Michael DiVittorio stories
Woman fatally shot in McKees Rocks
A woman has died after being shot Friday evening in McKees Rocks. Allegheny County Police said they responded shortly after 8 p.m. to a home along the 20 block of Singer Avenue. Officers found a woman who had been shot in the head. Police said she was taken to a...
Gilpin man taken into custody following standoff with multiple police departments
A Gilpin man in his 40s was taken into custody after a standoff with police Friday evening. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident along the 100 block of Stullville Road in the township. Southern Armstrong Regional Police Chief Chris Fabec said officers initially responded to a call...
Cochran Hose Company in Sewickley to get new ladder truck
A new firetruck is in the works for Cochran Hose Company in Sewickley. Council unanimously voted on March 10 to authorize financing a 107-foot Enforcer Aerial ladder truck. The estimated $1.97 million emergency vehicle is being constructed by Pierce Manufacturing and purchased through Glick Fire Equipment Co. Borough Manager Donna...
Leet officials recognize township first responders for life-saving action
Leet Police Chief Brian Jameson and Fair Oaks Assistant Fire Chief Jacob Mosholder were recognized by township officials for their life-saving actions last month. Township police and firefighters were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash along Ambridge Avenue in Bell Acres on Feb. 24 at 8:37 a.m. A woman had crashed...
Leetsdale planning to make offer to buy VFW parking lot
Leetsdale officials are preparing to borrow money to try to buy the borough’s Veterans of Foreign Wars’ parking lot. Council voted 5-1 on March 12 to advertise an ordinance authorizing the borough to borrow $203,000 to acquire the 36 off-street parking spots at 515 Beaver St., the home of Leetsdale...
Edgeworth Police Chief John Burlett calling it a career after 47 years in law enforcement
For years, John Burlett had a morning routine of coming to the office early so he could be at Edgeworth Elementary for student arrival. It was one of the regular joys the police chief experienced throughout his long career, and one of the few he said will be missed as...
Aleppo officials welcome Slippery Rock professor as newest commissioner
Aleppo resident Frances Amatucci hopes to use her media, business and educational acumen for the betterment of the township. She has an opportunity to do so as its newest commissioner. “We enjoy a very high quality of life here,” Amatucci said in early March. “This area is lovely. It’s safe....
Fox Chapel Council approves new police policy, resolution limiting interactions with ICE
Fox Chapel officials have approved a new police department policy and borough resolution limiting interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Council unanimously voted Monday, March 16, to approve the policy. However, its members voted 4-1-2 on the resolution. Council President Andrew Bennett dissented. Council Vice President Harrison Lauer and...
Pittsburgh police seek help to find missing Westwood woman
Pittsburgh police are asking for help in finding a missing woman from the city’s Westwood neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said Patricia “Patty” Johnson, 62, was last seen early Thursday before walking from her residence along the 1400 block of Barr Avenue. Johnson was described as standing 5 feet...
Quaker Valley Council of Governments has a new executive director
The Quaker Valley Council of Governments is under new management. Delegates unanimously voted on Feb. 18 to hire Michelle Harkins of Allison Park as its new executive director. Former executive director Patrick Conners of Whitehall left Quaker Valley in early January for the same job with the South Hills Area...
Fish fry major fundraiser for Indiana Township fire department
A Lenten fish fry fundraiser going on for about a decade has been a boon for the Rural Ridge Volunteer Fire Company in Indiana Township. A new generator, flooring and financing general operations have all come from community support, said company president and fish fry coordinator Ted Bajack. About $15,000...
Aspinwall Council censures mayor for allegedly illegally recording private meeting
Aspinwall Mayor Scott Zimmermann has been censured by council members for what they claim was illegally recording a private meeting with borough officials. Council voted 5-1 on Wednesday, March 11 to pass a resolution expressing its disapproval of the mayor’s actions and requested that he resign. Councilwoman Patti McCaffrey dissented...
Allegheny County Council approves bill that prohibits employees from cooperating with ICE
Allegheny County Council voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation that bars county employees from cooperating with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. The bill passed 11-3-1 on Tuesday in a marathon meeting lasting more than four hours. Those in favor were council Vice President John Palmiere and members Alex Rose, Bethany Hallam,...
Cyberattack reported at Community College of Beaver County
Community College of Beaver County officials are working to find out what led to a cyberattack. Leslie Tennant, CCBC vice president of communications, said they experienced a cybersecurity incident Monday that included the encryption of some of its data. “Upon discovery, we immediately took steps to investigate and remediate the...
Shady Side Academy officials amend proposed entrance plans; review underway
Shady Side Academy officials are moving forward with new plans for a proposed west entrance to its Upper School campus in Fox Chapel. Revisions were made following objections from residents and the Fox Chapel Parks Commission to the academy’s original designs, which called for the removal of about 400 trees...
Sewickley Hills crafting master park plan
Sewickley Hills officials hope to improve the borough’s park and recreation options through a new master plan. A draft of the community park plan was recently revealed by borough engineer Emile Ketterer of NIRA Consulting Engineers. It is available for review at the borough office, 349 Magee Road. The park...
Quaker Valley High School to present ‘Alice by Heart’
Austin Wolford noticed Quaker Valley High School students had become curiouser and curiouser about his musical selections. With recent shows like “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy” and “My Fair Lady,” veteran performers began to feel that very few things, indeed, were really impossible. This helped fuel his team’s...
Fellowship and food are pillars of Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish’s fish fry
Ron Morra knows where he and dozens of his friends will be nearly every Friday during Lent. That is in the kitchen and dining hall of Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish in Monroeville, serving food and fellowship to families. “You give back to the parish,” said Morra, who is in...
Quaker Valley School District officials approve 2026-27 school calendar
Quaker Valley School District families and teachers have a blueprint for what to expect next school year. The school board unanimously approved the 2026-27 calendar on Feb. 24. Here are key dates: • Aug. 26: First day of school — kindergarten through 9th • Aug. 27: First day — grades...
Leetsdale gets new public works truck, seeks to improve trash collection
Leetsdale trash collection is about to get a little easier with the help of a new public works garbage truck. The borough recently purchased a 2026 International L9 Cummins truck with a Heil body and a mechanical arm called a tipper to help with collection. It replaces a 2012 International...
Dozens gather at City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh to protest military action in IranVideo
Dozens of Pittsburghers took to the City-County Building steps in Downtown Pittsburgh Monday evening to protest military actions by the U.S. and Israel in Iran. Signs held in the crowd included “Money for People’s Needs, Not War w/Iran” and “Love the Foreigner.” The chants included “not another nickel, not another...
Girl Scouts meet with Sharpsburg mayor, learn about local government
Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania Troop 10328 recently met with Sharpsburg Mayor Kayla Portis and got a look at how local government works. The Scouts took turns banging the gavel, asking Portis various questions and took t a tour of borough council chambers Feb. 25. The visit was part of...
Middle Eastern man living in Pittsburgh accused of fraud, ID theft in using a dead man’s name for years
Federal authorities have accused a Middle Eastern man of illegally living in Pittsburgh, misusing visas and providing a false name among other related offenses. Mahmoud Almasry, 44, also known as Mohammad Jiham, had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraud and misuse of visas,...
Police arrest 2; find large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, crack, marijuana, $15k and a rifle in Penn Hills raid
Two people have been taken into custody following a drug bust in Penn Hills on Friday morning. Their names have not yet been released in connection with the investigation, and the charges against them are pending. Police executed a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Idlewood...
Aspinwall Presbyterian Church members, friends say farewell to retired pastor
Members of Aspinwall Presbyterian Church celebrated the end of an era with the retirement of the Rev. Scott Hill. Hill, 65, has led the flock at the Center Avenue church for about 10 years; he was in his 36th year of ministry. His final service was Feb. 15. Hill plans...
