April 27, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, West Newton News
West Newton First Church of God, 157 N. Second St., will hold an election day luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the May 16 primary, a spokesperson said.
A spokesperson said “we urge you to go out and vote, then come and eat at our Election Day luncheon.” The menu will include soup, salads, sandwiches, desserts and beverages. For take out, call (724) 872-7467. Delivery will be available to local businesses in the West Newton area.
April 27, 2023 |
By Danielle M. Smith - Public News Service | Posted in: State & Region
Warmer winters and shifting weather patterns caused by climate change are magnifying the impact of invasive pests like the spotted lanternfly, say experts. (Tube City Almanac file photo by Vickie Babyak)
April is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is warning Pennsylvanians that it’s the best time of year to spot damaging, invasive species.
Invasive pests cost the U.S. about $40 billion a year in damages to trees, plants and crops, according to the USDA.
Kathryn Bronsky is the USDA’s national policy manager for plant protection and quarantine. She said hungry pests are often great hitchhikers, and people can accidentally spread them to new areas by traveling.
In particular, she said, experts are urging residents to be on the lookout for the spotted lanternfly.
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April 26, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
McKeesport chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness support group will meet at 6 p.m. May 3 at Penn State Greater Allegheny in Frable Building Room 122, a spokeswoman said. The meeting is open to families and friends of loved ones living with mental illness.
Guest speakers from Re:Solve Crisis Services will discuss the unit’s support features. Sponsored by Allegheny County and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, the 24-hour, 365-day crisis service is free to all Allegheny County residents.
Re:Solve offers a 24-hour hotline answered by trained clinicians and provides a mobile response team that travels where needed within the county.
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April 26, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Rev. Dr. Moni McIntyre embraces McKeesport police Officer Charles Thomas on Tuesday at the city’s Public Safety Building. (Special to Tube City Almanac)
A Downtown church on Tuesday presented a city police officer who is recovering from wounds sustained during a shooting with more than $300 in gift cards in honor of his service.
The gift to McKeesport police Officer Charles Thomas Jr. was the idea of Jo Pratt of White Oak, a parishioner at St. Stephen Episcopal Church, Walnut Street, and was quickly adopted by other members of the congregation, who contributed to the collection.
“We felt it was really, really necessary, because our church is in the community, and we realize the risk our police officers take with their lives, and that the compensation they receive does not in any way compare,” Pratt said. “We wanted (Thomas) to get a night out and to let all of our police know that we care, and that they are in our constant thoughts and prayers.”
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April 24, 2023 |
By Tom Leturgey | Posted in: State & Region
Attendees at the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative lunch included state Reps. Brandon Markosek and Abigail Salisbury; chamber member and McKeesport real-estate broker Robert Baum; state Reps. Matthew Gergley and Nick Pisciottano; West Mifflin business owner Nick Pisciottano; Lt. Gov. Austin Davis; Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald; business owners Craig Baum and Eva Jovanovic; Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey; and Mon Yough Chamber Board Chair Robert Johnson. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)
Pennsylvania’s governor is dedicated to making the state more business-friendly to entrepreneurs, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis told the Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce during its annual legislative luncheon.
During the event at the Georgetown Centre in Pleasant Hills, Davis told local business leaders that among Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first actions after being sworn in was the creation of the new Office of Transformation & Opportunity.
Davis called the office “a one-stop shop for businesses, to give you the support you need to grow and thrive.”
The administration is also putting pressure on state permit and license agencies to perform, he said. When a business applies for a license, Davis said, “they will have a timeline that the state is required to meet. And if we don’t respond by that deadline–the applicant gets their money back.”
“We’re planting a flag, sending a clear message that Pennsylvania is open for business,” he said.
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April 21, 2023 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements
A volunteer picks up litter in an Allegheny County park. (Submitted photo courtesy Allegheny County Parks, via Facebook)
Volunteers are needed in several Mon-Yough neighborhoods as local groups celebrate Earth Day on Saturday.
At 8:30 a.m., city officials and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s TreeVitalize program will gather at Kennedy Park on Lysle Boulevard between Market and Walnut streets for a free class in tree-planting, according to McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko’s office.
Then, teams of volunteers will fan out through the city’s Downtown area and Renziehausen Park to plant several trees with help from experts, the mayor’s office said. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and safe shoes. All necessary material will be provided, but participants will receive gloves if they need them.
Afterward, a free lunch will be served. Transportation to and from Renzie Park will be available for people who need it, the mayor’s office said.
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April 20, 2023 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment
The cast of “Little Shop of Horrors,” with Brigid Fuller as Audrey (far left) and TJ Betzner as Seymour Krelborn (far right) rehearse the “Skid Row” number from Serra Catholic's spring musical, which opens Friday. (Tube City Almanac photo by Bonnijean Adams)
If you go...
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“Little Shop of Horrors”
Where: Serra Catholic High School gymnasium, 200 Hershey Drive, (412) 751-2020
When: Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students, available from any cast or crew member, in the main office, at the door, or by contacting fedorc@serrahs.org. Rated PG-13.
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Following a string of Disney musicals, Serra Catholic High School’s director and students decided they wanted to do something different this year.
They’ve been hard at work honing skills needed to not only sing and dance their hearts out, but to accommodate an otherworldly, carnivorous plant that is key to the production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” It opens Friday (April 21) at 7 p.m.
“I wanted something completely different,” director Jesse Bush said. “I wanted to step outside our comfort zone and try something new.”
Some of the cast members said they were familiar with the subject matter and music from either watching the movie of the same name or attending Elizabeth Forward’s spring musical last year – while others were not.
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April 19, 2023 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Denise Sharbaugh spent the weekend looking for a new home for her 88-year-old father. She’s not sure how well he will adapt to the change.
Chuck Sharbaugh, who has lived at Senior Care Plaza on Lysle Boulevard for several years, is one of the residents who will be displaced when the personal care home closes May 1. A spokesman for the state Department of Human Services said the facility is voluntarily surrendering its license to operate.
A commercial kitchen on the site will continue to operate, employees have told Tube City Almanac, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Everything’s been running smoothly, my dad has been well taken care of,” Sharbaugh of White Oak said. “It’s really clean, and I like it. I’m really taken aback.”
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April 19, 2023 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements
Organizers of the 15th Annual Race for Grace are hoping to raise $165,000 at this year’s event. (Courtesy Reflections of Grace Foundation)
A North Huntingdon Twp.-based charity that has raised more than $1.5 million to support families of children with a rare form of brain cancer is celebrating a milestone anniversary.
The Reflections of Grace Foundation will hold its 15th Annual Race for Grace at Norwin High School this Saturday, a spokesperson said.
Race for Grace is held annually in memory of Grace Ekis, who was 5 years old in 2008 when she died from complications of childhood diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a terminal form of brain cancer.
Organizers said Race for Grace hopes to raise $165,000 this year.
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April 18, 2023 |
By Dianne Ribecca | Posted in: North Versailles Twp. News
A non-profit veterans organization had the winning bid for a former elementary school in North Versailles Twp.
Wellness for Veterans, located in Blairsville, must raise $615,000 or risk losing its opportunity to purchase the former Green Valley Elementary School at 3290 Crestview Drive, which was offered at public auction.
East Allegheny School Board this month accepted an offer from Wellness for Veterans. The group must deposit $20,000 to secure the sale and complete the transaction in 120 days, officials said.
Steve Miller, founder and chief executive officer of Wellness for Veterans, said he is feeling the pressure to come up with the money or lose the building.
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