Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 18
Leetsdale officials contemplating borough manager position
Leetsdale officials may be adding a new top administrator. Council plans to work with the Allegheny League of Municipalities to find a borough manager. The issue was raised at recent borough meetings; however, no agreement with ALOM has been struck and starting a search was not listed on this month’s...
Leetsdale considering major renovations to Henle Park
Leetsdale officials plan to leverage state and Allegheny County funds to make upgrades to a popular borough park. Henle Park is in line for a number of improvements, including a multi-sport court, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant sidewalks, playground equipment, landscaping and other improvements. Plans are in the design phase...
Sharpsburg library’s chili cook-off returns Feb. 22
One of the most delicious times to ever be at a municipal building will soon take place in Sharpsburg. The annual Sharpsburg Community Library’s Robert “Snakeguy” Habegger Chili Cook-off is set for Feb. 22. Chefs and taste testers are needed for the food-themed fundraising event at 1611 Main St. Registration...
Recreation center proposed in Indiana Township park by Winter League Basketball
Fox Chapel Winter League Basketball officials believe a new recreational center in Indiana Township’s Emmerling Park will help secure the organization’s future and continued growth. It would also create a more permanent home for the youth and adult program, alleviating rentals at both Fox Chapel Area School District and Shady...
The Watson Institute helps Leet police secure new speed sign
Leet police soon will have a new speed-monitoring device to combat aggressive driving. The department is in the process of acquiring a new Traffic Logix solar-powered radar speed sign that can be set up along nearly any road and will flash a motorist’s speed as they pass. The device also...
Animal Friends plans to increase presence, programming in Sharpsburg
Animal Friends, an Ohio Township-based nonprofit dedicated to helping pets and their owners, wants to expand programming in Sharpsburg. Discussions are underway between leaders of the no-kill shelter and borough entities including the Sharpsburg Community Library and Roots of Faith, a nonprofit ministry of Faith United Methodist Church in Fox...
Families craft love at Sharpsburg Community Library’s Heart-a-Palooza
Love was in the air at the Sharpsburg Community Library for its Heart-a-Palooza event this month. A handful of Fox Chapel Area School District families participated in the pop-up led by library education and engagement coordinator Alison Babusci on Feb. 1. She hosts a free family drop-in on the first...
Quaker Valley School District facilities to be assessed by Pittsburgh-based architecture firm
As Quaker Valley School District’s architects and design team continue to work on the proposed high school expected to open in Leet within the next few years, administration and school board members continue to focus on the future of the existing buildings. The board recently approved an $80,750 comprehensive facilities...
Shady Side Academy middle school to be donated to National Aviary
A Shady Side Academy alum is helping the National Aviary find a nest for its next breeding and conservation center, teaching hospital and educational space. S. Kent Rockwell, Fox Chapel resident and 1962 academy graduate, is in the process of acquiring his alma mater’s 35-acre middle school campus. The plan...
Blawnox group seeks artist proposals for new borough mural
A Blawnox-based nonprofit wants to bring more art to the borough. Best of Blawnox is accepting artist proposals for a new mural at Blawnox Community Park. The canvas in question is a building at the main entrance. The project is to create an 8-foot by 15-foot image related to the...
2 injured in mutual stabbing at Arnold apartment
Two men were injured in a stabbing at an Arnold apartment Sunday, according to officials. The stabbing happened around 7:30 a.m. along the 2000 block of Freeport Road. Officials said it was an isolated incident and the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. The men stabbed each other, said...
Buffalo Township church hosts Valentine’s-themed dance for young people with special needs
Buffalo Township’s John Hughes, clad in a red-and-white, heart-covered Hawaiian shirt, went to Zion Methodist Church with a mission Saturday night. “I’m just here to dance and have fun and hang out with my friends,” said Hughes, 25, a native of the township’s Sarver neighborhood and a Freeport Area High...
Fox Chapel Area High School library named best school library in the state
Isabella Cheatham has found a home away from home at her school library. The Fox Chapel Area High School senior said she feels welcome in the educational and relaxed space overseen by librarian Laura Ward — so much so that she and several other students start the day there instead...
Leetsdale councilman, family displaced after fire rips through their First Street home
A few days after a fire ravaged his First Street home on Jan. 21, one of the items that Leetsdale council vice president Osman Awad plucked from the debris was the urn containing his wife’s ashes. Robin Awad died in 2017 at 54. Now, the Leetsdale leader known for providing...
Officials: Gunman shot by police in Pittsburgh’s Hill District identified
The armed man who Pittsburgh police fatally shot after they were threatened in the city’s Hill District on Wednesday evening has been identified. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man Thursday as Maurice Jones, 33, of the Terrace Village section of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Officers were dispatched shortly...
Quaker Valley School District’s 2025-26 calendar approved
Quaker Valley School District families now have a better opportunity to plan their schedules for the next school year. School board members unanimously voted on Jan. 22 to approve the 2025-26 calendar. Key dates • First day of school for K-9 grade, Aug. 20. • First day of school for...
Sharpsburg to add ParkMobile app, handheld devices for parking enforcement
Sharpsburg will be adding new parking enforcement tools for the police department this year. Council unanimously voted on Jan. 23 to approve the purchase of two handheld devices from T2 Services Inc. The devices will electronically populate information by scanning a license plate and printing out waterproof tickets. Those tickets...
Quaker Valley School District seeks construction manager, permits for proposed $105 million high school
Quaker Valley School District officials are looking for a construction manager to help coordinate the proposed high school project. Hiring the position is the next step in an ongoing process to make the dream of creating a new home for freshmen through senior Quakers a reality by the 2027-28 school...
Fox Chapel public works gets 1-year contract extension, police department talks start in spring
Fox Chapel officials approved a one-year extension of their public works contract, solidifying terms with its nine full-time laborers through the end of 2026. The original deal was from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025. The vote to extend the contract was 6-0 on Jan. 20. Council vice president...
Quaker Valley School District officials to keep possible real estate tax hike within state limits
Quaker Valley School District officials have pledged to keep any possible real estate take hike in the 2025-26 school year budget to 4% or less. School board members unanimously voted on Jan. 22 to pass a resolution to hold the line on taxes to the Act 1 index — a...
Police: Clairton man charged after raid reaps massive amounts of drugs, guns, cash
A young child is being helped by social services after a Clairton man was arrested on drug crimes and firearms violations following a raid at his home earlier this month, law enforcement officials announced Tuesday. Ismail A. Hamlin, 28, was denied bail and remains lodged in the Allegheny County Jail,...
Quaker Valley High School student sworn in as new Leetsdale junior council member
Leetsdale teen Cambria Roser has a unique opportunity to make a difference in her hometown. The Quaker Valley High School junior was sworn in by Mayor Sandra Ford as the borough’s newest junior council member on Jan. 9. It’s a one-year term that provides students a seat at the table...
Woman identified who died in Braddock house fire
A woman died at the scene of a house fire in Braddock on Friday afternoon. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that the victim was Natalie Stecki, 77. The fire occurred around 2:30 p.m. along the 400 block of Mills Avenue. State police and a fire marshal are investigating....
Former Methodist church in Aspinwall sold to Fox Chapel businessman
A former church in Aspinwall may be converted to residential living spaces. Fox Chapel businessman Tony Pompeo Jr. recently acquired the closed Community Methodist Church at 400 Center Ave. The site is nearly 0.29 acres and includes a sanctuary and school building. The church property was listed by Coldwell Banker...
Fox Chapel Area School District 2025-26 calendar proposed, board members recognized
Fox Chapel Area School District families have an opportunity to weigh in on a proposed school calendar for the next school year. Administrators presented a draft of next school year’s schedule on Jan. 13. It is available for review on the district’s website and scheduled for formal approval on Feb....
