Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 148
Festa Italiana in New Kensington serves meatballs, memories at parish
The aroma of fresh basil, rosemary and sage perfumes the Marble Hall of Mount Saint Peter Parish in New Kensington. It’s a familiar smell to parishioners and patrons of the annual Festa Italiana at 100 Freeport Road. Volunteers made more than 3,200 meatballs, 265 gallons of sauce, 60 pans of...
Wizards and witches fly to Plum Community Center for Harry Potter-themed fundraiser
Wizards and witches of all ages flew to the Plum Community Center for its first Harry Potter-themed extravaganza. The facility at 499 Center-New Texas Road was transformed into the fictional school Hogwarts for a major fundraiser Saturday, July 27. About 90 people participated in Quidditch, attended divination and transfiguration classes...
Assault, theft cases among recent Monroeville police investigations – Aug. 1, 2019
Monroeville police filed the following charges July 24-29 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office: • David Campbell, 40, of Apollo with driving under the influence, possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia. Charges were filed July 29 in connection with an incident along Route 22. • Kim...
DUI, drug cases recently handled by Judge Herbst in Monroeville – Aug. 1, 2019
Monroeville District Court Judge Jeffrey Herbst handled these cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Charges were filed by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Michael Warnick, 52, of Pitcairn on charges of disorderly conduct and possession of...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum – Aug. 1, 2019
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Latifa Harris, 29, of Verona on charges of tampering with physical evidence, statement under penalty and possession of controlled substances. Charges were filed June 7. • Deondra Seay,...
Block party planned to help Oakmont Commons flood victims
A fundraiser is being planned to help Oakmont Commons residents impacted by recent floods. At least 20 homes sustained major water damage, and three vehicles were totaled as a result of severe storms. It was one of the hardest-hit areas in the borough when the heaviest rains fell late July...
New technology will keep Pittsburgh airport travelers better-informed of wait times
Waiting in line at Pittsburgh International Airport security may get a little easier thanks to new technology. Travelers could soon be able to tell, within about two minutes, the amount of time they have to wait in any of the three lines at the airport’s primary security checkpoint. The improved...
Rollover crash blocks portion of Interstate 376 westbound near Wilkins exit
State police in Pittsburgh investigated a one-vehicle rollover crash along Interstate 376 westbound. Allegheny County dispatchers said the incident took place around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday. The right lane near the Wilkins exit was blocked off for a time. It’s unclear if anyone was injured....
Oakmont Street Sale offers more vendors, activities
More space, more vendors and a more festival-like atmosphere brought in more people to the annual Oakmont Street Sale. “It was so much better,” said Carol Kinkela, owner of women’s clothing boutique Carabella. “It’s a great sense of community. It gives everybody a chance to explore Oakmont and visit new...
Emergency repair needed for Verona sink hole
Verona officials have to dig deep to make emergency repairs at an intersection. A sink hole 10-feet deep and 20-feet wide opened up at Second Avenue and Church Street. Borough engineer Matthew Pitsch said storms on July 18 caused a manhole to open and stormwater washed away a portion of...
Storm brings lightning, flooding to Pittsburgh region
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Allegheny County and Westmoreland County late Tuesday night. County officials reported flooding in Pleasant Hills in the area of Curry Hollow Road and Clairton Boulevard. Flooding was reported in Baldwin on East Willock Road and Doyle Road. Three vehicles were...
Man found dead in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood identified
Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man found dead outside a home in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. Authorities said the body of Darius Freeman, 26, of Pittsburgh was discovered Monday along the 1200 block of Faulkner Street. City police responded to a Shot Spotter alert for multiple shots fired...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court – Jul. 29, 2019
Penn Hills District Judge Anthony L. DeLuca handled the following cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Charges were filed by Penn Hills police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Ronald Wilson, 42, of Pittsburgh on charges of driving under the influence,...
Plum Creek Park closed until further notice, Monday Market moved to Plum borough building parking lot
Plum Creek Park is closed indefinitely as borough officials continue to address flood damage. That means no ball games and the borough’s Monday Market will take place in the municipal building parking lot until further notice. The park along the 4500 block of New Texas Road, like several other Plum...
Pittsburgh police find man dead outside Sheraden home
A man was found dead outside a home in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood Monday evening. City police responded to a Shot Spotter alert for multiple shots fired in the 1200 block of Faulkner Street around 5:30 p.m. Authorities said officers arrived and found a man unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead...
Picklesburgh draws thousands to this unique Pittsburgh food festival
Holly Zimmer and her son, Jennings, came to Downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon with a mission. Their matching shirt read: “I am here to eat all of the pickles.” The Meadville family nearly completed that mission at Picklesburgh, a three-day festival celebrating pickles of all kinds. This weekend marked the...
Picklesburgh draws thousands to this unique Pittsburgh food festival
Holly Zimmer and her son, Jennings, came to Downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon with a mission. Their matching shirt read: “I am here to eat all of the pickles.” The Meadville family nearly completed that mission at Picklesburgh, a three-day festival celebrating pickles of all kinds. This weekend marked the...
Steelers fans from near and far fired up about season as they flock to training camp
Josh Simpkons of Plum watched Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster very carefully. He observed the footwork and hand position of the third-year NFL player at the first public day of training camp at Saint Vincent College in hopes to find ways to get better. Josh, 10, a wide receiver for...
Plum library program out of this world
NASA’s next generation of space explorers may have gotten a head start at the Plum Community Library. Fit Kids Factory delivered a presentation and workout that was out of this world for children in kindergarten through sixth grade as part of a summer reading program. The three-day visit at the...
Thousands pulled in to the Monroeville Convention Center for Train & Toy Show
David McDanel’s eyes lit up every time he saw the lights of a Ferris wheel and a train coming around the track. He and his Greensburg family returned several times to the amusement park layout of the interactive South Hills Model Railroad Club display at the Monroeville Convention Center. It...
Fire in Penn Hills under investigation
Penn Hills firefighters are investigating a fire at a two-story building Wednesday night. Allegheny County dispatchers said calls for the fire at 529 Penn Vista Drive came in around 9:50 p.m. Authorities said flames were coming out of the side of the home. Emergency responders were still on scene as...
Oakmont Summer Street Sale set for Saturday
One of Oakmont Chamber of Commerce’s biggest events of the year is set for Saturday. Allegheny River Boulevard from Pennsylvania to Washington Avenues will be shut down from at least 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the borough’s Summer Street Sale. “This year’s event is going to be more of...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to nearly 5 years in federal prison for gun violations
A Pittsburgh felon who fired a gun in the air during a neighborhood dispute two years ago was ordered to serve nearly five years in federal prison. Ambrose Sample II, 39, was sentenced in federal court to four years and seven months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release,...
Theft, DUI cases among recent Monroeville police investigations
Monroeville police filed the following charges July 17-23 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office: • Cody Yakel, 25, of Wall with possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness. Charges were filed July 18 in connection with an incident along the 4300 block of Broadway Boulevard. • Neko Haas, 19,...
Assault, theft cases recently handled by Judge Herbst in Monroeville
Monroeville District Court Judge Jeffrey Herbst handled these cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Charges were filed by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Juwane Dunn, 21, of Braddock on charges of theft by unlawful taking. Charges...

