Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 72
Tarentum crews work to repair 2 waterline breaks
Tarentum residents in two separate areas of the borough were without water Tuesday. Manager Michael Nestico said crews worked to repair waterline breaks in the area of West Ninth Avenue and Center Street and at East Seventh Avenue and Ormand Street. “Each break has interrupted water service for roughly one...
Harrison library offers class on how to spot edible backyard plants
Dreary winter weather has some people dreaming of springtime gardens, it appears. Nearly 50 people have registered for a program Tuesday at the Harrison library called Spring Wild Edible Plants – and there’s room for more, Adult Program Specialist John Kristine said. “We thought it would be a program our...
Fox Chapel Area’s Liu a piano virtuoso with international titles
Growing up, Fox Chapel Area junior Lawrence Liu had only one CD to listen to – Michael Jackson’s “Essentials.” That one album spanned the best of Jackson’s hits from “ABC” to “Beat It” and was the launching point for Liu’s musical achievements. The teen recently captured top awards in several...
Fawn earns state grant to pave Thompson Road
Fawn Township Secretary Pam Ponsart was pleasantly surprised to learn last week that the township had earned a state grant for road work. “I had no idea,” Ponsart said. “That’s great.” The township will receive $50,000 from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund, which announced the awards Wednesday. Fawn is...
Highlands cheer squad supports cancer fight with ‘Pink Out’ fundraiser
Highlands School District police officer Joe Naviglia has the right people cheering for him in his fight against cancer. Naviglia, in his fourth year at Highlands, was among four local residents who were presented $1,000 by the district’s cheer team Dec. 17. “I was surprised but so thankful and honored,”...
Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS buys new ambulance with enhanced safety features
Despite dwindling staff and fundraising obstacles, Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS in Tarentum has added a $260,000 paramedic rescue ambulance to its fleet, enabling volunteers to continue to serve a wide swath of the Alle-Kiski Valley, as they have since the 1800s. The newest addition is more than an ambulance. The vehicle stands...
Fox Chapel church hoping to ‘Fill the Truck’ for food pantries in Indiana Township, Sharpsburg and Etna
On Super Bowl Sunday, football won’t be center stage for everyone. Volunteers at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church are scheduled to host the 8th annual Fill the Truck fundraiser through which several hundred food and nonperishable items are collected for hungry neighbors. “It is a great event for the community,” Deacon...
ACMH Hospital nurses vote to authorize potential strike
A clash over wages and staffing has led to a potential strike by the nursing staff at ACMH Hospital near Kittanning. ACMH Nurses United, which represents 213 staffers at the hospital along Nolte Drive, voted Wednesday to authorize a strike after being what they called “pushed to the brink by...
Tarentum councilman aims to make borough a destination with Craft Beer Fest
With plans underway for the second annual Craft Beer Festival in Tarentum, organizers are looking to adjust the timing to account for the weather. “Everything was great, but it was boiling hot,” event coordinator Brian Snyder said of last year’s festival, held in August at Dreshar Stadium. Snyder, a member...
LIGHT Initiative at Dorseyville Middle School aims to teach empathy, kindness
When Dorseyville Middle School teacher Scott Vensel traveled to Poland to study the Holocaust in 2002, an Auschwitz survivor made a lasting impression with a single comment. “He said to our group, ‘The seed of hate is the same, no matter where it is sown.” Since then, Vensel has made...
Ringer’s get first-step in dog daycare approval, more permitting necessary
Harrison business owner Kim Ringer got first-step approval from the township commissioners on Monday in her pursuit to operate a dog day care and boarding service from her Freeport Road retail space. The commissioners voted 5-0 to rezone the property from B-1 to S-1, allowing pet day care services. Ringer...
Classes in session at Fox Chapel Area Adult Education, some in-person
School is in session for Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. Classes from history to home gardening are offered this winter, despite the program being stymied by the pandemic and its limitations on in-person learning. “We have never stopped serving the community despite all the challenges these last two years,” Executive...
Public hearing Monday for Harrison dog daycare
An ongoing fight to bring a doggie day care to Freeport Road in Harrison will culminate in a public hearing Monday. People can weigh in on the request by Ringer’s Pet Dog Training to offer the service at 3041 Freeport Road, a former car dealership that Kim Ringer and her...
Highlands school board votes to make masks optional
Highlands students are not required to wear masks in class, or elsewhere on district property, after the school board on Wednesday night reversed a previous mandate. The policy extends to staff and visitors, though the new mask-optional guidelines will limit outsiders in the building. The board voted 6-3, with members...
Tarentum approves seed money for West Seventh Avenue renovation plan
By this time next year, Tarentum’s West Seventh Avenue business corridor could look brand-new with updated facades on many of the storefronts. That’s the hope of council, which last week agreed to put up seed money for a redevelopment plan by Faith Community Partners (FCP). The nonprofit has worked a...
O’Hara fourth grader sells art to raise money for hungry children
A fourth-grade O’Hara Elementary student is using his passion for art to create tangible change at his school and beyond. Tucker Patsey, 10, is selling hand-painted canvases to raise money for Backpack for Hunger, a program that provides weekend food to Fox Chapel Area School District students in need. “When...
Tarentum bids farewell to Tarena, approves construction storage facility
It’s time to take down the silver mirror ball at the Tarena. Council on Tuesday night approved a conditional use by a Wexford-based construction company to transform the long-running Tarentum entertainment spot into a storage facility and staging area. “We have to take the emotion out of it,” council President...
Community Library in Harrison welcomes voters for 24th annual Quilt Show
A winter tradition at Community Library of Allegheny Valley is filling the Harrison site with bright, spring-like colors. The 24th annual Quilt Show is on display with about 20 entries hanging above the book stacks, slung over exposed ceiling beams in the facility on Broadview Boulevard in Natrona Heights. Voting...
Citing time for change, entire Brackenridge recreation board resigns
Brackenridge is without a recreation committee, at least temporarily. All five members of the volunteer group resigned during the borough’s reorganization meeting Jan. 3. “I am proud of everything this committee has done,” said Cindy Kish, who stepped down as president of the group. “We have always done our best...
Women’s Board moves fundraiser to May amid surging pandemic
Surging covid numbers have pushed back the annual fundraiser by the Women’s Board of Pittsburgh, originally scheduled for Jan. 28. “In the best interest of our guests, we have moved our event,” said board spokesperson Debbie Burke. Festivities are scheduled for May 5-6. The event will be offered both virtually...
Sewer project in Sharpsburg closes portion of Seventh Street
A much-anticipated sewer project expected to help alleviate flooding in Sharpsburg is expected to last into February. The project was scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 18. A long-term closure of part of Seventh Street is required while crews work to improve drainage. The road will be closed to traffic at...
Allegheny RiverTrail Park expands 2 acres with help from state grant
A two-acre addition to Allegheny RiverTrail Park (ARP) in Aspinwall is a coveted gift to the community, park founder Susan Crookston said. “For now and for generations to come,” she said. The site, just off Freeport Road, was awarded a $367,000 state grant last week to help with the purchase....
Public can weigh in on future of Tarena roller rink
Tarentum council on Tuesday will provide the public with a chance to weigh in on the proposed transformation of the Tarena roller rink. A Wexford-based construction company hopes to buy the 50-year-old skating rink and use it as a storage facility. Bridges & Co. is seeking a conditional use zoning...
Fox Chapel councilwoman Mandy Steele to enter race for 33rd House District
A Fox Chapel councilwoman is expected to launch her candidacy on Tuesday for state House of Representatives in the 33rd District. Mandy Steele is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat in the May 17 primary. She is the first candidate to announce a campaign for nomination. Steele, 44, said...
St. Vladimir unveils initial plans to rebuild as bishop visits for Divine Liturgy
Just six weeks after a massive fire caused more than $4 million in damage to St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church, parishioners gathered for Divine Liturgy in the church social hall and devised a plan to move forward. “You can’t stop this church,” said Susan Podolski, 68, a lifelong member of...
