Natalie Beneviat stories

Forget the bus. These McCandless youngsters received more memorable morning rides to school Oct. 15 as part of the McCandless Adventure raffle. Getting picked up by a McCandless police car on a recent Wednesday morning was the highlight of the week for Peebles Elementary student Austin Steiner, 11. “He was...

Las Vegas star and former “America’s Got Talent” semifinalist Murray SawChuck, a master at blending humor with illusion, is bringing some much-needed comic relief and awe to Stand Up Against Stigma, a fundraiser set for Nov. 22 in Harmony. The show, presented by the Stop the Judgment Project, will be...

The safety and use of electronic bikes, also known as e-bikes, are under review in McCandless because of an increase in calls over concerns and complaints. Regulating e-bikes is not easy since these recreational transportation devices may, in some instances, fall under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. However, they can be...

Four seats are open on the North Allegheny School Board this general election, which is Nov. 4, with only one incumbent, Paige Hardy, seeking reelection. Other terms ending are currently held by Dr. Vidya Szymkowiak and Leslie Britton Dozier, both of whom served one term beginning in 2021. Also not...

Wards 2, 4 and 6 for McCandless Council are up for grabs on Election Day, Nov. 4. The incumbents, all Republicans, are seeking reelection. In Ward 2, Laureen Alt is running against incumbent Jack Casey. In Ward 4, Jack Hickerson is squaring off with incumbent Jason Singer. In Ward 6,...

With a win over the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils, 28-19, the North Allegheny Tigers football team helped make homecoming 2025 a memorable night for fans Oct. 3. This was especially true for the newly crowned king and queen, seniors Andrew Peigh and Mallory Kim. Peigh, an at-large representative, and Kim,...

Balance and preservation is what Robert Grimm hopes to achieve as the newest manager of Marshall Township. With a career of managing municipalities from Bellevue to Beaver Falls, North Fayette and, most recently, McCandless from 2019 to 2022, Grimm is ready to take on Allegheny County’s northern-most community. With an...

A worn, crumpled-up dollar bill is worth the same as a clean, newly printed one. This is one example award-winning motivational speaker Rob Oliver used to show that one’s worth can’t change, no matter how much someone may try to discredit or ruin it. Oliver was the guest speaker for...

An enormous baby recently dominated an important race at Ingomar Elementary School. Teacher Savanna Barton, in an air-filled costume, sprinted to first place in the second annual Mystery Inflatable Teacher Race, a fundraiser held Sept. 10 by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization. Barton shared her unique racing experience. “I could...

The spirited Trick or Trot 5K and 1-mile fun-run race, one of North Allegheny Foundation’s biggest fundraisers, returns for its 12th year Oct. 25 on the campus of Marshall elementary and middle schools off Wexford Run Road in Marshall. Students, families, staff and community members can register to race, walk...

North Allegheny senior Jason Liu made his mark globally after winning a silver medal at the International Linguistics Olympiad, competing against other linguistic opponents from more than 40 countries. Liu represented Team USA at the competition held in July in Taipei City, Taiwan. A total of 227 contestants from 42...

Julian DiNino of Kilbuck bought his first BMW E-30 when he was 14. He was serious about cars. With skills he learned from both friends and his dad, who was an airplane mechanic, DiNino worked on becoming adept at fabrication and welding, eventually becoming a car performance mechanic. After graduating...

Salary adjustments for McCandless police were approved at the town council meeting Sept. 22, with the hopes of attracting more applicants. The change eliminated the first tier of service level, bringing the wage structure to a graduated increase over a five-year period, rather than six years, said John Schwend, manager...

Two good causes will be part of the Celebrating Celine concert on Oct. 19, including supporting Glimmer of Hope, a local breast cancer foundation, and honoring the late Karen Cordaro, the beloved founder of Act One Theatre School in Bellevue. Jenene Caramielo, a Celine Dion tribute artist and North Allegheny...

North Allegheny School District achieved the No. 1 spot as the best school district in the Pittsburgh area, and second out of 494 other districts in the state, according to the 2026 K-12 School and District Niche ratings. It also scored third in the state as the best place to...

The Town of McCandless recently had a workday that looked a little like an episode of “The Office.” Modeling prank-like humor from the popular television comedy from the 2000s, the crew in McCandless had their fun to celebrate town Manager John Schwend’s one-year work anniversary. “I was suspicious when I...

Dragons were spotted recently on North Park Lake, but they weren’t the fire-breathing kind. And the misty morning provided the perfect backdrop for the seventh annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 27, hosted by Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel, a nonprofit breast cancer awareness organization. Dragon boat racing is a...

A North Allegheny senior is putting her heart where her needle is. Patricia Rae Shanahan of Franklin Park is the owner of Heart and Hem, a nonprofit that designs and sells clothes to raise money and awareness for survivors of domestic abuse, with proceeds directly benefiting the Women’s Center &...

Preparing students for the future by working with some of the most innovative school districts in the nation is one of the advantages that North Allegheny will have as a new member of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. North Allegheny joins five other school districts in Western Pennsylvania...

Superintendent Brendan Hyland announced the creation of a task force on artificial intelligence at the Sept. 24 North Allegheny School Board meeting. Hyland said the initiative aligns with the district’s recent selection to join as a member of the league of innovative schools. Under the direction of Jim Cox, North...

An officer from McCandless spent a recent morning performing an interesting rescue. Officer Todd Ray received a call that a great horned owl was trapped. “It was an unusual type of call. We never know what to expect,” Ray said. It was McCandless resident Janine Solomond’s dog, Gilligan, who found...

An upcoming celebration just got better. A birthday party for the Free Fridge and Pantry is being coupled with a Halloween costume giveaway from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 11 behind Millvale Community Library, 213 Grant Ave. The Millvale Free Fridge and Pantry is a year-round community resource in Millvale...

More than 90% of students and parents of North Allegheny would recommend their school district to others, but there’s still a concern with student respect, according to the results of an annual survey. A summary of the North Allegheny School District’s annual online survey given to parents and students in...

It’s almost time to come home to North Allegheny for its annual homecoming football game Oct. 3, which will pit the Tigers against Mt. Lebanon at 7:30 p.m. at Newman Stadium on the high school campus, 10375 Perry Highway. The event will feature food trucks, various games and other family-friendly...

Warm weather and pleasant skies welcomed visitors to the annual McCandless Community Day, held Sept. 13 in and around Town Hall along Grubbs Road. While it’s difficult to know for sure, Manager John Schwend estimated the number of attendees was between 2,000 and 2,500, doubling last year’s crowd. “We heard...