Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 76
Police investigating after man shot in Homewood
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man was shot three times late Sunday in the city’s Homewood section. The victim was taken by private vehicle to a hospital and was in stable condition, Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. The incident happened just before 11 p.m. in the 7400...
No tax increase likely for Tarentum residents
Tarentum residents likely will not see a property tax increase in 2022. The proposed budget, just more than $11 million, maintains a tax rate of 5.48 mills — the same as it’s been since 2007. If approved, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would again pay $548 to...
Lower Burrell native finds success with Dancing Gnome brewery, expanded in Sharpsburg
Two windowless steel warehouses in the heart of Sharpsburg have been transformed into a chic, industrial taproom with outdoor seating. Dancing Gnome brewery, founded in 2016, has more than doubled its footprint with a 10,000-square-foot, open-air layout to accommodate revelers flocking to try its hop-centric suds. “Our old place was...
Highlands staff take pies in the face, for a good cause
Easy as pie — that was the day before Thanksgiving break at Highlands High School. A dozen lucky students were selected by raffle to toss a pan full of whipped cream at leery teachers and administrators in the high school gym. Students could purchase tickets — two for $1 —...
Infuzed Bistro reopens its doors in Brackenridge
Infuzed Bistro in Brackenridge is back in business, dishing up high-end, fresh fare in a cozy family-style setting. The upscale eatery with everyday prices is the passion of chef Tim Emery, a New York native who began tinkering in the kitchen as a child at his grandmother’s knee. “Whatever she...
Holiday decorating contests underway in Tarentum, Harrison
If the sight of early Christmas decorations has you feeling your inner-Clark Griswold, now’s the time to wrap the house in strands of lights and inflate the giant nylon Santas. House-decorating contests are underway in Harrison and Tarentum, and judges will be seeking homes that ooze holiday cheer. “Last year,...
Highlands broadens curriculum to bolster career readiness; decreases graduation credit requirement
Highlands High School seniors will need slightly fewer credits to graduate in coming years. The school board on Nov. 15 approved a motion to reduce the credit requirements from 24.5 to 24, beginning with the 2022-23 school year. Highlands already requires more than the state minimum of 21 credits to...
Highlands athletic director wants players to prioritize academics
When Highlands athletic director Drew Karpen joined the district two years ago, his focus wasn’t solely on sports. “One of my main objectives was to build the academic side of the program,” said Karpen, a former assistant athletic director at North Allegheny. He launched a Scholar- Athlete program to recognize students...
Habitat for Humanity helps Iraqi vet and family with new start in Tarentum
Jonathan Butter is giving his four young sons the best Christmas gift he can imagine — room to play. Butter, an Iraq war veteran from Pitcairn, will move with his family into a two-story home at 413 West 10th Ave. in Tarentum once Habitat for Humanity completes an extensive overhaul...
Tarentum-Brackenridge holiday parade wows crowds with Grinches, clowns and Santa
Dressed in a green Grinch sweatshirt and leggings spattered with red poinsettias, Maria Hoscheid was the image of Christmas at the 16th annual Tarentum-Brackenridge holiday parade Saturday. “We never miss this,” said Hoscheid, who lived in Tarentum for 28 years before recently moving to East Deer’s Creighton neighborhood. “It’s not...
Sharpsburg, Etna, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield among those to benefit from state tax credits
Workforce training, flood prevention programs and community gardening will be among the initiatives supported by newly awarded state tax credits to Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale. The Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization (SNO) will receive $160,000 in tax credits from the Department of Community and Economic Development. It’s among several groups to split...
Tarentum demolition project spurs positive impact on community
Tarentum Council is looking to close out the year by wrapping up its fourth demolition contract, eyeing one final dilapidated home along West 11th Avenue. Workers from Gillette’s Towing in Harrison already razed a house at 243-245 West Seventh Ave and one at 532 Third Avenue on the east side...
Tarentum-Brackenridge parade set to kick off holiday season; Oscar Meyer Wienermobile will be there
The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile will be parked under the Tarentum Bridge on Saturday morning for anyone who wants to snap selfies with the quirky hot dog-shaped bus. The orange and yellow vehicle is a fan favorite at the Tarentum-Brackenridge holiday parade, scheduled to step off at 1 p.m. In its...
Sharpsburg Community Library lands STEAM grant from state
Bee-Bots, robots, circuits and coding will be on the children’s program menu at Sharpsburg Community Library this winter thanks to a state grant. The library at 1212 Main Street was awarded a Tinkering Kit from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, through the state Department of Education. The kit is contains...
Christ the Divine continues tradition of donating Thanksgiving meals
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall continued its tradition of making the Thanksgiving holiday a little warmer for area families. Student council Co-Presidents Gemma Spadacene and Jimmy Darcy, along with Vice President Clara LoPresti, shopped for frozen turkeys, potatoes, gravy and all the other fixings on Nov. 16...
Heights Plaza wreaths a sign of the holidays, nod to the past
Passersby at Heights Plaza in Harrison likely will notice the 28 oversized pine wreaths hung Saturday by Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard and a group of fellow holiday elves. The 4-foot wreaths are illuminated with tiny white lights and appointed with a large red bow. Dizard said the sight might evoke...
Santa and his elves hop a ride on fire trucks to tour Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum
Santa and several sidekicks will make the long trip from the North Pole to tour three local communities Dec. 4. The Santa Neighborhood Parade will feature fire trucks carrying the big guy in his red suit, along with a DJ playing music and elves tossing candy. The event, from 3...
Brackenridge Salvation Army awarded grant from Fox Chapel Rotary to provide holiday meals, gifts
A grant to the Brackenridge Salvation Army from a Fox Chapel service organization will help put holiday meals on dozens of tables and distribute warm clothes to those in need, Captain Alex Senak said. The Salvation Army along Brackenridge Avenue received $3,000 from the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel area....
Giving new life to old furniture, On the Edge opens in Tarentum
Upscale furniture on a shoestring budget is the motto of Tarentum’s new custom furniture store, On the Edge. “No matter who you are or what your background is, you can walk in and afford one of my pieces,” owner Tim Emery said. “My furniture is cool and edgy and for...
Small crowd, big effort for Salvation Army Red Kettle Race in Brackenridge
Participants of the third annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Race in Brackenridge didn’t appear to mind that the temperatures only crept into the mid-30s on Saturday morning. “It’s not something you really want to get out of bed for on an early winter morning, but it’s a great cause,” said...
Determined Highlands kindergartner says, ‘They cut off my foot. And I’m getting a new one!’
Highlands kindergartner Annabel Grant isn’t shy when classmates ask why she uses a wheelchair. “They cut off my foot,” the 5-year-old says bluntly. “And I’m getting a new one!” Born with fibular hemimelia — the absence of a fibula bone — in her lower right leg, Annabel doesn’t appear to...
Tarentum lands Allegheny County grant to cover East 7th Avenue sewer project
A $73,000 storm sewer separation project in Tarentum is expected to wrap up by the end of the year — and it will cost the borough less than $300. Council on Tuesday was awarded $72,752 from the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. “We originally thought the project was going to...
Highlands Elementary salutes local veterans with song, breakfast
Students at Highlands Elementary School applauded local veterans during a celebratory breakfast Thursday. But there were deeper lessons learned over pancakes and sausage. “I know what a POW is,” said third grader Connor Smith, whose special guest was his grandfather Grover Smith, who served in Vietnam as a Marine. “Before...
New Fox Chapel council members seek to boost communication with residents
Improved communications between Fox Chapel and its residents will be the priority for two newly elected council members, each said. Democrat Sarah Hanna and Republican Brad Harrison earned four-year terms in the Nov. 2 general election, along with Republican incumbents Harrison Lauer and Andy Bennett. “The number one thing that...
Riverfront Theater Company opens ‘Proof,’ postponed nearly 2 years by pandemic
Days before the country shut down for the covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, Riverfront Theater Company was gearing up for its production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Proof.” Fast forward nearly two years, and the cast and crew is almost more excited this time around to perform the 2000 drama...
