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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 Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When it comes to revenues in the proposed 2009-2010 Steel Valley School District budget, there is good news and bad news.

During a meeting of the school board’s fiscal management committee Tuesday, the board heard that the district stands to get an additional $1.9 million in federal funding from President Barack Obama’s stimulus package if it is approved.

In addition, general state subsidies are currently set to increase by $247,261.

Those revenues will be a help in balancing the 2009-2010 preliminary budget that currently totals $28.4 million.

But special education funding from the state is projected to drop by $16,253 and mounting expenses created by the number of students attending the Propel schools in Homestead and Munhall are costing the district about $1.76 million a year.

That number causes concern to Director of Operational Services Mark Cherpak and Superintendent William Kinavey.

Dr. Kinavey said he expected the decrease in special education funding because the district has lowered its special education costs by reducing the number of special education students being educated outside of the district from more than 50 to 35.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09043/948573-55.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 ]

By Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steel Valley School District officials are hoping for some financial help from President Obama’s economic stimulus package to help them balance the 2009-2010 budget.

At a meeting of the school board’s fiscal management committee last night, Director of Operational Services Mark Cherpak told school directors that if approved, the president’s stimulus package would bring about $1.3 million in additional funding to the district for 2009 and about $583,600 for 2010.

The money would be in the form of additional funding for Title I services, construction and services provided to students via the Individuals With Disabilities Act. Mr. Cherpak said Steel Valley would benefit more from the stimulus package, if approved, than other districts in the county because the amount of funding given to districts is based on the number of students living in low-income homes.

He said the Pittsburgh Public Schools also stands to see a significant increase in funding if the stimulus package is approved.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09042/948322-100.stm?cmpid=neighborhoods.xml ]

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 ]