Former district judge accused of DUI

Here are some of the latest news items for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024:

Former district judge accused of DUI

A former district judge who resigned from the position earlier this year after allegations of misconduct with teenage boys is now facing DUI charges.

Online court records show Anthony Saveikis, 57, of Coraopolis was charged with DUI and careless driving Friday.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9, according to court records.

The charges come after a three-vehicle crash at Banksville Road and Crane Avenue in Pittsburgh, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Police said Saveikis ran into the back of one vehicle, which then hit a third vehicle.

Police said Saveikis was unsteady and his eyes were bloodshot, WTAE reported, and a breath test showed his blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit.

Saveikis is facing formal charges before the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline in a case that remains pending.

The complaint includes eight counts alleging judicial ethics violations, including bringing disrepute to the office and failure to promote confidence in the judiciary.

The charges stem from alleged incidents involving underage boys, two of whom came before him as defendants.

Saveikis’ attorney, Robert Del Greco, said that a trial date is still being picked, but he expects it to be within the next three months.

Del Greco said he is aware of the DUI case and has been retained to represent Saveikis on it.

Social media threat unfounded, Canon-McMillan says

Canon-McMillan School District, in a message to families Tuesday morning, said a threat circulating on social media is not believed to be credible, but extra police officers were dispatched to schools.

District officials received a screenshot of a social media post that referenced a threat toward a school district in Ohio, specifically targeting sixth, seventh and eighth grades Tuesday morning as students were arriving for classes.

The original post was altered to add, “canon mac, Trinity, and Chartiers are next,” school leaders told parents.

The post began to circulate in local communities, and parents, students and staff voiced concerns.

North Strabane Police Department began investigating, along with police from Canonsburg and Cecil. The three departments dispatched extra officers to school buildings that have students in grades five through eight.

North Strabane assessed the threat as non-credible, district officials said, but all threats are taken seriously.

District officials reminded people to report any suspicious or threatening content they find online with police.

This comes after Leechburg Area School District increased security Monday in response to a suspicious note found in the high school Friday. Woodland Hills moved to virtual learning Monday because of swatting calls.

Police offer free steering wheel locks for Kia, Hyundai owners

Police departments in the Pittsburgh region will be distributing free steering wheel locks for Kia and Hyundai owners this weekend in an effort to deter vehicle thefts.

This comes after a significant increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles made between 2011 and 2022, Pittsburgh police said.

Pittsburgh police will team up with AAA and others to hand out the free steering wheel locks at AAA’s East Liberty site on Baum Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Attendees will be asked to show their vehicle registration or insurance card.

Districts get millions in grants to fix school hazards

Several local school districts received state grants to remediate and abate environmental hazards in school buildings, officials announced Monday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools received more than $4 million from the Environmental Repairs Program, which provides cash to help districts eliminate lead, mold, asbestos and other hazards.

“This funding will enable schools to repair buildings and provide students and school staff with safe air to breathe, water to drink and classrooms to work in,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Khalid N. Mumin said in a statement.

Other local school districts to benefit from the grant program include Avonworth, Baldwin-White Hall, Carlynton, Freeport, Greensburg-Salem, Hampton Township, Highlands, North Hills, Northgate, Norwin, Penn Hills and Pine-Richland, Plum Borough, Sto-Rox and West Jefferson Hills school districts.

Statewide, the grant program distributed $75 million to dozens of school districts.

“I’m glad that we are taking steps to remediate environmental hazards like asbestos and lead in drinking water, but students and educators deserve to learn and work in buildings that are more than safe,” Pennsylvania Sen. Lindsey Williams said in a statement.