Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 48
Highlands students bring creepy, kooky ‘Addams Family’ to life
With ice in her veins and venom on her tongue, Highlands High School senior Helena Vasey perfected the soft-spoken but scathing wit of Morticia Addams. Sophomore Elliot Vunora, likewise, mastered his portrayal of the hairless and hunched Uncle Fester, a kooky, barrel-chested man forever wearing a full-length fur-lined coat. The...
Colorful community mural will serve as welcome to Tarentum
Tarentum artist Ernesto Camacho sketched a bright, cheerful mural that represents all the borough has to offer in hopes of producing a larger-than-life version this summer. It depicts churches, antique shops and the former Manos Theater where he now operates a gallery. There are building blocks with words like family,...
Goat Rodeo Farm in Indiana Township earns top cheese honors in national contest
Despite growing up on a farm in Buffalo Township, India Loevner didn’t expect to make a career in the dairy business. The Knoch High School alum took her passion with her, however, when she moved to a 130-acre farm in Indiana Township. “It was 2015 when we started milking the...
Recovering addicts give firsthand look at opioid crisis in documentary by Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation
Falling into a coma didn’t quell Brooke Damore’s craving for heroin. Neither did sitting in jail. “I was doing 10 bags a day at one point,” said Damore, 30, a Leechburg native who attended Kiski Area High School. “I had to learn to walk and talk again after I was...
Replace hard-to-read license plates at event in Harrison
A crumpled, peeling or otherwise unreadable license plate can earn drivers a $100 fine, but people can get a free replacement through a local program in April. Under state law, PennDOT will replace a license plate for free if it is verified as illegible by police or mechanics during the...
Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School students to stage wild and wacky ‘Seussical’
Oh, the places they’ll go on stage at Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School! A student-driven production of the wildly colorful and comic “Seussical” will leave audiences marveling at the kooky costumes and toe-tapping tunes adapted from the stories of legendary children’s author Dr. Seuss. “I love making people laugh, and I...
At least $2.1 million in projects on tap for Alle-Kiski Valley communities
Safer crosswalks, energy-saving solar panels and improved sewer lines are planned for several Alle-Kiski Valley municipalities that will share in more than $2 million in state grants. From Harrison to Blawnox, communities along the Allegheny River will benefit from the funding announced last week by state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox...
With eyesore razed, Tarentum focuses on Corbet Street beautification
Now that a blighted building has been demolished along Corbet Street in Tarentum, ideas are popping up about how to spruce up the business corridor. A raised deck, a gazebo and a grandstand are among plans being considered by council. “If there is built-in electricity, the borough can use it...
Major safety enhancements planned for busy Harrison intersection
When Harrison capped off more than $80,000 in repairs to the World War II Honor Roll at Freeport and Springhill roads in February, it was only the start to upgrades at the busy intersection. The township commissioners are eyeing a $2 million project to redo the five-way intersection, which, at...
Springdale teacher ‘couldn’t imagine life’ without his service dog
When Connor Green returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was discharged from the Army in 2014, all he wanted was to live unnoticed. The transition to civilian life, coupled with a diagnosis of a seizure disorder, was more difficult than being deployed. Green couldn’t fathom his life...
Purse bash at Harrison VFW to benefit service dog nonprofit
A purse bash Saturday at the Harrison Veterans of Foreign Wars will send lucky participants out the door with a new bag, but the larger purpose will be sending veterans home with a service dog to help transform their lives. The fundraiser will benefit a Washington County group that helps...
Second Harvest, ‘more than a Sharpsburg thrift store,’ funds community programs
At Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara, visitors will have six new mountain bikes to hit the trails this summer along with a bevy of other supplies that include life jackets, helmets for the ropes course and eight new campfire rings. Camp Ranger Mike Daniher said there will be three new special...
Guyasuta Youth Football and Cheer hosts lunch with the Easter Bunny in O’Hara
The Easter Bunny will hop into town March 26 during an event by Guyasuta Youth Football and Cheer. Children can have lunch with the Easter Bunny from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Comfort Inn at RIDC Park in O’Hara. The lunch is scheduled during a craft show that...
HomeGoods coming to The Waterworks
Home decor shoppers will likely be in their glory with the news that HomeGoods is coming to The Waterworks shopping center. The design and accessory retailer is expected to open later this year at shopping plaza along Freeport Road near Aspinwall. The store will fill the empty Bed Bath &...
Attorney Thomas Babinsack announces bid for Highlands area district judge’s seat
Attorney Thomas Babinsack has announced his bid for district justice in the office that serves Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge, Fawn and East Deer. A lifelong resident of Harrison, Babinsack has a private law practice. He also serves as part-time business manager for the Guardian Angels Parish, which is part of the...
Upbeat energy propels St. Joe’s production of ‘Godspell’
St. Joseph senior Elizabeth Skrinjar is sharing her talent on stage for the first time in her high school years and said it’s one of the best decisions she has ever made. “I thought the musical would be something fun,” she said. “Now I think of it as an escape...
Emergency responders to receive sweet Hometown Hero Thank You
What started as a way for a Cookie Brigade in Harrison to thank local emergency responders has turned into an all-day event where the public is invited to celebrate police, fire and ambulance personnel. Lori Miller coordinated the Hometown Hero Thank You as a way to extend appreciation to local...
Sharpsburg Casino Night benefits football, cheer teams
A Casino Night in Sharpsburg will benefit the Fox Chapel Foxes & Foxettes youth football and cheer teams. The event will be 6 to 9 p.m. March 18. Tickets cost $40 and include $40 in playing money and dinner. Games will include blackjack, roulette and craps. There will be a...
Plans for Chipotle at Pittsburgh Mills inching forward
It shouldn’t be much longer before Chipotle fans can get their favorite Mexican food at the Village at Pittsburgh Mills. Frazer supervisors last month approved a land development plan by Cardinal Realty, which is eyeing property in the Lowe’s parking lot to build a free-standing restaurant. Chipotle Mexican Grill is...
Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge to roll out Savvy Citizen alert system to keep residents informed
When a police manhunt unfolded Jan. 2 in Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge, residents were thirsty for information about what was happening. But there was no way of broadcasting real-time details, Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf said. That is going to change soon. The three municipalities are planning to launch a platform...
After six decades, Kathy Bollinger relishes changing role at Community Library of Allegheny Valley
Kathy Bollinger was a sophomore at Tarentum High School in the 1960s when she started her part-time job at Community Library of Allegheny Valley. Little did she know that her stint as a page would transform into a six-decade career helping the library grow into a community hub that serves...
From reading room to learning center, Community Library of Allegheny Valley celebrates 100th anniversary
When PPG founder John Baptiste Ford built the YMCA in Tarentum and insisted that it have a reading room, he couldn’t have imagined that a few stacks of books would eventually result in a multimillion-dollar facility in Harrison visited by more than 40,000 people each year. That was 100 years...
Fundraising group works to raise profile of Community Library of Allegheny Valley
Harrison resident Mary Lou Beck spends a lot of time in retirement brainstorming ways to work. A member of the Friends of the Community Library of Allegheny Valley, Beck keeps busy year-round raising money and awareness of the facility that serves 20,000 people in six municipalities. “We do fundraisers, and...
Braeburn Alloy workers’ vote for union representation upheld by National Labor Relations Board
Last month’s vote for a labor union to represent Braeburn Alloy Steel workers in Lower Burrell during contract negotiations has been upheld by the National Labor Relations Board. The vote Feb. 23 was held by secret ballot. Negotiations have not yet been scheduled. It was an unusual hoop for employees...
Harrison approves this year’s paving list
Nearly a dozen roads in Harrison are on tap to be repaved this year. Commissioners voted to spend about $311,000 for paving projects that include Broadview Boulevard, the busy street that runs parallel with Freeport Road. The contract was awarded to Shields Asphalt Paving of Richland. Work hasn’t been scheduled...
