Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 112
Oakmont’s budget nearly finalized with no tax hike
Oakmont property owners should not expect to pay more in real estate taxes or garbage collection as part of next year’s borough budget. “We’re 99% done. That’s a big relief,” said councilwoman and finance committee chair Nancy Ride after Monday night’s near four-hour budget workshop. It’s been about five years...
1 injured in Penn Hills crash when 3 vehicles collide
At least one person was injured in a crash in Penn Hills on Saturday evening. Allegheny County dispatch said three vehicles collided along Verona Road near Sandy Creek Road around 7:43 p.m. Police and EMS were treating at least one person at the scene for injuries. It was unclear if...
Plum School District moves to all online classes due to rising covid cases
Plum School District will move to all remote learning through Jan. 4, district officials announced Wednesday. It is one of several districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties to make the change this month from hybrid in-person classes to virtual schooling due to surging covid-19 cases. “We will continue to monitor...
Pittsburgh forms task force to enforce new covid-19 restrictions
Pittsburgh Public Safety has formed a task force to enforce new covid-19 restrictions. It was formed at the request of Mayor Bill Peduto to help enforce Gov. Tom Wolf’s renewed coronavirus mitigation efforts, Public Safety Spokesman Chris Togneri said Wednesday. “The task force will conduct random, unannounced compliance checks at...
Several Allegheny, Westmoreland county school districts moving to online learning
Several school districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have announced plans to move to remote learning in light of surging covid-19 cases. Here are the districts and the plans that have been announced:Allegheny Valley School District officials announced Wednesday that full virtual instruction for all students will start Dec. 1...
Riverview senior selected to perform in National Honors Symphony Orchestra
Riverview High School senior Alexio Ciorra has been selected as one of eight bassists in this year’s All-National Honors Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra, under the direction of world-renowned international conductor and violinist Nobuyoshi Yasuda, features the top high school musicians from across the nation. They usually perform at a festival...
Quaker Valley School District switching to all online learning to slow covid spread
Quaker Valley School District will move to all online learning on Monday to help slow the spread of covid-19 after Thanksgiving. District officials plan to welcome students back in the buildings on Monday, Dec. 14. “This is not a closure,” officials said via post on the district’s website. “This is...
The Tull Family Theater names Sewickley community leader as its new board member
A Sewickley woman and nonprofit executive has been named the newest Tull Family Theater board member. Carla Smith Nash will share her 30 years of experience in consulting, executive coaching and leadership, financial processes and strategic planning with the nonprofit cinema. The Tull Family Theater is a film-driven arts organization...
Penn Hills School District forms committee to address possible mascot, nickname change
A committee has been formed to discuss the future of the Penn Hills School District’s Indian mascot. The school board approved its members Nov. 24. They include Class of 2020 student school board representatives Faith Crawford and Cassidy Byrnes; elementary parent Lauren Javens; high school counselor Amy Alexander; high school...
Penn Hills School District halts plans to have more students in school 4 days a week
Plans to have more Penn Hills School District students attend in-person classes four days a week have been halted due to rising covid-19 cases. Students in first through 12th grade will instead remain in the hybrid model through the end of the year. Educational options will be reexamined in January....
Penn Hills School Board vice president has resigned, letters of interest accepted
Penn Hills School Board Vice President Yusef Thompson Sr. has resigned. The board accepted his resignation Tuesday night. President Erin Vecchio thanked the first-term Democrat for his service to the district. “He’ll be missed, and good luck to him,” Vecchio said. Board member Rob Marra said Thompson was an active...
Jefferson Hills hopes to hold the line on real estate taxes, sewage and garbage rates
Jefferson Hills officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes with next year’s budget. Council approved its preliminary spending plan in November with a goal of formal adoption at its Dec. 14 meeting. The millage rate is projected to remain at 5.66 mills. Sewage and garbage collection rates...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court
Penn Hills District Judge Anthony L. DeLuca handled the following cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Charges were filed by Penn Hills police. Waived preliminary hearings • Mario Fiori, 23, of Verona on charges of driving under the influence, obstruction of highways...
Sewickley Valley YMCA program provides food relief to area residents
Donations and volunteers are needed for a food relief program designed to help Quaker Valley area families affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Sewickley Valley YMCA launched the Quaker Valley Food Relief Fund in the spring with help from Sewickley’s Main Street Meals. At about the same time, Leetsdale VFW Post...
Baldwin-Whitehall School District shifts to remote learning through Dec. 11
Baldwin-Whitehall School District officials announced all students will switch to remote learning Tuesday due to rising covid-19 cases. Superintendent Randal Lutz said via district website post Monday that students would remain online through at least Dec. 11. “All students are expected to join their classes as they normally would have...
News briefs: Oakmont changes policy on public access to borough building
Oakmont officials modified borough building accessibility because of the covid-19 pandemic. People will only be allowed inside the lobby of 767 Fifth St. between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays. All who enter must wear masks. People who need to drop off items at other times can utilize a drop...
Pittsburgh police: Man in critical condition after being shot in Homewood
A man was hospitalized in critical condition Friday after being shot in the stomach in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said city police responded to a 911 call for a man shot around 5:50 p.m. on Alsace Way, just west of North Braddock Avenue. Officers found a...
Santa and Mrs. Claus to ride around Oakmont on Saturday afternoon
Oakmont residents hearing the fire sirens go off early Saturday afternoon should not panic. It’s just Santa Claus coming through town with his wife and helpers. The Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department and the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce have partnered to make the visit possible. Santa and Mrs. Claus will lead...
Police: Man shot in leg in Glassport
A man was hospitalized Thursday night after being shot in Glassport. Allegheny County Police said they were called for the shooting around 9:20 p.m. along the 900 block of Delaware Avenue. Officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper leg. He was taken to a local...
Allegheny Township woman killed in crash along Route 66
An Allegheny Township woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Route 66 on Thursday morning. The crash victim was identified as Brooke Moyle, 20. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death, which was ruled an accident, was attributed to blunt force...
Allison Park cancer survivor, 5, lights up Christmas tree at PPG Place in PittsburghVideo
Nora Misencik has the smile and energy to light up a room. On Thursday, the 5-year-old cancer survivor from Allison Park lit up a city as she and her older sister, Heidi, 8, turned on the power and charm of the Christmas tree at the Rink at PPG Place in...
Jefferson Hills Council votes to decertify Gill Hall VFC again
Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Co. hopes to be dispatched to calls again starting Nov. 20 were dashed two days prior by a Jefferson Hills Council vote to decertify the company. Council voted 5-2 Nov. 18 to no longer recognize the 72-year-old, 20-member department as a borough fire company after a...
Plum High School closed until Dec. 1 as 3 more students test positive for covid-19
Plum High School will be closed and students will learn online until the start of December after three more students tested positive for covid-19. All sports and activities at the school are also canceled through Tuesday, Dec. 1, according to a letter to district families Wednesday. The district spoke with...
Plum EMS, police to enjoy Thanksgiving meals at their stations courtesy of a borough resident
While folks around the country spend time with family and friends this Thanksgiving, even through altered plans during the covid-19 pandemic, many emergency responders will celebrate the holiday working. Some might eat snacks from a convenience store as turkey and stuffing is served to those whom police and EMS workers...
Plum students who attended parent-sponsored dance may not return to class until December
Plum School District students who attended a non-district homecoming dance should quarantine for two weeks due to possible covid-19 exposure, and not return to school until December, according to a notice sent to district families Tuesday. Officials had said a high school student with the virus attended a Class of...
