JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 2
Adrian J. DeGori promoted to senior counsel at Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C.
In the fifth grade, Adrian J. DeGori knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. It was an open and shut case — there was no deliberation. “I told everyone I was going to be a lawyer,” DeGori said, inside the offices of Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C....
Artificial heart kept Collier man alive until he could get a transplant
When Landon Shaw was 16, a big, bulky machine sat by his bed. Twelve-foot hoses with attachments connected to both sides of his heart, pushing air to pump blood throughout his body, making a loud whooshing sound. For 17 days, the biventricular assist device, known as a BiVAD, an artificial...
North Carolina resident stops in Pittsburgh advocating for lung cancer patients
For Dusty Donaldson, one journey led to another. After navigating the emotional path of a lung cancer diagnosis, operation, chemotherapy and recovery, Donaldson decided to travel down another road. She purchased a Ford Transit Connect van and drove across the country to create awareness for early detection of lung cancer....
Gainey, Black leaders launch August Wilson legacy brick fundraiser
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson was the 1994 commencement speaker at Morgan State University in Maryland, and one of the graduates in the audience was Ed Gainey. “I look back on this, years later, because here’s a gentleman … who wrote ‘Radio Golf,’ where he talked about the first Black...
The Calling to headline Light Up Night in Pittsburgh
The Calling answered the call. Known for top hits including “Wherever You Will Go” and “Our Lives,” the rock band will headline the Highmark Light Up Night on Nov. 22. The band released its latest single, “Stand Up Now,” in 2024 after a 20-year hiatus. Vocalist Alex Band, guitarist Daniel...
Fern Hollow Nature Center hires Janel Morrison as its naturalist
Janel Morrison takes getting close to nature seriously — as the newly hired naturalist at Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley Heights, she spends part of every workday in the meadow. Morrison’s position includes engaging the public through education, programming and land management on the 33-acre property, as well...
McKeesport native Swin Cash receives Africana Icon award
Swin Cash read a love letter — to her mother. She recited the words after receiving an Africana Icon Award at the third annual Africanism Gala on Saturday at Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh. The evening, which highlighted Black beauty, was held in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It...
Africanism Gala highlights Black beauty
Women of all ages gathered on Saturday evening to celebrate Black beauty — both inside and out — during the third annual Africanism Gala at Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh. Each guest dressed in her signature style — there were gowns adorned with sequins, dresses in colorful prints and suits...
Western Pennsylvania teachers get creative with classrooms in learning
Jessica Pilyih rarely sits at her desk. And her students don’t sit at theirs, either. “I am not a desk person,” Pilyih said as she sat at one of the semi-circular round tables inside her fifth-grade classroom at Holiday Park Intermediate School in the Plum Borough School District. “I have...
Bean Candle Co. opens in Sewickley
Laura Palmer adds light and fragrance to the world one candle at a time. The founder of Bean Candle Co., a fragrance store located along Beaver Street in Sewickley, Palmer has created a brick-and-mortar shop that smells really, really good. “Scent is powerful in ways we don’t always realize,” said...
Fighting food insecurity the goal of Light Up Night, Pittsburgh’s holiday season
As Pittsburgh prepares to kick off its holiday season, organizers are shining a brighter light on the issue of food insecurity. This year’s Highmark Light Up Night and Peoples Gas Holiday Market will place a special emphasis on supporting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which is facing heightened demand...
Sewickley orthodontist has been creating smiles for decades
Dr. Tom Forrest gives patients something to smile about. It’s not just his profession — it’s his passion. People are smiling more than ever for their cell phone cameras and Forrest wants to help those smiles be the brightest. “Since the introduction of the smartphone, everyone now has a camera...
Folino family brings The Bocce House to O’Hara
The location has changed for a group of avid bocce players, but the love of the game hasn’t. Creating a sporting atmosphere is what Fox Chapel resident Tony Folino and his sons, Frank and Dino Folino, envisioned for The Bocce House of Pittsburgh. The unique complex in RIDC Park in...
Dogs of Sewickley returns after 2 decades
Two decades ago, Nancy Kury’s ex-husband saw images of multiple colorful entry ways from Ireland and New York that were photographed and stacked in rows on a poster. The Doors of Dublin and Doors of New York posters inspired the Dogs of Sewickley. “He said, ‘If there can be Doors...
Mansions at Lake MacLeod in Pine to be featured in Symphony Splendor House Tour
For the first time, palatial mansions in Lake Macleod will welcome guests for an up-close look at these homes dressed for the holidays. Five one-of-a-kind residences in Pine are part of the Symphony Splendor 2025 Holiday House Tour North. Hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony Association to benefit the Pittsburgh Symphony...
Koala Boutique opens in Sewickley
Nicki Saini saw a social media post that a women’s clothing and accessories boutique in Sewickley was closing and that mannequins, fixtures and jewelry stands were for sale. Little did she realize she’d purchase more than a mannequin and a clothes rack. Saini owns Koala Boutique, a women’s clothing and...
New-York style F&F Pizzeria opens in former Bado’s space in Mt. Lebanon
A couple of guys from New York named Frank met a James Beard Award-winning chef through a connection with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The rest is Mt. Lebanon history. The meeting ultimately led them to open F&F Pizzeria in the old Bado’s Pizza Grill & Ale House on...
Carnegie Libraries across the country to receive $10K in celebration of U.S. 250th anniversary
The same week Scottish immigrant and industrialist Andrew Carnegie was inducted into the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame because of his philanthropy and commitment to learning through libraries, those libraries received a monetary gift. “As I was sitting at the Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday, I thought, every one of...
Osborne Elementary students recognize National Walk & Roll to School Day
When Quaker Valley School Board member Stratton Nash saw children riding bikes without helmets, he was concerned for their safety. “I want the kids to be safe,” said Nash, a Sewickley resident who wanted to advocate for bicycle safety the same week as National Walk & Roll to School Day,...
Africanism Gala is a ‘love letter to Black women’
As a youngster growing up in Hazelwood, Demeatria Boccella didn’t see Black women in arts and fashion. It has been her passion to create opportunities for young people. Now, she is co-producing the third annual Africanism Gala with Darnell McLaurin and Sandra Aristide Soteriou. It’s a love letter to Black...
Ave Maria Academy balloon rosary connects students through prayer
The sound of children’s voices could be heard in unison praying as they sat outside of Ave Maria Academy in Bethel Park on Oct. 6 while a rosary made of balloons floated in the air. “This is a great opportunity for the students to pray together,” said Mark Grgurich, co-principal...
Hampton High School principal provided spark for CMU coding academy for high-schoolers
It all began with an email. Hampton High School Principal Marguerite Imbarlina sent an email to Carnegie Mellon University. “I thought of a computer science program because the students needed a better foundation of programming and coding,” Imbarlina said. “I needed support to build a framework, and who better to...
Get hooked: Rug-making craft event to be held at Shaler North Hills Library
Some people retire to play golf or travel. Fritz Mitnick left her job because she was hooked on another pastime — literally. Mitnick does rug hooking, a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or woven wool cut into strips through a backing or foundation cloth. “I...
Sewickley woman sells authentic handmade clothing, accessories and gift items from India
When Nadia Sud places a pashmina shawl over her shoulder, she immediately feels comfort. The fine wool garment, similar to cashmere, is made from a specific breed of goats called Changthangi that live in Ladakh and Kashmir in the high altitudes of the Himalayas in India. Pashmina comes from the...
Female business leaders share their stories at Women Shaping Our Region event
They are the Rosie the Riveters of today — strong women who, like the cultural female icon with the red-and-white bandana and arm flexed, are symbols of strength and resilience. Six women leaders in their fields took center stage at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh-Cranberry on Friday for the...
