Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 31
Shady Side Academy announces graduation plans
Shady Side Academy officials are getting ready to welcome families and friends of the graduating class of 2024. There is no limit to how many guests each of the 133 graduates can bring to commencement June 8 at Michael J. Farrell Stadium on the senior campus in Fox Chapel. The...
Quaker Valley elementary students participate in state STEM competition
Several Quaker Valley School District Edgeworth Elementary students recently participated in the state STEM Design Challenge Championships in Harrisburg. Fifth graders Hannah Yocca, Lydia Beichner, Francesca Zeiders and Emily Custers, under the direction of coach Sara Schoener, showcased their science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills against multiple other school districts...
Woman with dementia reported missing from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police seek help finding a missing woman with dementia. Joan Blaney, 78, wandered from her residence along the 8400 block of Bricelyn Street on Friday, Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz reported. She was spotted by staff at Second Chance at 8350 Frankstown Ave., walking inbound at about 12:40 p.m....
New Kensington police investigate phone store robbery
New Kensington police are searching for a man who is accused of robbing a business Friday evening. Westmoreland County Public Safety officials said officers were dispatched shortly after 7 p.m. to the AT&T store at 270 Tarentum Bridge Road. No injuries were reported. Officials said the suspect was described as...
Pittsburgh police take 2 guns off the streets, make 2 arrests
Pittsburgh police have arrested two people and took two guns off the streets. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers during a traffic stop Thursday determined the driver illegally had a gun. The vehicle was pulled over at the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Lillian Street. Dalaun Samuels, 25, of...
Search of Vandergrift home results in 2 arrests, police say narcotics recovered
A pair of Vandergrift residents face several drug charges after borough police and Westmoreland County detectives raided their Delaware Avenue home early Thursday. Kaeona Booker, 26, and Eugene Iagnemma, 54, were taken into custody after law enforcement executed a search warrant and seized “several items related to drug activity,” according...
May Mart in Sewickley brings garden clubs, communities together
Flowers, fun and fellowship were in full bloom at the annual Sewickley Civic Garden Council’s May Mart. A few hundred of people packed Broad Street, from Thorn to Beaver streets, for the vegetation celebration in Sewickley on May 11. The event could not have worked out better for the flora...
Pittsburgh man arrested in connection with Hill District homicide
Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in connection with a homicide early this month in the city’s Hill District. Anthony Young, 35, of Pittsburgh was killed May 3. Young was shot in the head in the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue, near the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Watt Lane....
A vintage fire truck bell may soon sound again in Leetsdale
A piece of Leetsdale fire department history has made its way back to the borough. Mary Jane Wasco, daughter of the late fire Chief Charlie Wasco, donated the bell of a 1937 Ahrens-Fox fire truck that was driven by her father for many years. She presented it to council and...
Foxwall EMS launches annual subscription drive
Foxwall EMS, the main ambulance company of Fox Chapel and Aspinwall, has launched its annual subscription drive. Mailers were sent out this month to homes and apartments in both boroughs. The company saw a 22% return on the thousands of subscription forms that were sent out last year. The drive...
Aspinwall Memorial Day plans include a flyover, service, parade with 26 units
Aspinwall will honor military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice with a parade and service on Memorial Day. Festivities will begin with a flyover and service at 11 a.m. May 27 outside American Legion Post 77 along Commercial Avenue. There will be a color guard and a 21-gun salute along...
Sewickley officials award paving contract
Sewickley officials approved a contract with Donora-based El Grande Industries to pave five streets and an intersection and some inlet repairs later this year. Council voted 7-0 on May 14 to award the paving project at a cost of $625,825. Vice president Julie Barnes and councilman Todd Hamer were absent....
Lawn outside The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center in Sewickley to be turned into a park
The lawn outside the main entrance to The Lindsay Theater & Cultural Center in Sewickley will be made into a little park as part of a borough project. The historic entertainment venue sits at 418 Walnut St. It underwent a major face-lift last year. The borough owns the land and...
Quaker Valley School District officials announce commencement plans
Quaker Valley School District officials are gearing up to celebrate the graduating class of 2024. Commencement is set for 7 p.m. Friday, May 30 at Chuck Knox Stadium. There are 155 graduates participating. Student speakers will be seniors Everest Gray, Olivia Berry, John McHenry and Hanna Carver. Other speakers include...
Man driving with 3 children struck by bullet in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood
A man was caught in a crossfire by at least one bullet as drivers in two vehicles reportedly shot at each other Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said officers were dispatched shortly before 5 p.m. to the 6300 block of Morrowfield for reports of...
Aspinwall extends garbage contract, appoints new zoning board members
Aspinwall has extended its garbage collection contract with Shank Waste as it pursues other contract and vendor options. Council voted to approve the extension with the Lower Burrell-based hauler on May 8. The contract now runs through June 30. The borough was in its final year of a three-year contract...
Red Line T cars derail in Castle Shannon, transit officials say
Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials said about 15 people were on board two rail cars when they derailed Monday afternoon. It happened at about 4 p.m. while they were traveling inbound on the outbound tracks along the Red Line at Willow Station in Castle Shannon, PRT said via X, formerly Twitter....
Health, wellness and fun promoted during Fox Chapel Area School District safety event
Rain did not dampen the spirits of Fox Chapel Area School District families as dozens of them participated in the annual safety, health and wellness day in Aspinwall. The borough parking lot along Commercial Avenue was packed with first responders from district municipalities and school resource officers for the May...
Former Leetsdale victory gardens spot memorialized as part of junior council project
Reagan Fowler wanted to dig deep into his hometown’s history. Growing up on Washington Street in Leetsdale, about a block or so away from Kohlmeyer Community Park, the Quaker Valley junior spent the past few months researching what his part of the borough was in the early 1900s. His efforts...
Buffalo Township police, firefighters and a construction crew rescue 3 ducklings from storm drain
Three ducklings were rescued from a storm drain Friday afternoon at a GetGo gas station thanks to quick work by Buffalo Township police, firefighters and a construction crew. Officer Erik Bergstrom said he received the call around 4:30 p.m. for the young waterfowl that fell through a sewer grate near...
Blawnox officials honor multiple officers who responded to a deadly shooting in borough
Blawnox officials honored police officers from multiple departments for their efforts in responding to a fatal shooting in the borough. Council unanimously adopted resolutions May 8 commending Blawnox Officer Aaron Zola, Aspinwall Officer Leann Heffler, O’Hara Officers Maria Sciacca and Craig Cress and Millvale Officers Timothy McDonough and Evan Egerter...
Hit-and-run insurance fraud investigation involving Sewickley fire chief settled
Cochran Hose Company chief Shayne Quinn and a Coraopolis woman have plead guilty to summary charges in connection with an Allegheny County Police insurance fraud investigation. Charges stem from an incident on March 24 in front of the fire station in Sewickley. Preliminary hearings took place in District Judge James...
T-shirt collection for charity underway at Fox Chapel Area High School
Fox Chapel Area High School students are collecting T-shirts for a nonprofit that creates port-accessible garments for children with life-threatening illnesses. Shirts of all sizes can be dropped off throughout the month at 611 Field Club Road. The collection drive is sponsored by the Fox Leadership Council junior class in...
Fox Chapel Area School Board passes proposed 2024-25 budget with 3.75% tax hike
Fox Chapel Area School District property owners should expect to pay 3.75% more in real estate taxes next school year. Board members voted 6-3 at their meeting May 6 to pass the district’s proposed $119.5 million budget for 2024-25, using a tax hike and money from the district’s fund balance...
Blawnox Council welcomes a new member whose budgeting skills will be relied upon
Blawnox Council has a new member. Council voted 5-0 May 8 to appoint Matt Stanczak to fill the vacancy created by former Councilwoman Meghan Kennedy, who resigned from her elected post last month. Councilwoman Katie Specht-Coban was absent. Kennedy was appointed to council in 2016 and has since served as...
