Archive for October, 2008

The Munhall Sewer and Sanitary Authority is one step closer to becoming an autonomous entity following Munhall council’s vote to sell the borough’s sewer lines to the authority for $600,000.

The vote, taken at the Oct. 15 council meeting, was 5-0, with Councilman Rich Votedian and Council Vice President Jill Fleming-Salopek absent.

The borough and sewer authority had been working for more than a year to come up with a sales agreement that would allow the authority to purchase the sewer lines and to proceed with the capital upgrades required under a consent order the borough signed with the state Department of Environmental Protection in February.

At the time the decree was signed, the borough also agreed to pay an $8,500 fine. The borough could have faced fines in excess of $100,000, but the DEP was impressed with the borough’s plans to address the sewer problems and to form the sewer authority.

Controversy was created over the formation of the sewer authority in May and June when Munhall resident Shawn McCallister appeared at borough council meetings questioning why the two bodies had not reached a sales agreement and accusing council of creating the authority simply to provide a job for former Councilman Michael Terrick.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08297/921970-55.stm ]

Six individuals and one family will be recognized at the inaugural induction of the Steel Valley Hall of Fame on Nov. 14.

Ronnie Lott, former San Francisco 49er and NFL Hall of Fame member, will be keynote speaker at the induction banquet that evening.

The Hall of Fame is a collaborative effort of three Steel Valley nonprofits: The Best of the Batch Foundation, the Munhall-based Carnegie Library of Homestead, and the I-TEAM, or Ironmen Technology Enrichment Academics Mentoring organization. The groups are joining efforts to honor current and former residents who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in the arts, sciences, business, sports and community service.

The 2008 Hall of Fame inductees are:

• Jack Butler: A longtime resident of Munhall and former Pittsburgh Steeler, he was named one of the 33 all-time greatest players in the 75-year history of the Steelers.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08297/922013-55.stm ]

By Mike Seate
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Former West Mifflin police Officer Noel G. Missig got a jail sentence and a lecture from Judge David R. Cashman yesterday.

After his July conviction for assaulting a juvenile suspect and later lying about it, guidelines called for a probation sentence.

But then a juror accused Mr. Missig of threatening him after the trial.

Defense witnesses testified that the contact with juror Jeffrey Perozich was always cordial and that he came to them with claims of improprieties with the jury.

But it wasn’t enough for Judge Cashman to spare Mr. Missig jail time.

He was sentenced to six to 12 months in jail and five years’ probation, during which time he cannot work as a law enforcement officer.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08297/922162-55.stm ]

Forgoing sleeping late and staying warm, around 2,000 University of Pittsburgh students awoke early Saturday morning to participate in the university’s inaugural Make-A-Difference Day.

On one of fall’s chilliest mornings, they convened around 8:30 on the lawn of the William Pitt Union in Oakland, where they boarded buses and headed to more than 40 different sites, from West Homestead to North Park to Penn Hills.

Shawn Ahearn, the spokesman for Pitt’s Division of Student Affairs, said he was surprised at the turnout, but very pleased.

“It was pretty special to see the student sacrifice on a Saturday morning,” he said.

Senior Ryan Haddad, a member of the student government board, said the event grew out of a smaller cleanup project in Oakland, where many students already do community service. He said he wanted to get students out of their home turf.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08294/921351-85.stm ]