Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 36
Citing supply costs, Tarentum electric rates to jump 3%-5% every year for 5 years
Electric rates in Tarentum are going up in 2024 — and likely for at least the next four years afterward — to combat supply costs that are set to double. Council voted Tuesday night to approve a new rate schedule that will increase the cost from 13 cents to 15.2...
Tarentum Council approves plan change at Holy Martyrs, soon to be a fitness center
A slight change of plans by the new owners of Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum will see the building used for indoor soccer, rather than to house weights and treadmills. Legends of Pittsburgh fitness center is expected to move from the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer to the 51-year-old church...
Tarentum taxes expected to remain steady, but utilities will rise
Tarentum residents likely won’t see a property tax increase in 2024 after council approved the borough’s preliminary budget Tuesday. But electric and garbage collection bills are expected to rise. Supply costs for the borough’s electrical distribution system are set to nearly double, meaning the price hike will be funneled to...
Dollar General opens in Fawn, expected to create up to 10 jobs
The Dollar General along Route 908 in Fawn is open. The store sits at the intersection of Saxonburg Road, which is a convenient drive for Harrison residents who live near the township line. Fawn Secretary/Treasurer Pam Ponsart said it appears to be popular in its first week. “There’s lots of...
Veterans Day extra special for Upper Burrell WWII soldier Norman Myers as he celebrates 100th birthday
Apollo native and Army veteran Norman Myers was among the first soldiers to enter Tokyo after World War II for the ceremonial raising of the American flag on Sept. 8, 1945. “When they dropped that bomb, if you didn’t keep your feet 4 foot off the ground, you didn’t make...
Late Vietnam vet from Freeport gets proper military honors 5 years after death
Late Freeport Navy veteran Bob Johnston described his time in the Vietnam War as a shooting gallery where soldiers lived like pirates. “We took the rockets, the mortar fire and the artillery fire from the enemy at night,” Johnston wrote in his 2017 raw account of battle, “Blood and Brown...
Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates soon to be serving Harrison
A Tarentum coffee shop is all the buzz with news of its expansion to Harrison. Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates is set to open a second location in the Heights Plaza, near the post office along Union Avenue. Owner Desiree Singleton expects to be brewing beans at the new site...
Newcomer Corey Ochai wins 2-year term on Sharpsburg Council
Democratic newcomer Corey Ochai earned a victory in his race for Sharpsburg Council, beating Republican Diana Oliver. Ochai earned 484 votes to Oliver’s 234. The term is two years. “I am beyond honored to be elected to serve this amazing community,” said Ochai, 37. “I’m excited to be working alongside...
Cullen, Petrucelli earn 4-year terms on O’Hara Council
Two newcomers, a Republican and a Democrat, were elected to O’Hara Council on Tuesday for four-year terms. Democrat Paul Cullen handily won the top spot with 2,072 votes, followed by Shamus Petrucelli with 1,704. Petrucelli is a Republican who won enough Democratic votes in the spring to appear on both...
Dadowski, Smith earn Tarentum Council seats; 3rd position will be filled by appointment
The race for an at-large Tarentum Council seat finished with a razor-thin margin, as Democratic incumbent Scott Dadowski edged Republican newcomer Maggie Smith by eight votes. According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Elections Division, Dadowski earned 319 votes to Smith’s 311. “I want to thank the residents for...
3 newcomers, 2 incumbents secure victory for Highlands School Board
The face of Highlands School Board will change after Tuesday’s election in which three newcomers secured victories. The board race was hotly contested, drawing eight candidates for five positions. Republican newcomer Justin Kipp, 49, and Republican incumbent Gene Witt, 59, appear to have edged out opponents to represent Region 1....
Democrat Eric Bengel retains Harrison Commissioner 3rd Ward seat
Democratic incumbent Eric Bengel appeared to secure another four-year term representing Harrison’s 3rd Ward, handily beating opponent Gary Hines. According to unofficial results by Allegheny County Elections Division, Bengel earned 457 votes to Hines’ 375. The pair competed in the spring for the Democratic nomination, with Bengel barely edging Hines...
St. Joseph students direct ‘SpongeBob Musical’ at Mary Queen of Apostles
St. Joseph High School senior Donovan Polito envisions a career on the Great White Way, singing and dancing his way across Broadway stages. He hopes to give younger students the same ability to dream. Polito, 17, and classmate Kylie Krzewinski, 17, have stepped in for the second year to direct...
Harrison program highlights the dangers and warning signs of teen dating violence
Teenage relationships are bound to bring angst, but they should never come with abuse. Still, 1 in 3 teens experiences emotional, verbal and physical abuse from a dating partner, according to the Hope Alliance, a Texas-based group that works to heal those affected by violence. A program by the Alle-Kiski...
Harrison woman faces criminal charges after German shepherd attacks 5th person, a township police officer
A Harrison woman is facing criminal charges that include reckless endangerment after her German shepherd attacked a township police officer. It is the third such incident, and fifth attack, made by the dog, police Chief Brian Turack said. Daureen Linn, 49, of North Meadow Street is scheduled for a preliminary...
Tarentum police eyeing traffic cameras, license plate readers for Brackenridge to help with investigations
Tarentum police are eyeing the installation of more traffic cameras and license plate readers — for Brackenridge. Chief Bill Vakulick is considering participating in the ANNIE traffic program, which covers the cost of equipment and installation in exchange for a percentage of fines and revenues. It was not clear what...
School board meetings attract crowds as races become next political frontier
From book bans to gender-neutral bathrooms, culture wars have found a battlefield in Western Pennsylvania schools. National politics increasingly are influencing school boards, as party lines are splitting members over hot button issues such as sex education, trans rights and the appropriateness of classroom materials. School boards’ once-marginally attended monthly...
Homicide accusations against nurse Heather Pressdee raise scrutiny of state, nursing home vetting processes
Administrators and staff at five nursing homes where Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee worked either were suspicious or knew outright that she was harming patients, according to charges filed Thursday by the state Attorney General’s Office. Pressdee, 41, was charged in connection with 17 total deaths at five nursing homes in...
A look at some of the victims in connection with Heather Pressdee’s murder, attempted homicide charges
Heather Pressdee faces two new counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for overdosing patients with insulin. The 41-year-old nurse from Harrison is accused of crimes at five nursing homes: Concordia at Rebecca Residence in West Deer; Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation (Guardian) in Lower Burrell; Quality Life...
Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee linked to 15 additional nursing home deaths
Two new counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder were filed Thursday against a Harrison nurse previously charged in killing two patients with lethal doses of insulin. Attorney General Michelle Henry said Heather Pressdee, 41, is again accused of administering excessive amounts of insulin to patients, some...
ATI brings in revenue of $1B for 5th consecutive quarter
ATI’s revenue has topped $1 billion for a fifth consecutive quarter. The third-quarter results, released Thursday, show sales were up 18% over the same time last year. Increasing Aerospace and Defense content has driven the year-over-year earnings, company officials said. “ATI’s growth as an aerospace and defense leader continues,” CEO...
First-ever Cookie Walk to benefit Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg community libraries
Sharpsburg Community Library Clerk Jamie Cozza loves to bake, but she enjoys a sweet treat even more when it comes from someone else’s kitchen. She plans to stock up on her favorite, peanut butter kiss cookies, during the first-ever Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries Cookie Walk. The event, 1 to...
Foxwall EMS Chief Tony Cuda recalled as mentor, inspiration for departments across the A-K Valley
Emergency services lost a giant in the field with the death of Foxwall EMS Chief Tony Cuda on Oct. 28, according to friends and peers. Cuda, 54, served with numerous local departments, from Swissvale to Aspinwall to Penn Hills, inspiring countless members with his mentoring and benchmark of excellence. Service...
Community service can bolster skills, impact job hiring
Valley High School sophomore and welding student Brandon Stankiewicz hoped to sow some career seeds while volunteering at an ATI tree-planting event Wednesday in Harrison. “I’m really hoping to meet up with some other tech students and people from ATI,” said Stankiewicz, 15, who is enrolled at the Northern Westmoreland...
Little Bull Creek sewer project to ease overflows in Harrison
Harrison residents who live near Sylvan Park should get some relief from sewer overflows because of a $555,000 township project to upgrade lines in the area. Work is expected to start this week and last through January. The Little Bull Creek sanitary sewer project will impact homes near the park,...
