Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 82
2 Penn Hills parks to be upgraded with help from state grant
About $237,000 in state grants have been allocated for projects in Penn Hills’ Community and Universal parks, officials announced Dec. 14. Grant funding is through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and made available through the Community Conservation Partnership Program. “Penn Hills Park and Universal Park are both...
Pair of Kiski Area juniors collecting food and shoes to help Alle-Kiski Valley families
Two Kiski Area High School juniors are collecting items to benefit local charities this holiday season. Tabytha Hogan, 16, has launched a food drive for the Leechburg Food Bank at First United Methodist Church. Allison Thompson, 17, is collecting old and new shoes to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society....
Gilpin teen seeks Eagle Scout honor through project for Leechburg fire company
Lukas Remaley knew he wanted to do something to help out Leechburg. The Gilpin teen had been a part of the Boy Scouts for more than 10 years and earned at least 40 merit badges. “You learn how to work with other people and be a better person,” said Lukas,...
Police: Missing Kiski Township man believed to be in danger found safe
A Kiski Township man who was reported missing and considered in danger has been found safe, according to police. Township police were searching for Damian Day, 22, who had not been seen since leaving his residence around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday. Police issued a notice on social media around midnight on...
Shots fired outside Walmart in The Waterworks mall, police looking for 4 suspects
A Pittsburgh police SWAT team responded to the Walmart department store at The Waterworks mall Tuesday evening after shots had been fired. Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh Public Safety director, said the shooting happened outside Walmart. He believes the shooters were inside the store and came outside when multiple shots were fired....
Leechburg Area School District to take closer look at student emails via Google service
Leechburg Area School District officials plan to take a closer look at student emails. District technology director Katie Robson said the district will be looking for safety concerns such as online predators, adult content, cyber bullying, drug use, depression, suicidal thoughts and more. Katie Robson said administrators will use a...
Freeport Area School Board has new leadership, 2 new members
The Freeport Area School Board has a new president, vice president and a couple new members. Former vice president Adam Toncini was appointed as board president, and Greg Selinger was named vice president at Thursday night’s reorganization meeting. Newcomers Melanie Zembrzuski and Gary Risch Jr., along with incumbents John Haven...
Leechburg Area students collect thousands of canned goods for borough food bank
Leechburg Area School District elementary students have once again done their part to make sure people don’t go hungry this holiday season. The young learners collected more than 1,400 canned goods for the Leechburg Food Bank. Food was collected in each homeroom at David Leech Elementary from Nov. 8-19. Students...
West Mifflin man arrested, accused of killing his mother
A West Mifflin man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his mother and discarding her body in garbage bags in her back yard. Jonathan Nulty, 21, is charges with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Allegheny County Police said the case began as a missing person...
Pivik Elementary students, staff rally around Plum student who recently completed chemotherapyVideo
Pivik Elementary third grader Joey Byrnes is a superhero to his family, classmates and teachers. It’s not because he has super strength or heat vision or leaps tall buildings in a single bound. He has the power of positivity and a strong will. The Plum student recently completed his last...
East Pittsburgh man arrested for alleged involvement in South Side shootings in November
An East Pittsburgh man has been arrested in connection with a pair of November shootings in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Derek Reddix, 32, is charged with two counts of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, being a person not to allowed to possess firearms and possession with intent to...
Leechburg Rotary, high school club partner for pajama drive
Pajamas, comfy cozy lounge wear and a classic Christmas gift. They are something the Rotary Club of Leechburg and Leechburg Area High School’s Interact Club want more people to have. That’s why they have partnered for the second straight year to collect the clothing, as well as children’s books, to...
Leechburg Area School Board retains president and vice president, welcomes newly elected members
Leechburg Area School Board’s top leaders will retain their positions next year, and the newly elected members were sworn in Wednesday night. Neill Brady and Anthony Shea were unanimously retained as president and vice president, respectively. Brady has been on the board for about 18 years. He enters his fourth...
Freeport couple creates Christmas display with a Halloween twist
A Freeport couple wants to wish everyone a happy haunted Christmas via a new holiday display. James Libengood said this is the first December he and his wife, Melissa, decided to decorate their front yard and home for the holidays. However, it does not feature the traditional reindeer and snowmen....
Freeport’s Small Town Christmas parade draws a crowdVideo
Sleigh bells rang throughout Freeport as hundreds of people packed the main street sidewalks for a chance to see Santa and other groups marching in the Small Town Christmas parade. At least 20 groups marched in the celebration Saturday including various Freeport Area High School athletic teams, the marching band,...
Freeport Councilwoman Mary Bowlin resigns, citing clashes with mayor
Freeport Councilwoman Mary Bowlin has resigned. Her former colleagues were expected to accept her resignation at Monday night’s council meeting but the meeting was canceled due to a lack of a quorum. One council member was in quarantine because of covid. One was on vacation, and another was working. The...
Monday night’s Freeport council meeting canceled due to lack of quorum
A Freeport council meeting scheduled for Monday night was canceled due to lack of a quorum, with at least one member on vacation, another at work, another in quarantine due to covid and a recently elected member resigning. The meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. Items on the agenda included...
Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company members renew Christmas craft and vendor show
A Christmas Craft Show is returning to Leechburg after more than a decade of hibernation. It has been about 15 years since local artisans, craftsmen and other small businesses showcased their wares at the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company’s social hall shortly before Christmas. Company President Brian Scott said volunteers who...
Buffalo Township officials to raise real estate taxes 9% for next year’s budget, purchase new police car and seal more roads
Buffalo Township officials plan to raise taxes by about 9% to help keep up with rising expenses. Supervisors have proposed hiking the tax rate from 5.5 mills to 6 mills to balance their 2022 budget. The 0.5-mill increase is projected to generate $30,000 for the township and cost the average...
Freeport VFD plans to replace aging engine with new Pierce apparatus, financing uncertain
Freeport firefighters plan to replace an aging truck with a new custom model. The volunteer fire department’s 1987 Mack Grumman fire engine failed a pump test this year. Fire Marshal Michael Greiser said maintenance of the 33-year-old truck has become taxing, with parts becoming harder to find. Its open cab...
Student busing in Plum School District no longer guaranteed
A shortage of bus drivers has prompted Plum School District officials to warn parents that transportation for their children can no longer be guaranteed. The district sent out an alert about their transportation issues Friday. District chief financial officer Ryan Manzer said they had tried to offset the driver shortage...
Thiel College fraternity’s walk to help UPMC Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund stops in Freeport
A Thiel College fraternity on a 100-mile walk benefiting the Free Care Fund at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh made an overnight stop at a Freeport church Friday. About 30 members of Phi Theta Phi made it more than 50 miles on foot from the Greenville college and through several...
New Kensington mayor’s community dinner ushers in holiday seasonVideo
A New Kensington holiday tradition has returned. The fire station along Fourth Avenue opened its doors Friday night for Mayor Tom Guzzo’s 11th annual community dinner. It wasn’t held last year because of covid. Festivities kicked off shortly before 5:30 p.m. with Christmas carols by the city tree at Ninth...
Steel City Con coming to Monroeville for final show of the year
Monroeville Convention Center’s last pop culture event of the year is fast approaching. Steel City Con is scheduled for Dec. 10-12 at 209 Mall Plaza Blvd. Thousands are expected to attend over the three days. The final con of 2021 is packed with familiar faces of the silver and small...
Death of driver who crashed into a Pittsburgh plasma clinic killing 2 employees inside is ruled a suicide
The death of a driver who crashed into plasma clinic in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood in June killing two more people and injuring others, has been ruled a suicide, according to an Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office report released Thursday. Ronald Morgan, 50, of McKeesport died around noon on June 12...
