Week in review: Speakeasy busted; Legionella found in nursing home

Investigators shut down a Pittsburgh speakeasy for illegal alcohol sales, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto pitched new ways to get around the city, and residents at the Westmoreland Manor nursing home are drinking bottled water after Legionella bacteria was discovered. Here’s a look back at the week’s top stories.

Penn Trafford baseball star dies in crash

A star baseball player died Saturday as a result of injuries he suffered when his car collided with a pickup in Penn Township, authorities said. Maclean Peter “Mac” Maund, 18, of Harrison City, died at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. Maund was a freshman business administration major at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. He graduated from Penn Trafford High School in 2019, where he was a standout pitcher/first baseman for the baseball team. He continued to play for Seton Hill. The university issued a statement mourning the loss. The collision occurred at 12:20 p.m. on Route 130.

Peduto pitches transportation overhaul

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he plans to transform the city’s Parking Authority into a mobility authority that would promote and invest in all modes of transportation, including gondolas, marinas and autonomous vehicles within the city’s borders. Peduto, who appeared Monday on a panel of experts discussing Pittsburgh’s potential for future growth, said the city has a critical need for continued investment in public transportation, including parking. The authority wouldn’t necessarily fund such things as gondolas, but it can serve to expedite public/private partnerships that would foot the bill. They mayor added that he wouldn’t turn down a new incline. He said he hopes to change the authority over the next five years, and it’s too early to say whether the authority would divert parking taxes and revenue to alternative projects.

Speakeasy busted for illegal alcohol sales

A two-month undercover sting operation by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control is responsible for busting up an illegal Homewood speakeasy. According to a criminal complaint filed in Pittsburgh Municipal Court, 34-year-old Sean “Nitty” Reese has been charged with 12 counts of illegally selling alcohol out of space on Kelly Street called Club Secrets. Acting on a tip, agents with the bureau visited the club five times, the last one with a search warrant and back-up, resulting in a raid that turned up 12 gallons of liquor, 40 gallons of malt and brewed drinks, and more than $3,000 in cash. Four others face two counts each of illegally selling alcohol.

Flu death toll rises

Two more Allegheny County residents have died from flu complications, bringing this flu season’s county death toll to five, according to the county’s Health Department. That’s out of more than 7,200 laboratory-confirmed cases in Allegheny County. The Pennsylvania Department of Health says 33 people have died from the flu in the state this season, with more than 50,000 confirmed cases. While there has been a sharp decline in reported flu cases over the past month, the department urges residents to continue to protect themselves against the flu.

Legionella found in nursing home

Preliminary testing has found “probable Legionella” bacteria, which causes Legionnaires’ disease, in water at Westmoreland Manor, according to a statement released Wednesday by county officials. Westmoreland Manor is a 400-bed, county-owned nursing home in Hempfield. Residents and staff have been restricted to the use of bottled water for drinking and cleaning since Jan 24. The county said additional testing is under way. Final results are expected by early next week.