Plum Advance Leader category, Page 92
Oakmont family to stand trial in toddler’s death
The last months of 3-year-old Bella Seachrist’s life were spent stationary, allegedly forced to sit for so long on her training potty that her feet became swollen and purple, detectives testified Friday at a preliminary hearing for the three adults charged with her homicide. The girl’s father, Jose Salazar-Ortiz, his...
5 tips for keeping your fall mums happy, healthy and beautiful
Those fall mums look so good at the garden center or grocery store that you splurge on a few big pots for your front porch. But after a couple of weeks, they no longer look so good — the blooms are browning and the unopened buds are drying out. What...
Plum hopes to make a splash in move to new classification
After several years of play in WPIAL Class 5A, Plum turns its attention to a new venture this season. The Mustangs are one of the several teams to make the move to Class 4A, and coach Matt Morgan said the change, along with a large group of starters back, presents...
Plum students head back to classrooms for 1st day of school
Students arrived back to school in the Plum Borough School District for the official start of classes on Wednesday. The first day saw half of the district’s students report to school buildings while the other half stayed home for remote instruction....
Plum youth softball team rolls to league championship
The Plum Stephans 12U girls fast-pitch softball team dominated the competition this summer to claim the World Series title in its Eastern Girls Fast Pitch Softball League division. In 12 games — nine in the regular-season and three in the playoffs — Plum posted six shutouts and outscored its opponents...
Plum EMS to host free car seat safety checks
Plum EMS and police want to make sure a family’s precious cargo is safe and secure when traveling. That’s why the borough’s first responders are hosting a car seat safety check from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the ambulance station at 1990 Old Mine Road. “It’s for the...
Traffic, assault, drug cases recently handled in Judge Zucco’s Plum courtroom
Plum District Court Judge Linda Zucco handled these cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Held for court Jonathan Blair Cumberledge, 38, of Kittanning on charges of improper passing, following too closely,...
‘Mama Mantras’ born from Murrysville woman’s postpartum depression battle
“I am the perfect mother for my family.” That’s just one of the 44 phrases found in a unique deck of cards, known as Mama Mantras, Jessi Wagner developed earlier this year to help moms get through the “baby blues.” Wagner, 30, a Gateway High School graduate who now lives...
Killinger, Plum girls soccer ready for repeat performance
Kaitlyn Killinger probably couldn’t have imagined a better start to her high school soccer career. The Plum sophomore striker led her team in scoring last season with 18 goals, and she came up big numerous times in the Mustangs’ run to the WPIAL Class AAA championship game and state playoffs....
Eastern area real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 30
Churchill Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency sold property at 2400 Greensburg Pike to Ahmed and Arafat Arafat for $82,500. Estate of Marilyn Fredland Lampl sold property at 149 Thornberry Drive to William Fuller Jr. and Cherylie A Blair Fuller for $189,900. Delmont Ronald Glover sold property at 541 Athena Drive to...
Pa. Turnpike stretch will close early Sunday morning for bridge work in Plum
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48) and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) interchanges from midnight through 5 a.m. on Sunday. Drivers will not be permitted to continue through the area after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29. The five-hour closure is necessary so work crews can...
Power still out for some in region after storms slam Southwestern Pa.Video
An evening of high winds and strong rain downed trees and wires across Southwestern Pennsylvania on Thursday, knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the region. “We had a good line along the (storm) boundary that produced a lot of wind,” said John Darnley, observation program leader...
Plum EMS earns silver award from American Heart Association
Plum EMS recently received recognition from the American Heart Association for its efforts to improve the treatment of patients with severe heart attacks. The ambulance company was given the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver Plus Award. The program is designed to showcase EMS organizations across the nation for excellent STEMI...
Oakmont retaining wall beautification project to be completed by OctoberVideo
A retaining wall beautification project along Allegheny River Boulevard near the Oakmont and Verona border might be completed within a few weeks. Apollo-based Santamaria Landscaping crews began their effort to restore the wall near the viaduct between the two boroughs in July. Senate Engineering Senior Inspector David Hodges was at...
Oakmont, Plum real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 23
Oakmont Cutting Edge Construction Group LLC sold property at 744 Sixth St. to Christopher and Adeshewa Metzger for $151,000. Estate of Margaret Register sold property at 513 Seventh St. to Nexgen Real Estate LLC for $75,000. Imogene King sold property at 420 College Ave. to Anderson Real Estate Holdings LLC...
Oakmont police sergeant retires; 2 volunteers prepare to join fire department
Oakmont police Sgt. Jack Eaton has called it a career after nearly three decades in law enforcement. He served the borough for the past 27 years as a patrolman and later sergeant. The lifelong borough resident, Riverview High School and University of Pittsburgh graduate was on the Verona police force...
Passavant Memorial Homes extends extra pay when state rejects bid for aid
Despite not receiving state aid for hazard pay for frontline workers, a McCandless-based nonprofit will give its employees at 140 community group homes across the region an extra $3 an hour until late October — an initiative that will cost the company about $2 million. Passavant Memorial Homes Family of...
DUI, drug 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 court • Judy Grasinger, 38, of Plum on charges of possession of controlled substances and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Charges were filed June 17. • Edward Carik...
Pittsburgh tech company adds ultraviolet disinfection robots to its portfolioVideo
Most people think of ultraviolet light as the main reason for wearing sunscreen. Chris Proud, CEO at Safe Space Technologies in Pittsburgh, sees it as another weapon in the battle against the coronavirus. Safe Spaces’ parent company, Miller Process, focuses on collaborative robots, networking services and automation for a variety...
Oakmont officials to review fire siren use in response to resident’s concerns
Oakmont officials want to review the use of borough fire department sirens in response to resident complaints. Councilwoman Leah Powers on Aug. 17 requested a log of the sirens’ uses and for what calls after a discussion with resident Jill Weeks. Weeks showed council a video that evening with children...
Oakmont officials waive amusement device fees for businesses
Oakmont officials are giving a break to some borough businesses hit hard by the covid-19 pandemic. Council unanimously adopted a resolution Aug. 17 waiving its mechanical amusement device tax for the year. Police Chief Michael Ford, whose department collects the fee, made the recommendation. He said the tax is levied...
Riverview School District to start next school year with new superintendent
When school begins, Riverview School District students and staff will see new safety protocols, new challenges and a new superintendent to help guide them through it all. Neil English, district curriculum coordinator and high school instructional principal, was chosen to succeed Peggy DiNinno as Riverview’s top administrator. DiNinno is retiring...
Slow-pitch softball league planning ‘full bore’ for upcoming season
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League’s 15th fall season is scheduled to begin Labor Day weekend. League officials are planning to start on time, but they also are monitoring upcoming announcements from the PIAA and other possible rulings from school districts and local and state government officials that might throw...
Eastern region real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 16
Churchill Katelyn Butler sold property at 2331 Forest Drive to Benjamin Wise and Kathryn Straatmann for $102,000. Delmont David Huczko sold property at 524 Athena Drive to Scott and Jessica Gordon for $228,500. Joseph Sesti sold property at 319 E. Pittsburgh St. to Robert Cole II and Kerri Rae Cole...
Pandemic quashed Plum girl’s dream trip, so Make-A-Wish built her backyard pool, firefighters filled itVideo
Call Haley Delo pool happy. The Plum youth who suffers from a severe form of epilepsy was one of the rare beneficiaries of Make-A-Wish Foundation at a time when many wishes don’t come true. The covid-19 pandemic has complicated everything in life, even delivering wishes to critically ill children. Since...
