Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 58
Fox Chapel Police have a new ‘Bug’ to show the community
Fox Chapel Police have a new community relations tool inspired by a Walt Disney movie. The department recently acquired a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, a model commonly referred to as a Bug. Sgt. Craig Sorg, 58, said he has loved that kind of car for years ever since seeing “The Love...
Sewickley, Glen Osborne close to new deal for fire protection from Cochran Hose
Sewickley officials are one step closer to finalizing a new fire protection services contract with Glen Osborne. Council voted Tuesday night to advertise an ordinance for a five-year agreement with the neighboring borough. Cochran Hose Co., Sewickley’s fire department, has provided Glen Osborne service for years with annual contracts. Sewickley...
Fox Chapel Area School District officials pledge to keep any tax increase in 2023-24 within state cap
Fox Chapel Area property owners should not expect any hike in real estate taxes beyond 4.1% for next school year. School district officials unanimously approved a resolution at its combined workshop and regular meeting Jan. 9 pledging to keep any tax hike within an inflation-based state limit. Act 1, passed...
Suspect in fatal Pittsburgh stabbing apprehended by U.S. Marshals near Morgantown
A Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife last week in her home in the South Side Slopes neighborhood was arrested Monday in West Virginia. Authorities said U.S. Marshals caught up with William Fitzgerald, 50, along Interstate 79 near Morgantown, W.Va. Fitzgerald faces criminal...
Sold out: Tarentum police was selling blue porch light bulbs to benefit slain Brackenridge police chief’s family
The Tarentum Police Department was selling blue porch light bulbs from 6 to 7 Friday to assist the family of the late Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire. They sold out 124 blubs within 15 minutes. The bulbs were on sale online and outside of the borough building and police station,...
Shaler Area School Board reappoints its leaders
Shaler Area School Board leadership will remain the same in 2023. April Kwiatkowski and James Tunstall were reappointed as board president and vice president, respectively, at the board’s reorganization meeting Dec. 7. Kwiatkowski has been on the board for nine years. She served as vice president for three years and...
Woman fatally stabbed in South Side Slopes identified
A Pittsburgh woman was found dead Thursday evening with multiple stab wounds in South Side Slopes. Tarae C. Washington, 47, was found inside her Arlington Avenue residence Thursday, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched shortly before 7 p.m. to the...
Indiana Township officials hold the line on taxes in 2023
Indiana Township property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes this year as part of the town’s budget. Supervisors unanimously voted last month to approve the 2023 spending plan and hold the line on taxes at 3.47 mills, of which 2.99 mills is designated for the...
County judge’s ruling regarding proposed Quaker Valley High School appealed to state court by Leet residents
A pair of Leet residents has filed an appeal of an Allegheny County judge’s ruling regarding a proposed Quaker Valley High School. Senior Judge Joseph James removed a roadblock for the district to move forward with its plans for an estimated $100 million school in late November. But attorney Louis...
‘A Nite for Nick’ planned as a celebration of life for the late Penn Hills paramedic, firefighter
A benefit for the family of a late Penn Hills EMS paramedic is being planned as a celebration of life by a longtime friend. Katie Shimko and other friends and family members are still processing the passing of Penn Hills native Nicholas Theofilis. “It’s just tragic,” Shimko said. “He always...
Food Truck A Palooza returns to Monroeville Convention Center
One of the nation’s only indoor food truck festival returns to western Pennsylvania after a pandemic-year hiatus. Presented by GoodTaste! Pittsburgh, Food Truck A Palooza is scheduled for 1-6 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Monroeville Convention Center, 209 Mall Plaza Blvd. It is its sixth installment at the center. The...
Pittsburgh Police officer hurt responding to domestic incident
A Pittsburgh Police officer was injured while responding to a domestic situation in the city’s Brookline neighborhood early Tuesday morning. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched shortly before 4 a.m. to the 500 block of Brookline Boulevard for an incident involving a man and a woman. Officers...
Leet Zoning Hearing Board declines to appeal judge’s ruling regarding a proposed Quaker Valley High School
The Leet Township Zoning Hearing Board will not appeal an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge’s ruling on a proposed Quaker Valley High School. Its members decided in a 2-0 vote Thursday night to close the book on its part of the process in the school district’s pursuit of a new...
Sewickley Martial Arts Academy food drive nets food, other items for local food pantries
Sewickley Martial Arts Academy students and staff collected about 250 pounds of food, paper and cleaning products for local food pantries in the school’s inaugural food drive. The collection was from Dec. 5-18 with all donations dropped off at the academy, 201 Ohio River Blvd. Items were recently distributed to...
Sewickley Hills holds the line on taxes for 2023, garbage fees to increase
Sewickley Hills property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes in 2023. Council approved the borough budget Dec. 13. The millage rate remains at 2.84 mills. Borough Secretary Diana Steele said she was not allowed to comment on the budget, and all statements would have to...
Floor plans for a proposed Quaker Valley High School in Leet approved, more detailed design work continues
Quaker Valley School District officials have approved floor plans for a proposed high school in Leet Township. The board voted 8-0 at a special meeting Wednesday night to move forward with designs crafted by BSHM Architects and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects. Board member Daniela Helkowski was absent. Floor plan approval...
Edgeworth officials hold the line on taxes with 2023 budget
Edgeworth property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes next year as part of the borough’s budget. Council unanimously approved its 2023 spending plan on Dec. 20. The millage rate remains at 4.15 mills. It has been two decades since Edgeworth raised taxes. Council lowered the...
2023 Penn Hills budget doesn’t increase taxes, boosts police funding
Penn Hills property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes as part of next year’s municipal budget. Council unanimously approved its 2023 spending plan Monday. It maintains the millage rate at 6.44 mills. The municipality has not raised taxes since 2019. Projected revenues and expenses were...
Sewickley public works director eager to work for hometown
Sewickley native Brian Gebhart was recently hired as the borough’s public works director. He leads a seven full-time employee department tasked with maintaining the little more than one-square-mile town’s infrastructure. “I’ve been here my entire life,” Gebhart said. “I was born here, raised here. It’s a great opportunity to give...
Fox Chapel council holds line on taxes in 2023 budget, new member sworn in
Fox Chapel officials have held the line on real estate taxes for the fifth consecutive year. Council voted 6-0 Monday night to adopt its 2023 budget and maintain the millage rate at 2.95 mills. Councilman Thomas Karet was absent. Borough manager Gary Koehler said the tax rate is the 17th...
Leet zoning hearing board considering appeal of ruling on proposed Quaker Valley high school
Leet zoning hearing board members have called for a special meeting to consider appealing an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge’s ruling regarding a proposed high school. Senior Judge Joseph James issued his six-page opinion on Nov. 28 overturning the township’s zoning board decision, which in March refused to grant a...
Dentist office, apartments in Sewickley deemed unsafe after boiler explosion
Four people were displaced and a Sewickley dentist office closed Wednesday after a boiler exploded. Borough zoning/building code officer Joe Motznik deemed the two-story building, at 522 Beaver St., unsafe. He posted notices in front and back of the property alerting people that occupancy is prohibited until further notice. The...
Aspinwall’s VFD hits on a winning combination — brunch and Santa
Ho-Ho — hot brunch and Santa. Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Brunch with Santa brought in about 100 people to the Aspinwall American Legion on Dec. 11. The event was a fundraiser for the department in conjunction with Aspinwall borough. Resident Sissy Powers and her team of volunteers brought in...
Aspinwall holds the line on real estate taxes next year; councilman resigns because he’s moving
An Aspinwall councilman resigned shortly after he and his colleagues approved the 2023 budget with no real estate tax increase. Next year’s spending plan was approved via 6-0 vote on Dec. 14. Councilwoman Mary Hancock was absent. Budget documents indicate the property tax rate will remain at 6.86 mills. Vice...
Blawnox real estate taxes to increase by about 10%; water and sewage bills also increase next year
Blawnox property owners will pay about 10% more in real estate taxes in 2023. They also will see an increase in water and sewage bills as the borough passed on to consumers cost increases from Fox Chapel Authority, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and Alcosan. Council voted 6-0 on...
