Shaler ushers in holiday season with Lite Up Night, complete with ice skating, carriage rides,
A crisp, cool and clear evening set the mood for this year’s annual Lite Up Night at Shaler North Hills Library and Shaler Area Middle School. The four-hour holiday extravaganza Nov. 22 offered countless free activities for families and children. The smell of firewood burning filled the air as smoke...
Local artists ‘raccoonize’ creative uses for Rainbow Raccoon Park in Millvale
Artists, performers, DJs and dancers from across Pittsburgh gathered Oct. 18 to welcome Millvale’s tallest resident with a big party. The 12.5-foot-tall, 5,000-pound steel raccoon was installed the week before in Rainbow Raccoon Park, a former junkyard off Route 28. After the long-awaited arrival of the statue, it was up...
Hampton resident presses for action on intersection in need of stop control mechanism
The Hampton Council meeting began Oct. 22 as it always does, opening with concerns from any residents and property owners. One resident worried about a dangerous intersection stepped up to air her concerns for a second time. Lauren Scheiber addressed Hampton Council about Wildwood Road Extension and Middle Road. “Back...
Tracking effort helping to boost Shaler-Hampton EMS response times
Hampton Council met Sept. 24 to vote on agenda items and garner updates from each department. Eric Schmidt, executive director and chief of Shaler-Hampton EMS, offered some positive notes on response times to calls in the area. “We’ve seen great improvement in our response times since we started tracking it...
Simulated bedroom fire to mark Fire Prevention Week highlights importance of installing smoke alarms
Members of the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania teamed with Allegheny County Emergency Services for a live burn demonstration Oct. 6 in observation of Fire Prevention Week. The purpose of the media-only news conference was to share the importance of smoke alarms. Jorge Martinez, CEO of the Red Cross...
Pep rally-themed market draws rival high school cheer squads, mascots of Pittsburgh teams
The Block Northway pepped up its weekly farmers market Sept. 18 by inviting some boisterous guests. Normally, the market is a quiet place to shop for local produce, visit with vendors and grab a bite to eat from a food truck. Not on this evening. The echoes of high school...
Goats tackle baa-d overgrowth in Shaler with such gusto, township is considering having them back in spring
When Shaler’s wooded recreational areas became overrun by invasive Japanese knotwood, authorities did the only thing they could do: They brought in some goats. After exploring chemical use and landscapers, township officials felt it was best to bring in two groups of hungry goats, dubbing them “seasonal employees.” The teams...
North Hills Cares snags second consecutive gold award from USDA for summer meal program
Lynne Sciulli’s son, Anthony, graduated from North Hills High School in 2014, and her other son, Nicholas, graduated in 2020. After spending so many years involved at the school, Sciulli, a lifelong Ross resident and North Hills graduate herself, wanted to find a way to stay involved. Understanding that many...
Hampton Council approves conditional use proposal to use single-family home as a group care home for 3 individuals
Hampton Council held a public hearing Aug. 13 to discuss the sale of a single-family home in the 2500 block of Hampton Road to a company planning to use it as a group care home. Council members approved the conditional use application. “The property is in a residential B zoning...
Hampton School Board updates portions of district’s handbooks
Members of the Hampton School Board met Aug. 11 to vote on several new initiatives before school begins Aug. 21. The board voted unanimously to adopt a revised policy to No. 227 controlled substance and paraphernalia in the school’s handbook. The new policy will include restrictions on vaping and newer...
West View Elementary School celebrates 100 years with grand reopening
A crowd of administrators, teachers, community members and students gathered Aug. 6 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and sneak peek of the newly renovated West View Elementary School. The unveiling of the nearly $40 million project was a special moment, held 100 years since the school first opened. Principal Jesse Simpson...
North Hills welcomes partnerships with local businesses as it prepares for first day of school
Students in grades 1-12 in the North Hills School District will begin the new school year on Aug. 20; kindergartners will start two days later. With the students’ return comes an opportunity for the community to have a hand in their success. The school board announced a fundraising opportunity to...
Grandmothers get pampered by their grandkids during special day in McCandless
The youngsters at the Vincentian Child Discovery Center off McKnight Road on the campus of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity invited their grandmothers to school with them on July 23 to celebrate Gorgeous Grandma Day. The children provided mask-making supplies, makeup stations, jewelry making, glamour shots, cookie decorating and games...
Young ball players enjoy special hour with super star Skenes
A group of lucky boys and girls got to spend an hour with Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on June 27. Young baseball and softball players, including 25 from four local organizations — Ingomar, Hampton, Fox Chapel and North Hills — were invited to the first-ever Pack Wars event at...
Hampton expands police social work department, adds another camera to community park, eyes solution to intersection concern
Members of Hampton Council discussed a variety of topics at their regular meeting July 9. The township’s police social worker, Angela Kenbok, gave a presentation on the progress being made in the community. Hampton is one of only a few townships in the area that employs a full-time social worker...
Fire truck rides, fireworks add to annual Community Day excitement in Shaler
Every year for Community Day, members of Shaler’s fire departments gather in Kiwanis Park and give free fire truck rides to those in attendance. The 2025 gathering was even more special because the township is celebrating its 125th anniversary with events all year long. Representatives from the Shaler Villa, Elfinwild...
Priest draws on prayer for 1st sermon, says ‘providential’ path pulled him back from L.A.
Father Daniel J. Roberts was joined by family, friends, fellow priests, bishops and seminarians as he celebrated his first Mass on June 29 at St. Bonaventure Church in Shaler. “Ten years ago, I never would have dreamed that I’d be standing here in front of you as a priest, especially...
First Summerween event at Hampton Community Pool turns out to be a monster hit
Splish, splash and monster mash! Hampton’s first Summerween turned out to be a big hit June 21 at the Hampton Community Pool. “We were looking for something cool and different to do this year, and it’s kind of been a trend happening online — this idea of celebrating Halloween twice...
Richland boy battling brain cancer finishes 100th Kids Workshop project at Home Depot
Tristan Mikelas of Richland has been building things since he was 3. Now 11, he celebrated making his 100th Kids Workshop project on June 7 at Home Depot along William Flinn Highway in Hampton. Every Home Depot location offers a free workshop once a month where children of all ages...
2 mail carriers in Verona earn Million Mile awards for safe driving
The National Safety Council and the U.S. Postal Service recently recognized two mail carriers from the Verona Post Office for their safe driving records. The NSC Million Mile Award is given to drivers who complete either 1 million miles of driving or 30 years of driving without a preventable accident....
Planting with a purpose: Team Friends chapters unite to beautify a spot in Indiana Township
Two chapters of the nonprofit Team Friends met Monday, June 2, at the corner of Route 910 and Saxonburg Boulevard in Indiana Township for a special monthly gathering. Members from the Armstrong County chapter joined the Allegheny County founding chapter to plant flowers at the busy intersection, which is one...
Boy Scout Troop 150 earns state award from American Legion for service to vets, community
Memorial Day is a time to honor the men and women who died serving their country. At this year’s celebration in Richland, a group of local Scouts received special recognition for their service, too. The American Legion presented Boy Scout Troop 150 of Gibsonia with its Outstanding Troop of the...
Aquinas Academy students walk, run to raise money for new school bus
Students in grades K-12 recently gathered in North Park for the semiannual Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh walk-a-thon fundraiser. Each year, the private Catholic institution picks a fundraiser to help support a certain initiative at the school in Hampton. “Some years we’ve done a gala for our fundraiser. Other years, we’ve...
Shaler Area’s 143 Day of Kindness event brings out the best in everyone
Pittsburghers are very familiar with Fred Rogers, and the Shaler Area School District is making sure his legacy of love and kindness lives on through the 143 Day of Kindness event. Rogers used the number 143 to represent “I Love You” — with 143 being the number of characters in...
Fans gather for a peek of famous Skenes card at Dick’s House of Sport in Ross Park Mall
Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods is the proud new owner of the highly sought-after autographed Paul Skenes rookie debut baseball card and wants to share it with everyone, especially Pittsburgh Pirates fans. The 2024 Topps Chrome patch card, purchased at auction for $1.11 million, was delivered Thursday night to Dick’s...
