Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 85
North Fayette man plans to bike 335 miles for adoption fundraiser
Dave Wallace woke up this winter with the idea of cycling 335 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., to raise money for adoption services. The inspiration was simple — his adopted 13-year-old son, Zak. “It was shortly after we welcomed Zak into his forever home that I started having this...
Shady Side Academy graduate Porter Markel enters U.S. Naval Academy
A Shady Side Academy graduate is among an elite 7.5% of applicants admitted to the Class of 2025 Plebe Summer at the U.S. Naval Academy. Porter Markel of Fox Chapel was inducted June 20 and will begin six grueling weeks of basic midshipman training in Annapolis, Md. Markel is one...
Public invited to participate in interactive Juneteenth art display at Aspinwall park
A public art display this week at Aspinwall Riverfront Park will honor and raise awareness of Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, that was recently signed into law as a federal holiday by President Biden. Entitled “Opening Doors,” the artwork was conceived by...
Week in review: The top stories for the week of June 14, 2021Video
Here are some of the top stories for the week of June 14, 2021: - Pride event in Aspinwall aimed at inclusion Aspinwall Riverfront Park hosted the inaugural Pride in the Park event to connect the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. In all, more than 350 people attended the family-friendly gathering...
Anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help student transitions
An anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help newly enrolled students that might have a challenging educational or cultural transition, officials announced. It is the largest programmatic donation in school history. Money is earmarked for the academic and social support of students at the private Fox Chapel...
Write-in votes create potential race for Sharpsburg Mayor
Sharpsburg residents could have a choice for borough Mayor in the November election. The two-way race for the Democratic nomination between Brittany Reno and Joe Simbari, both current council members, went Reno’s way. The vote count was 380-287, according to the Allegheny County Elections Department. Simbari, however, won the Republican...
Fox Chapel Area school taxes climb slightly
Fox Chapel Area residents will pay slightly higher school taxes in 2021-22. The school board on June 14 approved its $104 million budget, seeing the tax rate climb from 19.8 to 20.1 mills. It is a 1.3% increase. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will pay $2,010, up...
Fox Chapel Area High School among 2 in state to earn award for strength and conditioning program
Fox Chapel Area High School is being lauded for its strength and conditioning program, one which leaders said is a foundation for lifelong health and wellness. The high school earned the Strength of America Award to recognize its elite program. The honor comes from the National Strength and Conditioning Association...
New Blawnox salon requires no startup hassles for independent owners
A revolutionary new concept in the beauty business has landed in Blawnox. Sola Salon Studios is part of a growing movement that supports independent beauty professionals by providing upscale, fully-equipped suites with the tools needed to launch and operate. “For the first time in state history, beauty professionals can go...
Hampton High School traffic pattern gets $17.4 million safety upgrade
A construction project at Hampton High School is aimed at improving traffic flow and access for students, staff and community members. The parking lots and access road to Hampton High School will undergo a major redesign beginning later this year. School officials are seeking to reconfigure the parking area and...
Earth Volunteer Fund will match up to $1,000 in donations for Sycamore Island in Blawnox
In the 13 years since Allegheny Land Trust acquired Sycamore Island near Blawnox, the property has transformed from neglected to nurtured. Plopped in the middle of the Allegheny River between Blawnox and Verona, the land is healthier, life-sustaining and more visitor-friendly than ever, said Lindsay Dill, ALT’s marketing and communications...
Aspinwall Riverfront Park offers busy slate of summer music
Aspinwall Riverfront Park is the place to get your jam on this summer. Whether it’s a festive Friday evening or a lazy Sunday afternoon, the park will host live bands, drum circles and musical theater to appeal to all ages. “A core part of the park’s original mission is to...
Electronics recycling event coming to Freeport Area Middle School
People can toss their old computers, cellphones and gaming consoles during an e-waste collection at Freeport Area Middle School. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 19. Hosted by Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP) and the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the recycling initiative was identified as...
Winning Treasure Hunt ticket worth $138,357 sold in Delmont
A lucky shopper at a Westmoreland County Walmart is holding a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket worth $138,357, officials announced. The retailer along Hollywood Boulevard in Delmont sold a jackpot-winning Treasure Hunt ticket on Thursday, according to the PA Lottery. The ticket matched all five balls: 1-12-14-26-27. The chances of matching all...
Police seek help finding missing teen
Cranberry Police need help finding a 14-year-old teen who was last seen June 7. Isabella “Bella” Kaechele is about 5”4” tall with brown hair. Police said she left her house and hasn’t returned all week. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 724-7765180, ext. 5 or email tips@cranberrytownship.org....
Violent night with rash of shootings, 2 involving kids, across Pittsburgh region
A 15-year-old boy was shot in Edgewood late Thursday, police said, in one of four shootings that happened across the region. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Allegheny County police. Officers responded to a call at about 9:40 p.m. for a shooting in the...
Permanent glass recycling bin set to open in O’Hara
A permanent glass recycling bin at the O’Hara municipal building will open Saturday. A kickoff event will be 10 a.m. to noon in the township parking lot, 325 Fox Chapel Road. O’Hara, Aspinwall and Blawnox joined efforts to offer the dumpster after glass recycling was dropped from several municipal garbage...
Inaugural Pride in the Park aimed at inclusion for Fox Chapel Area
Some participants at the inaugural Pride in the Park event spent a gorgeous summer evening running through bubbles at Aspinwall Riverfront Park. Others painted large canvases with their feet, and still more used the park’s oversized “LOVE” sculpture as a photo booth. In all, more than 350 people converged at...
Portion of Elfinwild Road in Shaler closed for fallen tree
Motorists who use Elfinwild Road in Shaler will have to use a detour Thursday. The road is closed between Willett and Laurel Hill roads, police said. There is a tree down on the road and police are unsure of when it will reopen to traffic. PennDOT has been notified....
South Park walking trail lit up with solar panels
Walkers and joggers who frequent South Park will likely enjoy a new safety perk along Corrigan Drive. A two-mile stretch of walking path is now illuminated with 122 solar lights. Construction wrapped on the $738,750 Allegheny County project that targeted the pathway between Library and Brownsville roads. “The lights are...
Pittsburgh Public Schools offers 4 drop-off sites for device returns
Pittsburgh Public School students should return their district-issued devices to school by Tuesday, but there are also select times at four drop-off locations through June 18. Merecedes Williams, PPS media manager, said that as the school year winds down, the district is gathering laptops, iPads, hotpots and chargers that will...
Shady Side Academy Class of 2021
Commencement exercises for the Shady Side Academy Class of 2021 were hosted June 4 at the Senior School’s Farrell Stadium. This year’s ceremony was limited to administration, faculty, graduates and their guests in order to keep gathering numbers down and allow for seating on the field with chairs spaced 3...
7-Eleven, customers robbed in Castle Shannon
Police in Castle Shannon are investigating an armed robbery Wednesday at the 7-Eleven/Marathon station along Mt. Lebanon Boulevard. Officers were called at about 3:15 a.m. to the convenience store/gas station after a suspect brandished a handgun and took money from several people inside the store, as well as cash from...
Aspinwall Police encounter coyote pup in borough, offer tips for residents
Aspinwall Police are offering wildlife safety tips after officers encountered a coyote pup in the borough on Monday. Police posted to Facebook after spotting the animal walking near a home in upper Aspinwall. “Although the Borough of Aspinwall welcomes all types of animals, some can be aggressive or dangerous,” the...
Woman struck and killed by train in Aspinwall
A woman reported missing early Tuesday by Pittsburgh police was later struck and killed by a train in Aspinwall, authorities said. The victim was identified as Ying-Fen Johnson, 78, of Oakmont, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Emergency responders were called to the 800 block of Freeport Road...
