Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 46
Fire at Brackenridge duplex under investigation, candle may be the cause
A fire that gutted the second floor and attic of a Brackenridge duplex Friday night may have been started by a candle, according to Allegheny County officials. Chief Matt Brown, the county’s fire marshal and chief of emergency services, said via email Sunday that the fire remains under investigation. However,...
First responders mingle with the public, display their equipment at New Kensington’s National Night Out
Most police officers want youths to engage in friendly conversations and be in a good mood when they see them ride around town. At least, that’s the case for New Kensington Sgt. Nick Rutkoski. A veteran of the city police force, Rutkoski has been involved in many community events. This...
‘Retired’ host returns to Steel City Con in Monroeville
Monroeville Convention Center soon will be packed with artists, pop culture enthusiasts, costume creators and a familiar face that rivals many of the celebrity guests. Mike “Zombo” Devine of Shaler makes his return to Steel City Con Aug. 11-13 after a brief retirement from hosting such events. The usually silver-haired...
Fishing trip to Highland Park part of Verona church’s summer camp program
Youths from Twin Boro Health Ministry at Verona United Methodist Church’s summer camp made memories on a fishing trip to Highland Park. About 25 people, including the counselors, participated In the camp expedition to the park near the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium on Aug. 1. The trip was organized...
Appeal of former Leet police chief’s termination in the hands of Civil Service Commission
Former Leet Police Chief Michael Molinaro is fighting to get his job back. It may prove to be a Herculean effort as township officials have accused him of conduct unbecoming of an officer including incompetence, insubordination, attempting to steal money during a search warrant, disobedience of orders, submitting false information/documents...
Tour de Sharpsburg bike run rescheduled
A community bike run designed to showcase Sharpburg has been rescheduled. The inaugural Tour de Sharpsburg was moved from July 29 to Sept. 16. It’s organized by the Sharpsburg Community Library. The run starts at 11 a.m. at the library, 1212 Main St. The route will likely be set the...
Blawnox’s National Night Out celebration draws a crowd from neighboring towns
Blawnox families and folks from surrounding neighborhoods gathered in the borough’s community park to celebrate first responders. About 150 people participated in Blawnox’s fourth annual National Night Out celebration Aug. 1. It was presented by the nonprofit Best of Blawnox (BoB). Children learned about fire safety, explored police vehicles and...
Aspinwall’s Night Out will feature live music, activities for kids
A celebration in recognition of first responders and community spirit is set to take place in Aspinwall. The borough’s annual Big Night Out is planned for 6-9 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Aspinwall Recreation Site along Field Avenue. It is presented by Aspinwall Neighbors, a community organisation dedicated to promoting...
Coroner IDs Kittanning man as victim of Route 422 crash in Summit Township
A 32-year-old man died at the scene of a two vehicle crash Tuesday on Route 422 in Summit Township, Butler County, state police said. According to Butler County Deputy Chief Coroner John Hanovick, the victim was identified as Dominick Recupero of Kittanning, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE. The crash...
Night Out event set at Blawnox Community Park
A celebration of first responders is set to take place in Blawnox. The borough’s fourth annual National Night Out is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Blawnox Community Park. Police, fire and EMS personnel are expected to mingle with residents and others at the event presented by the...
Brackenridge Police Department to disband, officers join Tarentum force
The Brackenridge Police Department will be no more as of Tuesday, when Tarentum formally takes over police coverage of the neighboring borough. Both borough councils unanimously voted Friday evening to approve intergovernmental agreements for public safety. The three Brackenridge officers will join the Tarentum Police Department at their current salaries...
Sharpsburg VFW donates to borough police department for new traffic control devices
Sharpsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 709 has partnered with the borough police department to make their town a safer place. Post Cmdr. Anthony Francioni and Quartermaster Howard Strain presented Chief Thomas Stelitano with a $6,200 check to buy two new remote radar speed signs. The solar powered devices will...
Leetsdale crafting tree database for future projects, grants
Leetsdale officials understand it takes more than having the streets paved, garbage picked up and grass cut to take care of a borough environment. Some of the tallest things in town also need to be addressed — the trees. The borough is in the process of crafting a shade tree...
Proposed Sewickley Valley YMCA expansion project to boost its healthy aging programs
Ed Papst has worked out at the Sewickley Valley YMCA for the past seven years in an effort to stave off Father Time and a progressive disorder. The Moon Township resident was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014. It’s a brain disorder that affects the nervous system and parts of...
O’Hara officials seek state funding for sidewalk project in RIDC Park once again
O’Hara officials are making another push for a pedestrian safety project in the RIDC Park. The township wants to install new sidewalks from Alpha to Gamma drives and the northern side of Gamma Drive Extension. Council voted July 11 to apply for a $1.02 million grant from the Multimodal Transportation...
Blessing of the Pets takes place in Aspinwall
Praise the Lord and pass the puppies. The Rev. Scott Hill of Aspinwall Presbyterian Church gathered outside the church along Center Avenue with more than a dozen people and their animals July 22 for the annual Blessing of the Pets service. Various breeds of dogs — and even some compost...
Pittsburgh man admits to committing 4 armed robberies, shooting an Oakmont pizza shop owner last year
A Pittsburgh man has pleaded guilty to multiple armed robberies in several Allegheny County communities in March 2022, including one that wounded an Oakmont pizza shop owner. Eric Lee Jones, 34, of the city’s East Hills neighborhood admitted in federal court to robbery, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a...
Sewickley Public Library project to move into next phase
A major renovation project at Sewickley Public Library is nearing its next phase. The final Spanish tiles on the new roof of the reference department, also known as the original entrance of the historic landmark at 500 Thorn St., were expected to be laid by the beginning of August. The...
Man, 2 boys hospitalized after Mt. Oliver Borough shooting
A man and two boys were hospitalized after being shot in Mt. Oliver Borough on Tuesday night, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers responded to the shooting shortly after 9 p.m. near the intersection of Nicholas and Jacob streets. Police said first responders found three victims with gunshot wounds. The...
2 hospitalized in Shaler fire that draws massive emergency response
Two men were hospitalized in critical condition, and a firefighter was treated for dehydration, Tuesday night as a result of a fire in Shaler. Allegheny County 911 dispatch said the calls for the two-alarm fire at a home along the 1600 block of Burchfield Road came in shortly after 9...
Expanded Picklesburgh continues this weekend in Downtown PittsburghVideo
Pickle lovers and brine chuggers rejoice, for this is your weekend to be in Downtown Pittsburgh. Picklesburgh, the three-time No. 1 best specialty food festival in the nation, has begun. Festivities kicked off around noon Friday along the Boulevard of the Allies, between Stanwix and Smithfield streets. Tens of thousands...
Search by Penn Hills police, SWAT team yields no suspect
Penn Hills police and Allegheny County SWAT surrounded a home along Leechburg Road in search of someone Thursday afternoon only to find no one was home. Police were looking for a man shortly before 1 p.m. inside a duplex in the 1900 block of Leechburg Road near the Penn Hills/Plum...
Toddler in critical condition after falling from window of Penn Hills home
A toddler was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in critical condition after falling out of a window in Penn Hills Wednesday night. Penn Hills EMS Supervisor Diane Fitzhenry said crews were dispatched for a fall shortly after 11 p.m. along the 300 block of Tall Tree Drive. They...
O’Hara public service vehicles are the stars of a Touch a Truck event
Ezra Micheals needed a little help getting in to the driver’s seat. His little hands barely were able to grip the steering wheel, feet dangling off the seat far from the pedals. However, the 2-year-old boy’s smile stretched across the cab. He and his family were among dozens who came...
Design of VOPP Trail continues, 3 out of 4 phases mapped out
A bike lane through parts of Verona and Oakmont, a new traffic light at a busy intersection near the boroughs’ borders and the use of an old railroad bed are all parts of a proposed bike/walking trail connecting Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum. Project officials announced three out of...
