Lady Tigers Recognized By School Board

April 15, 2024 |

By Adam Reinherz | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

After a historic run, members of the McKeesport Area High School girls basketball team were honored at Thursday’s school board meeting. Several senior players were presented certificates and basketballs in recognition of their achievements.

“This team has accomplished many historical moments and it has been exciting to be a spectator of their journey over the last four years,” MASD Superintendent Tia Wanzo said.

Board member Jason Pavlecic agreed: “This is a special group of young athletes.”

During the past four years the Lady Tigers have amassed an 86-22 record, gone 37-8 in sectional games, and finished 18-7 in the playoffs.

Wilmerding Council Plans Future for Park

April 15, 2024 |

By T.J. Martin | Posted in: Wilmerding News

(T.J. Martin photo for Tube City Almanac)

Wilmerding Borough Council learned last month that the borough had received a $70,000 grant to renovate Wilmerding Park. At the April meeting, council heard the borough engineer’s plan for how they can spend that money.

Borough Engineer Brad Branthoover of Glenn Engineering & Associates Ltd. said the borough received a Community Development Block Grant earmarked for the park renovation through a program administered by the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments.

Bordered by Herman Avenue, Westinghouse Avenue and Commerce Street, the park is located just across the street from the former Westinghouse Memorial High School.

Few Details Released in Shooting Death

April 13, 2024 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News

More than a week after a man was found shot to death just off Evans Avenue, Allegheny County investigators have released few details.

The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office still has not released the victim’s name — or confirmed that his death was a homicide — despite multiple requests from Tube City Almanac. Kasey Reigner, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, did not return messages seeking comment.

In a prepared statement, Allegheny County police said 9-1-1 received a call just before 6:30 p.m. April 5 that a shooting had occurred near the southern entrance to UPMC McKeesport hospital.

Air, Water Groups Rally Ahead of U.S. Steel Merger

April 12, 2024 |

By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region

(Photo courtesy Breathe Project via Keystone State News Connection)

People working for environmental justice are rallying today at the downtown Pittsburgh headquarters of U.S. Steel, voicing their concerns to company shareholders about creating a healthier future in the Monongahela Valley region.

Japan's Nippon Steel is buying U.S. Steel for more than $14 billion.

Former Duquesne Mayor Nickole Nesby, an environmental-justice organizer with the group 412Justice, said the asthma rate in the Mon Valley is four to five times higher than the national average. She pointed out they're being left out of important conversations about the sale and are urging better health protections.

“We are actually gathering to demand a seat at the table,” she said. "We — the communities which have been impacted by the pollutants for decades — have not had a seat at the table. Our voice needs to be heard.”

Roads Closed After Another Record-Setting Storm

April 12, 2024 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: State & Region

Thursday’s storms were another record-setting day for the Pittsburgh area.

The National Weather Service in Moon Twp. said that 2.77 inches of rain measured at Pittsburgh International Airport nearly doubled the previous record for April 11, set in 1933.

It also was the 25th-wettest day on record in Pittsburgh, NWS forecasters said. Records go back to 1871.

So far, April’s rainfall has been 6.11 inches above normal and the month is now the third-wettest April on record, the weather services said Friday. By month’s end, April 2024 will probably be the wettest April in Pittsburgh, ever.

All-Singing ‘Dreamcoat’ Brightens MAHS Stage

April 12, 2024 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment, McKeesport and Region News

During a rehearsal, Anastasia Bakaturski as Pharoah has a heart-to-heart talk with Lucas Sotereanos as Joseph about the importance of correctly interpreting certain dreams. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)

McKeesport Area High School’s spring musical is a story about jealousy, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness — with plenty of lighter moments, too — all in a setting “way, way back many centuries ago.”

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opened Thursday night with a stellar cast of high school and younger students singing and dancing their way through a show with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.

It is based on the story of Jacob and his 12 sons, including his favorite, Joseph.

What makes this musical so different and challenging is the story is told almost exclusively through song from beginning to end.

More Flooding as Rain Swamps Region Again

April 11, 2024 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: State & Region

BREAKING: This is a developing story and will be updated as necessary.

Another week, another flood: Just days after Western Pennsylvania cleaned up from record-setting rains that sent local rivers and streams over their banks, rainstorms again drenched the region on Thursday.

A flash-flood warning for the entire area is in effect until 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Moon Twp. McKeesport, Clairton, Liberty and the neighboring communities are all in the path of the current line of storms.

Route 48 (Long Run Road) was closed Thursday night in both directions between Cool Springs Road and Lou Washowich Way (Marshall Drive Extension) due to flooding, White Oak emergency management announced.

Forecasters and emergency personnel on Thursday night warned motorists to stay off of local roads unless absolutely necessary, adding that most flood deaths occur when drivers are trapped in stalled cars due to high water.

Emergency crews throughout southern Allegheny County were responding to literally dozens of calls for assistance on Thursday night after 2 to 3 inches of rain fell throughout the day, the NWS said.

Another 1 to 1.5 inches of rain are possible overnight, forecasters said.

Local streams are rising, including Thompson Run at Turtle Creek, which was at 4 feet and climbing on Thursday night. Normal flow is 1 foot.

Some of the worst flash-flooding was reported in Washington County and south and west of Pittsburgh, with emergency rescues reported in communities such as Oakdale, North Fayette Twp. and South Park Twp., and roads closed in Jefferson Hills, Brentwood, Baldwin and surrounding municipalities.

All lanes of the Parkway West (Interstate 376) were closed at the junction of Business Route 376 at approximately 7 p.m. due to flooding, emergency officials said.

But low-lying roads in the Mon-Yough area were again hard-hit, with emergency personnel reporting just after 8 p.m. that cars were stuck on Route 837 under the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge.

Munhall and Forward Twp. also were reporting localized flooding.

‘Wedding Singer’ Takes Audiences Back to the ’80s

April 10, 2024 |

By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: Entertainment

Daniel Cipcic (Robbie Hart) and the cast of “The Wedding Singer” are ready to rock the house.

Break out the Aqua Net and your jelly bracelets, because “The Wedding Singer” is about to open at East Allegheny High School. The musical will take audiences back to 1985 and tells the story of Robbie Hart, a wedding singer, and how sometimes true love is right in front of your eyes.

Amanda Rosco, EA’s musical director, said the cast they had to work with this year is quite diverse with a variety of skill sets. It was time to take a break, she said, from the “Disney-esque” productions of the past few years and do something a little bit different.

“This is not a year where we looked at them (the cast) and went ‘Wow, we need to do something really serious,’” Rosco said.

Senior Alauna Carter plays one of the female leads, Holly, and she was excited to change things up after doing the musical “Anastasia” last year and “Newsies” the year before. “I feel like with it being a comedy it gives more freedom and there is less pressure on everybody,” Carter said.

Hospital to Mark ‘National Donate Life Month’

April 09, 2024 |

By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements

During the 2022 flag-raising ceremony, Jeffrey Alvarez, nursing director at UPMC McKeesport, liver transplant recipient Gene Wagner and Leslie Lash of the Center for Organ Recovery & Education displayed a flag for “National Donate Life Month.” (Tube City Almanac file photo)

UPMC McKeesport will join doctors, nurses, professional staff and patients for a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate April as “National Donate Life Month.”

The event will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the courtyard of the hospital, near the Prescott Building, a spokeswoman said.

National Donate Life Month, recognized each April, is an annual commemoration of organ donors and the recipients they have helped. A UPMC spokeswoman said more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and at least 17 will die each day waiting to receive an organ.

AARP, VITA Have Last-Minute Tax Help Available

April 09, 2024 |

By Staff Reports | Posted in: State & Region

Spalding County, Ga., resident Dan Garvin was receiving free tax preparation help from University of Georgia students and Spalding County Extension Agent Cindee Sweeda in this file photo. (File photo by Sharon Dowdy/University of Georgia via Twitter. Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 2.0 Deed)

With less than a week to go before the deadline for most federal and state income tax and municipal wage tax forms, Pennsylvania residents who need assistance in filing their returns can use the free services of the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program. You don’t have to be an AARP member or a senior citizen to get help.

Francis Tremel, Pennsylvania state coordinator for the program, said that while Tax-Aide volunteers assist people of all ages, their main focus is on serving individuals with low to moderate incomes.

“Last year, over 1.5 million Tax-Aide participants nationwide saved more than $1.1 million in refunds and credits. I work also at the Indiana office,” Tremel said. “And we will do 1,200 returns this year, which is a very significant number for individuals that really need the assistance.”