Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 115
$1.3 million in exterior repairs proposed for Sewickley Public Library
A $1.3 million repair project has been proposed for the Sewickley Public Library. Library development associate Michelle Cleary said renovations are needed to the exterior of the original 1923 portion of the library along Thorn Street. They include a new roof, new windows and a new HVAC system for a...
Streetscape project underway along Brownsville Road in Brentwood
A beautification project in Brentwood is underway. Crews from Monaca-based CTM Construction began excavating Brownsville Road on Monday as part of a three-phase $321,000 streetscape initiative. The borough received a $155,855 Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority grant for the project in the central business district. This is part of Brentwood’s continual...
Police: Man shot in Penn Hills in ‘drug deal gone bad’
A man is recovering in a hospital after being shot three times in Penn Hills on Tuesday. Police Chief Howard Burton said the victim, a white man in his 20s, made his way to the GetGo gas station near Frankstown and Coal Hollow roads around 3 p.m. He was shot...
Line painting planned for next year as part of Oakmont’s pedestrian safety improvements
An Oakmont pedestrian safety project, inspired by a traffic study and a borough Girl Scout, is planned for next year. Borough officials earmarked $40,000 in the 2021 budget for line painting for crosswalks along Allegheny River Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue. It is unclear how much painting could be done with...
Assault, drug cases among those recently handled in Judge Zucco’s Plum court
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 • Paul McClain, 39, of Strabane on charges of false imprisonment, aggravated assault, unlawful...
Oakmont officials discuss next year’s budget; trying for no tax increase
Oakmont officials hope to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s spending plan. Council had its first 2021 budget meeting Monday night at the borough building. Discussions focused on the general fund with expenses and revenues estimated at $4.8 million, about $100,000 less compared to the current...
More technology becoming available for Penn Hills students
Penn Hills School District has computers available for students. About 2,900 computers have made it to the district’s estimated 3,180 students’ hands so far this year, district technology director Russ Seibert said. The district ordered electronic devices in May, June and July. However, delivery was delayed due to many other...
Oakmont Chamber of Commerce to host Halloween event Oct. 29
Oakmont Chamber of Commerce and borough businesses want to do their part to ensure children have a safe and spooky Halloween. The chamber is hosting a trick-or-treat event from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 29 along Allegheny River Boulevard. Many shops from College to Pennsylvania avenues will have candy for children, and...
Family-owned Willow Golf Range in Plum is in its 60th year in businessVideo
Frank and Rose Marie Borkovich had a vision to build a driving range, mini-golf course and ice cream shop. He was a golf pro and Florida State amateur golf champion. She was a nurse anesthetist. The Plum couple made their dream a reality in their neighborhood in 1960. Willow Golf...
Penn Hills School District receives state grant to pay for security
Penn Hills School District received a $650,000 state grant to help pay for security. District business manager Eileen Navish said the grant, which came through the state Department of Community & Economic Development, was part of $3.3 million in state funds accounted for last year in lieu of a tax...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum – Oct. 5, 2020
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Waived preliminary hearings • Nicole Spadaro, 39, of Murrysville on charges of driving under the influence. Charges were filed June 22. • Daniel Amodeo, 51, of Plum on charges of simple assault,...
Penn Hills schools to be election day polling places, students to learn online
Penn Hills School District schools will be used as polling places on election day while students learn online. Superintendent Nancy Hines said staffers will use the opportunity as a test for flexible instruction days, an option for school districts to continue education in lieu of cancellations like snow days. The...
Penn Hills School District considering moving kindergarten students from 2 to 4 days in school
Penn Hills School District officials want to hear from kindergarten parents about sending their little learners to school four days a week. The district began the 2020-21 school year Sept. 8 in a hybrid model due to the coronavirus pandemic. Students at the elementary, middle and high school were placed...
Oakmont officials to act on cycling, off-leash dog issue in Dark Hollow Woods
Oakmont council is prepared to act on an ordinance that would permit cycling and off-leash dogs in Dark Hollow Woods. A trial period for the activities in the publicly owned park near Crystal Drive has gone on for more than a year. The park was split into two sections in...
Third annual Fall Fest at Plum Creek Park a hit with families, vendorsVideo
Beau Ciufo scanned the hay bales, weighed his options and picked up the biggest pumpkin his little hands could carry. The boy, 1, was among about 500 children who went through the pumpkin patch at Plum’s third annual Fall Fest at Plum Creek Park. Beau’s parents, Amy and Jason Ciufo...
Community garden proposed in Verona
Seeds of a community garden project have been planted in the minds of Verona residents. Borough parks and recreation board members hope to find a spot soon and break ground next year. “A shared garden can empower a community by increasing access to healthy, fresh produce and pollinator-friendly places while...
Pittsburgh police: 6 people hurt in downtown crash
Six people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the collision occurred shortly before 3:45 p.m. at the Wood Street and Fifth Avenue intersection. Three of the people were transported to hospitals by medics. Two children were taken to...
Police: 1 person injured in Pittsburgh shooting
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting in Spring Hill. Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert around 2:30 p.m. along the 100 block of Rhine Place. While officers investigated the scene, a gunshot wound victim walked into a hospital, Matthews reported. Matthews said the victim...
Excavator crashes into Mt. Oliver home injuring 1
One person was injured after an excavator crashed onto a home in Mt. Oliver on Friday afternoon. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said the incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. along the 100 block of Ormsby Avenue. The person was taken via ambulance to a hospital. Officials told news partners...
Pleasant Hills councilwoman publishes 2nd children’s book
A Pleasant Hills parent has penned a new children’s book that may be a treat for families this fall. “It’s Halloween,” the story of a boy excited about October and planning costumes with his mother, was independently published and released Sept. 29. It is part of a series of stories...
Fall Fest to go on as planned in Plum on Saturday
Plum officials won’t let a pandemic stop them from letting residents continue an autumn tradition. The third annual Fall Fest is set for noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at Plum Creek Park across from the borough building along New Texas Road. Activities include pony rides, pumpkin painting, a pumpkin patch,...
Penn Hills icon Bill Fralic posthumously named distinguished alumni
Penn Hills School District officials have posthumously named Bill Fralic Jr., a football standout and community icon, its latest distinguished alumni. The award was given at a Sept. 30 school board meeting by district Athletic Director Stephanie Strauss to Fralic’s brother-in-law, Tom Brown. “Bill has had an impact on the...
A new Goodwill store and donation center is coming to Penn Hills
A new Goodwill store and donation center in Penn Hills may open in the next few weeks. It’s located at the old Office Furniture Warehouse, next to Planet Fitness, in the Penn Hills Shopping Center. David Tobiczyk, vice president of marketing and development for Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Wednesday...
Pivik Elementary in Plum to close for 2 weeks after a staffer tests positive for covid-19
Plum School District’s Pivik Elementary students will be learning remotely for at least two weeks after a staffer tested positive for covid-19. District officials sent a letter to families Wednesday informing them of the discovery and subsequent changes. The letter from Pivik Principal Kristen Gestrich states the staffer was in...
Covid concerns may keep some high school students out of Plum’s JROTC program
Penn Hills High School students who participated in Plum School District’s Junior ROTC program due to their district no longer having one may not be able to continue their extracurricular education due to covid-19 concerns. Junior William Phillips and senior Abdulbasit Odunoye went before the Plum School Board on Tuesday...
