Munhall

By Moriah Balingit
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Munhall Police Chief Patrick Campbell said he was sickened when one of his officers, Michael Curtin, was charged last year with soliciting teenage girls online for sex and offering them money to allow him to suck their toes.

So he said he was disappointed when Mr. Curtin, who was fired by the borough a year ago when allegations arose, received only five years probation under a plea agreement when he was sentenced two weeks ago. The probation terms forbid Mr. Curtin from using computers or texting on his cell phone.

He said earlier this week that he planned to write a letter to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office expressing his disagreement with the way the case was handled.

“With the severity of what the charges were and the fact that he was placed in a position of trust and authority in this town, I think it would be appropriate to see some jail time out of that,” he said.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09057/951716-55.stm ]

By Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Council President Rich Fitzgerald came to the Carnegie Library of Homestead yesterday bearing a significant gift — a $150,000 check from the county Department of Economic Development.

The funds came from a Community Development Block Grant and will be used to begin infrastructure improvements in preparation for the installation of an elevator that will make all three floors of the library, built in 1898, accessible to the disabled, said Library Board President Dan Lloyd. The library is still seeking funding for the elevator.

The grant was the second major gift recently received by the historic library, which is actually located in Munhall. The library board plans to soon renovate and enlarge the children’s and teen area with a $50,000 grant from the Allegheny Foundation and a $10,000 gift from Janney Investments.

The project will enlarge the current 850-square-foot children’s library by about 50 percent, said Mr. Lloyd, who is also a Munhall councilman. He made the announcements at a late-day news conference yesterday at the library.

[ Full story available at: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09050/950267-100.stm ]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two Homestead residences were destroyed and two others damaged in a pre-dawn fire today. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation.

The two buildings that were destroyed were a duplex at 344-346 E. 11th Ave. and the house behind it at 1106 McClure Ave.

A resident of 344 E. 11th Ave, identified as Patricia Hoston, was taken to UPMC Mercy for smoke inhalation. That was the only reported injury.

About eight people had to be evacuated from four houses after the fire started after 6 a.m. Initial indications from fire officials is that the fire was ignited by a candle.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09046/949379-100.stm ]

By The Tribune-Review

The Carnegie Library of Homestead has received a $50,000 grant from the Allegheny Foundation for the renovation and expansion of the children’s library, Dan Lloyd, president of the library’s board of directors announced Wednesday.

The Allegheny Foundation, chaired by Tribune-Review owner Dick Scaife, has invested more than $800,000 in the Homestead Library over the past two decades. The library has served residents of Homestead, Munhall, West Homestead and Whitaker since 1898.

[ Full article available at: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_611345.html ]

Admitting to a foot fetish, a former Munhall policeman was sentenced to probation yesterday after pleading guilty to a slew of charges involving inappropriate contact with teenage girls.

Michael J. Curtin Jr., 37, was sentenced to five years of probation by Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

In all, he pleaded guilty to counts of unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, corruption of minors, providing alcohol to minors and solicitation of prostitution. The charges involved five different teenagers at various times in 2006 and 2007.

The solicitation charges came from when Mr. Curtin, calling himself “Mick,” contacted a 17-year-old on MySpace. He offered her $1,000 if she would let him kiss her feet and suck her toes.

When interviewed by police, Mr. Curtin admitted that he is sexually aroused by feet.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09041/948057-85.stm ]