Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 168
Vehicle and school bus with no students collide in Plum
Plum police are investigating a crash between a car and a school bus. Police Chief Jeff Armstrong said the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon along Route 286 between Holiday Park and Presque Isle drives. He said the driver of the car was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The...
Riverview School District to start elementary computer science program through state grant
Riverview School District officials plan to use a state grant to implement a new computer science program at Verner and Tenth Street elementary schools. The district was one of 16 Allegheny County education entities, including charter schools, to be awarded a $35,000 portion of $560,000 targeted grants provided through Gov....
Penn Hills High School closed Tuesday due to heating issue
Penn Hills High School is closed Tuesday due to a malfunctioning boiler and no heat available in the building, school district officials announced late Monday. Teachers are to report to Linton Middle School. The middle and elementary schools still are on two-hour delays Tuesday due to freezing temperatures. An alert...
Activities in Plum and Oakmont this week – Jan. 21, 2019
Looking for something to do in Plum or Oakmont? Here are some suggestions: Plum Community Library at 449 Center New Texas Road Blvd. hosts Toddler Tales, a storytime for children ages 2-3 and a caregiver, 11-11:45 a.m. and Story Time Live, a storytime for children ages 4-5, from 1-1:45 p.m....
Western Pennsylvania school districts schedule two-hour delays ahead of frigid Tuesday
Freezing temperatures spurred many Western Pennsylvania school districts to call for two-hour delays Tuesday morning. The temperature in the Pittsburgh area was negative one degree just before 5 a.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier said. With the wind chill, it may feel like negative 3 to 5 degrees. “Winds...
Plum school board postpones real estate tax-related vote
Plum School District officials postponed a vote on whether the district will limit any tax increase next year to the state’s Act 1 index. Board members were to approve at the Jan. 22 regular meeting a resolution to stay within the Act 1 index — a state formula restricting real...
Fourth annual Monroeville Home Show set for this weekend at the Monroeville Convention Center
People looking to start housing projects or want to talk with experts about home improvement can find all they need and more at the Monroeville Convention Center this weekend. Simon Event Management of Greensburg presents the fourth annual Monroeville Home Show Jan. 25-27 at 209 Mall Blvd. “Every year it...
Police: Sheriff shoots suspect in Pittsburgh Family Dollar robbery, possibly connected to Penn Hills heist
An Allegheny County deputy sheriff shot a robbery suspect during a gun battle inside a Family Dollar store in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood Friday night, a little more than an hour after the Penn Hills Family Dollar was robbed. Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. Mike Pilyih said the county sheriffs and Pittsburgh...
Plum becomes first busing district in nation to complete TSA training program
Students transported by Plum School District buses are now as safe as those who fly the friendly skies. The district recently became the first busing district in the nation to complete a four-part training and evaluation cycle from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. “I’m really proud that we can make...
Oakmont shop hopes to turn squares into comfort for Tree of Life families
A young girl’s hope of comforting families impacted by the mass shooting at a synagogue in Squirrel Hill last year turned a small yarn shop in Oakmont into a global destination. Yarns by Design at 622 Allegheny River Blvd. launched the Tree of Life Afghan Project shortly after the Oct....
Drugs, theft cases among recent Monroeville police investigations
Monroeville police filed the following charges Jan. 3-17 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office:Jacqueline Mackowski, 21, of Verona with possession of controlled substances, possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct. Charges were filed Jan. 17 in connection with an incident along the 200 block...
Assault, robbery cases among those 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 courtWayne Crump Jr., 37, of Monroeville on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment....
DUI, prostitution cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Held for courtRobyn Savko, 38, of New Kensington on charges of promoting prostitution and defiant trespass. Charges were filed Nov. 12. Waived preliminary hearingKevin Hohman, 59, of Plum on charges of driving...
1 reported trapped in Port Vue house fire
Several Mon Valley fire departments responded to a two-alarm blaze at 807 Weldon Drive in Port Vue Wednesday night. Allegheny County dispatchers said the call for the fire came in around 9:51 p.m. One person was reportedly entrapped in the house. It was unclear if there were any injuries. Michael...
Plum School District’s 2019-20 school year budget talks have begun
Plum School District officials are trying to avoid a tax increase and find additional revenue sources to plug a projected $1.1 million hole in the 2019-20 budget. Several scenarios were presented at the Jan. 15 budget committee meeting by district business manager John Zahorchak. Two included no tax increases while...
Officials: Abducted Penn Hills teen found safe, suspect arrested
A 19-year-old man accused of assaulting and kidnapping a 16-year-old girl from her Penn Hills home Wednesday afternoon was in the Allegheny County Jail Thursday morning. Jermaine LaQuay Rodgers was taken into custody after a standoff in McKeesport, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. Rodgers allegedly broke into the Glenbrook...
Plum council approves more spending for school district safety improvements
More Plum School District security upgrades will be paid for through a borough donation. Borough officials last year approved a $160,000 gift toward cyber security, facility upgrades and other initiatives designed to keep Plum students safe. Council unanimously voted Jan. 14 to increase its contribution by approximately $50,000 to help...
Drug, theft cases among those recently handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court – Jan. 14, 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 courtCollin Helsel, 36, of Penn Hills on charges of possession of controlled substances, possession...
Lack of information raising tensions in Penn Hills School District investigation
Frustrations continue to grow in Penn Hills as an investigation into school district’s finances stretches into its third year. “I’ve been in the community all my life,” said Heather Malone, resident and high school basketball booster. “It’s like we don’t have a voice, and it’s time for us to have...
27 indicted on federal drug and money laundering crimes
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted 27 people in U.S. District Court on multiple counts of drug possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl and other crimes. Court papers indicate the eight-count indictment was under seal Tuesday, Jan. 8 and unsealed Friday, Jan. 11. The defendants...
Pittsburgh man faces attempted homicide charge in connection with Mt. Lebanon home invasion
A Mt. Lebanon man was hospitalized with a severe throat laceration after being attacked during a home invasion late Friday morning, police said. Mt. Lebanon police arrested Darius Johnson, 24, of Pittsburgh, in connection with the incident that occurred ar0und 11:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Pat Haven Drive....
New plans, grants sought for kayak park in Oakmont
Oakmont officials are seeking new plans for a proposed kayak park in the borough. Original plans for the park — a 1.53-acre borough-owned lot along the 1000 block of Allegheny Avenue near the Brenntag Northeast facility — stalled after council approved preliminary designs by Pittsburgh architectural firm Environmental Planning and...
New lawsuit filed against Glade Run Lutheran claims another boy was sexually assaulted
The parent organization that ran a since-closed Zelienople youth home and recently settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of a teenage sexual assault victim faces a new lawsuit of a similar nature. Attorney Michael Pisanchyn Jr. of the Pittsburgh-based Pisanchyn Law Firm filed the suit this month against Glade Run...
Verona residents encouraged to recycle Christmas trees via Allegheny County’s program
Verona residents looking to dispose of their old Christmas trees are encouraged to do so through Allegheny County’s recycling program. Trees can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to dusk at nine regional county parks through Jan. 14. Verona Chamber of Commerce officials said the borough’s annual tree burning event...
Allderdice student killed in Homewood shooting
A junior at Pittsburgh Public Schools Allderdice HIgh School died in the hospital after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood South neighborhood Wednesday night. Jonathan Freeman, 16, of the city’s Stanton Heights neighborhood died at 10:01 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. “A high achieving student, Jonathan...
