P-G: South Xtra: There's a change at the top for Lebo

Just like he has for the past 13 summers, Mike Melnyk opened a high school football training camp this week as a head coach.

Unlike the previous 13 summers however, Melnyk did so this week as the head football coach at Mt. Lebanon.

The former Manheim Township coach took over at Mt. Lebanon in April of this year.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/south-xtra-theres-a-change-at-the-top-for-lebo-650132 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

P-G: Mt. Lebanon landlord pleads guilty to tax charges

A landlord whose apartment buildings throughout Allegheny County have been the subject of numerous complaints over the years has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges.

Jason Cohen of Mt. Lebanon, owner and president of Trends Capital, waived indictment by grand jury Wednesday and pleaded to one count of filing false returns before U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/mt-lebanon-landlord-pleads-guilty-to-tax-charges-650218 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

P-G: Mt. Lebanon girls soccer champions to reunite 20 years later

Memories can be a kick. Just ask members of the 1992 Mt. Lebanon High School girls varsity soccer team.

On Nov. 21, 1992, player Molly Bushman scored a goal that made local sports history. Her shot clinched the 2-0 victory against Villa Joseph Marie High School in the PIAA finals held at Shippensburg University -- making them the first Mt. Lebanon girls team to win the state soccer championship.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/mt-lebanon-girls-soccer-champions-to-reunite-20-years-later-650188 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon seeks input at comprehensive plan events

Over the summer, residents have seen Mt. Lebanon's hot air balloon everywhere on www.mtlebanon.org, in mtl magazine, on Facebook, in the municipal building lobby or on cards distributed at the plan's traveling exhibit.

The balloon is the symbol for "Elevate Mt. Lebanon," the goal of the community's comprehensive plan. The plan-- a blueprint for the community's future-- currently is being updated for the first time in more than a decade. Mt. Lebanon is seeking input from as many residents as possible.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-22-2012-ML-comprehensive-plan (The Almanac)

WTAE: Mt. Lebanon man dies in plane crash

A small plane crashes in a wooded area of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, killing the pilot who was also the owner. Watch the video:

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAOhMIKj3H4 (WTAE)

The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon votes to extend contract

Mt. Lebanon Commissioners voted, 4-1, during a regular meeting on Aug. 27 to extend the three-way joint maintenance agreement between the municipality, the school district and the Youth Sports Alliance of Mt. Lebanon. Commissioner Matt Kluck voted against the agreement.

The original contract expired on June 30th of this year, and the extension is for a six-month period.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-29-2012-Lebo-commissioners (The Almanac)

The Almanac: Denis Theatre gets $175,000 grant

The Denis Theatre Foundation was awarded a major grant by the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County through the Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund.

The $175,000 grant, which represents the first major public dollars committed to the project, will be used to further renovate the 74-year-old theater in Mt. Lebanon and is widely viewed as confirmation of the project's economic impact.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-29-2012-ML-Denis-gets-grant (The Almanac)

The Almanac: To the rescue: Responders display skills

Members of the South Hills Area Council of Government's (SHACOG) Technical Rescue Team (TRT) demonstrated some of their specialized skills during the first Rescue Day held recently in the parking lot of the Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department.

Started in 2008, the TRT is a team of about 36 members from South Hills-area emergency responders including fire and EMS personnel who are specially trained for specific types of emergencies. The types of emergencies that the TRT may respond to include rope and high-angle rescue, trench rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapses, bariatric patient extrication, machinery and industrial rescue and water rescue.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-22-2012-rescue-day-w-pics (The Almanac)

P-G: Obituary: Joe Wertheim / Multitalented volunteer devoted to family, service

Several years ago, at a meeting of volunteers dedicated to restoring the Denis Theatre in Mt. Lebanon, Realtor Conrad Waite listened as Elaine Wertheim kept repeating a particular phrase.

"Whenever we needed something done, Elaine said, 'Oh, Joe will do it,' " Mr. Waite recalled. "She always was just volunteering him" for putting up posters for Last Saturday Cinema or painting the theater's back doors.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/obituaries/obituary-joe-wertheim-multitalented-volunteer-devoted-to-family-service-649167 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon expands Citizens' Fire Academy

Mt. Lebanon is expanding its popular Citizens' Fire Academy (CFA) to include the Castle Shannon and Dormont fire departments, their two closest mutual aid providers.

The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department has conducted the CFA for the past seven years, but this year the three fire departments have teamed up for this nine-week public education program.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-15-2012-ML-fire-academy (The Almanac)

The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon selects junior commissioners

Mt. Lebanon Commission has selected Mt. Lebanon High School students Maddy Scott and Mark Klemencic as junior commissioners for this school year.

Scott, a junior with an unweighted GPA of 4.7, will serve for the fall semester. The Markham Drive resident is a student choreographer with the school dance company, a member of the high school forensics team, a cellist in the high school orchestra and an active member of the history club and student council. She also admits to enjoying watching C-SPAN and is fascinated by the inner workings of government.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story10/08-08-2012-ML-jr--commish- (The Almanac)

The Almanac: Openings available in Citizens Fire Academy

The Citizens Fire Academy (CFA) is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be behind the hoses and inside the gear of a firefighter, to learn fire safety and to feel the heat of intense challenges.

This year's CFA will be a 10-week free course, lead by the Mt. Lebanon, Castle Shannon and Dormont fire departments, Sept. 5 through Nov. 3. Students will have the opportunity to tour facilities, use fire extinguishers, go on ride-alongs, use the Jaws of Life in a mock vehicle extrication and be trained in first-aid, CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-08-2012-news-briefs (The Almanac)

The Almanac: Safety takes center stage at Mt. Lebanon camp

Safety was the name of the game at the recent Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Camp. The camp, geared toward kids age 9 to 12, was a collaborative effort with the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, the Mt. Lebanon Police Department and Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA).

This year marked the first year for the public safety camp which was held July 30 to Aug. 3 at Mt. Lebanon's main park off of Cedar Boulevard.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/08-08-2012-ML-safety-camp (The Almanac)

Obituary: Joseph H. Wertheim

Joe was the previous director of the South Hills Food Pantry, the former president and member of the board of trustees of the Friends of Mt. Lebanon Public Library; and member of the Advisory Board of the Denis Theatre Foundation.

Read the full obituary:

• www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-h-wertheim&pid=159154059 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trib: Official seeks support for rec spending

Amid debate over turf, grass, asphalt and ice, Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Kelly Fraasch is hoping to garner support from three other commissioners for a $7.28 million recreation spending program.

Fraasch wants the municipality to borrow $5 million for the program, which would include improvements for the swimming pool, golf course, tennis courts, ice rink and three existing athletic fields, while adding two more fields at Robb Hollow Park.

“Between our needs and our wants, that adds up to about $22 million worth of projects we could invest in, but obviously that’s out of the question,” Fraasch said. “This is a comprehensive approach, not looking at just one issue and dealing with it.”

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/news/2338929-74/fraasch-fields-million-golf-grass-improvements-pool-commissioner-commissioners-course (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

The Jewish Chronicle: Mt. Lebo siblings play lacrosse for Israel at Euro tourney

Everyone on her lacrosse team called her “the baby,” but on the playing field, Felicia Tissenbaum proved just how grown up she really was.

The 17-year-old Mt. Lebanon native scored the winning goal in overtime to lead the Israel women’s festival team to a 14-13 championship victory over a combined squad of American and British players at the recently completed European Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam.

Read the full article:

• http://www.thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/19723750/article-Mt--Lebo-siblings-play-lacrosse-for-Israel-at-Euro-tourney (The Jewish Chronicle)

The Almanac: Mt. Lebanon professor pens book

Dr. Steve Hallock, a Mt. Lebanon resident and Point Park University School of Communication Director, has written a book that provides a comprehensive overview of conflicts from the Korean War to U.S. operations in Libya and outlines how newspapers have set the stage for U.S. military intervention.

"The mainstream press needs to realize how important the decision to go to war is and question it," said Hallock.

Read the full article:

• www.thealmanac.net/alm/story10/08-01-2012-ML-Author (The Almanac)

P-G: Court disallows higher benefit for Mt. Lebanon police retirees

Commonwealth Court has invalidated a provision of the Mt. Lebanon police officers' pension plan that would have allowed early retirees to earn annual cost-of-living adjustments until they reached 90 percent of their final average monthly salary.

A three-judge panel ruled that the police union's interpretation of the provision's cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, benefits violated the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act, known as Act 205, because it differed from the calculation upon which the municipality relied when it enacted the provision.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/legal/court-disallows-higher-benefit-for-mt-lebanon-police-retirees-647746 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trib: At 100, Mt. Lebanon remains a well-designed community

Mt. Lebanon has long had a reputation as one of Pittsburgh’s finest suburbs.

And, as it celebrates its 100th birthday this year, you will still find along its tree-lined streets and roads some of the finest homes in the region.

It has always boasted — and still does — one of the best school systems in the state. Moreover, the town maintains walkable neighborhoods, vibrant commercial centers (with two major construction projects under way on the main street) and a surprisingly strong sense of community spirit.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/aande/2286903-74/lebanon-100-suburb-trolley-ago-hodan-keith-review-tribune-streets (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Obituary: Mt. Lebanon officer guided by Marine training

Whether Bob Opferman was serving his country or protecting the people of Mt. Lebanon, he did it with confidence.

It was confidence, said his son, Robert Opferman, a detective with Allegheny County Police Department, that his father acquired in five years of active duty as a Marine.

Robert George Opferman of Mt. Lebanon, a police officer for 31 years, died on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in St. Clair Hospital, Mt. Lebanon. He was 70.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/news/2333065-74/opferman-lebanon-police-marine-robert-officer-george-allentown-brother-department (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

WPXI: Mount Lebanon babysitter facing child endangerment charges

A babysitter is facing child endangerment charges after police said they found two children alone in a Mount Lebanon home earlier this month.

Authorities said a family member found the children inside the Buchannan Place apartment.

According to police, Chad Wroblewski left the children for about two hours, but did not say why.

Read the full article:

• www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/mount-lebanon-babysitter-facing-child-endangerment/nP6cR (WPXI)