Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 78

Gateway School District students will have to wear masks to start the school year. The mandate was passed in a 5-4 vote at a marathon school board meeting Aug. 17. Several families implored the board to make mask-wearing a recommendation and not a requirement. Board President Brian Goppman, Robin Mungo,...

Penn Hills School District students, staff and visitors will have to wear masks for the start of the coming school year. School board members voted 8-0 Wednesday to approve the district’s health and safety plan with the mask mandate. School Director Evelyn Herbert was absent. Parents Brian and Alexis Herr...

Riverview School District students and staffers will start the new school year Aug. 26 wearing masks. The requirement is part of the district’s updated health and safety plan. Superintendent Neil English said multiple factors were considered when making the mask mandate. Among them are recommendations from the Allegheny County Health...

A biannual outdoor exercise program designed to improve mental and physical health in older adults is about to start its fall session. Bethel Park Public Library’s Wise Walk returns Thursdays Sept. 9 through Nov. 10 in South Park. Participants meet at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot by the gazebo...

Bethel Park senior citizens have an opportunity to obtain a pass good for free admission to most school district events. The pass is available for residents ages 62 and older. Those interested can get one by stopping by the administration building at 301 Church St. during normal business hours and...

Oakmont officials have had enough of false alarms going off and draining police and fire department resources. Council on Aug. 16 unanimously approved advertising an ordinance to address the issue. “False alarms in any community are a challenge,” borough Manager Scot Fodi said. “This is one mechanism that we have...

Plum EMS officials know making sure a car seat is properly installed in a vehicle and a child is safely secured prior to travel can be a challenge. That is why borough emergency responders are providing an opportunity to show parents and caregivers how to overcome that challenge this weekend....

Tucked away in the Holiday Park section of Plum is a tropical paradise packed with various plants, fish and crafted creatures. It has been said that deer jump fences for a chance to nibble on the flowers and vegetables that grow inside the wildlife habitat along dead end Kinzua Road....

Sewickley officials have tapped Reserve Township manager Donna Kaib as their new top administrator. She was hired as the new borough manager via an 8-0 vote on Aug. 10. Councilman Tom Rostek was absent. Kaib was not at the meeting. Her start date is scheduled for Aug. 19. “We’re excited...

Travelers Aid of Pittsburgh, a nonprofit agency focusing on removing transportation barriers for those in need, is celebrating a century of helping people in the Steel City area. A party is planned from 4 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 21 in Railroad Park in Verona. It will be hosted by...

Penn Hills families got a chance to tour the district schools and look at what is in store for their children a few weeks before the start of the new school year. The elementary, middle and high school doors were open for a couple of hours each on Aug. 10....

Plum buildings and grounds supervisor Joe Fischetti has resigned after eight years as one of the borough’s top administrators. Council accepted his resignation and approved a separation agreement Aug. 9. Borough manager Michael Thomas said the deal comes with two weeks severance pay, three months of health care benefits and...

Plum Borough Community Library is a place to rock. That notion will be readily visible Aug. 24 with the return of the library’s Concert on the Concrete series. People of all ages are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket for the event. Plum native and multi-instrumentalist and composer...

Plum School District officials plan to provide students with new academic opportunities and the means to become healthier individuals this coming school year. Families have the option of full-time in person instruction or full-time online learning through the district’s cyber academy. The first day of school is Aug. 19. “We’re...

Bethel Park police said they have located a girl who had been reported missing. Brandy Keyock, 12, was reported to be found at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, according to a post on the police’s Facebook page. She had been last seen Sunday afternoon. No other details were available....

A Popeye’s Chicken franchise is coming to the Bethel Park Shopping Center along Library Road. Council unanimously approved its final major land development plan on Aug. 9. The restaurant will replace the current GameStop, a few blocks away from a KFC. It is unclear what will happen with the game...

Plum’s Movies in the Park series returns to Larry Mills Park this weekend. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to watch the Will Ferrell soccer comedy “Kicking and Screaming” at the park off Fontana Drive on Saturday night. Gates open at 7 p.m. with the movie to start...

With the ever-changing pandemic protocols making large indoor gatherings difficult to plan, Oakmont Carnegie Library officials and board members had to think of new ways to help fund programs and building improvements. The result was the return of an outdoor event in which families can express their creativity and ride...

A popular Swissvale hot dog shop was closed Sunday after a fire. Police said they were dispatched to D’s Six Pax & Dogz around 2:30 a.m. for a dumpster fire. The Braddock Avenue business is in the Swissvale section of the Regent Square neighborhood that also includes parts of Edgewood...

The past few months have been a roller coaster of emotions for Springdale borough resident Jamey Lavelle. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in April. Within a few weeks, he was promoted from supervisor to operations manager at Lower Valley Ambulance Service, where he has worked for about 24 years....

Dozens of fire trucks from throughout the state made their way through New Kensington streets Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t for an emergency. Instead, it was to celebrate the start of the 128th annual Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association’s convention. Festivities kicked off with a car cruise and a parade. The convention...

Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...