Natalie Beneviat stories, Page 4
Franklin Park teen establishes nonprofit clothing company to help victims of domestic abuse
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 &...
North Allegheny among 6 Western Pa. districts accepted into League of Innovative Schools
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...
North Allegheny School District to implement AI task force
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...
Owl good now: McCandless cop frees animal trapped in family’s badminton net
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...
Millvale to celebrate 3 years of revamped Free Fridge and Pantry with costume giveaway
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...
North Allegheny survey scores high on district quality, falls short on respect among students
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...
North Allegheny gearing up for annual homecoming festivities Oct. 3
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...
McCandless Community Day doubles its attendance with longer day, more offerings
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...
Energy Transfer gives $10,000 toward gear for McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority
A recent grant of more than $10,000 to the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority helped purchase vital turnout gear for its members, thanks to a First Responder Fund by Energy Transfer. The grant was announced with a check presentation Sept. 15 at the MFPAA board meeting held at the main station...
Upcoming supper club fundraiser for refugee family to feature Guatemalan fare
Roxana’s Supper Club, featuring Guatemalan-style nachos, barbecue chicken and fried broccoli on Sept. 28 in McCandless, is more than a meal. It’s also a fundraiser to support a new refugee family as they settle into their new home in the United States. Roxana, a refugee from Guatemala who is here...
McCandless ordinance requires dog owners to control their pets in public
McCandless officials are asking pet owners to be more responsible with their dogs. Pet should be leashed in public areas and cleaned up after, as stated in an ordinance passed during the Sept. 8 McCandless Council meeting. “There had been concern in a few neighborhoods about dogs that had been...
Teen black belt hopes for big break, seeks votes in national contest for Youth Athlete of the Year
David Cobbey, a Taekwon-do black belt student from McCandless, can be one step closer to becoming the Youth Athlete of the Year if he gets the most online votes by Sept. 18. Winners will be featured in a 3Brand advertisement in Sports Illustrated and receive $25,000. Now a quarter-finalist, anyone...
Design phase on 3 North Allegheny elementary schools, senior high Phase 1 to start in Dec.
A detailed presentation on renovations at Hosack, Ingomar and Peebles elementary schools, as well as Phase One of North Allegheny Senior High School, was presented to the school board at its working meeting Sept. 10. The design phase is proposed for December. The estimated costs of the four projects, which...
Intergenerational exchange of Adopt a Grandparent Storytime brings joy to seniors
At least one Thursday every month, any resident can be a grandparent at Ridgecrest of McCandless. And it’s all thanks to the Adopt a Grandparent Storytime, where people living at the personal care and memory care facility meet up with community members for singing, dancing and laughing. “This program is...
Local team wins robotics contest in Netherlands
A robotics-savvy group of students from the North Hills won the First Tech Challenge European Premier Event 2025 held over the Fourth of July weekend in the Netherlands. Team 8393, or the Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team, created a robot that was both autonomous and driver-based, performing various exercises against...
Franklin Park’s paving program chips away at resurfacing some of borough’s oldest roads
Franklin Park’s fall paving program is in full swing, covering 2.76 miles of roads this year. This is a drop in paving miles from previous years because of budget cuts, according to borough Manager Zach Filous. Historically, the borough averaged about 4.5 miles of road paving each year. Budgetary restrictions...
‘The full experience’: Firefighter for Day strives to educate, inspire participants to join
Spending a day as a firefighter Sept. 20 in Franklin Park could lead to bigger things. At least that is the hope for participating fire departments of Firefighter for a Day, planned for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company’s main station, 2360 Rochester Road. “It’s...
Bradford Woods nixes pedestrian walkway idea; Bradford Road to be narrowed to slow traffic
A pedestrian walkway was nixed as a possible addition to Bradford Road in Bradford Woods, an area that locals say has become unsafe for pedestrians. The borough had proposed a pedestrian walkway along the stretch of road at its meeting in July as a way to provide a safer area...
Bark in the Park aims to raise adoption awareness about pups on euthanasia lists
Bark in the Park on Sept. 13 in North Park is more than just a fun event for pups and people. It’s a real chance to help save animals’ lives. The event, set for noon to 5 p.m. at the McCandless and Pine Ridge shelters, has a mission of getting...
North Allegheny’s Class of 1975 to mark 50th reunion with tour of school, meet-up, golf outing
The Class of 1975, the first graduates of North Allegheny Senior High School, is having a reunion from 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 20 at Wildwood Country Club. The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a tour of the “new” high school. The event is for “any person who...
Public input sought on replacement of Spang Road bridge in Marshall
The window for Marshall residents to offer input online to Allegheny County Public Works regarding the replacement of a bridge on Spang Road is Sept. 10-24. Big Sewickley Creek Bridge No. 7, which carries Spang Road into Warrendale, is considered too narrow. The project aims to improve safety and traffic...
North Allegheny School District’s business office recognized for financial practices
North Allegheny School District’s business and finance department received high marks recently, winning national recognition for excellence in two categories. The district received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association for its annual comprehensive report for the fiscal year ending June 30,...
McCandless planning bigger, better blowout for 2025 Community Day
A longer day and more space are on the docket for this year’s McCandless Community Day, set for Sept. 13 at Town Hall and the surrounding grounds off Grubbs Road. McCandless’ premier community event will kick off at 1 p.m., an earlier start time compared to past years, and end...
Girl Scouts educate others about composting as part of project to earn Silver Award
Composting is a great way to eliminate food waste and clean the air, according to two Girl Scouts at Northland Public Library in McCandless on Aug. 7, who were there hosting a hands-on activity to learn more about the effort. Amelia Shaffer, 13, and Salem Elewononi, 14, set up tables...
Tree-climbing school goes out on a limb to teach safety to pros and homeowners alike
Saying that a recent tree-climbing school was hands-on is a bit of an understatement. As an arboreal activity that requires a whole-body commitment, the course held Aug. 12-15 by Penn State Extension drew 11 participants, from professionals looking to brush up on their skills to homeowners interested in doing their...

