Joyce Hanz stories, Page 31
Vandergrift residents organizing inaugural Pride event
A new, inclusive event is coming to Vandergrift. Pride Picnic at the Park is tentatively scheduled for June 24 at Kennedy Park. Pride — an acronym for professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence — was adopted 16 years ago by the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. “We’re organizing...
Kiski Area School District welcomes deaf therapy dog
The latest addition to the Kiski Area School District staff is of the four-legged variety. Roo, a 5-month-old mixed-breed deaf rescue dog, is the district’s first full-time therapy dog. Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic said she noticed a need for a therapy dog while hearing feedback from students and staff...
Charity party kicks off annual Pink Day fundraising
Pink Day’s first fundraiser of the year is here. The Marconi Club Pink Day Extravaganza 2023 is scheduled for Saturday in downtown Leechburg. All proceeds benefit Leechburg’s Pink Day, a daylong festival dedicated to supporting breast cancer research and held every September on Market Street. Pink Day events have raised...
Kiski Area nationally recognized for gender diversity in computer science
The Kiski Area School District has been nationally recognized for achieving high female representation in Advanced Placement computer science. Kiski Area High School announced last week that it earned the 2022 College Board Female Diversity Award for AP Computer Science Principles. It’s the first time the district has earned an...
Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department expands police dog program
The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department is adding another police dog to its force. Veegee, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, will be flown from Oregon to Pittsburgh this week and begin training to earn a police certification from the North American Police Work Dog Association. Upon completing several months...
Leechburg High School art students expand in-house business with handmade jewelry
A student-run business at Leechburg Area High School is expanding. Creations by Creation Candles is the latest line of handmade resin jewelry sold by Creation Candles, a custom candle business established last year in the school’s art, marketing, design and technology class. The course is taught by art teacher Shayle...
Fox Chapel Area senior nationally recognized for science research
Arvind Seshan, a senior at Fox Chapel Area High School, has been building and programming robots since he was 6. “My interest in science stems from getting an early start through robotics,” said Seshan, 18. Seshan, of Fox Chapel, has been named one of the top 300 scholars...
PNC closing 2 more Pittsburgh-area locations, including Vandergrift branch
PNC is closing two more bank branches in the Pittsburgh region. The branches at 100 Grant Ave. in Vandergrift and at Duquesne University are scheduled to close at 3 p.m. March 17. An ATM will remain open at the Vandergrift location but not at Duquesne, according to PNC spokeswoman Olivia...
Starbucks and Italian eatery slated for former Kings in Buffalo Township
Buffalo Township officials are keeping mum about ongoing construction at the site of the former Kings Family Restaurant in Buffalo Plaza along Route 356. Township Manager Rich Hill declined to comment Wednesday when asked for details on the project at 400 Buffalo Plaza. But plaza owner Anthony Pompeo confirmed Wednesday...
Fox Chapel Area cheerleaders qualify for national cheer competitionVideo
The Fox Chapel Area High School cheerleaders have reason to cheer. For the first time in school history, the varsity cheerleading squad earned a bid to compete at the 2023 National High School Cheerleading Championship at Disney World on Feb. 10-12. “They were screaming in December when they found out...
Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company takes delivery of new firetruck
Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company officials are excited about the latest addition to the company’s fleet of firefighting vehicles. After a 10-year fundraising initiative, a new 2022 Pierce Commercial Cab fire engine that was ordered almost two years ago was delivered last Wednesday after Leechburg fire company Chief Emeritus Tom Foster...
Kiski Area School District seeks Region II board member
Kiski Area School Board is seeking a new member after the recent resignation of director Bertram Gardner. Gardner resigned Monday, citing a busy schedule as his reason for stepping down, Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic said. A board vacancy in Region II was announced Monday on the district’s Facebook page...
Drink in style with hand-painted glassware created in Oakmont
A Penn Hills native is pouring her passion for art into her Oakmont business, one glass at a time. Amanda Lee, 42, of Oakmont has been determined to carve out a career in art since she could hold a crayon. But not everyone shared her enthusiasm. “My dad was a...
Daycation: Palace of Gold in West Virginia on National Register of Historic PlacesVideo
There’s gold in the rural hills of West Virginia. Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold is a tourist attraction and part of the New Vrindaban Temple community, which houses more than 250 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the public are...
Vandergrift library to offer free job-search workshop
Anyone who is looking to land a new job can get some pointers during a free workshop at the Vandergrift Public Library. Representatives from PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski will host the workshop Jan. 11 to teach participants interviewing and job-searching skills, along with resume-building tips. PA CareerLink, a nonprofit based in...
Man fired shots at postal worker in Pittsburgh, police say
Pittsburgh police are investigating the shooting Thursday of a postal carrier in Pittsburgh. Martinel Humphries, 28, was arrested and faces multiple charges in connection with the incident, police said. A U.S. Postal worker told police he was delivering mail just after 2 p.m. in the 200 block of Waldorf Street...
Funeral arrangements set for Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire
Funeral arrangements have been set for late Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire, who was killed Monday in the line of duty. The arrangements were confirmed by Ross Walker III, owner of Ross G. Walker Funeral Home in New Kensington. Visitation will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday and...
Pizza driver robbed, abducted in Elliott
A pizza delivery driver was robbed, assaulted and later, abducted Tuesday night in Pittsburgh’s Elliott neighborhood. The male victim told police he was kicked and beat up by three male suspects with their guns and fists around 10 p.m. after stopping his car to locate a pizza delivery address. According...
Father hailed as hero after scuffle with man who killed Brackenridge chiefVideo
What unfolded before 16-year-old John Pierce’s eyes Monday afternoon in Brackenridge was nothing short of terrifying. His father, Todd Pierce, 50, was in the family’s driveway on Morgan Street cleaning out his work van when a gunman suddenly appeared, demanding the elder Pierce give up the keys to the van....
Highlands School District switches to remote instruction, offers counseling in response to police shootings
Highlands School District officials announced a shift to a remote learning schedule Tuesday in response to the fatal shooting of Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire on Monday in Brackenridge. A huge police presence and incident unfolded Monday around noon in the Brackenridge and Tarentum communities resulting in an hours-long series...
Brackenridge police chief’s wife: ‘I’m literally broken’
The wife of slain Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire expressed heartbreak Tuesday as she and her family grieve the loss of the longtime officer. “I am literally broken. I just want someone to tell me this nightmare is over,” Ashley McIntire posted to her public Facebook page. Justin McIntire, 46,...
Ford City joins Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department
The Ford City Police Department is no more. Borough leaders voted last month to abolish their police department this year and join the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department, which includes Gilpin, Freeport and, as of Sunday, Ford City. The force held an official pinning ceremony and first shift ceremony Oct....
Pennsylvanians choose their most popular New Year’s resolution
Some Pennsylvanians appear to be looking for ways to work on their inner self in 2023. Pennsylvania, along with 11 other states, listed therapy as the top New Year’s resolution, in a recent study conducted by Zippia, a job search website. Nationally, going to therapy was named the most popular...
Greensburg police investigating New Year’s Day burglary suspect wearing ‘funny yellow shoes’
Police are seeking help from the public in identifying a suspect in a New Year’s Day burglary. City of Greensburg Police posted a message Sunday to their Facebook page with several photos of a suspect caught on video surveillance at the business. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. at Puff...
Public online auction slated for closed Waterworks Walmart
A public, online auction will be held next week for the remaining contents of the former Walmart in The Waterworks shopping plaza near Aspinwall. The store closed in November 2022, citing underperforming sales, according to Felicia McCranie, Walmart’s North and East communications director. The public can view and inspect hundreds...
