Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 107

Verona officials hope to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s budget. Council unanimously voted earlier this month to advertise its 2021 spending plan, which maintains the current tax rate at 7.8 mills. The borough has not raised real estate taxes in at least 10 years. Borough...

An Oakmont family’s food drive has collected enough goods to support hundreds of people in the borough and surrounding towns. The fifth annual Thanksgiving drive by the Hummel family concluded Tuesday at their business, Rev 22 Juice & Wellness Bar powered by Salud Juicery. It is in the former Oakmont...

After a marathon Jefferson Hills council meeting Monday night, the issue of Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Co. still isn’t decided. After much debate, questions about who has the authority to reinstate the fire department and the departure of several council members, officials deadlocked 2-2 on whether to fully reinstate the...

Plum School District officials are asking students who participated in a non-district homecoming dance to stay home from school Tuesday after it was learned one of the students at the dance tested positive for coronavirus. A high school student with the virus attended a Class of 2021 Senior Parent Committee’s...

Verona officials recently hired three part-time officers and added a new vehicle to the police department. The additions bring the borough force to three full-timers, including Chief Ron McLemore, and six part-time officers. “They’re good assets to this department,” McLemore said. “We’re excited to have them.” The new hires include...

Six Pittsburgh police officers have recently tested positive for covid-19, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman reported Friday. Other officers are also in isolation or quarantining due to possible exposure. Spokesman Chris Togneri said the department continues to take steps to safeguard against the spread of the virus. Those measures include...

Three Plum High School seniors represented the district in a competition against Thomas Jefferson and Pine Richland students. Joey Panichella, Lily Klucinec and Erica Taylor took part in KDKA’s Hometown High-Q contest earlier this month. It is scheduled to air at 11 a.m. Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 21....

Ken Kubistek is no stranger to making history. He has been teaching the subject at Riverview High School for the past 23 years. The social studies chairman founded the school’s history club two decades ago with retired teacher Janeice Calfe. Both were among 100 teachers honored in March 2004 by...

Motorists may want to allocate extra time when driving along the Turnpike between the Allegheny Valley and Pittsburgh exists tonight and tomorrow. Officials said travelers may experience delays due to intermittent, 15-minute traffic paces in both directions from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday as crews work to run...

Sewickley officials have finalized a new police services contract with Glen Osborne Borough. Council unanimously approved a five-year contract on Nov. 10. Glen Osborne signed off on the deal last month. Sewickley officers have patrolled their neighboring community’s streets for about a decade. The current five-year deal was set to...

Plum Community Center may be closed to visitors, but its programs are still very much open to the public. Center Executive Director Karen Hochberg said her facility, which serves between 70 to 80 seniors a week, has been closed since mid-March due to the covid-19 pandemic. That means no cafeteria,...

With not having guests in buildings due to covid-19, Plum School District students found different ways to honor the military’s men and women on Veterans Day. The high school honored veterans throughout the day on Nov. 11 via virtual ceremony. Principal Joe Fishell and cadets from the Plum Air Force...

Oakmont Councilwoman Carrie Lewis DelRosso claimed victory Tuesday night in her race to unseat state House Minority Leader Frank Dermody. DelRosso, a Republican, had collected 51.5% of the votes counted compared with Dermody’s 48.5%, a margin of 923 votes, according to unofficial results from the Pennsylvania Department of State. “I’m...

Sewickley officials want to hold the line on real estate taxes with the 2021 budget. Council unanimously approved next year’s preliminary spending plan on Nov. 10. The millage rate is expected to stay at 6.25 mills. “I think that the budget is solid,” council President Jeff Neff said. “I would...

A roof and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning repair project at the Sewickley Public Library has cleared another hurdle. Borough council unanimously voted Tuesday night to approve a “certificate of appropriateness” for the HVAC portion of the work at 500 Thorn St. It granted the certificate for the roof...

The Riverview School District has switched to a hybrid learning model this grading period with most students back in school a couple days a week. The switch this month from all online learning to a mix of in-person student groups and continued at-home education was was welcomed by Verona parent...

Volunteers are wanted for the fifth annual Christmas at Plum Creek. The borough event is scheduled for 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3 in Plum Creek Park along New Texas Road. There will be a tree lighting ceremony with a likely visit from Santa, food trucks and caroling. Plum...

Plum council plans to hold the line on taxes for the fourth straight year. Borough officials unanimously approved advertising the 2021 spending plan and real estate tax ordinance Nov. 9. They plan on adopting the final budget at council’s Dec. 14 voting session and maintaining the millage rate at 4.78...

Steel City Con, one of the largest conventions in the nation and exclusive to the Monroeville Convention Center, has been postponed again due to covid-19 safety concerns. Organizers were hoping to have pop culture and comic book enthusiasts return to 209 Mall Blvd. in December after having to cancel their...

Sacred Heart Elementary School volleyball team will learn online for two weeks due to someone testing positive for covid-19, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh officials announced. Diocese spokesman Bob DeWitt said Wednesday that someone associated with the team tested positive for the virus, and 19 people involved with the team must...

The new Goodwill store and donation center in the Penn Hills Shopping Center is now open. A grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremnony took place Nov. 5. There was a DJ, and people were dancing as part of the celebration. “We’re excited to be in Penn Hills,” said assistant manager...

A man was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in Pittsburgh on Thursday evening. Officers responded to 911 calls for a person shot just before 5:45 p.m. along the 6900 block of Penn Avenue. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the victim told police he was shot a while...

Seton LaSalle Catholic High School students will be learning remotely starting Friday after a second person at the school tested positive for covid-19. All activities in the building this weekend have been canceled as well, according to a release from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. It is unclear when the...

Penn Hills School District students recently participated in a non-violence week and promoted peace and unity. Students signed a peace pledge, and the signed pledges were hung in hallways. Elementary students also made various crafts featuring peace signs and positive messages....

Model trains of Ohio Valley Lines in Ambridge will not pull out of their station this year due to health concerns and covid-19 safety restrictions. The club of locomotive enthusiasts have hosted an open house and holiday display for nearly 40 years. It’s been held the last two decades at...