South Hills Record category, Page 51
Baldwin-Whitehall Superintendent Randal Lutz gets new 5-year deal early
Baldwin-Whitehall School District Superintendent Randal Lutz has been given a new five-year contract. The school board recently unanimously approved a new five-year deal with Lutz even though there are two years remaining on his current contract. District business manager Mark Cherpak said Lutz’s current contract runs from July 1, 2018,...
Biden names Baldwin native Susan Orsega as acting surgeon general
President Joe Biden is expected to name Baldwin native Susan Orsega as the nation’s acting surgeon general, according to a report from the Washington Post. Rear Adm. Orsega will hold down the position until Biden’s nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, can be confirmed by the Senate. Murthy served in the role...
Jefferson Hills council appoints residents to various boards, commissions
Jefferson Hills council recently appointed residents to various boards and commissions. Pervaiz Alvi, Derek Reckard and Christopher Hynes were reappointed to the planning commission with terms ending Dec. 31, 2024. Jeffrey Dean and Kerry Ripley were appointed to the planning commission with terms ending Dec. 31, 2022. Daniel Chiacchia was...
Pittsburgh police seek tips to find Beechview man last seen Saturday night
Pittsburgh police are seeking the public’s help in the search for a Beechview man who hasn’t been seen since late Saturday night. Investigators say Thomas Hughes, 25, was last seen at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 23. He is 6-feet 1-inch tall, weighs 260 pounds and has blonde hair and...
Thomas Jefferson’s Finnerty off to strong start with tournament titles
Months of painstaking preparation and grueling practice proved beneficial for Thomas Jefferson junior Brian Finnerty. The 172-pound grappler took first place in his weight division Jan. 9 at the season-opening North Allegheny Invitational. “Brian had a great start, winning the tournament and really opening up his offense,” TJ coach Michael...
Thomas Jefferson set for another rivalry matchup with Chartiers Valley girls
The rivalry continues. No two girls basketball teams in the WPIAL have met as many times over the past two seasons as Chartiers Valley and Thomas Jefferson. The Colts have won seven in a row against the TJ girls, including a 64-48 victory in 2019 at the WPIAL Class 5A...
South Hills real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 24
Baldwin Borough Mary Zandier sold property at 3463 Bench Drive to Matthew Conley for $175,000. Modern Edge Ventures LLC sold property at 5106 Colewood Drive to Brian Maceil Jr. and Rebecca Nicole Hermann for $195,000. Estate of Margaret McClukse sold property at 449 Elaine Drive to Willard and Patricia Rockwell...
South Hills student news for the week of Jan. 23
Virtual production of ‘Spring Awakening’ Nick Cortazzo, a graduate of Baldwin High School majoring in music theatre, played the part of Hanschen in “Spring Awakening” at Baldwin Wallace University. Under the direction of Victoria Bussert, students created the first collegiate virtual production of the powerful Broadway rock musical. The groundbreaking...
Judge orders evidentiary hearing in Crack’d Egg fight against Allegheny County
An Allegheny County judge on Friday ordered an evidentiary hearing in the county health department’s request for an immediate injunction against a Brentwood restaurant continuing to operate despite closure orders issued more than five months ago. Attorneys for the Allegheny County Health Department asked Judge John McVay to enforce an...
WPXI reporter Cara Sapida navigates cancer during pandemicVideo
Reporter’s note: When I heard last summer that my colleague from WPXI, Cara Sapida, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, my heart ached for her and her family. One year ago, I, too, was diagnosed. My scenario is similar to Cara’s — a mother of two with no family history....
South Hills sees slower rise of coronavirus cases
As the rise of coronavirus cases slows in Allegheny County and across the country, the communities within the South Hills are following the trend. As of Jan. 20, there have been 1,890 total cases of the novel coronavirus in Baldwin Borough since March, according to the latest information provided by...
Baldwin-Whitehall School District moves to 4 days of in-person instruction
Baldwin-Whitehall School District is moving to a learning schedule that is reminiscent of pre-pandemic days. Students there in kindergarten through fifth grade now have the option to receive four days of in-person instruction. Wednesday will be set aside for remote instruction. Those students’ first day under the new model was...
Medical marijuana dispensary proposed for old PNC Bank in Pleasant Hills
An old PNC Bank in Pleasant Hills may be transformed into a medical marijuana dispensary. Ethos Cannabis, a Philadelphia-based firm with two production centers and about a dozen retail locations in the country including six in Pennsylvania, wants to open its next shop at 560 Clairton Blvd. Council listened to...
Back Alley Brewing Co. to be a 1st in Dormont
A group of friends have created a lot of beer behind one of their homes. That location inspired a business. Back Alley Brewing Co. is planned to open in late spring/early summer. It will be the first brewery in Dormont. Four of the five owners live there and a fifth...
Judge reinforces ruling that legal proceedings can continue against Crack’d Egg
The Crack’d Egg restaurant on Tuesday lost another round of a legal battle in federal bankruptcy court. A decision by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeffery A. Deller allows the Allegheny County Health Department to continue proceedings against the Brentwood restaurant. It has repeatedly defied state-mandated mitigation orders requiring the wearing of...
Sen. Devlin Robinson appointed to committee leadership post, 5 other seats
Freshman state lawmaker Devlin Robinson has been appointed to a leadership position on a Senate committee and seats on five others. Robinson, who won election as the 37th District representative in November, will serve as the vice-chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, which oversees the Liquor Control Board,...
Pleasant Hills council reorganizes with familiar faces
Pleasant Hills council reappointed a familiar face as its leader and newer one as its second in command. Cheryl Freedman and Andrew Codelka were named president and vice president, respectively. It was a unanimous vote Monday night with no other nominations to the positions. This will be Freedman’s second year...
Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for Jan. 18, 2021
At Thomas Jefferson, football is king. It is also the prince, duke, count and baron in Jaguars country. However, now starting his 16th season as TJ boys basketball coach, Dom DeCicco has learned to feed off the success of the football team instead of competing against it. “I think people...
Own a piece of memorabilia from Parkway West Max & Erma’s restaurant
Get something to-go at Max & Erma’s. The restaurant chain is auctioning items from its closed North Fayette location along Parkway West. The locations in Cranberry and Monroeville remain open. People can bid on everything from signs to equipment to a wooden bench at the entrance. A large wooden pirate...
In brief: Accolades, networking and more in the South Hills
Women’s Business Network Women’s Business Network is part networking group, part mastermind group and part educational resource. The Mount Lebanon Chapter meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m., and all meetings are being held virtually. The next meeting is Jan. 26. To find out more, contact chapter representative...
Thomas Jefferson gymnasts happy to compete, aim to defend WPIAL title
The Thomas Jefferson gymnastics program has climbed quickly to elite status. Last year, TJ won its fourth section title in a row, second consecutive WPIAL championship and finished as the state runner-up in the gold division. “We hope to defend the WPIAL title,” coach Jodi Cummings said, “and we hope...
Baldwin gymnasts ready to defend championship
The tag “defending state champion” provides awe-inspiring incentive for the Baldwin gymnasts in 2020-21. This season, the Highlanders are looking to retain their Pennsylvania Classic team title in the silver division. “We hope to be able to qualify for WPIALs and defend our state title,” coach Jodi Cummings said. “Each...
South Hills real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 17
Baldwin Borough Estate of Catherine Bettilyon sold property at 522 Barbara Drive to Orhan and Teslime Guven for $135,000. David Schleicher sold property at 432 Elaine Drive to Ian Suppo and Brianna Phohdich for $191,000. Mahendra Giri sold property at 184 Macek Drive to Ghana and Buddhi Chapagain for $194,900....
Brookline woman’s death ruled accidental in February 2020 fire
The death of a Bookline woman found dead inside a home last Feburary has been ruled an accident, according to an Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office report released Thursday. Officials said Melanie Hesser, 57, died of thermal and inhalation injuries sustained as a result of a fire along the 200...
The latest coronavirus numbers in the South Hills
As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Allegheny County and across the country, the communities within the South Hills have varying numbers of both positive cases and deaths. As of Jan. 12, there have been 1,811 total cases of the novel coronavirus in Baldwin Borough since March, according to the...
