Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 11
Solar panels at Highlands greenhouse could save district $70K
Highlands School District will all but eliminate an electric bill for its greenhouse with the installation of solar panels. The move could mean savings of up to $70,000 over the next 25 years, according to experts at PA Solar Center, a Pittsburgh-based advisory group that facilitated the initiative. “Electricity rates...
Nearly 700 without power in Harrison after car crash
Portions of Harrison are without power after two utility poles were hit in a single-vehicle crash Friday morning. Harrison police posted to its social media, saying a large truck knocked over two poles and several wires on Saxonburg Road between Olive Avenue and Village Green apartments. Saxonburg Road is temporarily...
Jim Bonner to retire as head of Audubon Society of Western Pa.
When Jim Bonner retires next month as executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, he plans to steal away to the massive woodshop in the basement of his 1885 Victorian home in Tarentum. “That’s probably where you’ll find me,” said Bonner, who is stepping down after 21 years....
Road restrictions to be in effect during Tarentum paving program
Motorists who drive through Tarentum can expect temporary restrictions on some streets in September, when the borough kicks off its paving program. Milling and paving is scheduled for the following roads: • Summit Street from 10th Avenue to 8th Avenue • Fentzell Alley from Roup Street to 8th Avenue •...
Harrison to select new commissioner from among 5 applicants
Five residents have applied to fill the vacant Harrison Commissioners position, officials said. The board is expected to narrow the field and nominate a new member during a meeting at 6 p.m. Monday. The open seat was created earlier this summer when longtime member Chuck Dizard resigned. There are about...
New name, new vibe on tap for Harrison’s Anchor Inn
A pair of well-known restaurateurs are setting their sights on Harrison, seeking to revive the popular Anchor Inn that closed in May. Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson, owners of BotL in New Kensington and National Public House in Leechburg, purchased the building and are wading through details for a new...
Highlands hires new high school principal
Highlands High School has a new principal. Patrick Baughman started his new role Tuesday. He will be paid $130,000. He replaces Mike Toole, who led the high school since May 2023. Toole left the district for a role as principal at Logan Elementary in the East Allegheny School District. “We...
Highlands School Board appoints new member in Region 1
The Highlands School Board has a new member. Fawn resident Kelly Powell will fill the vacancy created by the Aug. 1 resignation of Justin Kipp. The school board appointed her Monday. “I’m looking forward to building trust with the community,” said Powell, former administrative director of the PA Association for...
‘We didn’t get justice’: Questions surround charges filed in Natrona girl’s death
For almost a year, Heather Bonnoni has known the name of the man she feels is responsible for her niece’s death. She kept it secret on the advice of legal experts as they sought “full justice” for 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni, who died after being run over by a vehicle on...
Faces of the Valley: Brackenridge’s Marlene Haggerty, 90, ‘keeps on going’ at work, church, volunteering
Marlene Haggerty doesn’t believe in sitting still. The 90-year-old Brackenridge resident works full time as a medical biller, teaches Sunday school and serves as an Allegheny County judge of elections. “I wish I knew my secret, but the truth is: I’m just active,” Haggerty said. “It keeps you going.” Born...
Tarentum police enjoy Olive Garden lunch served by Highlands Golden Rams
Tarentum police Chief Bill Vakulick said building relationships with the community’s youth is one of his officers’ most important roles. On Thursday, the department connected with members of the Highlands High School football team during a special lunch. The goal was to foster positive connections between students and law enforcement....
Community Supermarket in Harrison sets closing date
Harrison has about two months left with a grocery store in the heart of town. George Sears, general manager of Community Supermarket, said the store will tentatively close Oct. 31. It has operated at Heights Plaza since 2002. “It could be a week earlier, depending on how things go,” he...
Tarentum residents can report nonemergency issues online
Tarentum residents have a new way to report nonemergency issues to the borough. Officials are rolling out an online reporting form at tarentumboro.com. People can report things like potholes, broken streetlights, graffiti and downed trees. Property maintenance concerns also can be submitted. The reports will be read directly by borough...
Driver faces DUI, but not homicide charges in Natrona girl’s death; family attorney reacts
Police said a Harrison man drank 12 beers before getting behind the wheel of a Jeep that struck and killed an 11-year-old girl in Natrona last summer. Allegheny County Police on Wednesday charged Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, with three counts of DUI and two counts of careless driving in connection with...
Highlands Elementary students show kindness to HOPE Center in Tarentum
Highlands Elementary School has put kindness into the curriculum. It launched the Be the Kind Kid Club in 2023-24 to promote courtesy, teamwork and friendliness. It has grown 200%, from about 90 students to more than 270 who meet weekly. In an effort to keep the motto front and center,...
O’Hara resident has opened her home to 9 international students, seeks families to do the same
Carol Huff feels like she has seen far-flung parts of the world without ever leaving her O’Hara home. An AFS-USA volunteer, Huff has hosted international students for the past 25 years, including those from Germany, Iceland, Italy, Kuwait and Pakistan. “I’ve learned so much as a person from my students,”...
Great Heinz Caper returns for 3rd year with ‘Ghostbusters’-themed fundraiser
Who you gonna call? A ghost is haunting the streets of Sharpsburg, just in time for the third annual Great Heinz Caper. The live-action community scavenger hunt invites people to canvas the borough, from the James Sharp Landing to the property where the iconic Heinz condiment company was born in...
Charges pending in Harrison crash that killed 11-year-old girl
Roxanne Bonnoni’s family might finally get closure. Authorities are poised to file charges nearly a year after the 11-year-old was struck and killed near her home in the Natrona section of Harrison. “Before charging decisions were made, it was important that the District Attorney had the opportunity to meet with...
Brackenridge hires Manager Chad Edwards to lead borough
For the first time in recent history, Brackenridge has a borough manager. Council hired West Virginia resident Chad Edwards to lead the borough’s day-to-day business. He most recently served as Village Manager of East Palestine, Ohio, coming on board months after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment. Edwards was...
Sharpsburg Community Garden invites public to enjoy harvest at annual party
The harvest is happening at the Sharpsburg Community Garden and members want to share it. An annual garden party, free to the community, will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 16 with revelers mingling among the crops and the adjacent Sharpsburg Community Library along Main Street. “Gardeners...
Highlands to conduct public interviews for school board vacancy
A new Highlands School Board member is expected to be appointed next week. The school board on Monday night accepted the resignation of board member Justin Kipp, who was not at the meeting. “It is with regret that I make the motion,” board member Gene Witt said. Kipp announced his...
Horizon Market in Tarentum fills void with healthy food options
A small independent grocery store in Tarentum is filling a big void. Horizon Market along Sixth Avenue has only a few aisles, but they’re stocked with locally sourced items like Wholey’s shrimp and Syrian bread from Fazio’s. Specialty sandwiches and gourmet pastries sit alongside milk, chicken, ground meat and produce...
Former music teacher Darlene Ryniec says ‘God called her’ to be pastor at Harrison, Freeport churches
When the United Methodist Council tried to draw Darlene Ryniec out of retirement, the Buffalo Township pastor questioned whether she was up to it. “I didn’t know if I could do it, but I love ministry and I was getting a boost every time they asked me to be a...
Saturday fire in New Kensington considered suspicious
A fire early Saturday in New Kensington is considered suspicious, authorities said. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that police are investigating the blaze along Sixth Avenue as potentially intentional. “On behalf of the New Kensington police department, we can confirm that police and a Pennsylvania State Police fire...
New mobile app could help save honeybee hives, protect $20 billion in agriculture
Honeybee colonies in the United States are projected to decline by up to 70% this year, entomologists say. And that could spell economic disaster. According to the American Beekeeping Federation, honeybees contribute about $20 billion to the value of crop production in the country. But master beekeeper Joe Zgurzynski of...
