Utility customers report scam calls
Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority is warning customers about an uptick in calls and texts from scammers impersonating the utility provider.
Scammers are asking customers to call a phone number to pay their bills and avoid delinquency or shut-offs. This false number shares an area code with the authority’s payment provider, which accepts payments over the phone, making these scams more difficult to detect, a WPJWA spokesperson said.
But there is one surefire way to detect a scam: WPJWA does not text or call to inform customers about unpaid bills. Instead, notices are sent by letter or, for customers who have opted in, by email.
WPJWA became aware of the issue after customers called them directly. Customers who encounter scams are encouraged to contact customer service at 412-243-62000 or custserv@wpjwa.com.
Plum AARP to meet March 12
The Plum AARP will hold its monthly meeting at noon March 12 in Unity Community Church.
Hot dogs with condiments and chips will be provided for $2; cake, coffee and tea are free. The program will be Ron Soltis, singing and playing the keyboard. Members also can purchase tickets to the May luncheon, which will be held May 14 at Jaden’s II.
The Plum AARP is a social/service group featuring informative speakers or entertainment at each meeting.
The group also plans a May luncheon, a summer social and a Christmas party each year, as well as opportunities to sign up for day or overnight trips through Thomas Tours and Travel or Louise Grassi Tours.
Regular meetings are held at noon on the second Tuesday of each month in Unity Community Church. The group meets September through August (except June) and is open to men and women from Plum, Penn Hills, Monroeville, and surrounding areas.
For details, call Mary Lou at 724-327-8265.
PA Pre-K Counts accepting applications in March
PA Pre-K Counts, a program of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc., will begin taking applications in March for its locations throughout Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette and Westmoreland counties for the 2023-24 school year.
PA Pre-K Counts, offered at no cost to qualifying families, provides high-quality pre-kindergarten education for 3- and 4-year-olds living in Pennsylvania funded by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
An Open Registration Day is planned from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 22 at Penn Hills High School, 309 Collins Drive.
This will be an opportunity to meet teachers and other staff, tour the classrooms and playgrounds, ask questions and fill out an application. Classes are five days a week for six hours each day, and children are served healthy and nutritious meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program while attending class.
To participate in the program, children must be at risk of school failure because of income, cultural or special-needs issues. Children also must meet the income eligibility guidelines of at or below 300% of the federal poverty level for their family size.
Volunteer opportunities in the classroom and family engagement events allow parents to learn more about how to be involved in their child’s learning and development.
To complete an application, call the PA Pre-K Counts office at 724-437-2590 or go online at www.privateindustrycouncil.com.
Library marking crime week with adult programs
Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, is offering several programs for adults to mark True Crime and Mystery Week.
To register for any of the following programs, visit pennhillslibrary.org or call 412-775-4700.
• Mystery Author Talk with Liz Milliron: 6 to 7 p.m. March 11. Milliron, a Pennsylvania author, will share the process of writing mystery novels. She writes the Laurel Highland Mystery Series and the World War II-era Homefront Mysteries series.
• Pittsburgh True Crime: 6 to 7 p.m. March 12. Richard Gazarik will share stories about the underbelly of Pittsburgh history.
• About Forensics Part I: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 13. Mandy L. Tinkey from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office will explain what forensic investigators do and the process of an investigation in this two-part series. Part I will cover the morgue. Attendees only need to register once for both sessions.
• About Forensics Part II: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 14. Part II of Tinkey’s presentation will explore what happens in the lab.
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• Crime and Coffee: 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 15. Do you like Cream with your coffee? Attendees will view a documentary about Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, a Victorian-era serial killer known as the Lambeth Poisoner, and discuss the true crime story while sipping on some coffee. The book, titled “The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream,” is optional and available for checkout at the library to further enhance the experience.
Car show benefit set for April
The Steel City Chapter of the Heavy Hitters Car Club will host an April 21 car show at the Boyce Park Wave Pool.
It will be from noon to 5 p.m. at 740 Old Frankstown Road in Plum, with special guest host and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps.
The entry fee is $10 and the event will include food, music, a 50-50 and basket raffles along with awards in seven categories.
Proceeds will benefit Tiny Cause, a nonprofit dog rescue shelter in Vandergrift. For details, visit SCheavyhitters.com.
Class of 1974 plans 50-year bash
The Penn Hills High School Class of 1974 will have its 50th reunion at 6 p.m. June 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Monroeville.
The cost is $65. The gathering will include appetizers, food stations, dessert, nonalcoholic beverages, a photo booth and a DJ. There will be a cash bar. To make a reservation, visit Penn Hills Class of 1974 on Facebook or contact Deborah (Tedesco) Gathagan at dgathagan@verizon.net.
Registration open for softball
Registration is underway for the Penn Hills Girls Softball Association’s spring season through March 15.
Five teams are forming: 8 and under (coach pitch), $85; 10 and under, 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under, each $125. All ages are as of Sept. 1, 2023.
The 8-and-under team includes the option of a refundable concession fee of $30 for family members who help out at the concession stand; all other teams include the option of a $40 refundable concession fee.
Registration includes a full uniform. Open gym practices take place in February. Games for the spring season start at the end of April.
For new players, a copy of a birth certificate is required and can be emailed to phgsapghpa@gmail.com.
Tickets available for purse bash
The Penn Hills Girls Softball Association is organizing a purse bash from noon to 3 p.m. March 16 at Penn Hills Fire Hall No. 7, 125 Universal Road.
Tickets, which are $50 in advance or $60 at the door, include admission to the event, food, wine, beer, nonalcoholic beverages and multiple chances to win designer handbags. Participants must be 21 or older to attend.
Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the first raffle starts at noon. Winners will be drawn every 15 minutes. Ticket-holders do not need to be present to win.
Additional raffles will be available, including ones for “pick of the table,” 50-50, auction baskets, a mystery bundle and lottery tree.
Space is limited to 250 people, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of reserved tables for up to eight guests is available for an additional $50.
For details or to purchase a ticket or reserve a table, call Marquitta Gray at 412-877-2301, Robin Brown at 412-443-5600 and Tiera Hempfiled at 412-225-9218.