Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 33
Quaker Valley School District officials adopt new policy to address memorials
The sudden death of a student or school district staffer can be very emotional not just for the families affected, but for entire communities. People may want to show their support by bringing flowers, balloons, trinkets, stuffed animals and other objects in memory of a classmate, friend, family member, beloved...
Leetsdale Cleanup Day set, volunteers wanted
Volunteers are needed for the annual Spring Cleanup Day in Leetsdale. The event is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27. Volunteers will meet for donuts, coffee and supplies including safety vests, bags and gloves at the borough building, 373 Beaver St. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be...
Sewickley couple launches new street-legal golf cart business in Leet
Quaker Valley area residents may soon see new vehicles driving along their neighborhood roads. They are not the latest Fords, Subarus or Porches, but street-legal golf carts from a recently opened business in Leet. Village Buggy, an all-electric vehicle seller, was founded by Sewickley couple Matthew and Jena Simmons. They...
Quaker Valley School District busing issues cause concern for parents
Quaker Valley School District parents are concerned about their children showing up tardy to school and returning home late as a result of busing issues. Ellen Stevenson of Leet presented the school board with a letter from 18 families from Quaker Heights. She said there have been frequent delays at...
Fox Chapel to spend more than $1.6 million for paving this year on nearly a dozen roads
Fox Chapel officials have announced the borough roads that will be repaved or repaired this year. Council awarded a $1.675 million contract with Wampum-based Youngblood Paving to repair about 11 streets and handle some spot repairs. Council voted unanimously March 18 to hire Youngblood, which was the lowest of five...
2-car crash disrupts traffic in Harrison
Traffic along Route 908 in Harrison was disrupted Tuesday evening as a result of a two-vehicle crash near the BP gas station at the intersection of Alter Road. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m., and traffic was restored to normal by 7. Police at the scene did not release any...
1 hospitalized in critical condition after Sharpsburg stabbing, borough man arrested
A Sharpsburg man has been charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing a 71-year-old woman multiple times at a borough home Tuesday afternoon, according to Allegheny County Police. Aspinwall and Etna police responded at about 2 p.m. to the 1600 block of Middle Street where the woman...
Cheswick man sentenced to federal prison for failure to register as a sex offender
A Cheswick man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender, officials announced Friday. U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the 21-month sentence on Roy W. Knoch, 51. Authorities said from May 2022 until around November 2022 Knoch failed...
Pittsburgh police: Customer confronted armed robber
Pittsburgh police are investigating an armed robbery at a business in the city’s Allentown neighborhood in which the armed suspect was confronted by a customer. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday to Beer Bros. along the 800 block of East Warrington Avenue....
Woman hospitalized after being struck by vehicle in Oakland
A woman was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said first responders were dispatched to the intersection of Craft and Forbes avenues shortly before 9:30 a.m. for a report of a vehicle that struck two...
Quaker Valley School District getting federal funds for infrastructure upgrades for proposed high school
Federal funding has been earmarked for a crucial part of the proposed Quaker Valley High School. The proposed 167,000-square-foot school is on 150 acres off of Camp Meeting Road. The district property straddles Leet Township, Edgeworth and Leetsdale. However, the school itself will be in Leet. The district secured $850,000...
Monroeville church continues Friday fish fry tradition
St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Monroeville is celebrating its 25th year of Lenten fish frys. Hundreds of people from the municipality and surrounding towns flock to the banquet hall from 4-7 p.m. every Friday at 2110 Haymaker Road for baked and fried seafood and sides. Volunteer Beth Stafura said...
Aspinwall adds a new full-time police officer, raises fees for certain permits, applications
The Aspinwall Police Department recently added some manpower. Council approved the hiring of a new full-time officer, Marcus Brommell of Shaler. Brommell was sworn in by Mayor Joe Noro on March 13. His start date was scheduled for March 16. Brommell, 35, said he moved from Connecticut to Shaler about...
First Fridays in Sharpsburg growing every month
An effort to showcase Sharpsburg businesses and promote the borough is gaining momentum. First Fridays was launched by the Sharpsburg Business Group and organized by Katie Sirianni of Love, Katie Distilling in January. Several businesses stayed open a little later. Some had special promotions. North Canal Street closed between Main...
Middle school students emerge as champions in inaugural Sewickley Public Library tournamentVideo
James Dervan swiftly navigated his way around the Sewickley Public Library reference desk, careful not to bump into the wooden tables. He glided passed the teen computers and some fiction and nonfiction classics. The Sewickley sixth-grader was not looking for his favorite book or a place to do homework —...
Sewickley officials set 2024 paving project, approve police personnel moves
Sewickley officials plan to spend about $650,000 to pave five streets and an intersection later this year. Council authorized Gateway Engineers to put its 2024 paving program out for bid. The vote was 8-0 at the March 12 meeting. Councilman Tom Rostek was absent. Engineer Mike Galet said the hope...
Police: Construction worker in grave condition after fall in Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood
A man was hospitalized in grave condition with a severe head injury after falling in a worksite in Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood Monday evening. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the incident took place shortly before 7 p.m. along the 1500 block of Federal Street. The 45-year-old man was doing residential...
White Oak woman dies after crash on East Carson Street
A woman was killed Monday afternoon in a multi-vehicle crash that also seriously injured a second woman in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats. Mary Alice Bendick, 60, of White Oak was pronounced dead at about 3:30 p.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The crash happened at about 1...
Blawnox War Memorial to be upgraded through committee project
The Blawnox War Memorial will soon be updated and upgraded as part of a borough fundraising effort. Located at the intersection of Freeport Road and North Avenue, the memorial was established in 1991. Its inscription reads, “Dedicated to the men and women of this community who served in all wars.”...
Jim Roddey, 1st Allegheny County executive, has died; officials praise his years of service
Jim Roddey, Allegheny County’s first chief executive, died Thursday. He served as county executive from 1999 to 2004 and was a former chairman of the county’s Republican committee. He was 91. Roddey was honored for his service to the Republican committee at its annual Spirit of Lincoln fundraising dinner at...
Aspinwall officials to address parking via study
It is no secret parking is a problem in Aspinwall. Multiple residents have brought their concerns before council and requested that something be done. “It was one of, if not the most, commented on areas in resident feedback collected during the creation of the comprehensive plan, and it’s something that...
Former Leet police chief sues township, again
Former Leet police Chief Michael Molinaro has sued the township in Allegheny County Common PleasCourt and is seeking more than $404,000 for what he called a breach of contract. The suit claims his employment was “terminated without just cause” three years, one month and two days before the contract expiration....
Sewickley man accused of federal drug trafficking crimes, gun violations
A Sewickley man is facing federal drug charges for allegedly trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in the Quaker Valley area. Jeffrey West, 43, was taken into custody at his Chadwick Street apartment by borough police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents on Wednesday, March6. A grand jury indicted West on...
Blawnox councilman steps down after moving to O’Hara
Blawnox Council has a vacancy. Councilman John Simmons has stepped down after serving the past seven years. He and his wife, Ellie, moved to his hometown of O’Hara. Simmons’ resignation was effective Feb. 29, and council was expected to accept it March 13. Whoever is appointed to fill Simmons’ seat...
Quaker Valley’s Edgeworth Elementary School hosts annual Carnival for a Cure
Edgeworth Elementary families recently gathered at the Quaker Valley school to raise funds for a charitable cause. The annual Carnival for a Cure took place Feb. 29. Hundreds of people from the community played games, enjoyed sweets and won raffles as part of the event benefiting the American Cancer Society....
