Oakmont officials share plans for traffic control near Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School
Oakmont officials are making plans to reduce accidents at the place that has the most wrecks in town. They have identified that spot as an intersection near Oakmont Bakery and Riverview Junior-Senior High School. They blame many of the wrecks there on drivers making an illegal left turn from Third...
Oakmont budget raises taxes 33%
Oakmont property owners will be paying 33% more in real estate taxes this year. Oakmont Council passed a budget calling for a real estate tax increase of 1.22 mills, taking the rate from 3.73 to 4.95 mills. That means a home at the borough’s median assessed value of about $153,000...
Riverview girls don’t let roster numbers keep them down
The Riverview girls basketball team is small in numbers this season, but it is big in terms of wins. The Raiders, who have played some games this season with just the five starters seeing the floor, are 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Section 4-2A. “At the beginning, it was rough...
Greensburg Central Catholic takes care of business vs. Riverview
If Greensburg Central Catholic was looking ahead to Friday’s first-place showdown against No. 1-ranked Jeannette, the Centurions sure didn’t play like it Tuesday. GCC started each half well and rolled to a 77-58 win against Riverview in a Section 1-2A battle at home. The victory by the Centurions (5-0, 11-1)...
Oakmont couple wins tickets to Super Bowl
Jeanine Gevaudan was born and bred a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. “Growing up, on Sundays we were at my grandma’s house watching the games, there’d be a big spread — it was always Steelers Sunday,” said Gevaudan, 52. In her adulthood, Gevaudan is a season ticket holder. Coming from a family...
Local Remedy Brewery values community support in Oakmont
After almost a year of work, Local Remedy Brewing opened its home on Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont on Friday. “It’s definitely been an eventful and fun summer,” Local Remedy President Matt Synan said. Synan began brewing with his friends in the basement of his Cheswick home. After successfully selling their...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Jan. 6, 2025
Plum School Board approves pay increase for security, crossing guards The Plum School Board in December approved a 20% pay increase for security and crossing guards. The hourly pay rate increased from $15 to $18 on Jan. 1. Guards will receive a 3% annual raise, contingent upon receiving a satisfactory...
Longtime Pittsburgh-area architect, artist Syl Damianos gifts last large-scale work to Longwood at Oakmont
A large sculpture adorning the wall of a dining room at Longwood at Oakmont is something of a penance for its creator, Sylvester “Syl” Damianos. Damianos, 91, and his wife of 67 years, Eva Lu, moved from their home of 53 years in Edgewood to a country home at the...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of Jan. 5, 2025
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill Martha Mazerov sold property at 128 Thornberry Drive to Maximilian and Daniella Staudacher for $315,000. Michael Rucker sold property at 1632 Jamestown Pl to FES Property LLC for $274,900. Edgewood Georgianne Arnold sold property at 121 W Hutchinson Ave. to Bret Sheeley and Carmen Claesson for $426,000....
Holy Family Parish Christmas brunches feed more than 155 guests
Holy Family parishioners and neighbors enjoyed brunch on Christmas morning at the church halls of Our Lady of Joy in Plum and St. Joseph in Verona. The Christmas brunches at the parish, which includes congregants from Plum, Oakmont, Verona and Penn Hills, started as a way to ensure no one...
Marc Fogel receives ‘wrongfully detained’ status from U.S. government
For Marc Fogel’s family, the excitement over the U.S. government finally declaring the Oakmont history teacher wrongfully detained by Russia is tempered by the reality that he’s still not home. In mid-October, President Joe Biden called Fogel’s wife to tell her his administration was still working to obtain Fogel’s release...
Police: Verona man robbed Uber driver; firing gun inside GetGo
A Verona man robbed his Uber driver at gunpoint on the way to the Allegheny River Boulevard GetGo, and then fired a gunshot inside the store’s bathroom, according to police. According to a criminal complaint, Price Anthony Riley, 37, was traveling in an Uber at around 6 p.m. on Friday...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Dec. 16, 2024
Plum Council approves borough budget Plum Council unanimously approved the borough’s $26.3 million 2025 budget on Dec. 9. The budget leaves the borough’s property tax rate unchanged at 6.63 mills. The annual borough property tax bill on a home at Plum’s median assessed value of $116,700 is about $774. The...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of Dec. 15, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill GMS Global Investments LLC sold property at 3758 E Rural Ct to Femi and Lola Kolawole for $153,000. David Lippock sold property at 2146 Garrick Drive to Moktar Abdou Kerime for $299,900. Edgewood Thomas Lockner trustee sold property at 507 Greendale Ave. to MB Trade LLC for...
‘I was raised to always help’: Verona man rushes to help residents escape apartment fire
Erik Kust only wants to be known as a good neighbor. Others call him a hero. Thursday night, Kust was heading home from the grocery store. He was about four blocks away from his Verona home when he stopped at an intersection and noticed heavy smoke billowing from the windows...
Verona business owners bring policing concerns to council
Whether reflected by actual data or not, one thing is clear: Verona business owners are feeling less safe these days. Borough business owners and managers — 21 of whom signed a letter to Verona officials — say they’ve seen an increase in crime in the business district over the past...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Dec. 9, 2024
Knights of Columbus donates winter coats Holy Family Knights of Columbus Council 4242 donated 48 new winter coats for elementary students in the Plum and Riverview school districts. The council bought the coats with money raised from fundraisers, the largest being its fish fries and spaghetti dinners, member Adam McLaughlin...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of Dec. 8, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Edgewood Jeremy Hopkins sold property at 1115 E End Ave. to Juris and Madeleine Pukinskis for $610,000. Forest Hills Mark Fallone sold property at 238 Cascade Road to David and Kelsey Peart for $317,500. Vincent Bongiorno sold property at 141 Cherry Valley Road to Autumn Rose Williams and...
Oakmont residents have new communication route
There’s a new way for Oakmont residents to contact elected leaders, borough departments, community groups and administration. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, council Vice President Amanda Pagnotta introduced an updated communication form on the borough’s website for resident use. Borough officials have been receiving a large number of messages from residents,...
Riverview splits dual matches; Wylly notches pair of technical falls
Alex Wylly wants his sophomore season with the Riverview wrestling team to reflect his toughness. Wylly has demonstrated he is willing to put the time in managing the burden that comes with playing three varsity sports. Following a solid freshman season on the mat, Wylly wants to prove to the...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Dec. 2, 2024
Plum JROTC collecting for Toys for Tots The Plum High School Junior ROTC program will hold its 10th annual “Stuff-A-Bus” for Toys for Tots on Dec. 12. Students, staff and other volunteers will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots from 6 to 8 p.m. at the high...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of Dec. 1, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill Harry Kuczma sold property at 3 Barton Drive to Elizabeth Anne Lazzaro for $145,000. Donald Robinson sold property at 1931 Hampstead Drive to Alec and Sarah French for $290,000. Natural Home Solutions LLC sold property at 1625 Williamsburg Pl to James and Heather Wilkes for $340,000. Edgewood...
$500,000 grant secured for new ambulance in memory of fallen Penn Hills parametic
Nick Theofilis lived to serve others. “Nick was an incredible young man,” said Diane Fitzhenry, supervisor of Penn Hills EMS. “(He was) 23 years old, but as I’ve mentioned in other gatherings, he was quite accomplished. He had accomplished more milestones in his short life than many people more senior...
‘It’s a reunion:’ Greek family, community mark 50 years of Turkey Bowl in Oakmont
Peter Theofilis stalked the sidelines of a touch- football game Thursday and watched a new generation of family and community embrace a Thanksgiving tradition. The inspiration for 12 Pittsburgh-area cousins to stage the first “turkey bowl” game sprouted out of services at a Greek Orthodox church in Oakmont. On Thursday,...
Neighbor Spotlight: Aspinwall sommelier, former actor, humbled by support amid cancer battle
Longtime sommelier Jerome “Jerry” Metallo of Aspinwall is pouring all of his efforts into the fight of his life. Metallo, 54, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer this summer. The unexpected news sent shock waves through his mind, body and life that he shares with Cara, his wife of...
