Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 12
Body of woman found in Monongahela River earlier this month identified
The body of a woman recovered from the Monongahela River on Aug. 12 has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the deceased person was 24-year-old Amelie Umurerwa from Forest Hills. The report released Tuesday evening does not state cause or manner of death. First responders were River Rescue...
State police investigating vehicle crash into Fawn creek
State police are investigating a crash involving a black Hyundai SUV that flipped into a ravine in Fawn. The crash occurred before 8 p.m. Friday outside of Greg Keener’s home at 2912 Howes Run Road. Keener was inside with three relatives when the crash occurred. The family said they did...
Buffalo Township teacher, volleyball coach charged with rape and sexual assault of minor
A Buffalo Township volleyball coach and elementary teacher is charged with rape and other sexual related crimes. State Police said Jared Lampus, 50, of Buffalo Township was arrested Friday. He is charged with rape, sexual assault, trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, institutional sexual assault, sexual assault by a sports officials,...
2 Pittsburgh residents accused of sexually exploiting children after FBI investigation
Two Pittsburgh residents have been indicted on federal charges of sexually exploiting children, authorities announced Friday. Karen R. Allen, 37, and James Clark, 38 were named in the six-count indictment. Authorities said Allen and Clark coerced a minor on multiple occasions in August 2024 to engage in sexually explicit conduct...
Indiana Township appoints new police chief, announces new 4-year police contract
This month marks the end of an era in Indiana Township law enforcement and the start of a new one. Police Chief Steven Colucci is retiring after 29 years in the township force. Supervisors on Aug. 13 unanimously passed a resolution honoring Colucci for his service. Colucci is also expected...
Quaker Valley School District officials, staff prepare for start of 2025-26 school year
Quaker Valley School District officials and staff are eager to welcome nearly 1,830 students at the start of the 2025-26 school year. Students in kindergarten through ninth grade are expected to report Wednesday, Aug. 20, and all students will be in schools the following day. Staffers are to report Thursday,...
Fox Chapel Area School District officials and staff prepare for 2025-26 school year
Fox Chapel Area School District officials and staff are eager to welcome students for the 2025-26 school year. The first day of school is Aug. 21. Officials said there are about 355 teachers ready to educate about 4,330 students, an increase of 52 students from last school year’s 4,278 enrollment....
Aspinwall’s Big Night Out not a small feat
What appeared to be little light blue clouds covering part of Aspinwall’s recreation site along Field Avenue were just bundles of a sweet treat. Cotton candy was cranked out nonstop for several hours as about 1,000 people took to the ball fields for Aspinwall’s Big Night out celebration on Aug....
Sewickley first responders, community celebrate inaugural Night Out
Sewickley police Sgt. Dave Yurkovac said expectations were exceeded with the department’s inaugural National Night Out celebration outside the borough building. About 500 people were estimated to have participated in the two-hour event along Thorn Street on Aug. 5. Festivities included a performance by The Deuces Wild Band, a balloon...
Police: Man in critical condition after being shot in McKeesport
A man has been hospitalized in critical condition after being shot late Wednesday in McKeesport. Allegheny County Police said officers were notified of a shooting around 9:30 p.m. along the 700 block of Sixth Street. First responders found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to local hospital...
Verona to host its likely last pro wrestling fundraising event
Verona officials are hoping to pack Cribbs Field with hundreds of people for what may be the final pro wrestling event in “the spot that’s more than a dot.” Battle in the Borough 7 on Saturday, Aug. 16, is the next event on the farewell tour of Keystone State Wrestling...
Lower Burrell church’s Festival of Friendship continues Saturday
St. Margaret Mary parishioner Linda McAlpine believes the only way her church’s annual Festival of Friendship happens is through the hard work and dedication of many volunteers. The festival, on the church grounds at 3055 Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell, has taken place for several decades with only a year...
Pittsburgh man arrested in connection with bank robbery in Bloomfield
Quick action by city police and a detective on Thursday led to the quick apprehension of a suspected bank robber in Bloomfield, police said. Aaron Roth, 36, is charged with robbery and theft of property for allegedly robbing the First National Bank along the 4700 block of Liberty Avenue. Public...
Officer-involved shooting in Greenfield under investigation
One person was transported to a local hospital from the scene of a shooting along the 4100 block of Murray Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood Wednesday. Allegheny County dispatch said the call for the shooting came in at 10:12 p.m. Allegheny County Police via its Facebook page said they were...
Pittsburgh drug ring leader sentenced to prison
A Pittsburgh man who authorities say was the ringleader of a drug-trafficking organization has been sentenced to nine to 18 years in prison for for distributing controlled substances in Beaver and Allegheny counties. Dennis Alexander, 29, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to...
Sewickley Police Department trying again for its 1st Night Out
It is almost unheard of to get a second chance to make a first impression. However, Sewickley police have that opportunity in what is expected to be the department’s inaugural National Night Out celebration. National Night Out began in 1984 as a community-building event designed to promote police-community relationships. It...
Aspinwall inks new 10-year deal for water from Fox Chapel Water Authority
Aspinwall officials recently inked a new 10-year deal with Fox Chapel Water Authority to supply water to the borough. Borough Manager Melissa O’Malley said the authority’s prices have increased from $5.86 per 1,000 gallons to $6.36 per 1,000 gallons. That cost is locked in for the length of the contract....
Indiana Township’s Emmerling Park to double in size with recent property purchase
Emmerling Park in Indiana Township is growing about twice its size after a recent property purchase. Supervisors recently authorized the purchase of nearly 60 acres of undeveloped commercially zoned land to effectively double the parkland off Cove Run Road. The new land encompasses Deer Creek near the pedestrian bridge on...
O’Hara Touch-a-Truck showcases township trucks, staff
Henry Reinecke sat pretty comfortably inside one of the large O’Hara public service trucks on a sunny afternoon. Wearing a plastic firefighter helmet, the 7-year-old Fox Chapel boy leaned back in the passenger seat and stretched his legs toward the dashboard. Henry was accompanied by his younger sister, Allison, 3,...
Aspinwall launches new borough website
Aspinwall officials have recently launched a new borough website designed to make it easier for residents and others to access departments, documents and other important information. Aspinwallpa.gov went live on July 14. It features substantial changes both in layout and domain name from its previous incarnation, aspinwallpa.com. “Many boroughs and...
New ADA parking spaces reignite property line disputes in Leetsdale
Ongoing disputes between Leetsdale VFW Post 3372 and the borough have gone to a new level as a result of recently installed Americans with Disabilities compliant parking spaces at Henle Park. The borough had received grant funding through the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development and Quaker Valley Council of...
Ligonier woman killed by falling tree branch at softball event in McKeesport
A Ligonier woman was killed Wednesday after tree branches fell on her at a youth softball event in McKeesport. Gendie Miller, 49, was attending the event to watch her teenage daughter participate. USA Softball of Western Pennsylvania officials said the incident took place prior to game play during the Western...
Blawnox Community Park mural highlights nature, spring colors
A pair of Pittsburgh area artists have brought some nature and seasonal colors to Blawnox Community Park as part of a mural project commissioned by a borough nonprofit. Monica Cervone McElwain of Glenshaw and Lynn Ratkovich of Brighton Heights spent several weeks this summer putting brush to the wall of...
Exterior renovation project underway at Sewickley Public Library
Bob Lavery has been coming to the Sewickley Public Library for nearly 30 years. The borough resident has witnessed many of its renovations and rehabilitations from the expansion in the late 1990s and the replacement of its Spanish tile roof of the reference department (also known as the original entrance...
Indiana Township paving project to begin soon
Paving will soon be underway in Indiana Township. Supervisors recently awarded this year’s road repair project to Bakerstown-based Shields Asphalt Paving. They were the lowest of six bidders seeking to repave 12 streets in the township’s Indianola neighborhood. Public works crews were doing asphalt prep work along multiple roads this...
