Areas colored in green, plus Duquesne, receive water service from Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Pins and symbols show locations where MAWC has active construction or where it has recently completed projects. (Source: MAWC)
Residents of McKeesport and surrounding communities that get water service from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County are being asked to conserve after a period of high demand.
Matthew Junker, authority spokesman, said that extremely cold temperatures caused many residents to run their water to prevent frozen lines.
At the same time, the water authority was responding to a number of leaks and water line breaks caused by the weather, he said. Due to rising temperatures, customers no longer need to let their water run, he said.
In order to bring system levels back up, Junker said, the authority is asking customers to reduce water usage at their homes and businesses until the system can stabilize.
With Wednesday’s temperatures expected to remain near or below zero for most of the morning, Allegheny County Emergency Services is cautioning residents to take extra care.
A spokesperson said residents should never use a generator, grill, camp stove, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning device to generate heat inside their home. Kitchen stoves also should not be used for heat, the spokesperson said.
In addition, at least three feet of space should be kept on all sides of space heaters to prevent clothing, furniture, books, drapes and other items from accidentally catching fire.
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County urged residents to take proper precautions for water pipes. Water expands as it freezes, putting pressure on the pipes, which can cause pipes to break. A spokesperson said:
• Drip cold water in the faucet furthest from your main valve; moving water keeps pipes from freezing • Locate your shut-off valves in case of an emergency • Insulate pipes in unheated areas • Open cupboards and vanities to warm pipes • Open outside spigots to allow water to drain
In the event your home’s pipes do freeze, the authority recommends:
• Turn off the water at the main shut-off valve • Open a faucet near the frozen pipe so that water will flow once the area is melted; this will help melt more ice • Apply heat to or around the pipe using a hair dryer • Do not use any open flame devices, such as a propane torch, to heat frozen pipes • Check all pipes and joints for leaks or cracks • Call a licensed plumber if you cannot locate the frozen section, if you are unable to reach it, or you are unable to thaw it
Allegheny County public safety officials are encouraging residents to stay inside as much as possible and avoid prolonged periods of being outside and exposed to the elements. Frostbite can occur within 30 minutes at a wind chill temperature of -19 degrees, 10 minutes at -33 degrees, and five minutes at -48 degrees.
Allegheny County’s public transit agency will hold a community meeting tonight (Jan. 14) at Penn State Greater Allegheny to get community input on upcoming changes to bus service.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center.
Ten attendees will be randomly selected to receive a free weekly CONNECT fare card.
McKeesport’s 39th annual Festival of Trees opened Thursday afternoon with more than 90 decorated holiday displays representing different groups and organizations in the Mon-Yough area.
Hours are 12 noon to 9 p.m. daily through Dec. 9. The festival is located in the newly renovated Jacob Woll Pavilion in Renziehausen Park.
Admission is $2. Children 12 and under who bring a canned good or non-perishable food for donation to a local food pantry are admitted for free.
(Submitted photo courtesy McKeesport Model Railroad Club)
McKeesport Model Railroad Club begins its annual open house and holiday train show this weekend. Hours are 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 29.
Located at 2209 Walnut St. in Christy Park, the club's 2,200-square-foot model railroad depicts fictionalized scenes of Western Pennsylvania. The permanent layout is built in HO scale, about 1/87th of actual size or roughly half the size of larger Lionel-style trains.
The club, founded in 1950, also entered the parade for Irwin’s light-up night and McKeesport’s Salute to Santa Parade.
A donation of $7 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 17 is requested. Scouts, military personnel with ID and first responders with ID are admitted for free.
Santa Claus will visit with children on Dec. 14 and 15 and Dec. 21 and 22.
Parking is available in the lot of CP Industries, across the street. For more information, visit the club’s website or Facebook.
Cooper the Emu and the Better Block Foundation will headline McKeesport’s 59th Salute to Santa parade on Saturday.
The annual event, kicking off the holiday season, begins at 11 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, Downtown. Parade units will begin lining up at 10 a.m. on Water Street near the Palisades Ballroom.
The reviewing stand is located at the corner of Fifth and Walnut streets. Weather-permitting, Tube City Community Media will carry live video on its YouTube channel.
The National Weather Service in Moon Twp. is predicting that rain showers will taper off before 10 a.m. Saturday, and temperatures in the city should be around 44 degrees.
This year’s parade is being held in conjunction with a pop-up holiday market inside the People’s Building and two vacant store fronts, the former D&K Stores and CVS Pharmacy. The holiday market — and a performance space in the Cox’s Corner parking lot — have been created by the Texas-based Better Block Foundation, in partnership with Penn State Greater Allegheny and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday only.
Take Action Advocacy Group will hold a town hall Saturday to discuss public safety, police accountability and voter engagement.
The discussion, organized in cooperation with ALC Court Watch, begins at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at Jacob Woll Pavilion at Renziehausen Park in McKeesport.
Organizers called the forum necessary in the wake of several incidents involving local police officers, including the arrest of a former McKeesport police detective and the McKeesport Area School District’s police chief; as well as an ongoing investigation by the Allegheny County district attorney’s office into items reportedly missing from the McKeesport police evidence room.
Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for president, speaks during a 2016 campaign stop in Omaha, Neb. (Matt A.J. photo via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0)
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will attend a candidate forum in Renziehausen Park tonight (Wednesday) sponsored by Mon Valley-based Take Action Advocacy Group and Pittsburgh’s 412 Justice.
The Environmental Justice Candidate Forum begins at 5 p.m. at Jacob Woll Pavilion in McKeesport. The event is free, but online registration is requested.
In addition to Stein, other candidates who are scheduled to attend include Leila Hazou, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate; U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, Democrat of Swissvale, who is seeking her second term in Congress, and challenger James Hayes (Republican Party); state attorney general candidates Eugene DePasquale (Democratic Party) and Richard L. Weiss (Green Party); Malcolm Kenyatta, Democratic candidate for state auditor general; Erin McClelland, Democratic candidate for state treasurer; State Sen. Jay Costa, Forest Hills Democrat, seeking re-election in the 43rd District; and John Ritter, Republican candidate for state General Assembly in the 25th District.
National Alliance on Mental Illness McKeesport Support Group will hold its next meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 in Room 122 of the Frable Building, Penn State Greater Allegheny, a spokeswoman said.
The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness. A “care and share” session will be held. This opportunity offers understanding and support unique to those who are affected by mental health conditions of loved ones.
For more information about the McKeesport meeting, call (412) 527-6600. For the free NAMI Helpline, call (412) 366-3788 weekdays between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
