Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 101
O’Hara Eagle Scout leads construction of special bench at the Sharpsburg Community Garden
O’Hara teen Braden McCormick combined his mom’s passion for gardening and his desire to help feed the needy to earn his Eagle Scout rank from the Boy Scouts of America. McCormick spent more than 43 hours constructing a potting bench for the Sharpsburg Community Garden, a Main Street spot that...
Pittsburgh police investigate report of carjacking in Bloomfield
Pittsburgh police are investigating a reported carjacking early Saturday in the city’s Bloomfield neighborhood. Officers responded just before 9:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Taylor Street. According to the victim, a suspect brandished a weapon and took the SUV, Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said. Police spotted the stolen...
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy start date pushed to Sept. 8
Students at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy can return to the classroom five days a week, if families choose. The school along Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall is giving families the option of full-time in-person instruction or online learning from home, director of marketing Katie Lovett said. Either way, students...
Fox Chapel set to restore wetlands in Hardie Valley Park
Plans for Hardie Valley Park are underway in Fox Chapel with a six-year, $3.3 million development plan that includes wetland restoration and trail relocation. The borough purchased the highly-coveted 17-acre parcel in 2019, as it links the northern and southern tracts of the borough’s park system. “The new park will...
REAADY Foundation connecting students with mentors, support for new school year
A Bradford Woods resident is connecting retired teachers with students who are navigating the unique circumstances of this year’s return to school. Ken Nickel, founder of the REAADY Foundation, has launched the Open-Door Mentor program that pairs displaced and retired educators with students who are learning remotely from home. Nickel...
Former lumberyard will be site of new Sharpsburg public works facility
The site of a former Sharpsburg lumberyard will house the borough’s new public works facility. The nearly $700,000 price tag brings a long-needed upgrade and significant safety improvements over the current site, Mayor Matt Rudzki said. The new location, a vacant lot at 19th and Chapman streets, sits just a...
Officials seeking teen resident to represent Aspinwall as junior council person
Aspinwall officials are seeking a teenage resident with an interest in local government to serve as council’s next junior member. Offered through the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, the program provides high school students the chance to get a first-hand glimpse into the daily workings of their municipality. The Junior...
A look back at the happenings of the week of Aug. 9 in the Herald areaVideo
Here are some of the top stories from the Lower Valley this week: - O’Hara’s Squaw Valley Park renamed. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw, which is a slur against Native...
A dozen goats will scarf up vegetation along Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve trail
A dozen goats, herded by a donkey named Diamond, will scarf up vegetation along a trail at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel for the next few weeks. The temporary visitors are tasked with the important job of eating invasive plants near an ADA-compliant trail at the campus along...
News briefs: Pop-up clothing sale on tap at Sharpsburg thrift store
The nonprofit Second Harvest Community Thrift Store will host a pop-up clothing sale on Aug. 15 in Sharpsburg to help families with back-to-school shopping by offering low prices on essentials such as shoes, jeans and tops. The event will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at...
Barry Henck takes over as new pastor at Roots of Faith church in Sharpsburg
When Barry Henck landed in Pittsburgh four years ago this winter, he attended a small Bible study at Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg and unknowingly found his calling. “It was freezing cold and I’m standing in a packed room listening to Bible study and loving it,” said Henck, a native...
Shaler Area School District offers virtual workshop to help students navigate new routines
Shaler Area School District families can participate in a virtual conference to help navigate the unique back-to-school experience brought on by the coronavirus. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the remote workshop will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 19. “Together at Home: Back2School” aims to help...
O’Hara Council meeting Zoom bombed before residents continue park-renaming argument
People who tuned into O’Hara Council’s Zoom meeting Tuesday night got an earful that wasn’t about township parks or sewers. Council was the victim of at least two Zoom bombers who unloaded a barrage of vulgarities throughout the first 20 minutes of the remote meeting. The pranksters were able to...
Aspinwall eyes improvements to reduce stormwater overflow to section of Alley A
Aspinwall is eyeing improvements to a section of Alley A that are expected to help reduce stormwater overflow. The cost of the project is $268,660. Work will target a section of Alley A from Center to Western avenues and is expected to be started in the near future, according to...
Fox Chapel Area students in all grades can decide between hybrid model or online learning
Fox Chapel Area students at all grade levels will have the option of returning to class two days a week or learning entirely online. The school board on Monday night approved the district’s return-to-school plan with a vote of 6-3. Board members Amy Cooper, Edie Cook and Dharmesh Vyas opposed,...
Foxwall EMS Chief Josh Worth leaves to take job in West Virginia
From a new bike crew to increased assistance for opioid users, Foxwall’s Josh Worth worked to build stronger relationships with Lower Valley residents during his three years as chief. Worth announced last week that he was leaving the Fox Chapel-based group for an out-of-state job. His last day was Aug....
The Herald student news for Aug. 8
Shady Side Academy rising junior Karen Linares Mendoza has been named as a student member of the board of the Beckwith Institute, a health care group dedicated to improving patient care. Mendoza will serve a two-year term and joins rising senior Nora Navid on the board for 2020-21. Each year,...
Shaler Area School District opts to delay start of school, begin with remote learning
Shaler Area students will start the school year late and when they do, it will be with a 100% virtual learning plan. The school board on Aug. 6 delayed the start of the 2020-21 school year to Sept. 8 and also approved a remote learning model for all students for...
News briefs: Free school supplies for students available in Sharpsburg
Youth Empowerment Project of Sharpsburg, along with Sharpsburg Family Worship Center, will distribute free school supplies for students. The event will be 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 15 at 600 Clay St., Sharpsburg. Visit sfwc.org to register for a time slot or call 412-799-0701. —- There will be a single-lane...
No browsing but pair of community libraries to open for computer, printer use
You can’t browse the shelves yet but Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its affiliated Sharpsburg Community Library will open Monday for patrons to use computers, fax services and printers. Use is by appointment only. Jill McConnell, executive director of the libraries, said she is thrilled to be able to offer the...
O’Hara, Etna residents can take advantage of county program to fight blight
O’Hara and Etna residents can take advantage of an Allegheny County program to fight blight and at the same time expand their property at a discounted price. The 2020 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program runs for a limited time through Sept. 30. It assists residents who want to buy...
O’Hara resident’s upcoming book delves into history, science, Greek mythology
Oncology nurse-turned-author Danielle Ancona will take readers on an ethereal journey through history, science and Greek mythology in her upcoming release, “By Immortal Honor Bound.” It is the first book in the O’Hara resident’s “Of Alchemy & Angels” series and is due out Nov. 4. “My hope is this book...
O’Hara Council: Squaw Valley Park is now O’Hara Township Community Park
People watching the O’Hara Council meeting online via Zoom on Tuesday night erupted in cheers and applause following a vote to rename Squaw Valley Park. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw...
Millvale police searching for man accused of beating cousin with baseball bat
Millvale police are searching for a man who they say beat his cousin within inches of his life during an afternoon fight on Aug. 1. Julio Jenaro, a borough resident, is wanted on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and two counts of reckless endangerment after being accused of beating...
Fox Chapel Area School Board to vote Aug. 10 on back-to-school plan with options
Fox Chapel Area School Board will vote Aug. 10 on its back-to-school plan, with the outside chance that elementary students would return to classes full-time. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac made a lengthy presentation during a special board meeting Monday, saying that plans currently include hybrid and online options for families...
