Joyce Hanz stories, Page 35
102-year-old former bank building on market in Verona
In the market for a building with serious pillar presence? A former bank in downtown Verona that towers above its neighboring buildings along Allegheny River Boulevard is listed for sale at $424,900. The property was previously a PNC bank and most recently the Verona Variety Store. It originally listed for...
Leechburg’s Pink Day festival sets attendance and fundraising record
Attendance at the 2022 Pink Day fundraiser for breast cancer research in Leechburg reached an all-time high. And so did the monetary donations. The annual daylong celebration and festival, held Sept. 17 on Market Street in downtown Leechburg, welcomed more than 10,000 attendees and raised more than $41,000, according to...
Student-run cafe reopens, expands at Leechburg Area School District
A new mobile food and beverage program is on a roll in the Leechburg Area School District. Students enrolled in the district’s learning support program introduced the Creation Cafe Coffee Cart in August, selling hot and cold beverages and snacks to teachers in the elementary school. The mobile cart is...
Kiski Area marching band set to return to national competition after PIMBA championship
The Kiski Area High School marching band once again has qualified to compete in a national band competition. The band earned its second consecutive Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band (PIMBA) crown Saturday during the 2022 PIMBA Championships at Norwin High School in Irwin. Kiski placed first in Class AAAA in the...
Chef-driven Local Provisions Market & Cafe opens in Fox Chapel PlazaVideo
Shoppers looking to mix socializing with shopping can check both boxes with a new specialty market and cafe in O’Hara. Local Provisions Market & Cafe opened last week in Fox Chapel Plaza along Freeport Road. The business combines casual dining with specialty groceries, seasonal produce, fresh to-go meals and a...
Vandergrift Lions Club member’s volunteer efforts help those in need of medical supplies
A West Leechburg man has gone above and beyond in his volunteer efforts to help people when their health circumstances make mobility difficult. Robb Yasczak, 46, has been a member of the Vandergrift Lions Club for almost 20 years. He is a co-organizer of the Lions’ gently used hospital supplies...
Indiana Township fourth grader motivated by math
A fourth grader at Hartwood Elementary School District channeled her inner “mathlete” to earn a near-perfect score in a nationwide math competition. Charlene “Cici” Xu recently scored in the top 1% of all 26,524 students who competed in the online national Sumdog math competition in September. Cici, 9, answered 978...
Aspinwall business blooming: Fox and the Fleur opens on Brilliant Avenue
Fox and the Fleur, a new artisan flower and gift shop, has opened at 105 Brilliant Avenue. Owner Anne Dickson is a custom florist specializing in weddings, special events, holiday decorating and more. She opened her business in 2016, working out of her Fox Chapel garage. In 2021, Dickson became...
New fall festival slated for Riverfront Park in Leechburg
A new outdoor festival is coming to Leechburg. The inaugural Leechburg Frightening Fall Festival is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, in Riverfront Park. The event is sponsored by the Leechburg Area Community Association. Co-organizers are association volunteers Molly Hill and Doreen Smeal. Smeal said the association...
Woman found in Pittsburgh residence in August died of accidental drowning, medical examiner says
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner on Sunday released a cause and manner of death for a woman whose body was discovered in a Pittsburgh residence in August. Lori Bohn, 54, died of an accidental drowning, the medical examiner’s office said. Bohn had been found around 3:30 p.m. Aug. 15 in...
Snowflakes Tuesday morning could tie record for earliest snowfall in Pittsburgh region
Say it ain’t snow. The first snowfall of, well, fall could happen early Tuesday across the Pittsburgh region. According to the National Weather Service, snowflakes then would tie the record for the earliest snowfall of the season in Southwestern Pennsylvania. On Oct. 18, 1972, 1.8 inches of snow was recorded...
Freeport Halloween Carnival offers fun, food and fright
A Halloween-themed carnival offers a twist on the traditional carnival scene this weekend in Freeport. The giant skeleton that greets visitors at the third annual Freeport Halloween Carnival sets a spooky but family-friendly tone. Attendees are encouraged to dress in Halloween costumes. The event continues from 11 a.m. to 5...
South Buffalo Township fire department’s tractor pull raises money for siblingsVideo
Tractor drivers were pulling for a purpose Saturday during the fourth annual South Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department’s benefit tractor and truck pull. The annual fundraiser raises thousands of dollars for a different Alle-Kiski Valley recipient each year. It continues until 6 p.m. This year, the fire department’s pull benefit...
Washington County DA shuts down Finleyville bar, citing ‘drug nuisance activity’
A longstanding neighborhood tavern in Washington County has been shut down by authorities after being labeled a “nuisance” bar. Police taped a sign to the front door of Bob’s Tavern on Friday, alerting customers of a temporary injunction filed on behalf of Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh, according to...
Free pumpkin giveaway planned in Vandergrift
Vandergrift’s youngest residents can get their hands on a free pumpkin during the fourth annual Vandergrift Great Pumpkin Patch. The free community event, sponsored by the Vandergrift Parent Project, is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at Franklin Park in Vandergrift. “Our goal since starting the VPP is...
First regional police force on patrol in Armstrong County, covering Freeport and Gilpin
Residents of Gilpin and Freeport officially have a new regional police department. The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department held a pinning and inaugural first shift ceremony Wednesday morning at the Gilpin Municipal Building. The new police force combines the Freeport and Gilpin police departments, providing 24-hour police coverage for both...
Shady Side Academy junior honored for his volunteer work supporting area refugees
A middle-school assignment evolved into a meaningful mission for Shady Side Academy junior Deven Nahata. While in seventh grade at SSA, his teacher assigned individual student projects with a social-based focus. “I did some Google searches for Pittsburgh nonprofits because I was really interested in the refugee crisis and found...
Kiski Area School District spearheads collaborative cyber programVideo
Four of the region’s school districts have collaborated to develop a new virtual instruction program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The Alle-Kiski Academy of Excellence offers students, from any district, the opportunity to learn in a synchronous manner from the comfort of their own homes. The four participating...
Faces of the Valley: Disabilities don’t deter Apollo man from volunteering
Terry Simmers likes to bring the fun to his volunteer job at St. Vincent de Paul in Apollo. Simmers, 48, began volunteering at the Catholic-based thrift store in 2016. “I enjoy doing what I do because helping others out gives me a great feeling, knowing that I’m important to the...
Kiski Area swim team to host clinic fundraiser
The Kiski Area High School varsity swim team is making a splash with a new fundraiser. Team organizers hope to boost swim safety awareness in the community and showcase the program during the Oct. 29 clinic. A Halloween swim theme will welcome registered participants during the one-hour swim session from...
$172,000 donation to fund overhaul of outdated fitness facility at Kiski Area High School
Kiski Area High School freshman wrestler Abrahm Taylor works out almost daily in the weight room on campus. But using outdated, old and broken equipment isn’t optimal, he said. “Everything is so old,” Taylor said Thursday during a lunchtime weightlifting session. A new weight and cardio facility renovation project is...
New specialty mobile coffee cafe opens in Gilpin
A one-woman barista is stirring up the coffee scene in Gilpin. Gilpin native Damia Lorenz, 29, opened The Caffeinated Co., a mobile coffee cafe, on Aug. 21. On most days, you’ll find the trailer parked and operating from a vacant lot next to Stu’s Truck & Auto at 352 Route...
Developer aims to revive Hyde Park Plaza in Allegheny Township
Big changes are coming to the former Big Kmart and the plaza it occupies in Allegheny Township. A new owner is redeveloping the once-busy plaza at 451 Hyde Park Road. Hyde Park Plaza was purchased for $3.8 million Sept. 16 by Pittsburgh-based developer Jeff Paul of Fox Chapel. The long-shuttered...
Volunteers beautify with blooms along the boulevard in Oakmont
A group of volunteers has major flower power in Oakmont. The Oakmont in Bloom committee from The Garden Club of Oakmont plants and maintains 27 flower beds, 12 hanging baskets, nine urns, three hay baskets and three planters along Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont. The boulevard project bloomed a decade...
Preschool program in West Vandergrift sees sharp decline in enrollment amid teacher’s absence
Enrollment in Valley Points YMCA’s Explorers program at the West Vandergrift Early Learning Center in Vandergrift has dropped by about 33% since rumors about the fate of the program and its teacher began swirling on social media and in the community last week. Administrators of the preschool are dispelling rumors...
