Michael DiVittorio stories, Page 58
Police: Teen shot in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, 2 people in custody
A teenager was hospitalized in critical condition and two people were apprehended in connection with a shooting Tuesday evening in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller said officers responded to reports of a person shot around 7:45 p.m. along the 2500 block of Woodward Avenue. They found a...
Quaker Valley School District’s superintendent contract renewed for another 4 years
Quaker Valley School District officials have approved a new four-year contract with superintendent Tammy Andreyko. Board members unanimously voted at a special meeting Jan. 31 to keep Andreyko as head administrator through Aug. 6, 2027. Andreyko joined the district as superintendent in 2018 and has served in education for 31...
Life of late Penn Hills EMS paramedic Nick Theofilis celebrated at Oakmont bar
Friends and family of Penn Hills native Nick Theofilis gathered at one of his favorite watering holes for a celebration of his life. An estimated 400 people stopped by Carnivores in Oakmont for a “Nite For Nick,” which was organized by longtime friend Katie Shimko. Laughter and joy filled the...
Pirates pitcher David Bednar visits Bell Acres family for season ticket holders appreciationVideo
A Bell Acres family recently had a special guest stop by their home to thank them for being Pittsburgh Pirates season ticket holders. Pitcher David Bednar and the Pirate Parrot were welcomed by the Semonik family on Jan. 29. The team shared the experience on its official Twitter page with...
Fox Chapel Area School Board gives itself more time to decide on deputy superintendent’s contract
Fox Chapel Area School District officials voted at a special meeting Jan. 30 to approve changes to Deputy Superintendent David McCommons’ contract, giving the board an extra 60 days to consider keeping him beyond his current pact. McCommons’ contract was set to expire June 30. District officials said the contract...
Social worker to be hired by Sharpsburg via federal grant
Sharpsburg officials plan to use a federal grant to hire a full-time social worker. The borough received $180,564 in covid relief funds earlier this year to cover the salary of a social worker for two years and purchase two computers for police cars. Council Vice President Karen Pastor said candidates...
Animal Friends pet food drive planned at Edgeworth Elementary
Edgeworth Elementary students and staff want to repay the kindness shown by Animal Friends during a difficult time with a pet food drive. The K-5 school in the Quaker Valley School District will be collecting wet and dry cat and dog food, treats and cat litter Feb. 13-17. Counselor Jessica...
Kayak Pittsburgh to open kayak rentals in Sharpsburg for a 2nd season
The outdoor nonprofit Venture Outdoors will return for a second season of kayaking in Sharpsburg. Sharpsburg Council voted 6-0 Jan. 26 to allow Venture Outdoors to use the James Sharp Landing for a Kayak Pittsburgh rental site this summer. Councilwoman Kayla Portis was absent. Venture Outdoors launched a pilot rental...
Allegheny RiverTrail Park closes out winter Friday program with fire pits and fun for families
Allegheny RiverTrail Park officials closed this winter’s Cabin Fever program with some fire pits and fun off Freeport Road in Aspinwall. Dozens of families flocked to the 10-acre park Jan. 27 to make s’mores, watch a movie and participate in arts and crafts. Phil Teplitz of Aspinwall showed his daughters,...
Micro food pantries being developed by Sewickley Academy student
A Sewickley Academy junior hopes to help fight food insecurity in Sewickley and surrounding areas. Claudia Kronk, 17, founder of the bakery Desserts by Claudia, wants to install four micro food pantries stocked with nonperishables and other goods. Possible spots include Leetsdale, Coraopolis and Sewickley. She said she became inspired...
Penn Hills officials welcome 10 new police officers, all full-time
Penn Hills officials welcomed new police officers to the municipality when Mayor Pauline Calabrese swore in 10 full-time patrolmen and women at the Jan. 23 council meeting. “This is such a tremendous evening,” Calabrese said. “I’m so proud of seeing you all stand here, and we are so grateful and...
Sewickley Hills Council fills vacancy with zoning hearing board member
A Sewickley Hills zoning hearing board member has been tapped to fill a council vacancy. Hunter Hopkins was appointed to replace Jack Faulkner, who stepped down at the end of last year after serving on council for 35 nonconsecutive years. Faulkner ran Red Mud Hollow Farm, also called The Kennel....
Charges against Leetsdale councilman withdrawn due to ‘improperly filed’ complaint
Charges filed against Leetsdale councilman Wesley James were withdrawn Jan. 25 at a preliminary hearing in Forest Hills. Mayor Sandra Ford had accused James of disorderly conduct and harassment in connection with an incident at a council workshop meeting Nov. 3. She filed a private criminal complaint at the office...
O’Hara police sergeant honored as ‘Top Gun’ DUI expert
Ben Wolfson doesn’t claim to be a maverick, nor is he nicknamed Ice Man. But he is a Top Gun. The O’Hara police sergeant is a two-time Pennsylvania DUI Association Top Gun Award winner for his efforts as a drug recognition expert. Officers are nominated for outstanding contributions or for...
Police: 2 juveniles recovering after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood
Pittsburgh police are investigating the shooting of two juvenile boys in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller said officers were dispatched at about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday for a Shotspotter alert along the 7200 block of Susquehanna Street. First responders located two boys who had been shot in...
Man wanted in connection with a Dec. 26 homicide in Pittsburgh apprehended
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials announced the arrest of a man wanted for the murder of a Pittsburgh man Dec. 26 in the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. Police arrested Ambrose J. Sample Jr., 42, at about 2 p.m. Tuesday along the 200 block of Dinwiddie Street in the Hill District, according to...
Penn Hills School District to go remote Wednesday due to bad weather forecast
Penn Hills School District will switch to remote learning Wednesday due to expected poor weather. School board President Erin Vecchio said district officials did not want to take the risk of something happening to students and staff on the way to school in the morning. “We can’t put the kids...
Penn Hills council selects Pittsburgh firm to design VOPP bike/walking trail
A Pittsburgh branch of an engineering and design firm has been tasked with crafting a near 14-mile bike and walking trail. Penn Hills council unanimously voted Jan. 23 to select TranSystems to develop the VOPP Trail – Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum. Municipal planning director Chris Blackwell said Penn...
Police: Man found dead of gunshot wound in Hill District apartment
A man has died after being shot in the face Sunday evening in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched to the 2100 block of Bedford Avenue shortly before 6:20 p.m. for reports of a man with a gunshot wound. Officers found the victim, who...
New Kensington pro wrestling school hosts event for vendor collective
Hand-crafted earrings and trinkets, glass pendents, vintage clothing from the 1960s and pins made from old magazine photos are not things usually found at a pro wrestling venue. However, all of that and more was on display Saturday as part of Shops and Suplexes, an event at the wrestling school...
More than 100 permanent layoffs to take place at a Munhall pipe manufacturing plant
Leaders of a Munhall stainless steel pipe and tubing manufacturing plant plan to layoff more than 100 workers by the end of the year. Cuts have already begun as part of a four-phase process at Ascent Tubular Products, according to a notice posted on the state Department of Labor’s website,...
Construction to cause disruptions to ‘T’ service this weekend
Riders on Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s light-rail “T” routes Downtown, on the North Shore and in parts of the South Hills should expect significant disruptions this weekend, PRT officials announced. Contractors are working on two separate projects from Friday night up to the start of Monday’s service. Riders should allow for...
Pittsburgh police: Man in critical condition after crashing truck into utility pole
A man was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after crashing a truck into a utility pole in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said police, fire and EMS personnel responded to the crash near the intersection of Brownsville Road at Birmingham Avenue at about 4:20 p.m. Cruz said...
Penn Hill School District’s chief financial officer excited about new opportunity
Former Plum School District business manager John Zahorchak has found a new professional home in a neighboring community. He was recently hired as Penn Hills School District’s chief financial officer at a starting salary of $150,000. “I’ve been very familiar with Penn Hills for a long time, and it just...
Penn Hills School District officials claim no tax hike necessary in next school year’s budget
Penn Hills School District officials may have an opportunity to do something almost unheard of the past several years: not raising taxes. “There won’t be a tax increase this year, and you can take my word on that,” board President Erin Vecchio said during a finance committee meeting Jan. 18....
