Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 68
Penn State Master Gardeners present workshop in Hampton on biodiversity, pollinators and design
A Garden and Landscape Symposium hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County will feature topics more far-reaching than the latest trends in horticulture. The workshop on April 30, held at the Hampton Community Center, features three keynote speakers who will focus on pollinators, biodiversity and bird-friendly habitat. The...
Ride for Homeless Vets fundraiser set to return to Alle-Kiski Valley
A June motorcycle trip by more than 1,200 riders will travel through the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond to benefit homeless veterans. The 15th annual Ride for Homeless Vets is back after a two-year covid-related absence. “I started this little ride just wanting to get 100 people involved,” said Tom Grates,...
Police: No updates in Aliquippa shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured
Police are investigating after a shooting in Aliquippa early Sunday left one man dead, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. The victim, a 21-year-old man, was shot multiple times just before 3 a.m. Another person was also shot and was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in stable condition. There were...
Drowning ruled as cause of death for man pulled from Mon River in October
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled drowning as the cause of death for a man found floating in the Monongahela River in October. David Roberts, 53, was found unresponsive in the river by a boater on Oct. 15. Roberts, of Mount Oliver, was discovered near the Color Park...
Volunteers sought for Tarentum cleanup day
Tarentum Councilwoman Carrie Fox is hoping to see at least 500 pounds of trash piled up in the borough on Saturday, April 23. That’s the day when volunteers can participate in the Great American Cleanup, a national effort to spruce up streets, parks and public spaces. “Everyone deserves a clean...
Tarentum Council eyes tighter ordinance for abandoned vehicles
Tarentum council will consider beefing up the borough’s ability to get abandoned vehicles off the street. Mayor Bob Lang is proposing that council tighten an ordinance that currently gives owners 10 days to remove an uninspected or unregistered vehicle from the road. Police are able to tag an illegal vehicle...
Kiski Area student found with bullets on school bus
Kiski Area School District officials and police are investigating after an elementary student was found with bullets on a morning bus route. Superintendent Misty Slavic alerted families in a letter, saying the student had two bullets but an initial investigation showed “no evidence to suggest malicious intent” and no evidence...
Glass recycling bin available at Harrison Hills Park through Thursday
A dumpster to collect glass for recycling is available at Harrison Hills Park through sundown Thursday. Allegheny County is partnering for the second consecutive year with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to offer the Traveling Glass Recycling Bin program in parks throughout the region on a rotating schedule. Up next, collections...
Blawnox egg hunt makes return after 2 years of pandemic cancellations
After two years in a covid-related hiatus, the Blawnox Easter Egg Hunt will return Sunday April 10 with cookie decorating, crafts and hundreds of candy-filled plastic eggs hidden in Community Park. Hosted by the nonprofit Best of Blawnox, the event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. at the park...
Flag-raising ceremony honors organ donation awareness at Allegheny Valley Hospital
A small crowd gathered Monday in the courtyard at Allegheny Valley Hospital to raise awareness about the gift of life. A flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. honored those who have donated organs and called attention to the need for more people to register, organizers said. The event was outside the...
Ground breaks on Harrison Community Garden
A small crowd that gathered for the groundbreaking of the Harrison Community Garden was “excited to get growing,” organizers said. The project from the Highlands Partnership Network and Citizens Hose Fire-EMS-Rescue will see a one-acre public garden near the firehouse off of Burtner Road. “HPN is really excited to get...
Spring planting day on tap at Tarentum community garden
The Rev. Phil Beck likened the Tarentum community garden to a mini-farm that provides fresh, free produce to anyone. But farms need lots of labor to yield healthy crops. Beck encourages people to get their hands dirty and turn out for spring prep day, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
Sharpsburg library’s little pantry in need of donations
Sharpsburg Community Library leaders are seeking donations, not of books but of food. The Little Free Pantry that sits outside the library entrance on Main Street has been a much-needed complement to the site’s existing services. “If I put something in today, it’s gone by tomorrow,” library Assistant Jamie Cozza...
Valley High grad sells illustrations of St. Vladimir church to assist with church reconstruction
Graphic designer Shane Henderson long has admired the intricate architecture of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold. Even as a child growing up in New Kensington, before developing an eye for art, he recognized the church’s artistry. “I always thought St. Vlad’s was such a cool-looking building and so...
Glassware, furniture and art: Tarentum’s new Vintage Owl has a bit of everything
With every inch of its narrow aisles packed with milk glass, Victorian dolls and embroidered doilies, a new store along West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum is a picker’s dream. The frog-shaped cookie jar and the Hummel figurines, like most of the items at The Vintage Owl, come with a story...
Natrona Heights Presbyterian earns grant for roof repairs
A nearly century-old church situated prominently along Broadview Boulevard in Harrison was among 17 religious sites to earn a recent grant from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church, built in 1928, will receive $5,000 to repair its slate roof. Church Elder Chad Gourley said the roof...
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosts free program on the importance of colon cancer screenings
A free workshop on the dangers of colon cancer, and the benefits of early screening, will be hosted at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Surgeon Steven Gribar will present the free seminar April 21 to discuss the second deadliest form of cancer in the United States. “Colorectal cancer is a...
Parents-to-be offered ‘Birthday’ shower in Tarentum
Editor’s Note: This event has been canceled. First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum is getting decked out for a baby shower where several moms-to-be will be feted but none of the guests will be acquainted. The church at 913 Lock St. is hosting the community event to provide baby items...
Sharpsburg library exhibit shines light on Pennsylvania’s women trailblazers
Journalist Nelly Bly, union organizer Mother Jones and artist Mary Cassatt are among the female trailblazers showcased at the Sharpsburg Community Library for Women’s History Month. “We wanted to highlight sung and unsung women of Pennsylvania and educate people on their contributions,” library Director Sara Mariacher said. The Trailblazing Pennsylvania...
‘High School Musical 2’ will have audience singing, dancing in seats at Highlands
What time is it? Come Friday, it’ll be time for Highlands students to dazzle audiences by dancing across the stage to catchy, up-tempo songs made popular in Disney’s “High School Musical 2: On Stage!” “Being on stage always feels exhilarating, akin to playing sports in a huge stadium in front...
Harrison 2nd Ward commissioner hosting informal get-togethers to identify vision for future
Harrison residents in the 2nd Ward have a chance to build up their neighborhood through a series of small group get-togethers hosted by Commissioner Jamie Nee. Nee was elected to represent the 2nd Ward in November. “I wanted to find out what’s important to them, what will make us strong,”...
Faces of the Valley: Raine Siegel helped shape Highlands musical theater program
Former Highlands Theater Director Raine Siegel finds it miraculous that high schools are able to stage a Broadway musical with just a few months of rehearsal time. As department head from 1992 until her retirement 10 years later, Siegel said it always was wonderful to watch the students discover the...
Highlands eyes $3.2 million in safety upgrades
The Highlands School Board on Monday will consider $3.2 million in safety upgrades that would impact all four campuses. Dan Engen, from DRAW Collective architectural firm, presented design options to the board during its agenda meeting Tuesday night. Work ranges from HVAC to paving to new water coolers. “There is...
First Baptist Church in Tarentum eager to rebuild after covid shutdown
The Rev. Felicia Brock moved to the Alle-Kiski Valley in late 2019 to start a new life as pastor of First Baptist Church in Tarentum. Then covid-19 shut everything down. “When you have a calling from God, you follow it,” said Brock, who relocated from Detroit. “God didn’t tell me...
