Plum Advance Leader category, Page 17
State funding to bolster special educator workforce benefits Western Pa. schools
As the state Department of Education pushes out nearly $1.5 million in grants to help grow the special educator workforce, Western Pennsylvania schools are taking advantage. More than 75 universities and K-12 schools will benefit from the grants — including Bethel Park, Mt. Pleasant Area, Plum and Pittsburgh Public school...
Plum officials seek bids for demolition of former borough building
Plum officials are seeking bids for the demolition of the former borough building as they work on plans for redevelopment of the site. Plum moved its administrative and police offices out of the building on New Texas Road in late 2022 to its new municipal center on Mike Thomas Way,...
Plum football again adjusts to new set of conference opponents
The last three realignment cycles have brought change for the Plum football team. They went from Class 4A in 2020-21, to 5A in 2022-23 and are in 5A again this cycle, but they have an almost brand new slate of conference opponents for which to prepare. After being in the...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Aug. 5, 2024
Basket auction at John Anthony’s to benefit dog rescue A basket auction to benefit Beach Dog Rescue of Costa Maya, Mexico, will be held Aug. 8 to 16 at John Anthony’s Restaurant, 115 Center New Texas Road. The cost is $10 for 25 tickets. Tickets can be purchased during regular...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of Aug. 4, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Churchill Wilmington Savings Fund Soc FSB Tr sold property at 2331 Marbury Road to Ambunga Brigitte Mbembo for $265,000. Forest Hills Corner Lot Homes LLC sold property at 109 Bevington Road to Mary Duffy Rooney for $400,000. Amagu Homes Flips LLC sold property at 125 LeGrande Drive to...
Holiday Park fire department preparing to host 1st Citizens Fire Academy
Plum’s Holiday Park Volunteer Fire Department will host its first Citizens Fire Academy for adults beginning in September. The nine-week program, offered free of charge, will run from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays from Sept. 18 to Nov. 13 at the fire station at 415 Old Abers Creek Road. Anyone...
Boyce Boxing gym hosts, dominates card at Monroeville Mall event
Boyce Boxing in Plum is gearing up for a big night as its fighters will feature prominently in a 12-bout card Saturday at Gloria’s Gym in the Monroeville Mall. “I have some guys with no fights and it will be their debut, and others who are open class with 10...
Oakmont dementia care residents volunteer with Humane Animal Rescue Pittsburgh
Mary Brown doesn’t often participate in the programming offered at Presbyterian SeniorCare’s Woodside Place in Oakmont. She prefers to stay in her living space at the dementia care facility or feed the squirrels outside. She has named them George and Frankie. Something changes, though, when residents go on a field...
Upper Burrell residents hope to see progress on speeding issues along Greensburg Road
Many of Tim Rote’s neighbors along the 2200 block of Greensburg Road in Upper Burrell have a “horror story” about what they say is a lack of safety on the road. Bill Smith recalls getting rear-ended while pulling into his driveway about 15 years ago with his son in the...
Plum graduate Thea Hail chasing pro wrestling dreams, NXT women’s title
Her friends and family in Plum know her as Madison Knisley. The wrestling world that watches World Wrestling Entertainment brand NXT live every Tuesday evening on the USA Network knows her as Thea Hail, one of the company’s fastest-rising stars. This Tuesday, the 2021 Plum graduate will challenge for the...
Credit card skimmer found at Plum Shop ’n Save after almost a month; 2 men charged
Two men suspected of placing credit card skimmers at grocery stores throughout the Pittsburgh area now are accused of doing the same thing in Plum, where a skimmer was in place at a store for nearly a month. Plum police filed charges Sunday against Thomas Fuchs, 34, and Alexandru Dumitrascu,...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of July 29, 2024
Plum movie night features ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Plum’s Summer Movie Night will feature “Kung Fu Panda” Aug. 3 at the borough amphitheater, 2000 Mike Thomas Way. The movie will start at dusk. Those attending are advised to bring blankets. There will be free popcorn and pre-show activities including a martial...
Plum School District adopts new alert system to reduce emergency response time
When Plum School District students return to classes this fall, teachers and staff will be equipped with a new alert system intended to reduce response time in an emergency. Plum will be the first district in Pennsylvania to use the Centegix CrisisAlert system, Assistant Superintendent Ashley Boyers said. It will...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of July 28, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Forest Hills Daniel Martin sold property at 473 Atlantic Ave. to Barbara Gamrat for $255,000. John JD Demars sold property at 319 Castlegate Road to Stephen Guevara for $305,000. Cynthia Baca sold property at 3758 Greensburg Pike to Bryson and Christine O’Donnell for $163,000. Gary Craig sold property...
Plum School District settles discrimination claim with job applicant for $5K
The Plum School District will revise its application process as part of an agreement settling a discrimination allegation. The district agreed to pay Eile Demkee $5,000 to resolve Demkee’s claims. That amount, inclusive of attorney’s fees and costs, will be paid by the district and/or its insurance carrier. The district...
Penn-Plum VFW out $12,000 following burglary
Penn Hills police are investigating a break-in at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post that caused an estimated $12,000 in losses and damages. Detective Teresa Gongaware said police learned July 15 that multiple poker machines were smashed and two safes were taken from Penn-Plum VFW Post 6836. The post is...
Plum man discharged from hospital after Trump shooting
A Plum man wounded during a shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Butler County was discharged from a hospital Wednesday, officials said. Allegheny Health Network released an update Wednesday on both patients being treated at Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital following the shooting at the former president’s July 13 campaign...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of July 22, 2024
Plum School Board approves 2 contracts The Plum School Board approved new contracts with two unions representing district employees at a special voting meeting July 16. The contract with Teamsters Local Union No. 205 runs from July 1 through June 30, 2029. The union, representing district custodial, maintenance and supply...
East suburban real estate transactions, week of July 21, 2024
ALLEGHENY COUNTY Chalfant Thomas Paul Nebel sold property at 268 Brighton St. to MTO Enterprises LLC for $53,000. Churchill Danielle Weaver sold property at 880 Graham Blvd. to Jose and Lillian Colon for $257,500. Antanina Perricone sold property at 2525 Greensburg Pike Unit 207 to Bart Joseph and Mary Bess...
Fitz Willys barbecue restaurant emphasizes family, community and good food
The staff members of Fitz Willys Kitchen and Catering have a few standards they strive to meet every day: The restaurant is clean; everyone who walks through the door is greeted with a smile; and the food is fresh, consistent and served quickly. These seem like pretty standard restaurant practices....
Plum seniors donate to Make-A-Wish to paint parking spaces
Some of Plum’s incoming seniors are reserving their parking spaces in colorful and creative ways. After paying $75 to park for the 2024-25 school year, 60 seniors paid $30 more to paint their spots, with the proceeds benefitting Make-A-Wish, said Rick Berrott, a television production teacher and co-sponsor of the...
Plum School Board approves additional services toward $30M building project
The Plum School District will pay an engineering firm about $42,000 for services related to a looming $30 million building project. A renovation and addition is in the works for O’Block Elementary School, accounting for most of the spending, while the district’s middle school would undergo some renovations. At a...
Plum Council members Majernik, Schlauch attend Republican National Convention
Two members of Plum Council attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week, where Donald Trump officially became the party’s nominee for president for a third time with a new vice president candidate in Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Councilman Dave Majernik was a delegate for a fourth time and...
Peoples Gas service lines not responsible for Plum explosion, PUC finds
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said Tuesday there is no link between Peoples Gas service lines and the August 2023 house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood that killed six people. “Our investigators have concluded their work and they did not find anything on the utility side that was the...
Friends of David Dutch, Marine veteran injured at Trump rally, pray for his recovery
The mood inside the Lower Burrell American Legion post changed in a heartbeat Sunday morning. That’s when word reached them that one of their own, Marine veteran David Dutch, 57, had been seriously injured at the Trump rally Saturday in Butler County, where the former president and Republican nominee survived...

