Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 53
Tarentum gets buy-in from resident to help fight blight
Residents of West 10th Avenue in Tarentum can look forward to the cleanup of a habitual eyesore and potential hazard. A buyer plans to pour $40,000 into renovations at 208 W. 10th Ave., Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni said. “This is a house that’s been vacant going on three years,”...
Fawn property taxes hold steady for 25th consecutive year
The Fawn supervisors hit a milestone with the approval of their 2023 budget: The township has not seen a property tax increase in 25 years. “Everything is staying the same,” Township Secretary Pam Ponsart said. Supervisors approved the $1.8 million budget, holding the tax rate steady at 3.04 mills. The...
Harrison holds the line on taxes
Harrison residents won’t face a property tax increase in 2023. The township commissioners on Monday approved the $6.3 million budget and held the tax rate steady at 5.106 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 again will pay $510. “I’m glad to see we could keep the millage...
Brackenridge Salvation Army plays Santa for more than 200 families
Georgetta Field said she was like a kid in a candy store when a truckload of toys was delivered to the Salvation Army in Brackenridge ahead of the group’s Christmas shop on Wednesday. “We got such nice things,” said Field of Brackenridge, who volunteers year-round at the site with her...
Allegheny Valley Association of Churches hosts free Christmas store for clients
In the social hall at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge, single father Samajai Williams loaded up a shopping bag with toys, clothes and other goodies to supplement Christmas wish lists from his three children. “I’m so thankful,” the Harrison resident said. “In these post-covid times, a lot of people...
Vintage toy exhibit at Alle-Kiski Valley History Center in Tarentum looks back through the decades
A Tyco train set and official White House tree ornaments are among vintage holiday items on display at the Alle-Kiski History Center in Tarentum. The exhibit takes people on a sentimental walk through the decades, with offerings from the 1920s to the present day. “People have left us toys and...
Lowes employees bring Santa for a visit to Highlands Family Center in Tarentum
Rhylee Griffin had her first-ever meet and greet with Santa on Monday in Tarentum. She slept through the entire visit. The 6-week-old was snuggled by Santa and Mrs. Claus during a Christmas party at Highlands Family Center along East Fourth Avenue. “This is her first time in her life seeing...
Building the Valley: Diamond Antiques and Gifts offers treasure hunt in Tarentum
It’s all about the hunt at Diamond Antiques and Gifts in Tarentum. The vintage goods shop along East Sixth Avenue has two floors chock-full of treasures new and old. Where else might shoppers find a 1920s wooden-handled cookie cutter sitting near a white Melamine bowl decorated with Snap, Crackle and...
Fox Chapel AAUW to present ‘Healthy Longevity’ on Jan. 10
The Fox Chapel Area Affiliate of the American Association of University Women will host “Healthy Longevity” at 10 a.m. Jan. 10. The program will be at Longwood at Oakmont, 500 Route 909, Plum, in The Commons Ballroom. Guest speaker is Laurie Lesoon, director of lifestyle engagement for independent living residents...
Weather cancels Tarentum Night Market finale
Mother Nature is doing a number on Tarentum’s Night Market finale. Organizers canceled Friday’s outdoor event because of the wintry weather expected. An Ice Storm Warning has been issued for portions of western PA and northern WV for tonight and tomorrow. ????The higher elevations of the Allegheny Front from northern...
Tarentum residents will pay the same in real estate, earned income taxes next year
Tarentum Council approved the borough’s final 2023 budget, which holds property taxes at 5.48 mills. Owners of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay $548 to the borough. Council also agreed to maintain the earned income tax rate of 0.5%, withdrawing a proposal to raise it to 1%. Borough...
Demolition to begin this week on Corbet Street building in Tarentum
Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski said Santa should have a prime spot to park his sleigh when he flies through the borough in a few weeks. Demolition of 215 Corbet St., a significant building in the heart of town, is expected to begin in days. “We’re hoping to begin this...
Harrison’s fire-ravaged Country Pools & Spas reopens in Freeport
A Harrison pool store that burned to the ground three weeks ago has reopened about a mile down the road in Freeport. Country Pools & Spas is up and running in a shop that formerly housed Classic Tent Rentals at 1179 Butler Road. “I didn’t know how long it would...
Walking trail at Harrison’s Silverlake Park nearly complete
People are flocking to a new trail in Harrison that took barely a few weeks to construct in a park that sat vacant for decades. There wasn’t an official grand opening, but the walking trail is the first step in the commissioners’ plan to resurrect Silverlake Park, sandwiched at the...
Meet Charlie: Highlands School District’s first-ever therapy dog
Trotting through the halls at Highlands Middle School in Harrison, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever is the district’s newest tool to help improve student success. The puppy, Charlie, will be tasked with more than looking cute. “He will increase the overall well-being for students,” said the dog’s owner, Principal Becky Bragan....
Bare bones Sharpsburg budget still requires 30% tax hike
A bare-bones Sharpsburg budget will still require a 30% property tax hike for residents next year. Several council members said it was a challenge to balance needs and costs. Council approved the $4.6 million budget in November, with member Jon Jaso voting against the plan. The 6-1 budget vote increases...
Gatto’s eyes former Brackenridge fire hall for storage facility
A former fire hall along Morgan Street in Brackenridge could become a storage facility for Gatto’s Cycle Shop. Owner George Gatto hopes to purchase the building at 922 Morgan St. to store cars. He said a boat also would be kept there in the winter. “We don’t have room for...
Tarentum investigating after falling victim to online scam for nearly $140,000
Tarentum police are trying to figure out how someone managed to swindle nearly $140,000 from the borough in an online phishing scheme. Manager Dwight Boddorf said an investigation is underway after the borough was the victim of theft through email spoofing. Details of the theft were not released as the...
Harrison man finds meaning in giving back through CVS workforce training program
Harrison resident Sean Ware is coming off the Thanksgiving holiday feeling even more motivated to help those in need. An Army veteran, Ware is associate manager of CVS Health’s Workforce Innovation Training Center (WITC) in Pittsburgh, where he works to assist veterans and people transitioning from poverty. “I’m thankful that...
‘A celebration of hope’ at St. Vladimir in Arnold a year after fire
Members of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold filed into the social hall along Kenneth Avenue on Sunday, filling the two dozen or so folding chairs to celebrate Divine Liturgy. It was a special day for parishioners of Arnold’s only Catholic church. Exactly one year prior, the 74-year-old building...
Fire destroys McKees Rocks building, spreads to 2 others
No injuries were reported in an early Sunday fire that destroyed a building in McKees Rocks, officials said. Emergency crews responded to the call just before 6:30 a.m. at 310 Olivia Street. Flames engulfed the building and it collapsed as the first fire units arrived, according to the fire department....
Vandergrift Back When Holiday Extravaganza wows crowds through Sunday
The Vandergrift Back When Holiday Extravaganza kicked off Friday with a bang. Thousands of festival-goers lined Grant Avenue to watch more than 20 floats, costumed characters and the award-winning Kiski Area High School Marching Band. “It was great,” said Steve Broda, a member of the committee who helped organize the...
New Kensington Christmas parade dazzles with dancers, fire engines, Santa and even (fake) snow
The forecast called for rain but there were snow flurries in New Kensington on Saturday for the annual Christmas parade. The guest of honor, Santa Claus, arrived atop a fire engine under a squall of huge white flakes — made of foam and sprayed from a nearby truck. Crowds lining...
Highlands National Honor Society students stuff a bus with toys for needy kids
Members of Highlands High School National Honor Society braved the rain on Saturday to collect presents for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. The group, led by teachers Mindy Eckenrod and Jordan Murdock, were scheduled to be part of the Harrison Recreation Committee Holiday Parade and persevered despite...
Dog owners will have to wait a few more months for Harrison Hills off-leash space
Carmie Lynch and her dog, Pete, regularly hit the trails in Harrison Hills Park. When they do, they peek longingly at the newly built 1.3-acre off-leash dog space in the upper section of the Allegheny County-owned park off Freeport Road. “We are out at there at least once a week...
