Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 153
Suspect surrenders in North Versailles Walmart shooting
A Penn Hills woman surrendered to police Saturday after being accused of shooting another woman Friday night in the Walmart in North Versailles. Rojanai Alston of Penn Hills turned herself in to Allegheny County Police, authorities reported. Alston was transported to the Allegheny County Jail to await arraignment on her...
Police: Pittsburgh man wanted for 2 bank robberies captured
A Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with two bank robberies in the city was apprehended by Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies. Law enforcement officials said Jaymar Henderson, 58, of the Hill District was arrested on a warrant around 2:45 p.m. Friday. He was wanted by Pittsburgh police for allegedly robbing the...
Police: Pittsburgh woman jailed after stabbing man
A Pittsburgh woman accused of stabbing a man is in jail. Rhonda Powell, 57, is charged with aggravated assault in connection with an incident 12:20 a.m. Friday along the 2500 block of Park Hill Drive in East Hills. Zone 5 officers responded to reports of a stabbing and found a...
Plum School District’s assistant superintendent’s brother hired as new facilities director
Plum School District officials have hired Assistant Superintendent Rick Walsh’s brother, John, as their new facilities director. Board members voted 7-2 at a special meeting June 18 to approve the hire with a $82,000 starting salary. Board Vice President Vicky Roessler and Steve Schlauch dissented. Board President Scott Coulson and...
Plum School Board meetings may be broadcast on public access and YouTube again
Plum School Board meetings may be recorded and broadcasted once again. High school television production class students recorded board meetings for about a decade under the direction of teacher Rick Berrott. That stopped this past school year as teacher contract negotiations heated up. The revived broadcasts would be aired on...
Theft cases among recent Monroeville police investigations
Monroeville police filed the following charges June 28 to July 2 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office:Daniel Kelly, 18, of Clairton with criminal conspiracy, endangering the welfare of children, possession of controlled substances, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and four counts of receiving...
Drug, theft cases recently handled by Judge Herbst in Monroeville – Jul. 3, 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 courtCrystal Jordan, 52, of Pitcairn on charges of tampering with physical evidence, misbrand controlled substances,...
East Hills DUI Task Force to conduct roving patrols this weekend – Jul. 3, 2019
East Hills DUI Task Force will conduct roving patrols and other educational enforcement activities this weekend. The task force consists of Plum, Monroeville, White Oak, North Versailles Township, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Edgewood police departments. Project director is Plum police Lt. Lanny Conley. The enforcement/educational details will occur within the...
Decades-old gas lamps in Oakmont may be converted to LED lights
Natural gas lamps along Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont may be going out as a borough committee seeks state funding for replacements. Oakmont Boulevard Project members have been working on converting the gas lamps across from the businesses along the cobblestone road to LED lights for years. Some were converted...
Penn Hills man vows to chain himself to White House to bring attention to school district
A Penn Hills man, the son of the Penn Hills School Board president, has caught the eye of the U.S. Secret Service, with an online petition to have federal authorities help bail out his financially strapped school district. Phil Vecchio posted his plea to Change.org in June. He said he...
Penn Hills JROTC cadets could finish military studies in Plum
Penn Hills School District’s Navy Junior ROTC cadets may have a chance to finish out their military studies in a new district and new branch of service. Superintendent Nancy Hines said the board is considering a one-year agreement with the Plum School District that would allow for about 14 students...
Decades old gas lamps in Oakmont to be converted to LED lights
Gas lamps along Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont may be going out as a borough committee seeks state funding for replacements. Oakmont Boulevard Project members have been working on converting the lamps across from the businesses along the cobblestone road into LED lights for years. Some were converted in 2015...
Woman shot in Pittsburgh recovering at local hospital
A woman was shot in the leg in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. City police were dispatched around 3:30 p.m. Monday to the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue were officers found the woman with a gunshot wound. Authorities said she was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. No information about...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court – Jul. 1, 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 courtBrandon Murray, 36, of Penn Hills on charges of knowingly possess ephedrine, possession of...
Longtime pastor of Lutheran church in Harrison retires
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. Barbara Ravenstahl felt a calling to become a preacher when women weren’t allowed behind the pulpit. The Lutheran Church in America ordained its first female minister in November 1970....
Retro video game-themed pop up bar comes to Pittsburgh’s Market Square
Level Up, a retro video game-themed pop up bar, has appeared in Pittsburgh’s Market Square. It’s designed by Pittsburgh-based MW Hospitality with inspiration from arcade classics such as Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat and Super Mario Bros. “It’s pretty fun and stimulating,” said MW Hospitality beverage coordinator Shane Wilps...
Man who died after falling off a tugboat into the Ohio River identified
A man who died after falling off a tugboat in the Ohio River has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Charles Sandherr, 52, of Rockwood. Authorities said he fell into the river Wednesday, June 26 in Sewickley. A message left for Sewickley police was not...
Reminder for motorists to work around Parkway East closure this weekend
Motorists are reminded that a portion of the Parkway East (Interstate 376) is shut down this weekend. All outbound lanes are closed between the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit and the Edgewood/Swissvale exit until 5 a.m. Monday. PennDOT also closed the following ramps for the weekend:Boulevard of the Allies ramp to outbound...
Severe weather, flash flood warnings issued for Westmoreland, Allegheny County towns
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for West Mifflin, McKeesport and Munhall. The warning is in effect Friday until 11 p.m. There is a flash flood warning for Jeannette, Irwin and Manor Borough until 10:30 p.m. More information will be posted as it comes...
Annual Greek Food Festival continues this weekend in Oakmont
The annual Greek Food Festival at the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Oakmont is less about the food and more about fellowship for the volunteers. Around 200 people prepare, serve, cleanup and perform in the three-day celebration along Washington Avenue. It’s running through Sunday. The festival is...
Pivik Elementary parents help provide the Plum school with new technology
Pivik Elementary students should see some new technology in the coming school year thanks to their parents. The Plum school’s PTA pulled about $16,000 together toward a new “maker space lending library.” The equipment is expected to be ordered throughout the summer and ready for rollout in the fall. Proposed...
East Hills DUI Task Force to conduct roving patrols this weekend – Jun. 27, 2019
East Hills DUI Task Force will conduct roving patrols and other educational enforcement activities this weekend. The task force consists of Plum, Monroeville, White Oak, North Versailles Township, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Edgewood police departments. Project director is Plum police Lt. Lanny Conley. The enforcement/educational details will occur within the...
Georgia man admits to using a Pittsburgh resident’s credit card to steal cash
A Georgia man admitted using counterfeit credit cards to fraudulently obtain cash advances from a Pittsburgh bank. Khambrel Coleman, 33, plead guilty in federal court to bank fraud charges. Authorities said he committed the fraud November 2016 through Feb. 3, 2017. One of his illegal transactions involved the use of...
Pedestrian hit by vehicle near Highland Park Bridge in Pittsburgh
One person was transported to a hospital after being struck by a vehicle in a construction zone in Pittsburgh. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said the incident took place shortly after 10 p.m. between Allegheny River Boulevard and the ramp onto the Highland Park Bridge. Dispatchers said the bridge remained...
Plum Air Force JROTC cadets honored by borough vet for recent performance
Vietnam veteran and Mayor Harry Schlegel thanked a group of recruits for their serving in leading a military celebration. He presented members of the Plum School District’s Air Force Junior ROTC program with a proclamation at a recent school board meeting for their performance in the Oakmont/Verona Memorial Day parade....
