nd donation for alma mater’s robotics program
A $10,000 donation from two Plum graduates will help start a new robotics club at their alma mater’s middle school. The donation from Joe Doerfler, 26, and Don Doerfler, 29, comes after the brothers gave $62,500 last year to the high school’s robotics club. The money comes from their winnings...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of April 21, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill Ruben Williams sold property at 110 Fenwick Drive to Haydn Buchanan Niehaus and Lauren Glenn Shay for $269,000. Edgewood NCRC Housing Rehab Fund LLC sold property at 121 Oakview Ave. to Kelly Andrews for $162,300. Forest Hills KAM Realty LLC sold property at 6 Demmer Ave. to...
45th Senate District sees competitive Dem, GOP primary races
Allegheny County’s 45th state Senatorial District has attracted more candidates than any other race in the region, in a contest that could be crucial in determining which party controls the state legislature’s upper chamber next year. And, at least on the Republican side, there are a bit of fireworks. Kami...
32nd District Democrats to get first full chance at naming late Rep. DeLuca’s successor
For the first time since 1982, the Democrat ballot for Pennsylvania’s 32nd House District won’t feature Tony DeLuca. The late lawmaker of 40 years died in October 2022, one month before the general election and too late to print new ballots. He won nonetheless, triggering a special election. Joe McAndrew...
Plum baseball battling toward playoff berth in Section 1-5A
Carl Vollmer was quick to extol the virtues of baseball games in Section 1-5A, one that is filled with close, natural rivalries. The veteran Plum coach said that with matchups against Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford, Penn Hills, Fox Chapel, Gateway and Armstrong, there will be the highs of big wins and...
Plum mobile home park owner argues expansion denial deprives residents of flood protection
Plum’s rejection of a mobile home park’s expansion plan, in part because of flooding concerns, denies the people already living there protection from flooding that the expansion would provide, the owner argues in court filings. Following a hearing last September, Plum’s zoning hearing board in November rejected a proposal to...
Plum hires Ashley DeVito as middle school assistant principal
The Plum School Board hired a new assistant principal for the district’s middle school. Ashley DeVito is coming to Plum from Propel Braddock Hills High School, where she was an assistant principal. DeVito, 31, of Penn Hills will start at Plum upon release from her position there. Her salary was...
Plum School Board advances budget, tax hike with board member absent
The Plum School District’s proposed $74.3 million budget for next school year carrying a 6.2% property tax increase is a step closer to approval. The school board voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve the district’s proposed budget for 2024-25. Board member Ronald Sakolsky was present at the start of the meeting,...
Dave Pucka, one of Plum’s own, hired to coach boys basketball team
Dave Pucka put his stamp on Plum athletics more than 25 years ago as a standout running back for the Mustangs, and he also was a member of the boys basketball team. He was Plum’s all-time rushing yards and touchdowns leader from his senior year in 1997 to 2022, when...
125th U.S. Open Championship volunteer registration opens online
Volunteer registrations for the 125th U.S. Open Championship are now available online. The United States Golf Association is hosting the tournament June 9-15, 2025, at Oakmont Country Club and has made the official callout for volunteers. Positions currently are available on nine committees, including access control, corporate hospitality, disability services,...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area events, week of April 15, 2024
Plum announces graduation date Plum Senior High School’s 2024 graduation will be held May 29, the district announced. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the high school stadium, 900 Elicker Road. There are two rain dates — 7 p.m. on May 30 and 7 p.m. on...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of April 14, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Chalfant Julie Molyneaux sold property at 931 Greensburg Pike to SRK Real Properties L.P. for $160,000. Churchill Marie Hickam sold property at 2321 Forest Drive to Jane Molina for $155,000. Edgewood Kitchen & Bath Experts LLC sold property at 209 Lincoln Ave. to Jordan Sheets and Alaina Leblanc...
Pittsburgh’s Girls of Steel preparing for world robotics event in Houston
Ava Miller may be a member of a robotics team, but she’s learning about a lot more than just robotics. Miller, 16, is a sophomore at Plum High School and one of about 40 girls from 17 schools in the Pittsburgh region who are members of the Girls of Steel...
Anonymous donor, church give $5K toward Plum student lunch debts
A Plum church and an anonymous donor have given more than $5,000 toward paying student lunch debts in the Plum School District. The anonymous donor gave $4,300 to pay off the entire balance owed at Pivik Elementary. Food service director Jessica Griggle said it’s the largest donation toward delinquent lunch...
Plum players learning, improving during inaugural flag football season
Anna Zanchi didn’t know much about American football before coming to Plum as an exchange student from Italy. But she has immersed herself in the game and now is a key member of Plum’s first girls flag football team. “This was all new to me,” said Zanchi, who began her...
Plum residents hear details on plans for biking, walking trail through borough, neighboring towns
Dan Sigg is excited about the possibility of a biking and walking trail running through Plum and three neighboring communities. “Trails are good for our region. They’re good for our community,” said Sigg of Plum. “Once you have it, you realize what a community asset it is.” Sigg was among...
