Tawnya Panizzi stories

Cheswick resident Bruce Holtman carefully perused the newly released plans for upgrades to Rachel Carson Riverfront Park, noting the addition of restrooms, an elevated overlook and a boat dock. “I like it all,” said Holtman, a borough resident for 25 years. “I don’t know if we can afford it all,...

Vic Alvin stood in full Native American regalia, waiting to perform for a crowd of thousands at the 46th annual Pow Wow at the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Indiana Township. Alvin, 35, has been dancing his whole life. This year was more special because his oldest...

Overnight intermittent traffic stops will take place next week on Route 28 between the Harmar and Fox Chapel exits. PennDOT will be testing its wrong-way detection system at the off-ramps from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays. Vehicles could be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time. The...

The shuttered Rite Aid in Harrison is on the market for $1.75 million. It was among more than 70 Rite Aid pharmacies across the Pittsburgh area to close this summer amid company bankruptcy and restructuring. Other Rite Aid stores that closed locally include one on Oregon Drive in Lower Burrell,...

Motorists who travel along Harts Run Road in Indiana Township should plan extra time for their commute the next several weeks. A portion of the road will see temporary restrictions through mid-November, PennDOT announced Thursday. Work is expected to start Friday, with crews working in the area from Route 8...

For Tammy Jones, childhood Fourth of July celebrations were spent watching fireworks at her grandma’s house down the street from Pioneer Hose Company in Brackenridge. She continued the tradition with her own family until this year, when the 60-year pyrotechnic display was canceled after fundraising difficulties. “It was boring without...

Aspinwall resident Jeff Rogers and his family spend a lot of time walking from their Center Avenue home to activities, parks, shops and church. He says the town’s walkability is what got his family through the covid lockdown. “It’s a major asset to our community,” said Rogers, who also hits...

Jeffrey Glowatski could face six months in jail for a 2024 crash that took the life of an 11-year-old girl in Harrison’s Natrona section if he is found guilty of misdemeanor DUI. Glowatski, 65, of Harrison is charged with misdemeanor DUI after the vehicle he was driving struck Roxanne Bonnoni...

A sober-friendly cultural showcase in Sharpsburg will celebrate the power of creativity in addiction recovery. The Fresh A.I.R. (Art in Recovery) Festival opens Sept. 26, featuring art, writing, music, crafting, poetry, collage, photography, pottery, digital, textile, woodwork and more. “The event is centered around the themes of creativity, joy, resilience...

Sewickley Public Library remains closed until further notice after a leak from its heating and air conditioning system caused extensive water damage, according to a post on the library website. The community room, non-fiction section, computer area and staff workrooms were damaged. The problem was unrelated to recent work on...

A new “doughnut-style” pig pavilion at Blackberry Meadows in Fawn will help prevent soil erosion and, in turn, boost local food production. The 75-acre farm sells pastured pork, produce and eggs and also operates a Community Supported Agriculture program where people can buy herbs and produce directly from the Ridge...

Excessive rain in the spring followed by a hot, dry summer might be the weather pattern of the future. Experts point to atmospheric greenhouse gases that are higher than they’ve been in more than a million years for driving temperature changes. The abundance of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases...

The owner of a Tarentum beauty supply store knows exposure is the key to small-business success. Misty Woody, owner of Good Hair Boutique, is looking to the upcoming Tarentum Business Crawl to spur foot traffic and highlight some of the best the borough has to offer. “We have 11 locally...

People are invited to lace up their shoes and hit the pavement through a new prayer ministry at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel. A monthly prayer walk aims to connect people with the community around them – the ministry rotates between Blawnox, Fox Chapel and Sharpsburg. “We walk...

Lori Claus doesn’t live in Sharpsburg but that didn’t stop her from wanting to get involved in the small river town. Three years ago, she stumbled upon a webinar offered by the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization on how to implement community-minded projects. It resulted in the O’Hara resident spearheading an initiative...

Fourteen-year-old Kate Blakeslee is considering a future in medicine but said she’s learning crucial career skills through a new elective, greenhouse entrepreneurship, at Harvest Baptist Academy in Fawn. “We learn time management and teamwork, which are both important in any path you follow,” said Kate of Saxonburg. “We’ve gotten lectures...

Temporary traffic disruptions are expected in Tarentum over the next two weeks. Crews will begin replacing utility poles throughout the borough on Monday, starting along West Fourth Avenue. Work is part of the borough’s planning and maintenance program. The project will target nine locations, the last of which was added...

Pushing heavy carts full of food across gravel and potholes hasn’t been easy for volunteers at the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches in Harrison. The nonprofit serves nearly 500 families twice a month with produce, meat and dairy products. And, the group sees more than 17,000 people at the office...

Allegheny Health Network officials said a decision to shutter a longtime primary care office in New Kensington is unrelated to its office staff voting to unionize. United Physicians at 305 Seventh St. is expected to close by the end of the year, said Sarafina James, AHN senior public relations analyst....

A portion of Burtner Road in Harrison and Fawn will be closed through the end of the month for slide repair work. The closure is expected to start at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to PennDOT. Work will target the portion of Burtner Road from Pleasantville Road to Bachman Drive. PennDOT...

Historian Tom Powers is giving residents a peek into the evolution of Blawnox as the town prepares to celebrate its centennial. Born from a forested riverbank that transformed into Depreciation Lands, Blawnox was originally known as the village of Hoboken before growing into a bona fide manufacturing hub. “Even with...

One of Sharpsburg’s biggest events is set to make a return next year to coincide with the borough’s bicentennial. Open Streets, which in the past drew more than 3,000 people for a Main Street festival, is a fitting addition to the anniversary lineup, organizers said. It will showcase how the...

Lindsey Merzlak of Harrison remembers sitting in a Highlands Middle School science class when news broke that terrorists hijacked planes and struck the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. “My teacher put it on TV and nobody knew what was happening,” Merzlak said. “I remember...

Urgent care facilities in Harrison and Tarentum, less than 2 miles apart, will remain open despite each being rebranded to UPMC-GoHealth. The former UPMC Urgent Care in Harrison and Med­Express in Tarentum are not expected to consolidate, according to UPMC Senior Director of Public Relations Allison Hydzik. The facilities offer...

From crochet to pickleball and pottery to guitar, a world of learning opportunities is opening in Fox Chapel — and for these classes, children aren’t the ones headed back to class. Fox Chapel Area Adult Education opened registration on a slew of unique, quirky and traditional courses that will run...