Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 24
Leetsdale food pantry serves more residents than ever
Leetsdale Mayor Sandra Ford has seen the need for the borough’s food pantry grow since taking over operations several years ago. Run out of a downstairs room of the borough building with a couple of refrigerators and a recently installed freezer, volunteers prepare and deliver nutritionally balanced bags to at...
Pittsburgh’s Rib Fest kicks off, continues through MondayVideo
Art Rooney Avenue outside of Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh’s North Shore has been transformed into barbeque heaven for Labor Day weekend. The annual Rib Fest kicked off Thursday evening with a dozen award-winning vendors vying for various trophies, including best sauce, best ribs and people’s choice. The event runs through...
Edgeworth officials approve Beaver Road wall replacement contract
Edgeworth officials are moving forward with a long-awaited repair project along Beaver Road. The falling stone wall that supports the road between Church and Edgeworth lanes will be fixed and a new sidewalk installed. Access Limited Construction of Bethel Park, considered to be rockfall mitigation and steep slope specialists, was...
Man shot in leg in Pittsburgh
A man is recovering after being shot in the leg in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights neighborhood Wednesday afternoon. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said officers were dispatched around 4 p.m. to the 100 block of Hazlett Street for reports of a shooting. First responders located a 35-year-old man with a gunshot...
Leetsdale to seek bids for boat launch restoration early next year
Quaker Valley area fishermen and boating enthusiasts will have to wait until at least spring to launch into the Ohio River from Leetsdale. Borough officials said they plan to move forward with a boat launch restoration project next year despite having already secured funding. The borough was awarded $228,000 in...
Sharpsburg Council appoints familiar VP
Sharpsburg officials have appointed a familiar face to high seat on borough council. Karen Pastor was named vice president at the Aug. 22 council meeting. “I’m truly grateful for the trust the council members place in me to hold that position,” she said via email after the meeting. Pastor has...
Sewickley Public Library’s family storytime, other programs shifting to fall programming
The best part of Jennifer Farmerie’s day is seeing the smiling faces of families at the Sewickley Public Library. She has seen many as the children’s department head for the past eight years. From reading at storytimes to welcoming special guests at various programs, good vibes abound when Farmerie’s on...
New Kensington-Arnold School District to dismiss early Wednesday due to high temperatures
New Kensington-Arnold School District students will be dismissed early Wednesday because of high temperatures, district officials announced Tuesday evening. All schools will operate on a two-hour early dismissal schedule and students will be at their bus stops earlier than usual, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. Meteorologists...
Sewickley Harvest Festival set to return Sept. 7
A fall tradition geared toward community engagement and supporting local businesses will soon sprout up again in Sewickley. The annual Harvest Festival is scheduled for Sept. 7. It will be the 33rd installment of the autumn jubilee presented by the Rotary Club of Quaker Valley and Kiwanis Club of Sewickley....
Woman severely injured in tractor crash in Allegheny Township
A woman was flown from Allegheny Township to a Pittsburgh area hospital with a severe leg injury sustained in a crash Monday afternoon. Westmoreland County Public Safety reported a tractor rolled over onto a woman shortly before 6 p.m. at 1357 Route 356, not far from Leechburg Road. Township police...
St. Januarius Catholic Church in Plum to close
St. Januarius Catholic Church in Plum is closing next month. The final day for the church along Renton Road that is part of Holy Family Parish is set for Sept. 23, according to a decree from Bishop David Zubik posted Sunday on the parish website. “The age and physical condition...
‘Band Blast’ supporters say new committees will keep event going in New Kensington
There was speculation whether music fans would be witness to the last “Band Blast” at New Kensington’s Memorial Park Sunday evening. But the annual musical tradition will continue, according to organizers and city officials. The event was started more than a decade ago by volunteers called the New Ken/Arnold Social...
Citizens Hose firefighters eschew boot drives for body slams as part of annual fundraising effort
Typical fire department fundraisers involve bingo or boot drives. Harrison-based Citizens Hose Fire/Rescue/EMS prefers something else — body slams. The fourth annual Battle in Birdville took place outside the station off of Burtner Road on Saturday evening. “We were looking to do a fundraiser outside the box, outside the traditional...
Mother recounts the pain of her loss as residents of Arnold and New Kensington hold anti-drug march, outdoor forum
Roxanne White, a mother from Arnold, has taken steps to ensure no other parent has to experience what she did on Mother’s Day. In fact, she took many, many steps Saturday afternoon as she joined about 30 others in a March to Save Our Community effort up and down the...
Wrestlers at Verona’s Battle in the Borough perform through raindrops and chest chops
Verona first responders answered an “unusual call” after a rainstorm earlier this month. Police, firefighters and Lower Valley Ambulance personnel responded to Cribbs Field along Second Street for a report of two men “fighting” the evening of Aug. 17. It was not a typical emergency. In fact, it wasn’t an...
Leet planning commission recommends approval of Quaker Valley high school plan
Quaker Valley School District’s plans for a new high school have cleared another hurdle as Leet planning commission voted 4-0 on Aug. 22 to recommend approval of the preliminary and final site plan. The proposed 167,000-square-foot school is on 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. The district property...
Gene the Werewolf to celebrate release of ‘best of’ vinyl recordVideo
Pittsburgh rockers with a throwback sound have taken to a throwback way to listen to their best work so far. Gene the Werewolf is ready to launch its “best of” vinyl album Friday via concert at the South Park Amphitheater. Admission is free to the all-ages show, which is part...
Quaker Valley School District celebrates the first day of classes
Quaker Valley schools were once again packed with young learners and eager teachers. First day of classes for the K-12 school district in the Sewickley area and neighboring boroughs was Aug. 21. About 1,820 students are enrolled in the 2024-25 school year. The district has 323 employees, including 164 teachers....
Quaker Valley area volunteers help restore butterfly garden at Edgeworth Elementary School
Several Quaker Valley area families came together to spruce up an unkempt elementary nature site just in time for students return to school. About 25 volunteers took shovels to dirt at the butterfly garden outside Edgeworth Elementary on Aug. 12. They also cleaned up the walkways around the area. First...
O’Hara, Blawnox officials eager to move forward with new police agreement
Excitement is brewing between Blawnox and O’Hara officials as they look to finalize an intergovernmental agreement for police services. The plan is for the Blawnox’s four full-time officers, including Chief Patrick Goodman, to become O’Hara officers and join the township force at the O’Hara municipal office at the start of...
Aspinwall to examine parking problems via study
Aspinwall officials know they have to do something about parking issues in the borough. What possible solutions there are will be determined through a new study. Council approved a $50,000 deal with Walker Consultants to examine spaces, potential changes to the zoning ordinance, collect data and come up with recommendations...
Aspinwall Police Department’s campaign to slow down speeding motorists in full force
Aspinwall police have launched a new initiative to encourage safe driving habits. The Slow Down Campaign involves placing yard signs at strategic sites throughout the borough, particularly near bus stops, busy intersections and other high-traffic areas. “We are looking to slow down vehicles for back to school,” Mayor Joe Noro...
Upgrades set for McCahill Park in Fox Chapel, including borough’s 1st public pickleball courts
Cora Susi leapt from a wooden ramp onto a small black circular platform and pole and launched herself into the great beyond. That beyond was 30 feet down a zip line at McCahill Park in Fox Chapel. It’s the favorite activity of Cora, 4, and her sister, Mira, 5, at...
Police: 11-year-old girl struck and killed in Natrona
An 11-year-old was struck and killed while walking Tuesday night in Harrison, leaving residents in the neighborhood in disbelief. “I can’t believe this happened,” said Denise Parkin, resident and friend of the victim’s family. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Roxanne Alexis Bonnoni, 11, of Natrona....
McKees Rocks man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for drug, gun crimes
A McKees Rocks man who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and being a felon possessing a gun has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Reginald Bernard Blunt, 32, was sentenced Thursday by Senior U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. Federal prosecutors showed that Blunt was caught with methamphetamine,...
