Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 115
Sharpsburg and Etna National Night Out honored first responders
Sharpsburg and Etna celebrated their inaugural National Night Out on Aug. 6, drawing crowds to meet and greet with local first responders. Hosted at the Gateway Portal, along Bridge and North Main streets, the shared event was meant to boost relationships among neighbors and emergency personnel. “It was a fun...
Roots of Faith’s VBS a success
Roots of Faith’s vacation bible school had children roaring with laughter, friendship and lessons on Christianity through themed activities at “God’s Wild Kingdom Camp.” The Rev. Scott Shaffer, pastor at Roots’ sister church Faith United Methodist, summed up the successful program by saying, “Life is Wild, God is Good.” About...
Bishop Zubik reflects on clergy sex abuse scandal a year after grand jury reportVideo
Bishop David Zubik outlined a renewed commitment to healing victims, financial transparency and continued listening one year after the release of the state’s grand jury report on child sex abuse by Catholic clergy. “The church is profoundly indebted to those courageous victims/survivors who have helped us grow in understanding the...
Police: Man in wheelchair attempted to rob South Side bank
Pittsburgh police are searching for a man who they said tried to rob a South Side bank Tuesday before changing his mind and fleeing in a wheelchair. A bank teller said the man in a wheelchair entered the First National Bank at about 3:30 p.m and handed over a note...
Police attend Kerr Elementary student’s birthday party
There were flashing lights at Cruz Elliot’s birthday party, but not the kind you’d expect at a 7-year-old’s celebration. To mark his big day, the Kerr Elementary youngster requested to spend the day with his “best friends” — police officers from across the Lower Valley. “It was my best day!”...
Dole recalls baby spinach for salmonella concerns
Dole is recalling batches of baby spinach amid salmonella concerns. The company issued a voluntary recall for 6-ounce bags (Lot code W20308A) and 10-ounce clamshells (Lot code W203010), both with use-by dates of Aug. 5. No illnesses have been reported, but a sample of baby spinach tested positive for salmonella...
Man grazed by bullet in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting late Monday in the city’s Hill District. A man was grazed in the knee with a bullet, according to Cara Cruz, public information officer for the department. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter notification just after 11:15 p.m. in the 600 block of Elmore Street....
Squaw Valley Park tennis courts closed
The tennis courts at Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara remain closed after a portion of the surface buckled, township officials announced. Manager Julie Jakubec said she expects repairs to be made within two weeks, weather permitting. “There is a roll towards the back left corner,” she said. “We are waiting...
Wilkinsburg man killed in Penn Hills shooting
A Wilkinsburg man was shot and killed early Monday in Penn Hills, according to authorities. Curtiss E. Meeks Jr., 48, was pronounced dead at the scene early Monday when police found him in the street with several gunshot wounds. The incident happened just after 2 a.m. in the 1200 block...
Fire erupts in Moon Township when Jeep strikes gas line
No one was injured Sunday night when an unoccupied Jeep rolled into a Moon Township home, hit a gas line and burst into flames, according to Moon Township police. Members of the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company responded at about 10:30 p.m. to the 200 block of Scottsdale Drive where...
County Deputy Sheriff Bart Hennessy of Richland remembered fondly
Allegheny County Deputy Sheriff Bart Hennessy is being remembered by colleagues as a skilled law enforcement officer and “an even better person.” District Attorney Stephen Zappala posted his sympathies online Friday to Hennessy’s family after the longtime sheriff passed away Tuesday at the age of 59. “He will be greatly...
This week in the Lower Alle-Kiski Valley
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of Aug. 4: • Blawnox cracks down on code violations. • Fox Chapel Area ready for new school year. • Fox Chapel pastor encourages unity in wake of recent shootings nationwide. • Rabies bait to...
Fox Chapel Farmers Market enjoys success in 9th season
The smell of freshly baked pizza wafted across the campus of Shady Side Academy Senior School on a Wednesday afternoon while the sounds of jazz played in the background. Dozens of people strolled between vendors at the Fox Chapel Farmers Market, in its ninth season, near the school’s McIlroy Center...
In wake of recent shootings, Fox Chapel pastor aims to ‘build community’
In the wake of a deadly weekend during which 32 people were killed in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, a local preacher is stretching out his arms and inviting people of all denominations to his Fox Chapel church. “We need to build community,” said the Rev....
Fox Chapel’s Kerr Elementary ready to welcome students back to school
The countdown is on. In just about a week, Fox Chapel Area students will head back to class. District officials have been busy readying new courses, programs and building upgrades for the Aug. 22 start. Kerr Elementary students will start the year in the new $21 million building that was...
Glass recycling event coming to O’Hara
A pop-up event in O’Hara will give residents a chance to discard glass items which will be recycled into mayonnaise jars, beer bottles and other consumer products. The collection will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 14 in the municipal lot, 325 Fox Chapel Road. Presented by the Pennsylvania...
Blawnox cracking down on code violations
Blawnox code enforcement will have extra teeth thanks to an ordinance recently approved by council. The Quality of Life law is meant to enable Code Enforcement Officer Mallori McDowell to crack down on time-sensitive issue like high grass, trash and snow removal. “The biggest problem we had was that the...
Kids crusade in Sharpsburg offers puppets, games and music
Music, disco lights and messy games are all part of a “radical” end-of-summer kids crusade this week in Sharpsburg. Children 12 and younger are invited to Sharpsburg Family Worship Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 14-16 for a vacation bible camp like no other, said youth minister Jamie Horne....
The week’s top storiesVideo
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of July 28: • Plan to realign Aspinwall intersection on hold. • Stage Right theater group unveils new name. • Open seat on Sharpsburg council. • Blawnox council appoints Acting Manager. For more news and...
Butler Street ramp to Highland Park Bridge to close for sewer repair
Motorists who access the Highland Park Bridge from Butler Street near the Pittsburgh Zoo should allow themselves extra time this weekend. The ramp to the Highland Park Bridge will close Thursday at 8 p.m. and reopen around midnight on Sunday, PennDOT announced. Crews from the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority...
Blawnox manager resigns; council appoints familiar face to interim position
Blawnox manager John Stinner has resigned, just after celebrating his second year with the borough. It was an abrupt departure which necessitated an emergency council meeting for members to decide how to move forward. “John accepted a position as manager at Jefferson Hills that is a closer commute to his...
Matt Brudnok resigns from Sharpsburg council; replacement sought
Those interested in helping to steer the future of Sharpsburg have a chance — there is an open seat on council effective July 31. Council member Matt Brudnok is resigning because he’s moving out of the borough. He was elected in November 2017 and was sworn into office in January...
National Night Out celebrations aim to boost community connections
Thousands of local residents are expected to mark National Night Out on Aug. 6 with an annual celebration in Aspinwall and a first-ever event hosted by Sharpsburg and Etna. Revelers will gather to celebrate community connections, organizers said. Hailed as a night of appreciation for first responders, the event is...
State releases audit for Sharpsburg fire relief group
The Sharpsburg Fireman’s Relief Association got the ‘all clear’ from audits released by state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. Finances from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2018, were reviewed. The goal is to determine whether the group complied with laws pertaining to state aid and expenses paid by relief funds....
Sharpsburg church offers monthly programs for addiction recovery
A Sharpsburg-based addiction recovery program will offer several events in August and September that are free and open to the public. Addiction Recovery Ministry, based out of St. Juan Diego Parish, will have the following programs: - A reflection at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at Adat Shalom, 368 Guys Run...
