Joyce Hanz stories, Page 64
Fire outside Vandergrift house causes little damage but clogs afternoon traffic
Something smoldering against the outside a cellar door at a recently vacant house shut down busy Custer Avenue in Vandergrift for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon. Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Company Chief Randy Dunmire said Vandergrift police, who were first on the scene, had to force the door open to...
Gilpin farm to host fundraiser in place of Leechburg’s canceled Pink Day event
A Pink Day event has been held annually in Leechburg since 2011, raising more than $100,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, but the covid-19 pandemic forced organizer Sherry Price to cancel this year’s event. Leechburg-area businesswoman Linda Alworth stepped in to help when she found out about the cancellation....
Caribbean-themed brewpub Mastic Trail opens in ShalerVideo
Reach the beach without leaving the Pittsburgh area at Mastic Trail Brewing. The newly opened Caribbean-themed brewpub and restaurant, at 1044 Saxonburg Blvd. in Shaler, is the creation of island aficionado and Robinson Township native Ben Williams. “My favorite island is Grand Cayman and the Mastic Trail is a three-hour...
Large, costly hole appears on Leechburg street
Leechburg Council has a unexpected road repair on its hands, and all they know right now is that it’ll probably be expensive to fix. A gaping hole on Second Street and Center Avenue is the result of what Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos called a “storm sewer issue.” “The brick manhole...
Meet Hazelnut, a ‘spunky’ calf bought for $13 by Gilpin familyVideo
Hazelnut is a pet with a purpose. The weeks-old baby Brown Swiss calf recently was purchased for $13 at auction by the Karpinski family of Gilpin, with the sole purpose of raising her as a pet dairy cow. “Hazelnut will be here for the long haul,” Kira Karpinski said. The...
Leechburg food truck festival looks to raise money for ailing fire company
A new food truck festival is coming to Leechburg. The “Food Truck Rally on the River,” sponsored by the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company, is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday on the fire company grounds on Canal Street. The outdoor foodie fundraiser is needed more than ever, said Brian...
‘Weenie Wagon’ reopens in Leechburg
Weenie season is back in Leechburg. People who operate the popular Weenie Wagon, parked on a lot on the borough’s Market Street, usually start selling hot dogs from the wagon on Memorial Day and continue on Saturdays through October. Covid-19 restrictions and unusually hot summer temperatures presented problems this year,...
Leechburg Area School District to continue free summer lunch program through DecemberVideo
Free to-go meals are being offered to area youths by the Leechburg Area School District. The meal program is funded by the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and has been extended because of the covid-19 pandemic. The program is scheduled to continue through Dec. 31 unless federal guidelines change,...
Leechburg Area amends policy to allow spectators at some sporting events
Leechburg Area School Board amended the district’s athletic safety plan and spectator policy Wednesday to allow spectators at some sporting events. Previously, the district’s policy did not allow any spectators because of state covid-19 guidelines. Now, up to 250 people will be allowed at outdoor events and up to 25...
Gilpin teen achieves goal of becoming Eagle ScoutVideo
Tucker Spiering of Gilpin set his eye from a young age on the ultimate prize in Scouting. He earned his Eagle Scout rank on Sept. 1, 2020. “I always believed he would eventually earn his Eagle rank,” said mom Jaime Spiering. “He set this goal pretty young and was very...
Renovations to Leechburg’s Riverfront Park create ‘jewel’ along Kiski River, mayor says
A riverfront venue in Leechburg is newly spruced up and available for the public to rent. The white gazebo in Riverfront Park was constructed in 2004 but had fallen into a state of deterioration, Mayor Wayne Dobos said. “The park is a community asset that had started to fall by...
West Virginia University suspends in-person classes as covid-19 cases increase
West Virginia University on Monday suspended in-person classes at its Morgantown campus for undergraduate students for at least two weeks. Additionally, the university placed 29 students under interim suspension from its Morgantown campus Sunday, due to violations of the university’s student code of conduct. The university has limited social gatherings...
Bishop Zubik calls for day of fasting and prayer for racial reconciliation
Bishop David Zubik is calling for people to pray and fast Wednesday for racial reconciliation in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will join other dioceses across the United States as part of the effort. “In solidarity with all people who suffer from discrimination and violence due to their...
Trio of peacocks are people-pleasers at Allegheny Township farmVideo
Three peacocks rule the roost at Legacy Acres Farm in Allegheny Township. Meet Kevin, Houlahan and Radar — three pet Indian peafowl, commonly referred to as peacocks, owned by Susan Hughan. Hughan, 65, spent her childhood playing with her neighbor’s peacocks while growing up near Leechburg. Her grandmother shared her...
In a time of covid-19, 2 Leechburg area churches among those taking services outdoors
Two Leechburg area churches are offering outdoor worship opportunities in response to covid-19 restrictions. The Revs. Gary and Lisa Lyon, co-pastors at Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church in Leechburg, added a monthly outdoor service in June. The 40-minute service is open to anyone. Those attending are asked to bring a...
Pandemic provides boost for river recreation businesses in Western Pa.Video
The covid-19 pandemic appears to have spurred more people to take to Western Pennsylvania’s waterways this summer. Neill Andritz, co-owner of River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak in Gilpin, said kayaking, tubing and canoe rentals have increased 25% this season as people have sought covid-friendly outdoor pursuits. “We’re realizing the outdoors...
West Leechburg man ‘space-ing out’ with online astronomy show
West Leechburg’s James Sanders has turned a childhood interest in science into a celestial pursuit and profession. Sanders, who has an astrophysics degree from Clarion University, is hosting a free Facebook livestream on astronomy Saturday. “I found planetariums in college and realized they would be an excellent marriage of content...
Donkey herd brings joy to Gilpin couple, communityVideo
Lisa and Joe Wailand love spoiling what she calls their donkey babies. Dixie, Skittles, Stormy, M&M and Sunny make up the Wailands’ spunky, all-female pet herd, which garners a lot of attention from people passing by the Lovers Leap Farm on Gilpin’s Lovers Leap Road. “I have a couple that...
Gordmans store at Allegheny Township’s Hyde Park Plaza to close
Hyde Park Plaza in Allegheny Township is losing another tenant. Gordmans, previously Peebles, advertised a liquidation sale with discounts of 50% to 70% and was selling off store fixtures such as shopping carts, shelving, copiers and employee lockers. Its parent company, Stage Stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May....
Leechburg High’s Class of 1961 dedicates bench as memorial to classmates who have died
A new bench in Leechburg offers more than just relaxing views of the Kiski River. On Friday, the Leechburg Area High School Class of 1961 dedicated a new steel black bench, complete with a custom plaque, at Riverfront Park in Leechburg. The event was organized by LAHS ‘61 alumnus Jerry...
K-9 ‘officer’ Rudy on patrol in GilpinVideo
A once-hesitant pup is patrolling with confidence in Gilpin. Rudy, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association, joined the Gilpin police department on Dec. 17, 2019. Gilpin Supervisor Chairman Charlie Stull said Rudy has honed his “officer” skills during the past eight months. “When...
Tombstone preservation workshop taking place at Kittanning Township church cemetery
A historic church and its cemetery in Kittanning is the sole stop in Pennsylvania on a 48-state tombstone restoration and preservation tour. Christ Rupp Lutheran Church in Kittanning Township was recently selected to host a free public workshop on how to preserve old tombstones. It’s being held Friday, Aug. 28...
Twisted Thistle, Lingrow Farm to host farm-to-table dinner in Gilpin
Two Leechburg-area businesses are partnering to present a rural farm fresh dining experience. The Twisted Thistle in Leechburg and Lingrow Farm in Gilpin will host Farm 2 Table, an al fresco supper event on the grounds of Lingrow Farm on Saturday. “The primary reason that Twisted Thistle ever opened was...
Leechburg cancels ‘Halloweenburg’ event because of pandemic
A popular annual Halloween event has canceled in Leechburg because of the coronavirus pandemic. Halloweenburg, sponsored by the Leechburg Area Community Association and the Leechburg Fire Department, is the latest covid-19 cancellation for the borough. Pink Day, the popular annual breast cancer fundraising event, was scrapped in June. “The borough...
Gilpin woman lives in subterranean house that she designed, built
Can you dig it? Judy Quick can. The 77-year-old Gilpin woman lives in a custom-built, subterranean home. “I mow my roof,” Quick said while giving a tour of her unorthodox three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that’s on more than 11 acres in rural Armstrong County. She said advantages of underground living include...
