Michael DiVittorio stories
Edgeworth police to replace aging SUV with new one from same company
Edgeworth police will be adding a new vehicle to its fleet this spring. Borough council voted 5-0 on Jan. 20 to approve the purchase of a 2026 Ford Explorer Interceptor. Council members Dan Wilson and Rebecca Cartus were absent. The estimated purchase cost is about $52,000. That includes $45,000 for...
Leetsdale, Leet and Bell Acres firefighters start official merger talks
Three Quaker Valley area fire departments have begun formal merger talks in order to boost manpower and service capabilities. Firefighters from Leetsdale, Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire Protective Association in Leet and Big Sewickley Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Bell Acres all voted this month to move discussions forward. Each department...
Igloo on Sewickley street prompts safety warning
An igloo that popped up on a Sewickley street a couple days after a winter storm dropped a foot of snow in the area was demolished by borough public works crews for safety reasons. The dome-shaped creation was discovered Jan. 27 as crews were removing snow near the intersection of...
Several CitiParks senior centers to open as warming centers
CitiParks officials announced five Healthy Active Living Senior Centers will open in Pittsburgh as as warming centers on Wednesday due to severely low temperatures are forecast. Those centers are: • Beechview Healthy Active Living Community Center, at 1555 Broadway Ave., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Greenfield Healthy Active...
Quaker Valley School District closed Tuesday due to snow, below-freezing temperatures
Quaker Valley School District will be closed Tuesday due to snow. District communications director Michelle Dietz said more time is needed to clear roads and school lots, noting the below-freezing temperatures projected for Tuesday morning also played a factor in the decision. Dietz said there are three cancellation days built...
Edgeworth officials hold the line on real estate taxes, maintain services
Edgeworth property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes this year. Borough officials voted last month to adopt the 2026 budget and maintain the tax rate at 4.15 mills. The borough has not raised taxes in 23 years. Projected revenues were listed at about $3.447 million...
Leet officials looking to establish hunting regulations on township property
Concerns about hunting close to Leet neighborhoods have officials looking into adding safety measures and new regulations to the township books. Current Leet laws do not address hunting on any township property other than Plum Street Park. That ordinance prohibits any unlawful hunting in that area. Hunting in the state...
Officials from Fox Chapel-area communities issue warnings, reminders for folks ahead of pending snowstorm
Fox Chapel-area officials are advising residents on what they can do to help themselves, public works crews and first responders navigate the pending weekend storm that could drop a foot of snow in the region. Aspinwall Mayor Scott Zimmermann said borough departments met Thursday morning to go over emergency plans,...
Glen Osborne officials seek volunteers to fill council vacancy
Glen Osborne residents looking to make an impact on their community have a chance to do so on council after one of its members stepped down. Councilwoman Anne Fruehauf has resigned from her elected post and moved to Edgeworth. Council accepted her resignation Jan. 20. Council has 30 days from...
Edgeworth reappoints council president, vice president as part of reorganization
Edgeworth officials appointed their council leadership and approved borough officers and committees on Jan. 20. Joseph Hoepp and Ivan Hofmann were reappointed as council president and vice president, respectively. Hoepp has been on council since about 1989 and president since 2007. Hofmann has been on council since 2004 and vice...
Foxwall EMS, West Deer EMS announce new strategic partnership to boost efficiency, service
Foxwall EMS and West Deer EMS have entered into what officials are calling a strategic partnership to better serve area residents. For years, the companies have responded together to many calls as part of mutual aid. Foxwall’s main coverage areas are Fox Chapel and Aspinwall. West Deer’s main areas are...
Quaker Valley regional government director Patrick Conners resigns to take same job with South Hills council
Patrick Conners has stepped down as Quaker Valley Council of Governments’ executive director to start the new year in the same role for South Hills Area Council of Governments. Conners, 33, of Whitehall, served as QVCOG head since May 2021. He took over for Susan Hockenberry. “It’s a once in...
O’Hara officials approve new 4-year deal with police department
O’Hara officials have approved a new four-year deal with their police department. Council unanimously voted on the contract Jan. 13. Township Manager Julie Jakubec said terms include 3.25% wage hikes each year. There are no changes to health care contributions or pensions. The new deal comes with new positions. The...
Quaker Valley officials pledge to cap any real estate tax hike next school year to within state limitations
Quaker Valley School District officials have pledged to cap any potential real estate tax increase in their 2026-27 budget at 3.5%, the maximum allowed by the state Education Department without seeking a voter referendum. Board members unanimously voted to pass a resolution affirming their decision to stay within the state-calculated...
Glen Osborne welcomes 3rd mayor in a year
Matthew Doebler’s New Year’s resolutions include increasing transparency in Glen Osborne government. The borough native has a strong chance of reaching that goal as the town’s third mayor in a year. Doebler, 47, was sworn into his four-year term as mayor by District Judge Giuseppe Rosselli on Jan. 5. The...
Future of Leetsdale VFW Post 3372 parking lot being negotiated
Negotiations are underway between Leetsdale VFW Post 3372 and the borough to turn the organization’s private parking lot public in an effort to better serve visitors of adjacent Henle Park. Borough Solicitor Dan Conlon confirmed he has been in talks with Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Pennsylvania’s State Judge...
Leetsdale has a new borough manager
Leetsdale is under new borough management. Council voted 6-0 on Jan. 5 to hire Janet Hardy-Miklos as its new borough manager. Councilman Robert Benedict was absent. Hardy-Miklos, a resident of Vanport Township in Beaver County, officially started the following day. She takes over for longtime borough secretary/treasurer Jennifer Simek. The...
Fox Chapel-area communities reorganize their local governments to start the year
Fox Chapel-area communities reorganized their local borough and township governments Jan. 5. Aspinwall Scott Zimmerman was sworn in as mayor. He then administered the oath of office to council members Jeff Harris, Andrew Corey-O’Conner, Patti McCaffrey and Lara Voytko. Harris and Heth Turnquist were reappointed as council president and vice...
Lindsay Theater hosts Pittsburgh Zoo educators for ‘Zootopia 2’ screening event
The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center hosted a pair of Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium experts to talk about and showcase animals as part of a special screening event for Disney’s animated film “Zootopia 2.” Zoo interpretation manager Jessica Ries and volunteer services manager Heather Berkey fielded questions from guests and...
Here’s how Quaker Valley area reorganized their local governments to start the year
Many Quaker Valley area communities have set their council and commission leadership as well as reappointed administrators and other local government officials. Aleppo Judy Haluka is the new commission president. She takes over for George Jones, who was sworn in to a new four-year term on the board Jan. 5....
Local ‘ICE Out for Good’ protests remain peaceful
As protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions took place this weekend across the nation, about 1,600 people participated in an “ICE Out For Good” demonstration Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s South Side, matched by smaller gatherings in Westmoreland and Washington counties. Pittsburgh protesters gathered near the Hot Metal Bridge...
Freezing roads, temperature drop could impact morning commute
With temperatures dropping to the mid-20s, the National Weather Service Pittsburgh is warning Monday morning commuters about hazardous travel conditions because of ice. Late Sunday, NWS officials said any roads that were wet may freeze overnight. They urged motorists to use caution and take it slow if out traveling. According...
Police: Man discovered beaten in Pittsburgh’s the Bluff neighborhood
Pittsburgh police are working to find out what led to a man being found beaten Friday evening. Public Safety spokesperson Eliza Durham said officers were dispatched to the intersection of Jumonville Street and the Boulevard of the Allies shortly after 11 p.m. for a person suffering from facial injuries. Officers...
Hotel Saxonburg sheriff’s sale postponed until May 15
The sheriff’s sale of a historic restaurant, bar and hotel in Saxonburg has been postponed. Hotel Saxonburg at 220 W. Main St. was expected to go up for public auction Jan. 16. The sale has been bumped to 11 a.m. May 15, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. It...
State funding approved to fix Backbone Road in Sewickley Heights
A major road repair project in Sewickley Heights is closer to fruition following the approval of state funds. Backbone Road has been closed since landslides in mid-April 2024 caused significant damage to it between Little Sewickley Creek Road and Grouse Lane in Bell Acres. The area got so bad that...
