Friday, April 26, 2013
Greg Testa of Boy Scout Troop 139 will be creating flood safety awareness in honor of his late Cub Scout Leader, Kim Griffith.
An area Eagle Scount candidate is dedicating his project to his late Cub Scout Leader, Kimberly Griffith, and her two daughters. Kim Griffith and daughters Brenna and Mikaela drowned on Aug. 19, 2011, during a flash flood on Washington Boulevard in the City of Pittsburgh. The Plum residents were trapped in their van. Greg Testa of Boy Scout Troop 139 of Verona/Penn Hills is working on a project that would help protect people who find themselves in similar situations. On Saturday, April 27, Testa and his fellow Scouts will have a tent at the Verona Earth Day Celebration. Testa plans to distribute resqme keychains, as well as information about the tool. Resqme is a portable safety device that goes on your key chain. The tool has many …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Four residents from the Plum-Oakmont died during a flash flood in August 2011.
The families of four Plum and Oakmont residents are suing several entities after losing their loved ones during a flash flood in Pittsburgh's Highland Park neighborhood a little over a year ago. Relatives of Kimberly Griffith, 45, and daughters, Brenna, 12, and Mikaela, 8, of Plum; and Mary Saflin, 72, of Oakmont, are suing the City of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, Allegheny County, Alcosan, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Chester Engineers Inc., and Chrysler Group LLC (the make of the Griffith vehicle). Attorneys Paul Manion and Alan Perer made the announcement Friday. After their minivan was immersed underwater during the Washington Boulevard flash flood on Aug. 19, 2011, the Griffiths drowned. …
Friday, November 30, 2012
A quiet area at the Plum school memorializes Brenna and Mikaela Griffith, who drowned during a flash flood in 2011.
Tucked behind Center Elementary School in Plum is a new quiet area for students, classes and the community to enjoy. The area memorializes Brenna and Mikaela Griffith, two of the school's students who died—along with their mother, Kimberly—in 2011 during a flash flood on Washington Boulevard. Brenna was a sixth-grader and Mikaela was a second-grader at the school. After their death, the community came together to do something special for the family. Teachers, parents, community members and Girl Scouts formed a committee to create a memorial for the girls. Wall King, Lincoln Way Landscape Supply, JMK Construction and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Barbieri donated time, services and money to make it happen. The round memorial is located in the back of…
Monday, October 29, 2012
This parade was on Sunday and benefited a great local cause!
The second-annual Plum Borough Education Association Festival in the Park was held on Sunday at Boyce Park, and there was no shortage of great Halloween costumes. This year's festival—held in memory of Kimberly, Brenna and Mikaela Griffith of Plum, who all drowned in during a flash flood on Washington Boulevard last year—benefited the Beilstein family of Plum. Donations will go toward the Beilstein Children Memorial Fund, which was created in May after Christine Beilstein, 45, died in a tragic car accident in Penn Hills. Beilstein's 9-year-old son, Justin, suffered serious injuries in the crash and continues to receive treatment for them. Justin is a fourth-grader at Regency Park Elementary School. Did you attend the festival and parade? …
Friday, October 12, 2012
Pittsburgh police Officer Andrew Baker almost was run over in Verona last month, and he was honored for his work during the 2011 Washington Boulevard flood.
A Pittsburgh police officer who was shot Friday morning almost was run over in Verona last month, and he assisted during the 2011 Washington Boulevard flash flood that killed four locals. According to police, Officer Andrew Baker was responding to a domestic in Stanton Heights when he was shot in the chest. Baker was not seriously injured by the gunfire because he was wearing a bullet-proof vest. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, this is Baker's fourth incident this year in which he narrowly escapes serious injury. In September, Baker almost was run over on the Verona hilltop—around Third Street. Police had cornered Melvin Taylor Solomon, 41, in a one-way alley after a chase that began in Point Breeze, when Solomon put his vehicle …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Local scouts are honoring a family who drowned last year and collecting school supplies this weekend.
Plum Community Girl Scouts are preparing to give back this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, Aug. 17 to 19, the local girls will be participating in the Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania's convention to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. As part of the celebration, there will be a parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. in downtown Pittsburgh. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will run along Boulevard of the Allies, beginning on Grant Street. Plum Girl Scouts are asking spectators to bring school supplies, which will be collected during the parade. The collected items will be donated to the Salvation Army in memory of Kim, Brenna and Mikaela Griffith, who drowned during a flash flood on Washington Boulevard last August. The Griffiths were…
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
After the Aug. 19 flood on Washington Boulevard that killed three Plum residents and one Oakmont resident, Pittsburgh Public Safety will create a water-rescue team.
- NEWS
-
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Almost four months ago, four area residents drowned during a flash flood on Washington Boulevard in Highland Park. Now, City of Pittsburgh officials are planning to train all public safety personnel in water-rescue techniques. According to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, about 2,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics will be trained to respond to emergencies, such as the Aug. 19 flood that killed Kimberly Griffith of Plum and her two young daughters, Brenna and Mikaela; as well as Mary Saflin of Oakmont. About 180 employees also will make up newly-established water-rescue teams at nine fire and emergency medical services stations near waterways, and at the Zone 5 police station on Washington Boulevard, according to…
Friday, November 18, 2011
The 14th annual LEAD awards ceremony will recognize outstanding performances by Western Pennsylvania law enforcement officers.
The Law Enforcement Agency Directors (LEAD) of Western Pennsylvania will hold the 14th Annual LEAD Awards Ceremony today, Nov. 18, at the FBI - Pittsburgh Field Office on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The LEAD Investigative Team Awards will be presented to the agents and attorneys who investigated and prosecuted the Manchester Original Gangsters and the Le-Nature’s Inc. fraud scheme. Individual awards for outstanding performance in law enforcement will be presented to 34 agents, officers, troopers, deputy sheriffs and prosecutors. The men and women being recognized include: LEAD is composed of the following law enforcement agencies and their representatives: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; …
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The event, which will be held at the Garden City Fire Hall in Monroeville, will be in memory of Kimberly, Brenna and Mikaela Griffith.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
-
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Residents of Trestle Road in Plum are planning a "Dear Evening" spaghetti dinner fundraiser to benefit the Griffith Family Memorial Fund on Saturday, Nov. 19. The event, which will be held at the Garden City Fire Hall in Monroeville, will begin at 5 p.m. On Aug. 19, Kimberly Griffith and her two daughters, Brenna, 12 and Mikaela, 8, drowned during a flash flood incident on Washington Boulevard, near the Allegheny River Boulevard intersection. Mary Saflin of Oakmont also died during the flood. The Griffith girls lived on Trestle Road. Their family continues to live there. The cost for tickets is $20. Only people 21 and older will be allowed to attend the event. Tickets are available through advance sales only. Anyone interested in …
Monday, October 24, 2011
The estimated $450,000 project will install three automated gate systems and advanced warning signs in the area.
- NEWS
-
Monday, October 24, 2011
Work to install an advanced notification flood gate system on Washington Boulevard (Route 8) in Pittsburgh will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 25 weather permitting. The estimated $450,000 project will install three automated gate systems at the following locations: Five advanced warning signs will also be installed at the following locations: The system will use pressure sensors that automatically close the gates and activate the warning signs when a pre-determined amount of water is detected on the roadway. When the system activates, it will also notify the appropriate emergency response personnel. The effort came about after an Aug. 19 flood on Washington Boulevard that killed four people—Kimberly Griffith of Plum and her two daughters, Brenna …
diane
3:31 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
I feel that these victims' families have been haunted by this totally unnecessary tragedy and should be compensated. It's really not about the money. That will NEVER bring their lost family members back. However it WILL make a statement to the city that things need to be done to fix this "way over due" problem. Why does it always take a tragedy to open peoples' eyes? I pray everyday that the … more ›