Thursday, September 29, 2011

Trib: To date, little light shed on Mt. Lebanon memorial project

Mt. Lebanon officials are seeking a grant to cover the cost of symbolic lights planned as part of the town's veterans' memorial.

After the first round of bids for the memorial came in much higher than expected in June, planners divided the proposed contract so bidders could submit separate prices for the monument and a retaining wall, sidewalk improvements and hundreds of tiny lights representing soldiers scattered around the world.

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Trib: Salvation Army center moves to South Hills to better serve community needs

The Salvation Army plans for its new 28,000-square-foot building in Mt. Lebanon to be more of a resource for residents than the Downtown location it replaces, officials said.

The Salvation Army's Pittsburgh Temple Corps Worship and Service Center had operated Downtown at 424 3rd Ave. since 1925, but officials decided to move it to Mt. Lebanon because the demographics of its clients were shifting, they said.

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Friday's Football Game Will Be Streamed Live

From the Mt. Lebanon School District web site:

MTLebanonSports LIVE will video stream Friday's varsity football game against Canon McMillian! Game time will be 7:30 PM. Denny Postufka and Andy Goff will handle the announcing. Go to www.mtlsd.org, click on athletics and hit the MTLebanonSports LIVE button to watch Friday night.

Link: www.mtlsd.org/district/athletics/mtlebanonsportslive.asp

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Duquesne University: Mt. Lebanon Resident Recognized by DU for Excellence in Service to Mission

Dr. Jeffrey D. Evanseck, a chemistry professor in Duquesne University’s Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, was recognized with the Presidential Excellence Award in Service to the Mission.

Evanseck serves as Lauritis Chair of Teaching and Technology and was named one of two 2010-11 Teachers of the Year by Duquesne’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa.

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Trib: Red Cross highlights 'ordinary' heroes

American Red Cross volunteers who respond to fires, floods and other natural disasters get a firsthand glimpse of the unsung heroes who work to help victims.

On Thursday morning, the charitable organization will honor some of those heroes at a breakfast in the Lexus Club at Consol Energy Center, Uptown. Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon will deliver the keynote address during the third annual event.

Educator Hero: Mark Lepore, Mt. Lebanon. For the past 13 years, Lepore has responded to disaster scenes as a mental health volunteer and trained others to serve in the same capacity.

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Patch: Denis Theatre's Rebirth Moves Forward

When Valerie Golik stands inside the old Denis Theatre, she doesn’t see a dilapidated cinema that has fallen into disrepair over the past few years.

Instead, she envisions a thriving cultural and arts center that could become an entertainment hub for uptown Mt. Lebanon and the surrounding communities.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Trib: Lesser verdict handed down in Mt. Lebanon stroller crash

A Mt. Lebanon man sobbed on Saturday when an Allegheny County jury acquitted him of the most serious charges he faced for driving into and killing a mother jogging with her children in a stroller.

The jury found Benjamin Cope, 21, guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the June 28, 2010, crash at the corner of Washington and Beading roads that caused the death of Lisa Clay Styles, 36, near her Mt. Lebanon home.

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P-G: Driver in death of Mt. Lebanon jogger found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

Benjamin Cope, who was accused of striking and killing a Mt. Lebanon woman as she jogged with a stroller holding her two small children was found guilty today of involuntary manslaughter.

In reaching its verdict, the jury hearing the case found Mr. Cope not guilty of two more serious charges, vehicular homicide while under the influence and vehicular homicide.

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Trib: Bids come in high for Mt. Lebanon veterans memorial

Bids for Mt. Lebanon's planned veterans memorial have again come back higher than what's been raised, but low enough that the project is affordable if it does not include scattered lights that are designed to represent soldiers around the world.

Bids opened on Wednesday show McKeesport-based TBI Contracting as the lowest bidder, at $198,500 for the memorial alone, $10,000 for a retaining wall and $280,000 for the electrical work, including the lights. The municipality might seek a grant to cover the electrical work, Commissioner Dan Miller said.

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WTAE: Jury In Mt. Lebanon Mom's Death Views Crash Scene Photos

Nearly 80 photos of evidence -- including an SUV, a baby stroller and scrapes on the ground -- were introduced Thursday to the Benjamin Cope jury, as prosecutors tried to reconstruct the crash that killed Lisa Styles in Mt. Lebanon.

Cope, 21, is on trial for charges including homicide by vehicle. The prosecution claims he was under the influence of marijuana when his vehicle hit Styles, 36, who was pushing her kids in a jogging stroller in a Washington Road crosswalk in June 2010.

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The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon hopes to limit second bond issue

This year's property assessments will likely impact millage rates in Mt. Lebanon, according to a Sept. 19 presentation by director of fiscal services Jan Klein. She said that if assessment values increase--a likely outcome--the district will have to lower the millage rate proportionally.

Millage rates are of concern to the district as it prepares to rebid its $113 million high school renovation project.

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The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon teen designs Pittsburgh Bead

A young Mt. Lebanon artist is the force behind a newly designed Pittsburgh bead and an event happening at the Pittsburgh Glass Center on Saturday, Sept. 24.

The Pittsburgh Glass Center will host the Beads of Courage Bead Challenge and Beads in Space Tour. This is one of only two public stops that the Beads in Space exhibit, sponsored by maxIT Healthcare, will have during its 10-city tour in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month during September.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon Greek Orthodox priest to take ministry to Guatemala City

The Rev. John Chakos is leaving Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church after three decades as pastor, but "retirement" is hardly the right word to describe his plans.

Chakos, 70, who will deliver his last liturgy on Sunday in the Mt. Lebanon church, is leaving this winter for an open-ended stay in Guatemala City, where he will be part of a team educating Mayans from 350 villages about the faith.

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P-G: Mt. Lebanon youth football coaches are asked to resign

Two coaches with the Mt. Lebanon Football Association were asked to resign this month after an altercation following the first practice of the year.

Jeffrey K. Borris, 45, and Michael J. Ventrone, 43, both of Mt. Lebanon, were issued citations via summons for disorderly conduct following a practice Aug. 31 at a field near Markham Elementary School in Mt. Lebanon.

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Patch: Denis Theatre's Rebirth Moves Forward

When Valerie Golik stands inside the old Denis Theatre, she doesn’t see a dilapidated cinema that has fallen into disrepair over the past few years.

Instead, she envisions a thriving cultural and arts center that could become an entertainment hub for uptown Mt. Lebanon and the surrounding communities.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

P-G: Jogger case testimony prompts mistrial request, denial

The judge in the case of a man charged with killing a Mt. Lebanon woman as she jogged last summer denied a defense request for a mistrial this morning.

Attorney Bruce Beemer, who represents Benjamin Cope, 21, on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence stemming from the June 28, 2010, crash, asked for a mistrial after a Mt. Lebanon police officer gave unexpected testimony.

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The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon at Hopewell features top tailbacks

Depending upon the deep thigh bruise Luke Hagy suffered in a 16-0 win over Penn Hills, Mt. Lebanon's trip to Hopewell promises to be a horse race between the top runners in the region--Luke Hagy from Lebo and the Vikings' Rushel Shell

Shell needs 134 yards to become the all-time rushing leader in the WPIAL. So far this fall, he has amassed 746 yards on 92 carries this fall. He has 7,512 career rushing yards.

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Trib: Passenger recounts 'shared horror' in Mt. Lebanon mom's death

A Mt. Lebanon man said that he locked eyes with Lisa Styles in a "moment of shared horror" last summer as the mother of two was run over by a 4,000-pound SUV during emotional testimony in the Allegheny County Courthouse.

Carl Denig, 27, was a passenger in Benjamin Cope's black truck the day police say Cope rolled through a Mt. Lebanon intersection and struck Lisa Styles, 36, as she jogged at Washington and Beadling roads.

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P-G: Candidate withdraws from Mt. Lebanon commission race

T. Michael Brown, the Republican candidate for Ward 1 commissioner in Mt. Lebanon, said today he has withdrawn from the race.

Mr. Brown, 63, would not comment on why he chose to remove his name from the race, effective one week ago.

His decision to stop his campaign came not long after an envelope containing court dockets with Mr. Brown's name on them was sent anonymously to several people, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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Mt. Lebanon to Address Conflict Resolution

We received the following press release from the Mt. Lebanon Public Information Office:

The increase in hostility these days is palpable. In the media, on the playing field, in the halls of government and in our neighborhoods, conflict is on the rise and the reactions range from less-than-cordial to downright shocking.

To counter this trend, the Mt. Lebanon Community Relations Board is presenting the forum “Can We Disagree Without Being Disagreeable?” on Wednesday, September 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Commission Chambers, 710 Washington Road, in Mt. Lebanon. Admission is free and the public is welcome.

Moderated by KDKA’s Jon Delano, the panel will include: Ellen DeBenedetti, a mediator, trainer, conflict coach and facilitator; David Miller, professor at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs; Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist; The Rev. Kris Opat, assistant rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Emily Stevick, psychologist.

“Our community relations board has put together an outstanding panel, who will share their own experiences, answer questions from the audience and talk informally with people after the meeting, “ says Susan Morgans, staff liaison to the board. “We hope to raise awareness among the public that respectful disagreement can often lead to new ideas and workable compromises.”

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Trib: Trial starts for man charged with homicide in death of jogging mom

Lisa Clay Styles gripped the jogging stroller holding her two children as long as she could before her left foot got caught underneath a 4,000-pound sport utility vehicle that ran a stop sign in front of her last summer, a prosecutor told an Allegheny County jury on Monday.

Prosecutors say the driver, Benjamin Cope, 21, of Mt. Lebanon, was impaired because he had smoked marijuana the night before the crash. They said the drug was still in his blood.

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Patch: Lebo Brew Fest Raises $18K

Mt. Lebanon Magazine reported Monday that Saturday's 2nd Annual Brew Fest raised $18,000 for the Mt. Lebanon Veterans Memorial.

"The money's been counted, and, hooray, we cleared $18,000 for the Veterans Memorial at Brew Fest," was posted on the magazine's Facebook page Monday. "Great weather. Great time. Thanks to the distributors who brought an unbelievable selection of cool beers. Also thanks to Howard Hanna, First Commonwealth, Bado's, The Saloon, Uptown Rhythm and Brass, Louis Anthony Jewelers, Rollier's, and everyone else who donated time, services and money to such a worthwhile cause."

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Trib: Water main break closes Mt. Lebanon's Beadling Road

Beadling Road between Cedar Boulevard and Seneca Drive in Mt. Lebanon will be closed most of today because of a water main break, municipal officials announced.

Kevin Maehling, deputy chief of the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, said the hole in the street is 20 to 30 feet wide and several feet deep.

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Pittsburgh Sports Report: Mt. Lebanon shuts out Penn Hills 16-0

Both Mt. Lebanon and Penn Hills were in need of a win, with Penn Hills starting at an 0-2 start to their season and Mt. Lebanon trying to bounce back from a 34-17 setback at the hands of a surprising Penn Trafford team last week.

The Blue Devils looked energized to start the game, moving the ball across midfield and close to the red zone, but a Penn Hills sack on fourth down thwarted Mt. Lebanon's opening drive.

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Friday, September 16, 2011

P-G: Mt. Lebanon to advertise for bids for school in early October

Mt. Lebanon School District should be ready to advertise for bids for its long-planned high school project by early October, architect Tom Celli told school board members Monday night.

His tentative timetable for the project showed that bid results can be opened Nov. 22, then awarded Dec. 12. Construction could begin in January.

If all goes as planned, the project could be completed by July 2015, he said.

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The Almanac: ML's Moran shines at Red, White & Blue Classic

When it comes to cross country running, Alex Moran of Mt. Lebanon lives by the motto: no guts, no glory.

Gifted with adequate speed, the senior knows he must muscle his way to top finishes against the talented harriers in this region, including Baldwin's Andrew Kuchta and North Allegheny's Logan Steiner.

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The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon boys rule course

The Mt. Lebanon boys won the A Division team title during the Red, White and Blue Classic held at Schenley Park. Alex Moran led the way, finishing runner-up but winning the A division with a 15:30 time.

Lawton Tellin placed in the Top 10 with a 16:04 time. Another senior, Kevin Tramaglini, took 16th with a 16:13 mark. Juniors Scott Westover, Seamus Roddy, Jack Walsh and Tony Consiglio contributed to the team's score.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

P-G: Mt. Lebanon suspends coach accused of leaving kids in car

Mt. Lebanon School District has suspended its high school swim team coach pending a police investigation surrounding charges that he left his two young children unattended in his car.

David Schraven, 44, of Mt. Lebanon, was charged Aug. 25 with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle.

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Patch: Mt. Lebanon Church Remembers 9/11

As the nation reflects on the tragic events of 9/11 with ceremonies across the country, St Paul's Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon was one of many local churches to reflect on that horrific day and remind parishoners of God's eternal love.

The memorial was part of the Refuge series of worship, a service that engaged olfactory, tactile, and ocular senses.

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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Letter: School Board should learn from mistakes, reflect upon role

The following letter comes from resident and frequent Blog-Lebo commenter Bill Matthews. —Tom

On Monday, 09-12-11, the School Board will discuss Policy GBEE, Student Communications. This policy highlights a couple reasons the Board struggles in the performance of its duties: 1) The Board is not a learning organization, and 2) The Board overestimates its role in our Community.

Immediately following is a discussion on how the Board could have learned something from the circumstances concerning Mrs. Posti’s blog and subsequently applied the lessons to their work, in particular this policy. Secondly, I think this policy highlights an opportunity for the Board to recalibrate its role in the community and with our professional staff. Solemn, meaningful reflection would very much benefit our youth, district, and community in the near and longer term.

1) Not A Learning Organization

The draft policy requires that: “Employees shall post only accurate information, adhere to all copyright laws, and reference all sources as required by law.”

Recently the Board had a very public lesson in not referencing sources. If the Board learned anything, it should have learned that referencing sources is generally governed by personal, professional and/or academic standards, not the law.

As an example, the High School plagiarism quiz asserts: “Plagiarism is stealing somebody’s idea or words without giving credit to that person … Do not risk your academic standing by not carefully and completely citing your sources. Please refer to the Student-Parent Handbook for Mt. Lebanon School District’s policy on Academic Integrity, including plagiarism.”

Students are referred to an academic standard, not the law. The Board policy should establish an appropriate standard of review, as opposed to relying on the imprecise and deficient standard: “as required by law.”

2) Overestimates Its Role in Our Community

a) The draft policy contemplates that in addition to faculty, volunteers, students, parents and guardians, the policy “shall be communicated to … (a)ll other members of the community.” The term “community” is undefined in the policy. Our common usage of the term is the community of Mt. Lebanon.

Is this a new expectation that Board policies be communicated to “(a)ll members of the community”, regardless of the applicability or need to know? For what purpose and at what cost would the Board charge the Administration with such communications? Seems like watt-less energy and may reflect little more than the self-importance of the Board to begin communicating policies to the community indiscriminately. Discretion is advised here.

b) Policy GBEE uses “community” in another context, which might be even more important than to whom this policy is to be communicated.

This draft policy states: “Employees are reminded that they are professionals and are representatives of both the district and the community in all aspects of their lives and should conduct themselves accordingly when utilizing social media/networking.”

Employees are “representatives of both the district and the community” – if it were me, I would sure want to know what the oligarchs intend in terms of “the community” and who I am to represent.

Almost more mystifying, the policy contemplates that “(e)mployees … are representatives of the district and community ... in all aspects of their lives …” Come on now – “all aspects of their lives” – give me a break.

On behalf of our admired and dedicated professionals, I say to your oppressors – Mind Your Own Beeswax!

Bill Matthews
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Trib: Penn-Trafford runs way past Mt. Lebanon

Penn-Trafford's Manny Simpson and Mt. Lebanon's Luke Hagy, two of the WPIAL's top running backs, did not disappoint.

But Simpson got the upper hand Friday night, running for 276 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 9 Penn-Trafford to a 34-17 nonconference win at No. 4 Mt. Lebanon.

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P-G: "True Blood's" Joe Manganiello visits old stomping grounds

Even werewolves can go home again.

Honored by Mt. Lebanon High School among its "Great" alumni Friday, "True Blood's" Manganiello, 34, was greeted by giggling schoolgirls and beaming teachers as he talked to the students in Cindy Schreiner's drama class.

"My mom loves you!" yelled a girl ascending a stairwell, prompting him to smile and shoot back "Tell her I said hello."

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

WPXI: Dad Charged With Leaving Kids, Ages 5-7, Alone In Car

WPXI reports the following:
Police have charged a man accused of leaving his young children alone in a car while he was shopping in Mount Lebanon earlier this week.

A woman noticed the children, ages 7 and 5, alone in the vehicle near a grocery store on Cochran Road and called police. When officers arrived, the 7-year-old was still in the car and the 5-year-old was found wandering around the parking lot, police said.

The father, 44-year-old David Schraven, told police he was only in the store for a few minutes, but police said the children told them it was a lot longer.

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Friday, September 09, 2011

Trib: Facebook, Twitter might be allowed in Mt. Lebanon schools

Mt. Lebanon teachers may be given more flexibility to talk to their students over social networking websites and cell phones, under a policy school officials considered this week.

The district's new student communication policy would permit teachers to interact with students over services such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, as long as any messages they send are school-related and visible to the public. They could send direct e-mails to students, but only through the teachers' official district e-mail addresses. The policy encourages using the district's own services for setting up classroom blogs.

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Thursday, September 08, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon will fight Robb Hollow order from state department

Mt. Lebanon officials plan to fight an order from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that they stop piling and shredding leaves from curbside pickups in Robb Hollow Park.

The DCNR sent a letter to the municipality last week noting that the land was purchased with state grant money, which stipulates that the land is to be used only for recreation. The letter said the activities must stop, and all equipment must be removed.

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P-G: Viruses started as prank for teen in Mt. Lebanon

What began as a ninth-grade prank, a way to trick already suspicious friends who had fallen for his earlier practical jokes, has earned Rich Skrenta notoriety as the first person ever to let loose a personal computer virus.

Although over the next 25 years, Mr. Skrenta started the online news business Topix, helped launch a collaborative Web directory now owned by Time Warner Inc.'s Netscape and wrote countless other computer programs, he is still remembered most for unleashing the "Elk Cloner" virus on the world.

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Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Trib: Tuesday Takes

Lebo's "fee": One can only wonder how long it will take someone in Mt. Lebanon to file a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the South Hills community's storm water "fee" (a tax by any other name). Article VIII, Section 1, of the Pennsylvania Constitution is most instructive.

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Saturday, September 03, 2011

P-G: Mt. Lebanon schools finding success, ease with blogs

Stacy Maehling has been teaching fourth grade for 12 years at Lincoln Elementary School in Mt. Lebanon, and two years ago, she started using blogs in her classroom.

The blog is an interactive learning device: Ms. Maehling writes a prompt about a topic her students are covering in their science class -- then students write their own posts in response.

"I found that it was a good way to assess them on what they had learned, a very quick and easy way for me to see if they understood the material," Ms. Maehling said.

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Trib: For Mt. Lebanon's Hagy, a record night

Pine-Richland unveiled its spread offense Friday night against visiting Mt. Lebanon, but Blue Devils senior running back Luke Hagy stole the show.

Hagy rushed for 247 yards on 21 carries and scored five touchdowns — setting Mt. Lebanon rushing records for career yards (3,135) and touchdowns (50) — as the Blue Devils defeated Pine-Richland, 34-7, in a Class AAAA nonconference game at Pine-Richland Stadium.

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Friday, September 02, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon mural provides an artful solution

A giant-sized "Welcome to Mt. Lebanon" mural soon will greet southbound travelers entering the municipality on Washington Road, a project that will not only solve a problem but showcase the municipality and its native talent, its developers say.

Ashley Hodder, a muralist and art teacher who grew up in Mt. Lebanon, is painting the postcard-style mural on the north side of the former Dyke Auto Supply Building. The building, owned by John Dyke of Carnegie, hosts Pamela's P&G Diner, Miller Auto Parts and Washington Road Automotive, a repair business. The mural is on the Pamela's side of the building, near St. Bernard Catholic Church.

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Storm Water Collection and Management Bills Arrive


Mt. Lebanon property owners began receiving their first quarterly storm water collection and management bills this week. The following letter from Municipical Manager Steve Feller accompanied the bill.

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P-G: Mt. Lebanon man waives hearing for assault on youth

A former Mt. Lebanon High School track team volunteer arrested earlier this month on multiple charges that he had improper contact with a 15-year-old student waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

Christopher M. Childs II, 20, of Mt. Lebanon, appeared in handcuffs before District Judge Blaise Larotonda in Mt. Lebanon.

He has been lodged in the Allegheny County Jail since his arrest Aug. 17 on 31 charges, including statutory sexual assault, indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old, indecent exposure and corruption of minors.

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