Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 102

Penn Hills School District officials will move forward with plans to gradually bring back students for in-person instruction four days a week. The board unanimously voted Jan. 27 to authorize administrators to proceed with their plans of having first-graders, middle-schoolers, juniors and seniors back Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting...

Plum Borough School District officials have pledged to keep any possible real estate tax hike to a minimum as they continue to work on next school year’s budget. The board voted unanimously Jan. 26 to keep the tax rate within the Act 1 index, which is a state formula related...

Plum School District officials plan to gradually allow students to come back to school five days a week with a goal of having all learners back full-time in March. The announcement was made via the district’s notification system and by board members Tuesday night. Students who need intense intervention and...

Collier officials plan to use a state grant to help fund multiple upgrades to township parks. Projects include new playground equipment and rubber play surfacing for Hilltop and Kelly parks, as well as a new LED sign to help communicate events and programs at Collier Park. Overall upgrades are projected...

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Superintendent Randal Lutz has been given a new five-year contract. The school board recently unanimously approved a new five-year deal with Lutz even though there are two years remaining on his current contract. District business manager Mark Cherpak said Lutz’s current contract runs from July 1, 2018,...

Most Riverview School District elementary students are expected to move from hybrid learning to in-school classes four days a week starting Monday. Officials recently made the announcement via the district’s website and a letter to families. Students currently learn through a hybrid model, meaning they are split into two groups...

A man who was fatally shot in a Family Dollar parking lot in Washington County has been identified. Darnell Steven Brown, 41, of Washington was killed shortly before 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, the coroner’s office reported. The shooting took place outside the store at 130 Highland Ave. in Washington. City police...

A new Sheetz in Collier may open within days. The township commissioners announced a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Friday at 1297 Washington Pike. A soft opening with family, friends and invited guests is expected to take place Thursday. Sheetz Public Relations Manager Nick Ruffner said Monday...

Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh officials announced Monday that middle schoolers in St. Peter and Paul School in Beaver will learn all online this week as a result of a staff member testing positive for the coronavirus. Officials said having sixth, seventh and eighth graders go virtual was out of an...

The Boyce Park ski slopes and tubing area have seen about a 14% increase in usage in this season’s opening month compared to last season in spite of the raging pandemic, according to Allegheny County officials. Parks department records show nearly 4,700 skiers took to the slopes in Plum from...

Plum School District officials seek input from parents on policies and the future of the district via online survey. The survey, available here, features questions about returning to full-time in-person instruction, adhering to Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines or stricter safety regulations, and having the option to stay...

Oakmont council has tapped a retired engineer and advocate for stricter oil and gas well regulations to be its newest member. John Arnold, a resident of the borough for 13 years and part of Citizens to Protect Oakmont, was appointed Jan. 21 to fill the seat vacated by Carrie Lewis...

With restaurants open with limited seating due to covid restrictions, it may be difficult for couples to find a table on Valentine’s Day. This year, a Sewickley nonprofit has found a way to make those romantic hot plates sizzle while supporting local businesses. Couples and families can order meals through...

Verona was incorporated as a borough 150 years ago, and some of its residents want to encapsulate the milestone for generations to come. Verona Community Group plans to have a celebration to mark the occasion in May. It’s in the process of collecting items for a time capsule. “We would...

An old PNC Bank in Pleasant Hills may be transformed into a medical marijuana dispensary. Ethos Cannabis, a Philadelphia-based firm with two production centers and about a dozen retail locations in the country including six in Pennsylvania, wants to open its next shop at 560 Clairton Blvd. Council listened to...

Flood mitigation projects proposed for the Oakmont Commons housing plan are contingent upon grant funding, Oakmont officials said Tuesday. The borough applied for $500,000 through the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Flood mitigation Program last July. It’s a matching grant with the borough projected to shell out 15%, about $75,000, should it...

A proposed housing plan near the Oakmont Country Club has cleared a hurdle with borough council. Elected officials unanimously voted Tuesday night to approve the subdivision and land development plans for Oakmont Place, a 12-unit, one-floor patio home development off Hulton Road by Eleventh Street. “We’re very happy,” landscape architect...

A man was hospitalized after being shot in Pitcairn Monday night. Allegheny County police said the shooting took place shortly after 11 p.m. along the 400 block of Broadway Avenue. The victim sustained a gunshot wound to his arm. No further information about the victim or possible suspects was released....

Pittsburgh police have safely located a teen missing since Monday night. The 15-year-old was last seen at the New Outlook Academy around 8:30 p.m. Monday before leaving the site, Public Safety spokesperson Maurice Matthews reported. Police posted to social media just before 1 a.m. that the teen was found. Hailey...

Pleasant Hills council reappointed a familiar face as its leader and newer one as its second in command. Cheryl Freedman and Andrew Codelka were named president and vice president, respectively. It was a unanimous vote Monday night with no other nominations to the positions. This will be Freedman’s second year...

When Riverview High School teacher Rachelle Poth needed artwork for her books a few years ago, she got help from one of her young learners. Freshman Hann Morrissey worked on the covers of “In Other Words” and “Unconventional: Ways to Thrive in EDU.” So when it came to art for...

Two people were hospitalized in stable condition after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood Friday evening. Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said the pedestrians were walking along the 700 block of Brookline Boulevard around 5:45 p.m. when they were hit. They told medics the crash gave them...