Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 108
Shaler, Etna pool openings to be determined
Swimming pools in Etna and Shaler could open this summer, officials said, pending recommendations from the Allegheny County and state health departments. Decisions could come later this month, when both councils are scheduled to meet. “We are waiting for direction,” Tim Rogers, Shaler manager, said. Commissioners meet on May 12...
Fox Chapel Area High School switches annual talent show to virtual format
In lieu of its annual year-end talent show, Fox Chapel Area High School is moving forward with an online version to showcase singing, dancing, magic or other entertaining capabilities. Video production teacher Ryan Devlin is seeking submissions from students through May 31. The show will be called “FC’s At Home...
Shady Side Academy students, teacher using 3D printer to make PPE
Shady Side Academy students are using the school’s 3D printers to help battle covid-19. Teacher Jesse Robinson and four students have set a hefty goal of producing 5,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) for Pittsburgh’s frontline workers. Junior Nick Zana spearheaded the project after noticing people from the global...
St. Margaret Foundation honors frontline workers with sign
Passersby are likely to notice a colorful addition to the front lawn at UPMC St. Margaret along Freeport Road, near Aspinwall. The St. Margaret Foundation erected a block-letter sign that stood waist-high in rainbow colors and reads “Thank U UPMC St. Margaret Heroes,” “As the employees drive in and out...
Fox Chapel Area High School announces end of year plans
Fox Chapel Area seniors will have a prom and graduation, providing the CDC guidelines permit, district officials announced this week. “Ideas are constantly evolving,” High School Principal Michael Hower said. He emailed families to detail of flurry of school activities that are being rescheduled for summer, when coronavirus-related restrictions are...
Etna installing ADA-compliant curb ramps
Traffic delays in Etna will be sporadic through June after a project launched this week to install ADA-compliant curb ramps. Work will require single-lane alternating traffic, typically between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to PennDOT officials. Projects are being targeted in the following areas: - Freeport-Butler street from Washington...
Aspinwall beginning $200,000 worth of road work this week
Aspinwall is making up for last year’s postponed paving program by getting an early jump on $200,000 in work this week. Borough officials expect paving to start Monday and last through Friday, dependent on the weather. Residents are reminded to pay attention to the No Parking notices that will be...
Camp Guyasuta planning to hold summer sessions — with modifications
Summer STEM sessions at Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara are moving forward but will look a little different this year, with an eye toward coronavirus concerns, organizers said. Water fountains will be converted to bottle filling stations and touchless check-in will be instituted, among other changes at the Boy Scout-owned camp....
Fox Chapel Area School District move-up days being held virtually
As the school year begins to wind down, high school seniors aren’t the only students missing out on traditional year-end milestones. May lower classmen are waiting to hear how their “move-up” days or class-level graduations will be celebrated. At Fox Chapel Area, staff at the four elementary schools are working...
Fox Chapel area top stories from the week of April 26Video
Here are some of the week’s top stories from the Lower Valley: - St. Margaret Foundation spends $50,000 on gift cards for hospital staff. - Memorial Day parades canceled amid coronavirus. - Fox Chapel Area elects new superintendent. - Sharpsburg has buddy program for those in need....
Waste Management resuming collection of bulk items, yard waste
Waste Management will resume regular collections on Monday, about five weeks after halting some specialized pick-ups in an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus. This means yard waste like grass clippings and tree limbs, as well as bulk items like furniture or appliances, can be set at the curb...
Etna police seek help locating woman, 20, missing since January
Etna police need help locating a 20-year-old woman missing since Jan. 9. Kaylene Oehling, 20, is about 5 feet, 2 inches and 110 pounds. She has dark brown hair and wears glasses. She sometimes goes by the name Kaylene Young. Police said Oehling last contacted her mother at about 1:30...
St. Margaret Foundation thanks employees with gift cards
Nearly 2,000 UPMC St. Margaret employees got a thank-you in the form of a $25 gift card this week for fighting on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. “Not all heroes wear capes,” St. Margaret Foundation President Mary Lee Gannon said. “The real heroes wear scrubs.” The Giant Eagle gift...
No injuries reported in Arnold fire
No one was injured in a fire Wednesday morning along Arnold’s Victoria Avenue. Arnold Volunteer Engine Co. No. 2 Fire Chief Keith Dziobak said no one was home when crews responded to the fire in the 1500 block of Victoria Avenue at about 7 a.m. The fire appeared to start...
Fox Chapel Area School Board special meeting will reveal new superintendent, grad plans
Fox Chapel Area School Board will host a special meeting Tuesday during which the district could reveal its new superintendent as well as potential graduation plans amid the covid-19 school closure. Board members are expected to vote on a superintendent after a five-month nationwide search. A committee narrowed a pool...
Shady Side Academy planning on-campus commencement in summer
Shady Side Academy seniors will have an on-campus commencement despite the still-unfolding coronavirus outbreak. Leaders said Thursday they are committed to celebrating the school’s seniors, even if the event doesn’t resemble their traditional ceremony. “Several groups are exploring alternate options for end-of-year events across the four campuses,” Jen Roupe, director...
Historian, author Tom Powers hosting virtual program on O’Hara
Beyond its tree-covered hillsides and cozy locale along the Allegheny River, O’Hara has a rich history that includes several surprises, according to local historian Tom Powers. The lifelong resident plans to recount highlights of his book, “Portrait of American Community,” in a virtual workshop at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Powers hopes...
Plum library gets a gold star
Plum Community Library is among a handful across the state to earn a gold star for its commitment to the community, particularly now while providing public services despite being closed amid coronavirus concerns. The site along Center-New Texas Road is a PA Forward Star Library, as designated by the Pennsylvania...
Special Olympics of Pennsylvania cancels Summer Games
Special Olympics Pennsylvania has canceled its Summer Games scheduled for June at Penn State University in State College. In a news release, the group cited safety precautions related to coronavirus as the reason for the cancellation. The group said it plans to host Virtual Games during the same time, from...
Man found dead in Troy Hill house fireVideo
A man was found dead in an overnight house fire in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill section, public safety officials said. Gerard Anthony Koch, 56, was discovered on the first floor of the home and was pronounced dead at the scene. The death was accidental and was caused by thermal and inhalation...
Employee at McDonald’s in Allegheny Township tests positive for coronavirus
An employee at the McDonald’s restaurant in Allegheny Township has tested positive for covid-19, causing a temporary closure of the restaurant along Hyde Park Road. Owner Dan Delligatti said the site is being sanitized and is expected to reopen when cleaning is complete. “Our highest priority is to protect the...
Mad Mex chills quarantine with frozen ‘Mad Mar-GO-ritas’
Mad Mex is battling low spirits amid coronavirus with its Mad Mar-GO-ritas, the popular restaurant chain announced Wednesday. Available at all open locations, the 32-ounce frozen beverages are available for takeout. Cost is $15. Margaritas-to-go are citrus-flavored beverages that are Pa.-takeout-approved, the company posted on social media, along with the...
Giant Eagle employee in Beaver County tests positive for covid-19
Giant Eagle has confirmed that another one of its employees has tested positive for covid-19. The person works at the store in Rochester, Beaver County, according to a release on the company website. The company said the affected worker was last in the Rochester store on April 6. The store...
Cops: Man shot in chest crashes car near McKees Rocks police station
A man is in critical condition after being shot in the chest and crashing his car near the McKees Rocks police station late Tuesday, Allegheny County police said. Emergency crews responded around 11:30 p.m. after a Ford Taurus crashed in front of the station along Bell Avenue. Inside, they said...
Pittsburgh police cruiser damaged in hit-and-run, driver sought
Pittsburgh police are searching for the driver of a vehicle that crashed into a police SUV then fled, pubic safety officials said The hit-and-run happened about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of Brighton Road in the city’s California-Kirkbride neighborhood. Officers were leaving the Zone 1 station when the...
