New hospitality group cooking up more dining, entertainment for Downtown Pittsburgh
There’s a new hospitality group ready to ramp up the Downtown Pittsburgh dining and entertainment scene this year — and beyond. The news of Legacy Hospitality Group was announced on Monday. It’s the newest business collaboration from the hospitality team of professionals behind restaurants Ritual House, Palm Palm, Shorty’s and...
Commerce community supports special-needs school in Hartwood Towne Centre in Indiana Township
A group of independently owned businesses in Hartwood Towne Centre, along with a professional drummer from Sharpsburg, are enriching the lives of special-needs students in Indiana Township. River Academy of Excellence, one of the only private schools serving special-needs students in Allegheny County, opened in 2023 in the plaza with...
O’Hara teacher named new executive director of Fox Chapel Area Adult Education
A preschool teacher with a penchant for Cheez-Its, succulent gardening, bird watching and serving her community is settling into a new leadership role with a well-established nonprofit based in Fox Chapel. Margaret Haas of O’Hara is the new executive director of Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. She began her new...
On the menu: Alligator meat grows in popularity in Western Pennsylvania
Muddy Waters Oyster Bar co-owner Diana Kucenic knows a thing or two about alligator. Her East Liberty seafood bar and restaurant, specializing in Cajun fare, has been serving up gator bites made from alligator tail since opening in 2015. “We put them on the menu because gator is more of...
Skilled handyman from Fox Chapel stands out for work ethic, reliability
Todd Perschke has built a successful handyman business serving the Fox Chapel area after a long career in the automotive industry. “I show up for work,” said Perschke of his commitment to providing home improvement and fix-it solutions to both commercial and residential folks in the Fox Chapel Area School...
Phone-free policy at Shady Side Academy Senior School making a difference, administrators and students say
Shady Side Academy Senior School senior John Ludden has one less thing to occupy his time during the school day. His cellphone. Ludden and his 400 fellow senior school students were met with a new cellphone policy implemented in August, exclusive to the Senior School, prohibiting students from using their...
Retired dentist shares life-changing benefits of somatics in free class at Fox Chapel library
Retired dentist Tom Capriotti discovered pain relief through somatic movements more than 20 years ago. Capriotti, 75, of Oakmont is a certified personal trainer and instructs a one-hour class for adults, Simple Movement Through Somatics, fon Mondays at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel. Somatics are movements that teach the...
Cooked Goose Catering expands to Allegheny Township
A well-established catering company is expanding its operations with a fresh-express foods concept in Allegheny Township. Cooked Goose Catering, based in Oakdale, is readying its second location for its soon-to-open debut in the former Dobi Catering building, a longtime catering facility in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Dobi Catering was quietly put...
Steelers player puts Washington County home on the market
The home of a Pittsburgh Steelers player is on the market in Cecil, Washington County. Safety and special teams player Miles Killebrew played five games last season before suffering a knee injury. Piatt Sotheby representative Sal Bucci confirmed Killebrew has relocated to Tampa and the home is listed at $659,000...
Beyond churches, Western Pa. restaurants are reeling in diners with fish frenzy
The Lenten season ushers in a dining fish sandwich frenzy at many restaurants in Western Pennsylvania. Whether it’s fried, broiled or baked, fish Lenten specials are popping up on most menus, offering an tasty and easy way to enjoy fish — and keep your kitchen clean. Turn Fridays into Fry-days...
New indoor golf simulator lounge eyes March opening in Indiana Township
It’s always perfect weather to hit the links at a soon-to-open indoor golf simulator in Indiana Township. Swing 412 is scheduled to launch in March with 500-plus virtual high-tech golf games for all ages. The venue is for those interested in improving their game, learning golf play or just looking...
Family, creative career, cooking, skiing, hot yoga nourish soul of O’Hara resident
Chatting about life in Pittsburgh is one of Christopher R. Evans’ favorite topics. “I’ve lived here my whole life,” said Evans of O’Hara. Evans, 51, grew up in what he describes as “storybook” Churchill and previously resided in Shadyside and Fox Chapel. He moved to O’Hara three years ago and...
Mexico unrest prompts Western Pennsylvanians to rethink travel plans
Ryan O’Hare has been busy at work the last few days. The owner of Voyage Geeks travel agency is a professional travel advisor based in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. The recent unrest due to widespread cartel violence and travel advisory level warnings in Mexico has had a lot of clients reaching...
‘Gray divorce’ on the rise as more seniors choose ‘I don’t’Video
Gray hair isn’t the only thing happening to some Americans as they age. More than ever, married Americans 50 and older are filing for divorce. The statistical trend has spawned the catchphrase “gray divorce” for the often gray-haired individuals choosing to end their marriages. Nearly 40 percent of divorces are...
Shady Side Academy sails away with rousing performance of ‘Anything Goes’
Love, hijinks and mayhem on the high seas rounded out a nautical performance of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” at Shady Side Academy. Performances were held Feb. 13-15 at the Richard E. Rauh Theater in the Hillman Center for Performing Arts. Led by The Gargoyle Society, the student performing arts organization...
Ready, set, fresh as Harvest on Main Community Market announces opening date in Sharpsburg
The long-anticipated Harvest on Main Community Market has announced an opening date in Sharpsburg. The nonprofit, fresh foods market will debut March 2, said Bonnie DeMotte, executive director of Second Harvest. The grocery store will feature a deli, freshly prepared to-go foods, a bakery, quality meats and cheeses, fresh salads...
Father-son financial advisers share love of golf, family and service in Fox Chapel area
James “Jim” Wallisch of Indiana Township left Pittsburgh as a teen to pursue an Ivy League education and learn the financial investing ropes. With a keen interest in finance, he excelled at Princeton University, majoring in engineering and minoring in economics. After graduating with honors from Princeton, he set his...
Oakmont senior apartment building residents can’t flush or shower until plumbing repairs complete
Mary Lou Ernest of Oakmont left her apartment Tuesday morning so she could use the bathroom down the street at the Riverview Community Action Corp. She said she had to because all of the residents living in Munroe Tower, a 62-and-older affordable housing apartment complex, have been advised to not...
McCandless family turns snow event into teaching moment for young sons with DIY igloo
Robert and Mickey Kunkel of McCandless decided to create some nice ice when Mother Nature recently dumped record-breaking snowfall and below-freezing temps on Western Pennsylvania. Mickey Kunkel, a busy homemaker raising their two toddlers, Ernie, 3, and Cedric, 2, initially saw a video about making at-home igloos on the internet....
Just add spaghetti: Local restaurants that nudge the noodle into popular dishes
Spaghetti is the most classic pasta dish in America. At some local restaurants, the famous noodle is getting joined with other food elements for mashups that diners love. Among those venues is New Kensington’s Knead Community Cafe, where a toasted sandwich filled with fried spaghetti and melted cheese has...
Fox Families Care has new executive director serving the Fox Chapel Area School District
A familiar face is leading an established nonprofit committed to assisting families of students enrolled in the Fox Chapel Area School District. Jen Mackey of Fox Chapel is the newest executive director of Fox Families Care. She brings decades of business and volunteer experience to the role she began in...
Flashback foods: The hunger for favorite foods from the past
You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone (as Joni Mitchell sang). Many beloved foods once enjoyed throughout the Pittsburgh region are no longer available. They’re missed and still talked about. But some live on in new iterations — or DIY versions. We spoke to some Southwestern Pennsylvanians about...
O’Hara resident at the helm of 2 marinas in Allegheny County
Jim Scott of O’Hara doesn’t have a boat. Yet. But as the new owner of two established Allegheny County marinas — Fox Chapel Yacht Club and South Side Marina—Scott’s interest in a boat is ramping up. “I feel like you can’t own a marina without a boat,” said Scott during...
Indiana Township woman combines fitness and full-time work as a probation officer in Allegheny County
Indiana Township resident Amy Roenker grew up in family of teachers and nurses in Rochester, N.Y. But a college summer internship with the Rochester Police Department set her on a new path. From the start, her college adviser wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the internship. “He told me not to expect...
Wilkinsburg residence 1st in state to earn EnerPHit certification from Passive House Institute
A small home in Wilkinsburg has earned a big architectural distinction. Recently renovated for energy efficiency, the century-old building has earned a Passive House EnerPHit certification from the Passive House Institute — the highest certification available for energy efficiency in existing buildings. It’s the first house in Pennsylvania to achieve...
