West Mifflin

By Craig Smith
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

West Mifflin Council is considering installing a metal detector at the entrance to its second-flood chambers at the borough building.

“I think it’s just a precaution. Why wait for something to happen?” said council President William Welsh.

Council members said the idea to install the detector is not in response to any particular threat or incident.

[ Full story available at: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_599026.html ]

By PATRICK CLOONAN
Daily News Staff Writer

When state Sen. Jay Costa Jr., D-Forest Hills, came to West Mifflin Area Middle School, he had a $12,000 gift for the science program.

That was in addition to his Friday appearance at a sixth-grade assembly dealing with the fall focus on elections in middle school classrooms.

Costa presented a check to school officials representing the state grant he procured for a weather station that occasionally is featured on the evening news.

[ Full story available at: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20193361&BRD=1282&PAG=461&dept_id=182121&rfi=6 ]

By Josh Rizzo
Rocket Sports Editor

Giving to the less fortunate and providing troubled kids with a sense of community is important, said the current back-up quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Charlie Batch, in front of sport management majors Monday, Oct. 27 at West Gym.

The Sport Facility and Event Management class raised $9,000 for the Best of the Batch Foundation by hosting a golf tournament.

Batch made the trip to SRU to thank all of the students for their hard work.

“I started my foundation because I wanted to give back,” Batch said. “I know that I have been blessed to have the fortune of playing pro football and winning a Super Bowl with my hometown team.”

[ Full story available at: http://media.www.theonlinerocket.com/media/storage/paper601/news/2008/11/07/Sports/Steelers.Quarterback.Thanks.Students.For.Generosity-3530767.shtml ]

The Port Authority will reduce service to Century III Mall in West Mifflin beginning Nov. 23 “at the insistence of mall management,” according to a news release issued today.

Buses on routes 35A Baldwin-Whitehall and 59A West Mifflin-North Versailles will no longer pick up or drop off riders at the mall. They’ll terminate service at the West Mifflin Wal-Mart.

In addition, the authority will operate fewer trips into the mall on routes 46G Elizabeth, 51C Carrick and 55M Century III Mall routes.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08309/925246-100.stm ]

By PATRICK CLOONAN
Daily News Staff Writer

West Mifflin Mayor John Andzelik confirmed that he recommended firing a borough police officer — then reconsidered that idea.

“When I suspended (Michelle Piscitella) at Chief (Joseph) Popovich’s request, I did recommend that she be terminated,” Andzelik said Monday, after a trip that kept him away from last week’s borough council meeting.

“After we talked to her and suspended her, I did some more asking around and came to the conclusion that maybe termination was too strong at that time,” Andzelik continued. “I recommended extending her probation.”

[ Fulle story available at: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20179876&BRD=1282&PAG=461&dept_id=182121&rfi=6 ]