Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh woman says condemned house next to hers is causing rodent problems
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh woman says she’s dealing with raccoons, a mice infestation and countless holes chewed in the walls because of a neighboring house that’s condemned.
She called KDKA Investigates after she said her complaints to the City of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Health Department didn’t deliver a solution.
There are countless holes in Debbie Joyce’s drywall thanks to hungry mice looking to stay warm.
“Here’s my biggest problem is I found out if they start eating my wires it can cause a fire,” said Joyce.
That’s why Joyce hired a local exterminator and paid nearly a thousand dollars for bait traps. She said the cause of her recent rodent issues sits directly behind her Glasgow Street home.
“I’ve lived in this house for over 30-plus years and never had an issue till this house became dilapidated,” she said.
Blue condemned signs are posted on several other homes in her Sheraden neighborhood, but the vacant Sacramento Avenue home sits empty, with a big hole in the side of it. Joyce thinks the rapid deterioration of that home is attracting rodents to her backyard so she started complaining to the Allegheny County Health Department.
“I’m not getting anybody to respond other than this letter that I got from the health department, but when I tried to call them to tell them they’re deceased, they didn’t even respond back to me,” Joyce said.
The health department tells KDKA Investigates the inspector didn’t see any rodents near the vacant home but did issue a letter to the homeowner, asking them to cut the grass.
Joyce says that didn’t result in anything because the owners are deceased.
County spokesperson Abigail Gardner recommended Joyce tries engaging with city leadership or the URA to see if they’d consider adding the property to the blight removal list.
“I thought I would take priority since I’m now dealing with the rodents and I’m not going to be reimbursed all the money I’ve put out for this problem. I was shocked when you told me that they didn’t find anything wrong with that house. I’m like, seriously?” she said.
KDKA-TV also called City Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith and she said it’s “inhumane” to live next to these blighted properties and she’s sympathetic to Joyce’s issues.
Kail-Smith said she is going to get the property added to the land bank and treasury sale lists and hopes someone can buy it and demo it or renovate the property much quicker than the time it would take the city to do it.
Police are investigating two shootings that happened less than 30 minutes apart on Sunday night in McKeesport.
Two men were injured in the shootings that happened at two different locations.
Allegheny County Police said that the department’s Homicide Unit was requested and responded to assist in the shooting investigations.
According to police, officers were first called to the area of Lysle Boulevard and Huey Street, where a man was shot just after 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night.
KDKA’s news crew at the scene saw the outside of the Sunoco gas station along Lysle Boulevard lined with crime tape and what appeared to be blood on the front door of the store.
Police also had an area taped off around the intersection of nearby 5th Avenue and Huey Street. The man who was shot in the area was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police said they are also investigating a shooting that happened in the area of an alleyway behind Madison Avenue, where another man was shot Dispatchers said the second shooting happened around 25 minutes after the first.
The two shooting scenes in McKeesport are located around 1/4 of a mile apart.
At the second shooting scene, KDKA’s news crew at the scene saw police taping off an alleyway between Madison Avenue and Petty Street.
Officers at the scene were shining flashlights and looking into a black sedan that had its flashers on. The man who was shot in the area of Madison Avenue was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police didn’t specify if the two shootings are believed to be related.
Vegas allowed two power-play goals on Pittsburgh’s four chances after giving up one on 12 opportunities the previous four games.
“I think we just had poor execution all game long,” Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith said. “Obviously, our penalty kill has been pretty good for us and that wasn’t good enough tonight.”
Rickard Rakell pushed it to 4-0 on another power play at 15:06, stopping a shot from Karlsson with his left skate and wrapping a shot around Hill.
Brazeau scored on a wrist shot from above the right circle at 14:59 of the third period for the 5-0 final.
“Second period, they took it to us,” McNabb said. “We were out of it, basically.”
NOTES: With goals from Kindel, Chinakhov and Brazeau, the Penguins have 73 goals by players in their first season with the team. It’s the most in the NHL this season and 13 more than the next closest (the Anaheim Ducks, 59). … The Golden Knights have been outscored 9-1 in the first and second periods of their first three games out of the break for the Olympics. … Karlsson has 908 points (204 goals, 704 assists), tied with Scott Stevens (908 points; 196 goals, 712 assists) for the 13th-most by a defenseman in League history. … Vegas forward Mitch Marner had a point streak end at six games (seven points; four goals, three assists).
Vegas Golden Knights (28-17-14, in the Pacific Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-13, in the Metropolitan Division)
Pittsburgh; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -149, Penguins +125; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Vegas Golden Knights square off in a non-conference matchup.
Pittsburgh has a 14-8-7 record at home and a 30-15-13 record overall. The Penguins have scored 197 total goals (3.4 per game) to rank 10th in NHL play.
Vegas is 28-17-14 overall and 14-9-7 in road games. The Golden Knights are 27-6-8 in games they score at least three goals.
Sunday’s game is the first meeting between these teams this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Mantha has 21 goals and 23 assists for the Penguins. Benjamin Kindel has six goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Mark Stone has 21 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has seven goals and three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 7-1-2, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.1 assists, 3.3 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 2.6 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Penguins: None listed.
Golden Knights: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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