Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 31

Futules’ Harmar House banquet hall caught fire Wednesday evening right before dusk, displacing nine residents in apartments there. The first call came in at about 7:20 p.m. and first responders reported that there was heavy fire in the banquet hall. Numerous fire companies responded. Lower Valley EMS chief Jamey Lavelle...

Sharpsburg officials have launched a new website designed to increase transparency and make borough business easier. The revamped sharpsburgborough.com went live on Aug. 23. Borough officials worked with the municipal website company GovUnity over the summer to recreate Sharpsburg’s online presence. The contract was for about $6,000 payable over three...

McCandless police and the FBI are investigating a robbery at Huntington Bank on Tuesday afternoon. Officers were dispatched to the business in McIntyre Square along the 8000 block of McKnight Road shortly before 4 p.m., according to Allegheny County 911 dispatch. No injuries were reported. FBI Pittsburgh spokeswoman Catherine Policicchio...

Fox Chapel Area School District’s Kerr Elementary was placed on lockdown Monday as O’Hara police investigated a threat in the area. Police Superintendent Jay Davis said there was an increased police presence around the school from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. He said officers received information from another department,...

An Ambridge man is accused of pointing a shotgun at two women and a police officer Sunday morning as a tried to get into a Black church, according to court documents. Jeffrey Harris, 38, is lodged in the Beaver County Jail on $975,000 bail, according to online court documents. He...

Sharpsburg officials are poised to adopt a new five-year capital improvement plan that will guide borough spending on everything from police cars and public parking overhauls to recreation and infrastructure upgrades. It is the culmination of a summer-long effort by Local Government Academy intern Saul Bezner with assistance from Borough...

A former Peters Township School District administrator was named the new Quaker Valley High School assistant principal. Scott Orelli of Pittsburgh formally became a Quaker this month. The board ratified his hiring Aug. 22 right before the new school year started. “I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to...

Two Quaker Valley School District officials were recognized by state legislators for their recent honors. State Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, gave citations to school resource officer David Watts and district food service director Carla Escribano at a school board meeting Aug. 22. Gaydos also presented them with citations on behalf...

New artist renderings of a proposed Quaker Valley High School, as well as a timeline for the district’s next steps, have been revealed. The proposed 167,000-square-foot school is on 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. It straddles Leet Township, Edgeworth and Leetsdale. The renderings show a new front...

Sometimes little perks like having your own parking space can really make a difference in the day. Many Quaker Valley High School seniors will have no problem identifying which spot is theirs courtesy of a creative project. The second annual Senior Painting Day took place Aug. 11. Students who purchased...

A multi-vehicle crash on the Tarentum Bridge inbound to Tarentum from New Kensington snarled traffic for a bit Tuesday afternoon. Allegheny County 911 dispatch said the incident occurred around 5 p.m. on the Tarentum side of the bridge. It was unclear if anyone sustained minor injuries. Dispatchers said no one...

Fox Chapel Council continues its junior council program with appointment of Shady Side Academy juniors Avery Litwin and Ethan Kole as junior council members on Aug. 21. They are expected to be sworn in Sept. 18. Junior council members do not vote on issues brought before council. They cannot participate...

A Penn Hills man has been charged in connection with a shooting in Scott Township. Juwan Haynes, 26, turned himself in to authorities Thursday night and is being held in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment, Allegheny County Police said. Police accuse Haynes of shooting a man shortly before 6:45...

A Vandergrift man has been sentenced to serve nearly five years in a federal prison after he was convicted of robbing a North Apollo bank. Bradley Mondi, 36, was ordered by U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV to spend 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised...

Sharpsburg is seeking $3 million in state funds to develop infrastructure and create access for a proposed riverfront development. The Mosites Co., best known for its redevelopment of the East Liberty commercial corridor, wants to create housing, commercial and retail space along the Allegheny River from Sharpsburg to O’Hara. Sharpsburg...

Sewickley Academy officials have implemented a variety of new courses, creative spaces and other facility upgrades in preparation for the new school year. Classes begin Aug. 31 at the private Pre-K to 12th grade academy. “As we approach the new school year at Sewickley Academy, I’m filled with excitement over...

Penn Hills Superintendent Nancy Hines is calling it a career after more than 25 years in public education. A search is underway for her replacement. Her last day is scheduled for Oct. 1. “It just feels right,” Hines said. “It feels like the district is stable. I think the energy...

The halls of Fox Chapel Area School District schools soon will echo with young voices and the tread of new shoes as students and staff begin the new school year on Aug 29. And for those wondering, the last day of school for students is June 6, 2024. The district’s...

Quaker Valley School District officials are eager to welcome students back and greet new learners this coming school year. First day of classes for K-9 is Aug. 23. First day of classes for grades 10-12 is Aug. 24. Total enrollment as of press time was 1,818. Superintendent Tammy Andreyko said...

Leetsdale residents in need of lawn care may be able to get help for free through a new borough initiative. The inaugural Community Cleanup, a day for volunteers to cut grass and other minor landscaping per resident request, is scheduled for Sept. 9. Helpers will get their assignments around 9...

A new community initiative designed to get people bicycling through Sharpsburg may soon be ready to roll. The Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization has partnered with Sharpsburg Community Library to create the borough’s first bike sharing program. Details are still being finalized. Here are the rules so far: Riders don’t need to...

Leetsdale officials are considering adding security cameras in Henle Park to combat vandalism. Police Chief Dan Raible said there have only been a few incidents at the recreation site, and the hope is to keep it that way. “It’s very rare,” Raible said about vandalism in the park. “The park...

Penn Hills School District students will soon fill the halls of its elementary, middle and high school. Nearly 3,000 youths are enrolled for the 2023-24 school year. First day of class is Tuesday, Aug. 22. “We are very excited to get the new year started,” Superintendent Nancy Hines said. “Linton...

Aspinwall business owners will have to pay more for the privilege of doing business in the borough. Council voted 8-0 on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to raise its business privilege tax from $100 to $500 starting this year. The ordinance was advertised last month. It was also discussed at several meetings....

Summer reading participants at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel and its nearby branch, Sharpsburg Community Library, celebrated the programs’ end with a party at Aspinwall RiverTrail Park. There were stilt walkers, magicians, games, therapy pets, prizes, face painting, hands-on ceramic wheel demonstrations and more at the recreation site Aug....