Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 64
Route 66 reopens in Salem Township after two-car crash
State police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that shut down part of Route 66 for a few hours Thursday. Troopers said the crash took place along Route 66 by Daisy Lane around 3:40 p.m. One vehicle overturned. It was unclear if anyone was injured. A trooper from the Kiski Valley...
Quaker Valley High School student athletes wash cars to help their clubs
Quaker Valley High School junior varsity and varsity golf teams traded their the tees and clubs for some sponges and suds as part of a car wash fundraiser earlier this month. Students and boosters made about a dozen or so cars cleaner at the Herbst Texaco Station at the corner...
Pittsburgh man suspected in Brookline bank robbery apprehended
A Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with an August bank robbery in the city’s Brookline neighborhood was arrested Tuesday. Timothy Sowinski, 53, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force and Pittsburgh Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit, Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews reported. He was wanted...
Former McKeesport teacher facing multiple sex charges waives preliminary hearing
A former McKeesport Area middle school teacher and youth basketball coach accused of sexually assaulting several boys waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday. Eric Fairman, 27, of Pleasant Hills was scheduled to go before District Judge Michael W. Thatcher on multiple charges including indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of...
Fox Chapel council appoints junior member
Logan Dressman has dreams of being a foreign service officer for the federal government. It may take several years for the Fox Chapel Area High School junior and Model UN club head delegate to reach his goal as an American diplomat with the Department of State. Elected leaders in his...
Fox Chapel police to add more body cameras to their equipment stock
The Fox Chapel police will soon have body cameras available for all officers. Council unanimously voted on Sept. 19 to buy five, new, body-worn cameras from Motorola Solutions for $15,695 to be added to the six body-worn cameras and four in-car cameras the borough began using in July. Council also...
Architects for proposed Quaker Valley High School will be paid $50,000 to study how to reduce its energy usage
Architects of a proposed Quaker Valley High School will study how to make the facility more energy efficient as attorneys representing parties for and against the project continue their legal battle in Allegheny County Court. School directors voted 8-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 20 to approve a $50,000 contract amendment with...
Plans for $1.3 million renovation of Overlook Park in Whitehall released
Whitehall officials have revealed plans for an estimated $1.3 million redevelopment project at Overlook Park. They include a new playground and swings, installation of an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pathway to the playground, upgrades to the baseball field and improved access via rebuilt stairs from Spring Valley and Orchard...
O’Hara officials seek $1.775 million in various grants for capital improvements
O’Hara officials hope to bolster the township’s capital improvement efforts by acquiring state grants. Council recently voted to seek five grants for a combined $1.775 million from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund through the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. The money would help help cover the cost of five...
Volunteers, law enforcement celebrate National Thank a Police Officer Day
Members of the National Thank a Police Officer Day AK Valley Team spent Sept. 17 bringing bags of gifts and thank you notes to law enforcement from Fox Chapel to Kittanning and many stations in between. The annual appreciation day takes place the third Saturday in September. More than 900...
Man dead after motorcycle crash in Carrick
A Sheraden man riding a motorcycle died Monday evening after a crash in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, police said. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the crash occurred along Saw Mill Run Boulevard/Route 51 shortly before 7:30 p.m. The man was found on the road unconscious and not breathing, Cruz said....
Bank robbery in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood under investigation
Pittsburgh Police are searching for a man who robbed a bank in the city’s Oakland neighborhood. Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said offers responded to the 3700 block of Fifth Avenue around 3 p.m. Monday for a reported robbery. When officers arrived, they were told a man walked into the...
Pittsburgh man caught with gun at court facility
A Pittsburgh man has been arrested after being spotted with a gun Monday at the Juvenile Family Law Center, Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus’ office said. Kinda El-Attrache, 34, is charged with possession of a firearm/weapon in a court facility and carrying a firearm without a license. Security guards...
Aspinwall officials move to advertise controversial ordinance, adoption in October
A borough ordinance regulating outdoor operations for businesses in Aspinwall is one step closer to going on the books. Council voted Sept. 7 to advertise what has been called the “hours of operation” ordinance. It prohibits all outdoor business, commercial and trading activities from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sundays...
Inaugural Pumpkin Festival planned for Leetsdale
The Leetsdale parks and recreation committee has planned a new fundraiser to help harvest support for its children’s programs. The inaugural Pumpkin Festival is slated for Oct. 6-8 at Henle Park at the corner of Beaver and Ferry streets. Activities include pumpkin sales, arts and crafts, face painting, a corn...
Sewickley officials approve contractors for pair of major restoration projects
Two major renovation projects in Sewickley are expected to begin within the next few weeks now that council has approved the contracts. Allison Park Contractors’ $350,000 bid for the first phase of the Crescent Avenue restoration project was awarded at council’s Sept. 13 meeting. Borough engineer Mike Galet said they...
Proposed development in Sewickley clears borough hurdle, permits still required
A proposed development along Locust Place in Sewickley is one step closer to becoming a reality. Former office buildings in what is colloquially called Sewickley Village are being renovated into chef-owned restaurants, a listening lounge and an apartment, among other developments. Council unanimously voted Sept. 13 to approve a conditional...
Natrona Heights woman, 80, struck by vehicle in Tarentum, condition unknown
A Natrona Heights woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle in Tarentum. The 80-year-old woman was transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to Tarentum police. Police did not release her name. Police said the woman was in a...
O’Hara Council to approve new township ward map to go into effect next May
O’Hara Council is expected to approve new township ward boundaries next month that aim to make ward populations more equal. The change will go before council Oct. 12 for final approval. Because of other steps needed to put the changes into effect, the remapping will not affect the November elections....
Scholarship fundraiser honoring Susan Harger Hartford planned at Sewickley Heights Golf Club
Quaker Valley High School alumni and guests will soon tee off in support of a scholarship founded in memory of a former music standout. The inaugural Susan Harger Hartford Memorial Scholarship golf outing is scheduled for Sept. 26 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, 126 Backbone Road. Hartford, a 1972 graduate...
Police: Man shot in chest in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood
A man was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after being shot in the chest in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said officers were dispatched around 10:25 a.m. Wednesday for a reported shooting along the 7200 block of Bennett Street. Officers found a man in a...
Sewickley officials delay taking action on parish demolition request
Sewickley officials want a structural study done on a historic district property before possibly authorizing its demolition. Council tabled action at its Sept. 13 meeting on a recommendation by the borough’s historic review commission to deny a demolition request from the the Divine Redeemer Parish. Parish officials want to raze...
Rosedale park in Penn Hills rededicated, past fire chiefs honored
The memories of two past Penn Hills fire chiefs will live on in a park behind their old fire station. Penn Hills officials, firefighters, community members and guests came out for the rededication of the park behind the Rosedale fire station on Sept. 10. Dignitaries cut the ribbon at the...
Pair of Sewickley police officers promoted to sergeant
Sewickley Police officers David Yurkovac and William Hanlon have new leadership roles. The two full-time patrolmen were promoted to sergeants at a council meeting on Tuesday, Sept.13. Chief Dave Mazza said they were the two top finishers out of four candidates of a civil service exam. Mayor George Shannon administered...
Pine-Richland parents voice concerns following racist social media incident involving students
In the first school board meeting since a Pine-Richland student’s racist homecoming proposal went viral on social media and made national news, several parents made it clear to the board on Sept. 12 that they want more education on diversity and inclusion in the district. “This district has been made...
