Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 10
Officer-involved shooting in Greenfield under investigation
One person was transported to a local hospital from the scene of a shooting along the 4100 block of Murray Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood Wednesday. Allegheny County dispatch said the call for the shooting came in at 10:12 p.m. Allegheny County Police via its Facebook page said they were...
Pittsburgh drug ring leader sentenced to prison
A Pittsburgh man who authorities say was the ringleader of a drug-trafficking organization has been sentenced to nine to 18 years in prison for for distributing controlled substances in Beaver and Allegheny counties. Dennis Alexander, 29, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to...
Sewickley Police Department trying again for its 1st Night Out
It is almost unheard of to get a second chance to make a first impression. However, Sewickley police have that opportunity in what is expected to be the department’s inaugural National Night Out celebration. National Night Out began in 1984 as a community-building event designed to promote police-community relationships. It...
Aspinwall inks new 10-year deal for water from Fox Chapel Water Authority
Aspinwall officials recently inked a new 10-year deal with Fox Chapel Water Authority to supply water to the borough. Borough Manager Melissa O’Malley said the authority’s prices have increased from $5.86 per 1,000 gallons to $6.36 per 1,000 gallons. That cost is locked in for the length of the contract....
Indiana Township’s Emmerling Park to double in size with recent property purchase
Emmerling Park in Indiana Township is growing about twice its size after a recent property purchase. Supervisors recently authorized the purchase of nearly 60 acres of undeveloped commercially zoned land to effectively double the parkland off Cove Run Road. The new land encompasses Deer Creek near the pedestrian bridge on...
O’Hara Touch-a-Truck showcases township trucks, staff
Henry Reinecke sat pretty comfortably inside one of the large O’Hara public service trucks on a sunny afternoon. Wearing a plastic firefighter helmet, the 7-year-old Fox Chapel boy leaned back in the passenger seat and stretched his legs toward the dashboard. Henry was accompanied by his younger sister, Allison, 3,...
Aspinwall launches new borough website
Aspinwall officials have recently launched a new borough website designed to make it easier for residents and others to access departments, documents and other important information. Aspinwallpa.gov went live on July 14. It features substantial changes both in layout and domain name from its previous incarnation, aspinwallpa.com. “Many boroughs and...
New ADA parking spaces reignite property line disputes in Leetsdale
Ongoing disputes between Leetsdale VFW Post 3372 and the borough have gone to a new level as a result of recently installed Americans with Disabilities compliant parking spaces at Henle Park. The borough had received grant funding through the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development and Quaker Valley Council of...
Ligonier woman killed by falling tree branch at softball event in McKeesport
A Ligonier woman was killed Wednesday after tree branches fell on her at a youth softball event in McKeesport. Gendie Miller, 49, was attending the event to watch her teenage daughter participate. USA Softball of Western Pennsylvania officials said the incident took place prior to game play during the Western...
Blawnox Community Park mural highlights nature, spring colors
A pair of Pittsburgh area artists have brought some nature and seasonal colors to Blawnox Community Park as part of a mural project commissioned by a borough nonprofit. Monica Cervone McElwain of Glenshaw and Lynn Ratkovich of Brighton Heights spent several weeks this summer putting brush to the wall of...
Exterior renovation project underway at Sewickley Public Library
Bob Lavery has been coming to the Sewickley Public Library for nearly 30 years. The borough resident has witnessed many of its renovations and rehabilitations from the expansion in the late 1990s and the replacement of its Spanish tile roof of the reference department (also known as the original entrance...
Indiana Township paving project to begin soon
Paving will soon be underway in Indiana Township. Supervisors recently awarded this year’s road repair project to Bakerstown-based Shields Asphalt Paving. They were the lowest of six bidders seeking to repave 12 streets in the township’s Indianola neighborhood. Public works crews were doing asphalt prep work along multiple roads this...
diVino Wine Bar a step closer to opening in Leetsdale
A push to turn a former Leetsdale church into a wine bar has led to a change in the borough’s zoning ordinance that could make it easier for future building use changes. Nate and Valeriya Harsch of Harmony Township plan to open diVino Wine Bar & Retail at 126 Broad...
Sewickley Chamber Night Marts continue July 25
Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce officials are counting on repeat success as they plan for this summer’s next Night Mart. The first of three major summer gatherings of food vendors and crafters took place on June 27. Organizers estimate more than 2,000 people packed the Sewickley business district from 6-9...
Blawnox borough manager retiring at the end of the year
The search is on for a new Blawnox borough manager as Kathly Ulanowicz plans to call it a career at the end of this year. Council voted 6-0 on July 9 to post the top administrative position. Councilman Mark Lombardi was absent. Borough officials plan to advertise it through the...
Leetsdale mayor receives state service award
Leetsdale Mayor Sandra Ford is known in her community as someone to bring concerns to and who cares deeply about people. She has organized various senior luncheons and holiday events, is in her fourth year as head of the borough’s food pantry and oversees the police department, among other duties....
O’Hara welcomes new social worker to the township
Kayla Somerville has found herself in a new community with the same goal of helping people. The Butler resident and University of Pittsburgh grad was recently hired as O’Hara’s human services coordinator and leads the township’s social worker program. She works closely with the police department to help residents with...
Glen Osborne officials appoint familiar face as their new mayor
Glen Osborne officials recently welcomed a familiar face as their new mayor. Former council president Tom Huddleston was appointed last month to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Barbara Carrier, who resigned from office in May because she moved out of the borough. Carrier, 76, a Democrat, has served as...
Fox Chapel Area School District STEAM camp draws nearly 200 students
Fox Chapel Area School District hosted its annual STEAM Camp at Fairview Elementary School last month. About 200 students participated in the week dedicated to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. It was open to students in first through eighth grades. District community engagement specialist Jill Leonard said students attended...
Tarentum man charged in connection with Halloween dog attacks
Editor’s note: This story was changed on Wednesday, July 15, to reflect that all charges against Brandon Baynes were dismissed in June. A Tarentum man is facing criminal charges, accused by police of letting pit bulls out of an apartment on Halloween that attacked and severely injured other residents. Shawn...
Sewickley celebrates longtime police officer’s service, retirement
Sewickley and state officials saluted one of the borough’s finest as he recently traded in his badge and gun for shorts and household chores. Former Sgt. Bob McNatt was honored for his 33 years of service on the police force. Mayor George Shannon presented him with a plaque and Lori...
Girl falls from Leechburg Bridge onto shoreline of Kiski River
A girl was taken by medical helicopter to a local hospital after falling off the Leechburg Bridge and onto the shoreline along the Kiskiminetas River Monday evening. Lower Kiski Ambulance Service confirmed the incident via its Facebook page. The post said crews responded to the scene at the bridge, along...
Cat rescue in Bethel Park rehomes felines after car crashes into building
A Bethel Park cat rescue had to scramble to find homes for several felines after a car crashed into the charity’s community room on Monday. In a Facebook post Monday evening, Cali Cats Rescue said that its power had been shut off after the accident, making it impossible for cats...
Man in stable condition after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood
A man has been hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said city police responded to two ShotSpotter alerts at about 2:50 p.m. Monday along the 7200 block of Race Street. About 13 shots were fired, according to the report....
Sharpsburg Parks and Rec Commission welcomes new members
Sharpsburg’s parks and rec commission recently welcomed two new members. Residents Paul Rouse and Jon Andrascik were sworn in to their volunteer positions by Mayor Kayla Portis earlier this year. Commission terms are four years. Rouse said he moved to the borough from O’Hara about three years ago and wanted...
