Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 41
Aspinwall officials considering EV charging stations
Electronic vehicle charging stations could be coming to Aspinwall. Borough officials are exploring the installation of three stations each capable of charging two vehicles. They would be provided through Duquesne Light’s Community Charging Program. The three stations is a minimum program requirement. The six parking spaces needed for the three...
Clairton man charged in shooting of Monroeville officer
A Clairton man is charged with attempted homicide and other crimes in connection with the shooting of a Monroeville police officer during a police chase that ended with a crash in Allegheny Township. Bruce Alvarado, 38, remains in the Westmoreland County jail after being denied bail Saturday. Monroeville police Chief...
Pittsburgh’s 108th Christmas tree transported from SpringdaleVideo
Dolly Haggerty sat on her front porch swing, raised her red cellphone and documented some holiday history Saturday morning. The lifelong Springdale resident watched as Pittsburgh Public Works crews, assisted by Carl’s Tree Service, removed a 33-foot blue spruce from the former St. Alphonsus Church. The tree’s destiny was to...
Rumble strips being tested to stop speeders in Aspinwall
David Pankiewicz lives along Second Street in Aspinwall, and lately, he’s seen too many motorists going too fast. “We’ve been a detour zone the past three years,” he said, referring to heavy traffic along Freeport Road brought on by construction of new Highland Park Bridge ramps. “As long as somebody...
Leet commissioner facing charges filed by Sewickley police
Leet Commissioner Rody Nash is facing charges of indecent assault and harassment in connection with an incident involving a female employee. The woman accuses Nash, 63, of making inappropriate comments about her body and rubbing his hands on her back while the two were at a Sewickley property Aug. 15,...
Union workers at West View Water Authority poised to strike as contract negotiations drag on more than a year
Members of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 416 at West View Water Authority could go on strike at any time. Union president John Witheral said members voted in May to authorize a strike after negotiations with the authority stalled but have held off. Their last contract, a five-year...
Aspinwall to raise taxes about 22% next year
Aspinwall property owners should expect to pay about 22% more in real estate taxes next year. Council unanimously voted Nov. 8 to advertise its 2024 preliminary budget, which includes a 1.5-mill tax hike. Next year’s millage rate would go from 6.86 mills to 8.36 mills, should the spending plan be...
Quaker Valley area contested race winners
Several incumbents retained their seats while others were dethroned in contested Quaker Valley area races Nov. 7. Here are the winners, according to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division. Edgeworth council Republican incumbent Elizabeth Genter was the top vote getter in a four-candidate race for three...
Rosselli elected to replace longtime magistrate Ford on Leetsdale area bench
Democrat Giuseppe Rosselli has been elected as the new Leetsdale area magistrate, according to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division. Rosselli earned 5,737 votes and Republican challenger Joseph Bellissimo received 5,253 votes in a two-candidate race for the six-year judicial seat. There were eight write-in votes....
1 Indiana Township supervisor race tied, the other too close to call
Only two votes separate the winner and loser in one Indiana Township supervisor’s race, and another race ended in a tie, according to complete but unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division for the Nov. 7 General Election. The District 1 race for a four-year seat ended with Republican...
Aspinwall Council to have 2 incumbents replaced by political newcomers; 1 incumbent retains seat
A political newcomer was the top vote-getter and a council president was dethroned in Aspinwall, according to complete but unofficial returns for the Nov. 7 general election from the Allegheny County Elections Division. Louis Curcio Jr., a registered Democrat who did not succeed in earning his party’s nomination in the...
Edgeworth Council has 4 candidates seeking 3 seats
Editor’s note: The Sewickley Herald is featuring candidate interviews in contested municipal and school board races only. Four candidates seek three four-year seats on Edgeworth council, according to the Allegheny County Office of Elections unofficial candidate list. Republican incumbent and current council Vice President David Aloe and fellow Republican incumbents...
Volunteer search party being formed Sunday to find missing Springdale man
A search party is being formed to help locate a Springdale man who has been missing since Monday. Volunteers are wanted at 10 a.m. Sunday at Pittsburgh Syria Shrine Center at 1877 Shriners Way in Harmar. The goal is to locate Sean Dugan, who was reported missing by Springdale police...
Outgoing Quaker Valley School Board members honored for their years of service
Pennsylvania School Boards Association officials recently honored two Quaker Valley school directors for their years of service. Board vice president Marna Blackmer and board treasurer Jeffrey Watters were given certificates adding them to the PSBA Honor Roll of School Board Service on Oct. 30. Blackmer has served on the board...
Leet Civil Service commissioners uphold termination of former police chief, deny appeal
Former Leet Police Chief Michael Molinaro was rightfully fired for falsifying documents, insubordination and other actions, according to the township civil service commission. The three-person panel unanimously voted Nov. 1 to deny Molinaro’s termination appeal. None of the nearly 30 people in the audience spoke during the two public comment...
Pittsburgh Police seek public assistance in locating missing, at-risk teen
Pittsburgh police are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing teenager who they say is at risk. Twyla Hamilton, 17, was last seen Oct. 29 along Fleury Street in the city’s Homewood neighborhood, Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne reported Wednesday. She stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 220...
Sharpsburg preliminary budget has no tax hike
Sharpsburg residents should not expect to pay more in taxes as part of next year’s budget. The borough’s preliminary spending plan for 2024 contains no tax hike or cuts to services. Borough sewer rates are also expected to remain stagnant. The property tax rate for the 2023 tax year spiked...
Quaker Valley School District holds public hearing for proposed $105 million high school project
A proposed Quaker Valley High School project has moved one step closer to fruition. School district officials hosted an Act 34 hearing at the current school, 625 Beaver St. on Oct. 26. The hearing is a state requirement on any major construction plans such as new buildings or significant renovations....
Search for Springdale man missing to continue
A search for a missing Springdale man is expected to resume Wednesday morning after an extensive search Tuesday was unsuccessful. Sean Dugan, 58, was reported missing by borough police Monday. He is described as a white man with short hair and a goatee. Harmar police Chief Jason Domaratz said Dugan’s...
New playground equipment installed in Aspinwall park
Imagination will get a workout at Fireman’s Memorial Park in Aspinwall now that the borough has installed new playground equipment there. Kids can race to an imaginary fire or play house using two new pieces. Other new equipment includes two spring-based rocking rides and a three-bay swing. Borough Manager Melissa...
Quaker Valley Middle School students prepare to bring ‘Annie Jr.’ to the stage
Quaker Valley seventh grader Skylar Egbert bets her bottom dollar that the middle school’s upcoming performance of “Annie Jr.” will be a memorable one. “We have a live dog and have a lot of amazing people in our cast, really focused people, kind people as well,” said Skylar, who plays...
Quaker Valley School Board approves new 5-year deal with assistant superintendent
Quaker Valley School Board members approved a five-year deal with the district’s assistant superintendent. Andrew Surloff rose through the ranks from a teaching internship to the second highest administrator of the schools serving Sewickley, Leetsdale and surrounding communities. School directors unanimously voted Oct. 30 to keep Surloff around into the...
Gateway School District schools placed on lockdown as police nab Clairton man
Several Gateway School District schools were placed on lockdown Monday morning as Monroeville police chased down a wanted man. Police Chief Doug Cole said officers responded to a domestic incident around 10:25 a.m. at the Cambridge Square Apartments. Officers identified Leonard Robinson III, 22, of Clairton, as part of the...
Aspinwall man has a real gourd time giving back to Pittsburgh area charity
An Aspinwall man who started raising funds for a local charity using a giant pumpkin display years ago still has a gourd time giving back more than a decade later. Joel Keefer, 72, is in his 11th season collecting for WTAE’s Project Bundle-Up. The program is a partnership with the...
Woman warned about trespassing along railroad bridge over the Allegheny River in Harmar
A Brookville woman caused a bit of a commotion Friday evening when she was found hiking along a railroad bridge spanning the Allegheny River in Harmar. Township police Lt. Otto Gaal said officers received a call shortly after 5:30 p.m. from a motorist along the Turnpike about a person making...
