Filed Under: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Reports
McKeesport and surrounding communities are cancelling or rescheduling Halloween events due to the possibility of severe weather, including flooding, this week.
The city has rescheduled trick-or-treat to 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Mayor Michael Cherepko's office announced.
Category: News || By John Barna
Category: News || By Staff Report
Category: News || By Submitted Reports
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and city native Swin Cash will greet fans and talk about her charitable work on Saturday at the Palisades ballroom, Downtown.
The free event begins at 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
Cash, 33, a forward for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, will talk about her basketball career, her experiences at the 2012 Summer Games and her charity, Cash for Kids.
Mayor Mike Cherepko and state Sen. Jim Brewster also are scheduled to be on hand.
Cash also will appear this Sunday at Heinz Field to serve as "celebrity Terrible Towel Twirler" as the Steelers host the Washington Redskins.
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
High school students interested in working on non-profit service projects in the city are invited to get ready for next year's "Mission on the Mon."
A youth-development ministry of White Oak's Faith Lutheran Church and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mission on the Mon also partners with many local ministries and agencies as well as local government, said the Rev. Brian Evans, pastor.
Applications for next summer's week-long mission will be available in January from the church at 1656 Lincoln Way.
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Route 837 in Dravosburg will be closed next week while a railroad crossing is replaced.
Weather-permitting, the crossing on the Norfolk Southern Railroad will be rebuilt next Monday and Tuesday, said Jim Struzzi, district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. The work is not being done by PennDOT, but the agency is announcing the closing as a public service.
The crossing is near the Kinder Morgan (formerly Boswell Oil Co.) terminal on Route 837.
Route 837 will be closed in both directions beginning at 9 a.m. Monday through 6 p.m. Tuesday. About 12,000 vehicles use the crossing on an average day.
The posted detours will use the Lysle Boulevard and the Mansfield and McKeesport-Duquesne bridges.
Category: News || By Submitted Report
A national membership organization for human service organizations has named McKeesport-based Auberle its "Agency of the Year" among groups of similar size.
A spokeswoman says the award announced Thursday recognizes Auberle for its expansion into new program areas and for adding new services, while significantly reducing the time it takes to implement new programs to meet community needs.
The award was announced by the Alliance for Children and Families at its national conference in Orlando, Fla.
"Non-profits are reinventing ourselves and have been for some time," said John Lydon, Auberle's chief executive officer. "We have become much more creative, efficient and focused on delivering impact in the communities we serve. The result in our overall capacity is such that it stands out."
In part, the award was triggered by Auberle's new Girls' Programming Initiative, which was designed to address a lack of resources available for girls and young women at risk of abuse or criminal activity, versus resources aimed at helping boys and young men.
That initiative included the creation earlier this year of a new fully-staffed residence program for young women on Versailles Avenue in the city near the former St. Pius V Roman Catholic Church.
Category: Commentary/Editorial || By Jason Togyer
Category: News || By Submitted Report
McKeesport police Chief Bryan J. Washowich released the department's monthly report for September.
Police answered 1,780 calls during the month, making 169 arrests and issuing 100 traffic citations and 382 parking tickets.
Twenty-three unregistered vehicles were issued orange tags and two were towed.
Police investigated seven robberies, 28 burglaries, 22 assaults, one sex offense and four car thefts.
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Volunteers are being recruited for a cleanup day to "work for a better McKeesport" beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at the corner of Bailie and Evans avenes.
Anyone interested in participating should meet at the Unity Fairgrounds. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be served for lunch from 12 to 1 p.m.
For more information, email mckcleanup@yahoo.com.
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
Category: Announcements || By An Editor
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
McKeesport Art Group hosts Gail Bodkin tonight at its monthly meeting. The meeting at 7:30 is in the art room of McKeesport Area High School, 1960 Eden Park Blvd., and is free and open to the public.
Bodkin began her art career in 1972 when she began painting in oil. This flowed into other mediums, watercolor, acrylics, mixed medium, etc. She was at one time the owner of several arts and craft stores and a paint studio.
Bodkin traveled the country representing distributors and manufactuers of art mediums sold in her stores. Her tour included teaching art using those products. She aligned with local TV personality Josie Carey in producing a series called, "Lunch, Learn and Diet."
McKeesport Art Group is inviting interested artists in the Mon-Yough area to become members. For more information, contact Jan Catalogna at jacat99@aol.com or (412) 469-2710.
Category: General Nonsense, History || By Jason Togyer
There was a very interesting story by Patrick Cloonan in Saturday's Daily News about the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's visit to McKeesport. And I don't just say that because I was mentioned.
But the very first line bugged me. It said that McKeesport was then "the fifth-largest city in Western Pennsylvania."
I've seen variations of this line for years on websites and in news articles. It set me to wondering, what exactly does it mean to be the "fifth-largest city in Western Pennsylvania"?
And during its heyday, was McKeesport ever one of the largest cities in Pennsylvania?
Well, it definitely wasn't in 1962, when Kennedy visited McKeesport. According to the 1960 Census, McKeesport had about 45,000 people, making it the 15th-largest city in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest municipality in the commonwealth. (Five townships and 14 cities were larger than Our Fair City.)
I looked this up in my 1963-64 edition of the Pennsylvania Manual. (What? You don't have a copy of the 1963-64 Pennsylvania Manual? You should totally get one. It's fascinating Saturday night reading if your copy of Grit fails to arrive.)
In 1960, the four largest cities in "Western Pennsylvania" --- assuming a line is drawn right down the middle of the state, dividing it into east and west halves --- were Pittsburgh, Erie, Altoona and Johnstown. McKeesport, under that definition, did rank as the fifth-largest in "Western Pennsylvania."
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Category: Another Viewpoint || By Alert Reader Shadango
Alert Reader "Shadango" sends the following commentary:
. . .
On my way to work today I was deep in thought on the most recent brew-ha-ha in McKeesport. No, it's not how to keep people from moving out of our city, the number of homicides this year versus last, or how to cure the problem of blighted properties.
It's about dirt bikes and ATVs in Haler Heights.
I pondered as I drove and opened my windows for a nice fresh taste of the brisk fall air. In came a cloud of nasty cigarette smoke from the car in front of me ... and my mellow Manilow tune on the radio was drowned out by the thump-thump-thumping of the latest "song" from DJ Get Busy from the car next to me.
I would like to ban cigarette smoking, all loud thumpy music and rude drivers on cell phones. But that will not happen. I just have to deal with it. I have to pull on my big boy pants every morning, drive that commute, breath the stinky cigarette air, listen to the thumping and pray I don't get wiped out by jerks on the road.
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
Self-guided tours of the historic Carrie Furnaces will be half-price this Saturday and will include a demonstration of ironcasting.
Sherris Moreira, director of marketing for Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, said the event marks the last self-guided tour this year.
Tours will cost $12.50 this Saturday only. The tours begin at 9 a.m. and run every half-hour through 11:30 a.m. On the self-paced tour Saturday, former steelworkers and docents will be stationed throughout the blast furnace site to explain the iron-making process and share their personal stories and experiences.
Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report
McKeesport Trail Commission will host a car show from 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the McKees Point Marina, Water Street at Fifth Avenue, Downtown.
Registration is $7 and the first 100 cars will receive a dash plaque. Twenty-five cars will receive other awards, including a "best of show" prize.
Entertainment and food will be available throughout the event. In case of rain, the show will be moved to Oct. 21.
For more information, email city Councilman Dan Carr or Trail Commission chair Linda Brewster.
Category: News || By Submitted Report
Category: News || By Submitted Report
People who want to vote in the Nov. 6 election, and who are not registered to vote or have moved since the last election, have until tomorrow to file their applications, county officials said.
The Allegheny County Elections Division will remain open until 5 p.m. Tuesday to accept hand-delivered voter registration forms. Tomorrow is also the deadline for voters who have moved since the last election to change their address to their new residence.
In order to vote in Pennsylvania, new voters must be both a U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident at least one month before the election, and 18 years old on or before Election Day.
. . .
Meanwhile, Allegheny County has suspended its program to issue photo voter I.D. cards through Kane Regional Hospitals and the community college system.
Last week's decision by a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge to block implementation of the state's new photo voter I.D. law makes the program unnecessary, Allegheny County Executive Rich FItzgerald.
The county's program was running for only one day before the court decision was announced. Officials said 33 cards were issued.
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
City officials are confident that a proposed $1 million host fee being assessed to the Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport will pass any legal tests.
Recent changes to state law restricting sewerage, water and other authorities from making certain kinds of grants or payments will have "no impact" on McKeesport, city Solicitor J. Jason Elash said.
"We've talked to people at other authorities, including in Altoona," he said. "These fees are being paid all over the state."
Council on Wednesday by 5-1-1 vote approved entering into a cooperation agreement with the sewerage authority assessing a "host fee" for every 1,000 gallons of wastewater treated in McKeesport. The fee would generate $1 million in revenue for the city. Council President Darryl Segina voted against the measure, while Councilman Dale McCall, who sits on the authority's board, abstained.
Mayor Michael Cherepko said the host fee --- which was recommended to the city several years ago, but never enacted --- is the "first phase" toward closing the city's $1 million to $2 million annual budget deficit. The sewerage authority has assured the city that the cost of the fee will not be passed onto ratepayers, the mayor said.
In June, Gov. Corbett signed a new law that amended the rules governing authorities that requires any funds being spent by a municipal authority to be used only for a "service or project directly related to the mission or purpose" of that authority.
It's largely up to board members at authorities to decide whether an expenditure is part of their mission or purpose, said John Brosious, deputy director of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association.
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
A proposed $1 million annual payment from the sewerage authority to the city treasury is only the first step in closing McKeesport's yearly budget deficit, Mayor Michael Cherepko said Tuesday.
City departments must look at every possible avenue to increase revenues and stop relying on asset sales to cover annual losses, he said.
"We have gotten into the habit of managing by crisis," Cherepko said. "We've been reactive, rather than proactive."
On subjects such as pension obligations, the mayor said, McKeesport has been like a homeowner who makes minimum payments on credit cards, pushing off the inevitable day when a large bill comes due.
In other areas, such as collecting license fees for things ranging from personal care homes to video game permits, the city has lagged behind. "We have people in this city who haven't paid their fees for years," Cherepko said.
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
The city is running an annual deficit of $1 million to $2 million that has been covered with asset sales and other quick-fixes, Mayor Michael Cherepko told council Tuesday night.
Cherepko is asking council tonight to approve, in principle, a "cooperation agreement" with the Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport that would provide a $1 million annual payment in lieu of taxes.
Without passage of the agreement, the mayor warned, McKeesport faces a state takeover under Pennsylvania Act 47 --- for all intents and purposes, municipal receivership. "The deficit is that bad," Cherepko said.
It's not the first time Cherepko or previous mayors have discussed the city's deficits. But it was his bluntest warning yet about McKeesport's financial problems.
In addition, to meet obligations before the end of this year, Cherepko is asking council to release $1.4 million from a $14 million fund created when the sewerage authority prepaid $24 million in debt.
The mayor's blunt message to city council echoes a warning issued to the city in 2011 by Delta Development Group Inc. in the so-called "Delta report," which said McKeesport faced a million-dollar structural deficit caused by a shrinking tax base and rising expenses.
City Controller Ray Malinchak has raised similar alarms.
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
Implementation of a new dress code at McKeesport Area School District has mostly gone smoothly, students told the school board last week.
"I thought that people would wear the wrong clothes out of defiance, or there would be a debate over interpretation of things like, 'below the knee,'" said high school senior Theresa Kulasa of Coulter, a member of the dress code committee. "The first day, I was really skeptical about how it was going to go. But there was a calmness. Everyone just did what they had to do."
About 50 students at the high school were out of compliance on the first day, she said. By the end of the second week, the number of apparent infractions had dropped to 10. There are about 1,100 students at the high school.
(MORE DETAILS of the new MASD dress code: Grades K-6 | Grades 7-12 | Quick facts)
Category: News || By Jason Togyer
When city council last month approved new lease agreements with tenants of McKeesport city hall, two agencies were conspicious by their absence.
Mon-Yough Area Industrial Development Authority and the McKeesport Industrial Development Authority were evicted from city hall on Thursday. They have moved to Suite 212 in the nearby Executive Building, said Dennis Pittman, chairman of MYAID and a board member of MIDA.
Other businesses and agencies with offices in the building had their leases renewed last month by city council on a 5-1 vote.
Pittman, who served as city administrator until Dec. 31, blamed the eviction on past political disagreements with Mayor Michael Cherepko and Solicitor J. Jason Elash. A letter from Elash to MIDA and MYAID, which shared an office in city hall, said that Pittman's continued presence in the building was damaging the morale of city employees.
"I just don't understand, with all of the issues going on today, how can this be that big of a priority?" Pittman said this week. "Wouldn't you think there would be other thngs that would command your time more than this?"
MYAID and MIDA "are going to get past this," he said.
Category: News || By An Editor
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