Pittsburg, PA

Protecting your home from tree damage before severe weather strikes

Published

6 months ago

May 22, 2024

Protecting your home from tree damage before severe weather strikes

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — One of the biggest threats during severe weather is the trees in your yard.

Summer isn’t here just yet, but Southwestern Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of intense weather, including 10 tornadoes this month, and more severe weather could be on the way this week.

Can you do anything to make sure your trees are stormproof? KDKA-TV went to the professionals who were out on a job Tuesday to find out.

Monster Tree Service of North Pittsburgh is staying busy keeping trees healthy, removing trees before severe weather hits, and answering calls after storms send trees crashing down onto yards, homes, or vehicles.

Owner of Monster Tree Service of North Pittsburgh, Cindy Starr Stewart, said every tree poses a risk, especially the ones close to your home.

“We don’t have a crystal ball, so people often want us to come and want us to know if this tree is safe. We don’t know. There’s trees that look like they’re going to fall, and they stand forever, and there’s trees that look perfectly fine, then a storm comes through, and they fall,” she said.

Stewart said to help maintain a tree and make it healthier, don’t do volcano mulching that buries the trunk in mulch, and get the tree pruned if it has a lot of leaves and branches because they act like a sail in the wind.

“One of the things people have to understand is what kind of risk are they willing to take, and if branches are hanging over their home, especially if they haven’t had them pruned recently, one of the things you can do is get some of that deadwood pruned out of your trees,” Stewart said.

She said that dead trees can be easy to spot, including if there are no leaves on them right now.

“If you look up in a tree and see areas that aren’t leafing like they used to, and they seem thinner than other areas. The other things you’re looking for are splits or cracks in the tree,” Stewart said.

Keep in mind that it’s always cheaper and safer to take down a tree while it’s alive.

“Because once it’s dead, it’s a lot more expensive to take care of and a lot more dangerous,” Stewart said.

So, when should you call a certified arborist to take a look?

“If people are looking out at their trees and they see, ‘I have trees that are close to my house, I have trees that keep dropping dead wood in my yard, I have trees that if they did fall it would take out my home,’” Stewart said.

Tree removals can cost thousands of dollars, but Monster Tree Service and most other tree service companies do consultations at no cost. They help you make a good decision on whether to maintain or remove a tree.

“We’re here to help; we are like on the front line, and we know that, and so we are always in the ready, always paying attention to the weather, and ready to help people because it is scary. It’s a big deal,” Stewart said.

“Keeping your trees safe and healthy is really important, and it’s an investment. It’s an investment in your property, it’s an investment in your homes, [and] it’s an investment in your peace of mind for your family,” she added.

Check your home insurance to find out what your coverage is to make sure you’d be covered if a tree fell on your home, and remember, if a neighbor’s tree falls on your property, the damages become your responsibility.

Very few home insurance policies help with preventing tree damage. Steward said a home equity line of credit usually provides the best rate for tree removal projects.

Jessica Guay

Jessica Guay joined KDKA as a reporter in February 2021. Before joining KDKA, Jessica was a morning anchor and reporter at WJAC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She was also an anchor and reporter at WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia, and at WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio.

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church

Family of Pittsburg hit-and-run victim speaks out

A father of two was fatally struck while walking home from church in Pittsburg on Friday night.

PITTSBURG – A father of two was fatally struck while walking home from church in Pittsburg on Friday night.

Police said they received a call about 9:15 p.m. about a crash in the 1500 block of Willow Pass Road and when officers arrived they found Joaquin Reveulta Galvez in the middle of the street.

Revuelta Galvez was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

“There was some vehicle debris and the lone victim and that was the extent of the scene,” Cpt. Philip Galer said, adding that there was a headlight of a vehicle also there at the crash site.

In a news release, police said the entire crash was captured on surveillance video.

Revuelta Galvez’s family said investigators told them that he appeared to stumble and fall to the ground before the vehicle hit him.

“He was wearing sandals, and then he fell and landed in the street and a car ran over him,” said his partner Maribel Macias. The couple have two grown sons, and Macias said the young men were close with their father.

Macias said the family didn’t know about the crash until one of them noticed the emergency responders and police vehicles around the corner from the mobile home park where they live.

Now, during the holidays, she and her sons are grieving for Revuelta Galvez.

They said Revuelta Galvez had already been through so much. He had been recovering from brain surgery last year, but despite his health problems, he was a friendly neighbor and loving father with a good heart.

A relative said they saw him at the Sovereign Shepherd Church just a half hour before the crash, and he had bought some pupusas to bring back home.

His family wonders how someone could drive away and leave him there.

“If they had called 9-1-1… he would be alive right now. We don’t know how long he was on the ground bleeding, dying,” Macias said.

A relative set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for burial and funeral expenses.

Galer said investigators are withholding details from the surveillance footage to protect the investigation.

He said they do have leads on the vehicle that struck Revuelta Galvez.

Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to contact Pittsburg police at (925) 646-2442 or contact Officer James Pena at (925) 252-4146.

Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.

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Pittsburg, PA

Steelers Have Weekly Plans for Justin Fields

Published

16 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Steelers Have Weekly Plans for Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put their plan to increase quarterback Justin Fields’ involvement in motion, though it’s not yet a completely ironed-out component of the offense.

Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Fields stated that the Steelers have a package in place for him every week, though it isn’t always clear how or when he’ll be utilized.

“I have a set package each and every week,” Fields said. “I think the play-calling is random to be honest with you. It’s kind of a feel thing with Arthur [Smith]. How I’m going to be used is a question for him honestly.”

After logging three snaps and rushing for 17 yards in Pittsburgh’s Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Fields saw his reps more than doubled to seven in a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The highlight of the 25-year-old’s day was a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter that advanced the Steelers into Cleveland territory, with the drive resulting in a Jaylen Warren touchdown. Fields’ two other attempts on the ground went for a combined -4 yards.

Pittsburgh also put their trust in him through the air on a 3rd-and-4 play while up 19-18 with 3:34 left in the contest. On his first throw since Week 6, Fields targeted George Pickens down the field but couldn’t complete the connection, which brought on the punt unit.

The Browns scored on their ensuing possession before thwarting the Steelers’ final scoring attempt of the night to clinch the victory.

Russell Wilson, who went 21-for-28 with 270 yards and a touchdown, also shared his uncertainty as to how and when Fields would be inserted into games moving forward.

“I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “Whenever it does, all I want us to do is win. When Justin gets in there I’m rooting for Justin to do great and make a big play. When I go back in, it’s vice versa. We’re always rooting for each other.”

The Steelers haven’t been quiet about their intentions to continue featuring Fields. While things didn’t shake their way against the Browns as they perfect those arrangements, it’s fair to assume they’ll continue to ramp up his participation as the season continues on.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

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