Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 23
Annual Boo Bash delights while restocking shelves for free store, backpack program
Reed Marutiak had the weight of the world on his shoulders. It’s a lot to carry for a Hartwood Elementary fourth grader in the Fox Chapel Area School District. Fortunately, the youngster dressed as Atlas from Greek mythology was not alone. He and his parents were among scores of pre-K...
Loose pit bulls bite up to 5 during trick-or-treating in Tarentum
Tarentum resident Margie Shutack is grateful her husband Michael will recover from what was described as a vicious dog attack on Halloween about a block away from their East Seventh Avenue home. “God has been on our side,” said Shutack on Thursday evening. “I’m just so glad that he’s going...
Fox Chapel-area families paint pumpkins, enjoy festive time with borough police
Fox Chapel-area families came out in droves to paint pumpkins and participate in other festive activities with police Oct. 19 at the borough station. More than 150 pumpkins were distributed. Officers also grilled hot dogs and provided other snacks. A “Mini Beat Power Rockers” movie played in the background as...
Fox Chapel Council president celebrates 25 years as public servant
Fox Chapel officials celebrated the service of a longtime borough leader. Andrew Bennett received a proclamation and plaque from Mayor Alex Scott III for his 25 years of service on council. “It is important that we recognize the service that we’ve gotten from him,” Scott said while delivering remarks at...
Blawnox Food Pantry marks 1 year of operation
When Blawnox Manager Kathy Ulanowicz saw residents were struggling to make ends meet years ago, she knew something had to be done. Some people were making the tough choice of buying food or paying bills. That discovery led to borough Thanksgiving food drives, a tradition that lasted for about a...
Memorial vigil held for Roxanne Bonnoni of Natrona instead of her 12th birthday party
A birthday celebration for a young Harrison girl Wednesday night featured typical things one might expect to see. There were balloons, lit candles, stuffed animals and the traditional sing-along. However, the mood was vastly different, and the observance went on without its guest of honor. Roxanne Bonnoni was killed by...
Quaker Valley School District celebrates middle school ‘Blue Ribbon’ recognition
Quaker Valley School District celebrated earning national recognition at the middle school earlier this month. The U.S. Department of Education recognized the school for sixth through eighth grades and its 427 students as a National Blue Ribbon School. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established in 1982 to recognize...
Leetsdale fills council seat with parks and recreation volunteer
Caitlin Gresham hopes to make a more lasting impression on her fellow Leetsdale residents than just with face paint. “I really want to get the public in on Henle Park and Washington Street Park (projects),” said Gresham, 27. “(Find out) what they want and keeping them up to date and...
Sewickley moving forward with sewer repair projects
Sewickley officials are moving forward with two sewer repair projects geared toward extending the life of the borough’s aging system and help prevent breaks. The first is an estimated $152,600 project awarded to Insituform Technologies. It’s a subsidiary of Aegion Corp., headquartered in Chesterfield, Mo. They were the lower of...
Fate of historic Herbst House in Sewickley still hangs in the balance
A yearslong fight over the fate of historic Herbst House in Sewickley soon could come to a head when officials from the borough and Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh meet over the latest proposal for the former school and convent. “A closed meeting of a few key individuals on both sides...
State police investigating Friday night crash along Bull Creek Road
A portion of Bull Creek Road at the Fawn/Tarentum border near the Route 28 ramp was closed due to a crash Friday evening. Township police Sgt. Kerry Myers said three vehicles collided by the overpass around 7:30 p.m. Two vehicles were towed. One was driven from the scene. No injuries...
Quaker Valley area trick-or-treat times, Halloween events
Rotary Club of Quaker Valley’s 2024 Halloween parade is set for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 26. It will begin at the borough building (participants should arrive by 10 a.m. for line-up). The Quaker Valley Marching Band will participate, and festivities also include treat bags, hot dogs, chips and drinks. Sewickley Public...
Leetsdale council seeks 2 junior members
Leetsdale teens who want a more hands-on opportunity to learn about local government can find one through the borough’s junior council program. Candidates are being sought from high school juniors and seniors living in town to have a seat at the table and participate in meaningful discussions and projects. Students...
Trick or treat can’t be beat: Here’s your town’s time with a rhyme
Spooky season brings a call for sweets; Who doesn’t love the sound of trick or treat? Ghouls, ghosts and goblins galore will soon be knocking on your front door. Gummies, chocolates, Necco wafers; sweet and sour, Now and Laters. Mystery suckers may surprise, but everyone knows the best candy bars...
Quaker Valley High School project takes major step forward with Leet commissioners’ approval
After outlining more than a dozen conditions, including a new one publicly introduced just prior to the vote, the Leet commissioners approved land development plans for a proposed Quaker Valley High School. All five commissioners voted in favor of the proposed 167,000-square-foot school on Oct. 22. It is planned on...
‘Trump’s a bonus’: Steelers fans carry on family traditions, say football comes first
Steelers fans tailgating Sunday evening outside Acrisure Stadium before the nationally televised game against the New York Jets didn’t seem to mind a little politics mixed into the evening. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, was in the Steel City in a stadium suite the day after hosting...
Kamala Harris reportedly tells hecklers they are at ‘wrong rally’
Vice President Kamala Harris told a group of hecklers Thursday in La Crosse, Wis., they were in the “wrong rally,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The rally was at the La Crosse Recreational Eagle Center. It was the Democratic presidential nominee’s second campaign in the state. The Sentinel reported...
Alle-Kiski Valley towns enjoy beautiful weather for their fall festivals
Several Alle-Kiski Valley communities celebrated the season with fall festivals Saturday. More than 100 classic and antique cars and trucks rolled in to Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park in Lower Burrell for the second annual festival presented by the city’s parks and recreation commission. There were Ford Mustangs, various Chevrolets,...
Blawnox plans to hold line on real estate taxes
Blawnox officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s budget. The proposed 2025 spending plan was briefly discussed at a council meeting Oct. 9. However, no financial figures were released. “We’ll make the numbers work,” council President Deborah Laskey said about not raising taxes. The...
Quaker Valley High School celebrates homecoming
Jim McCrory could not help but swell up with pride as he sat in the stands of Chuck Knox Stadium in Leetsdale. That feeling of being around old high school friends, some not seen in years, and catching up at their alma mater and seeing what has changed. It was...
Police: Man shot in Perry South, another taken for questioning
A man was hospitalized and another taken for questioning in connection with a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood late Friday morning. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said officers were dispatched shortly after 11:30 a.m. for reports of shots fired at the the intersection of Perrysville Avenue and North Charles...
Police search for missing Homewood teen
Pittsburgh police seek the public’s help in locating a missing Homewood teen. Sincere Mack, 16, was last seen in the Homewood area Monday night, Oct. 7. He is described as standing 5 feet 11 inches, weighing 160 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. Sincere is also known to frequent...
Leetsdale community garden idea begins to spring fruit
Seeds of a proposed community garden project in Leetsdale are starting to sprout as a site has been selected and a partnership with a Pittsburgh nonprofit formed. The borough has teamed up with Grow Pittsburgh to create a garden at Henle Park. The proposed location is a few dozen feet...
New park outside Sewickley theater named
Sewickley officials have finalized a name for the new small park outside The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center. Council has dubbed the lawn outside the main entrance to the renown entertainment and educational venue as Walnut Green. The theater is located at 418 Walnut St. The borough owns the land...
Aspinwall dog park users invited to voice concerns at open forum
Aspinwall dog park users have an opportunity to voice their concerns about the upcoming season. Dogs can roam free in the Aspinwall Recreation Area ball fields Nov. 1 through March 31. The infields are fenced off to limit damage to the baseball playing area. Borough officials have scheduled an open...
