Dillon Carr stories, Page 17
Adapting: Versatile Monroeville caterer changes business model in face of coronavirus restrictions
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. Javid Shojaie has owned and operated Jaden’s Catering in Monroeville for 26 years. Before catering became part of its name, the business was a restaurant. The...
Gateway cancels prom, plans later celebration
Gateway School District announced Friday its junior and senior prom, originally scheduled for May 8, has been canceled. Instead, the class of 2020 will have a “Celebration” on June 13. No details about the event were posted to the district’s website. The high school’s graduation ceremony date remains set for...
Monroeville decides against employee furlough
Monroeville council voted down a motion that would have furloughed 17 full-time municipal staffers between the library, senior center, parks and recreation, code enforcement and engineering departments. The motion, made by Councilman Eric Poach, to furlough 17 full-time staff members would have brought approximately $120,000 a month in savings, according...
Gateway working on graduation, prom, ‘Gator Gala’ dates
Despite Gov. Tom Wolf’s order that schools close for the remainder of the academic year, events planned for Gateway’s high school seniors will likely still occur. They just might be on different days, depending on how the coronavirus affects stay-at-home orders, said Mary Beth Cirucci, school board president. Graduation is...
2nd Monroeville firefighter charged with having sexual contact with minor
A Monroeville volunteer firefighter was arrested and charged last week with having inappropriate sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl. Ryan Costa, 26, of Monroeville is the municipality’s second volunteer firefighter in April to have been charged with inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. Gregory Allen Lauffer, 23, of Monroeville was...
Monroeville Chick-fil-A donates meals to UPMC facilities
Monroeville’s Chick-fil-A last week donated $350 worth of food to three UPMC retirement facilities in the area. Elizabeth McKenna, a UPMC spokeswoman, said the food fed more than 100 staff at Beatty Pointe Village in Monroeville, Seneca Hills Village and Seneca Manor, both in Penn Hills. “What a wonderful gesture...
Applications being accepted for Turtle Creek summer youth program
The Turtle Creek-based Human Services Center Corporation announced Thursday it is now accepting applications for its KOOL Summer Program. The KOOL program, which stands for Kids Outgoing, Outdoing and Learning, includes educational activities for youth and runs 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Monday through Friday, July 1 to Aug. 14. It...
After school closures, Gateway cancels musical
Gateway High School’s musical has officially been canceled, according to an announcement written by the superintendent and posted to the district’s website Thursday. Gov. Tom Wolf directed Wednesday that all school buildings must stay closed through the end of the school year, meaning 1.7 million students in K-12 public and...
Coal Hollow Road in Penn Hills reopens
Route 130 in Penn Hills has reopened after being closed nine days because of a landslide, PennDOT announced Friday. Coal Hollow Road closed April 1 between Frankstown and Lime Hollow roads to allow geotechnical engineers to evaluate the hillside and crews clean up the debris. “Crews have removed debris and...
Penn Hills designated a Tree City USA
Penn Hills has been designated as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Foundation, according to the municipality’s shade tree commission. Penn Hills shares the designation with Forest Hills, Mt. Lebanon, Swissvale and Wilkinsburg. The municipality is in line to receive a flag, two road signs and a plaque, which...
Easter Bunny to tour Turtle Creek
The Turtle Creek Fire Department will host an event Saturday in anticipation of Easter Sunday. The Easter Bunny will go around town beginning at noon, according to Savvy Citizen, a mobile app that allows governments to communicate with residents. “Unfortunately, the Easter Bunny will not be able to give out...
Plum students play Fortnite, earn money for Pittsburgh food bankVideo
A video game tournament played by Plum elementary students has raised nearly $2,000 for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank since the end of March. The online, interactive video game has been Jason Simonson’s sons’ go-to game to connect with friends they haven’t seen since the covid-19 pandemic moved most...
Monroeville escapes major storm damage
The Monroeville area escaped major damage as a thunderstorm with high winds ripped through the area early Wednesday morning. Two residential streets in Monroeville remained closed Wednesday afternoon as crews worked to replace polls and remove fallen trees. Plum Street was closed between Orange and Orchard streets for wires that...
Plum among police departments treated to lunch
An oil and gas company treated police officers in Plum and other communities with lunch last week as a thanks for their work amid the coronavirus pandemic. Olympus Energy delivered around 200 individually wrapped meals on Thursday and Friday and plans to deliver more soon as part of its “Olympus...
Lime Hollow Road work taking place Tuesday morning
A portion of Lime Hollow Road will be restricted to one lane for four hours on Tuesday, PennDOT announced. The road will be restricted to one lane with alternating traffic from 8 a.m. to noon between Mt. Carmel Road and Route 130. PennDOT crews will work on utilities along the...
Plum police hire new officer
Plum Police Department welcomed its newest member to the force Monday. Jakob Plonski, 25, of Erie was sworn in by Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel and police Chief Lanny Conley at the borough building during a ceremony that was closed to the general public. His starting salary will be $57,000. The...
Plum hosts virtual meetings
Plum Council will host virtual meetings Monday and again April 13 in order to avoid gathering in public spaces amid the coronavirus pandemic. Monday’s meeting will be the borough’s agenda-setting meeting and April 13’s meeting will be a voting meeting. Both begin at 7 p.m. The borough will still broadcast...
Monroeville firefighter accused of involvement with 14-year-old
A Monroeville dispatcher and volunteer firefighter is accused of involvement with a 14-year-old girl during a fire training event in early March. Gregory Allen Lauffer, 23, of Monroeville was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, a felony, and corruption of a minor and indecent assault, both misdemeanors. Allegheny County...
Painted rocks bring cheer to Hampton neighborhood
It started as an idea to entertain her two children under the age of 5. Liz Saraceno, 36, of Hampton went to the grocery store back in mid-March to stock up on supplies for her family as the nation grappled with containing the spread of covid-19. As she gathered essentials,...
Coal Hollow Road in Penn Hills closed due to landslide
A landslide in Penn Hills has caused a road to close, PennDOT announced Wednesday. Coal Hollow Road, or Route 130, is closed between Frankstown and Lime Hollow roads. Traffic is being detoured by using Verona or Lime Hollow roads. PennDOT said the road will remain closed until geotechnical engineers evaluate...
Girl missing from Hazelwood found safe
Pittsburgh police said Tuesday they found a 12-year-old girl who had been missing since March 29. Police said Davicia Thomas-Wright was returned home safely. Police had said she was last seen in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood wearing a white “FILA” shirt, cream-colored jacket, black shoes and navy sweat pants with...
Woodland Hills School District seeking donations to provide laptops to all students
A high school principal has set out to buy 700 laptops, which could cost around $171,500, for his students so they can begin mandatory online instruction in April. Since launching a fundraising effort March 27, the Woodland Hills School District has received around $30,000 in donations from the community, according...
Penn Hills distributes Chromebooks to students for online learning
As Gov. Tom Wolf ordered Monday that Pennsylvania schools remain closed indefinitely to slow the spread of covid-19, students at Penn Hills School District came to grab their school-issued laptops to start online lessons. The approximately 1,500 Chromebooks were available to seniors and students with IEPs in grades K-12. Lisa...
Police searching for missing 12-year-old last seen in Hazelwood
Pittsburgh police said they need help finding a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood on March 29. Police described Davicia Thomas-Wright as being 5 feet tall, 155 pounds with black eyes and black hair worn in a ponytail/bun. She was last seen wearing a...
Covid-19 spreads to Penn Hills, Monroeville, other Allegheny suburbs
As covid-19 spreads to Allegheny County’s suburbs, officials in those areas are encouraging residents to adhere to the governor’s stay-at-home order and practice social distancing. A map that displays where the virus has spread shows cases now have touched Penn Hills, Monroeville, Plum, Oakmont, Churchill and Wilkinsburg, among others. Of...
