Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 116
Former Harrison cop ‘Bucky’ Taraszewski just can’t seem to retire
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. When Floyd “Bucky” Taraszewski retired after nearly 50 years from the Harrison Township Police Department in 2016, his wife jokingly scolded him. “She told me I wasn’t just...
Video: The week’s top stories
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of July 21: • Fox Chapel Rotary raises $34,000 for Camp Guyasuta. • State grants pay to expand Sharpsburg docks. • Shady Side Academy video earns student Emmy nod. • Expect delays near Harts Run...
Photos: Science camp at Sharpsburg Community Library
Children who attended a four-day camp at Sharpsburg Community Library got an up-close look at how the human body works. GSK Science in the Summer, sponsored by Carnegie Science Center, was aimed at giving students a glimpse at biological systems that make humans alike and those elements that interact to...
Fox Chapel library shares untold stories of Apollo 11 landing
To mark the 50th anniversary of the awe-inspiring first steps on the moon, Cooper-Siegel Community Library will host a celebration with untold stories of the Apollo 11 landing mission. The space-themed event will mark Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin taking the first-ever steps on the moon. The library invites people...
Sharpsburg’s ‘Operation Backpack’ offers free school supplies
It’s almost that time of year to start thinking about backpacks, school supplies and fresh haircuts. Volunteers of America and Sharpsburg Family Worship Center hope to ease the expense for families with the annual Operation Backpack, an event where school-aged children can shop for back-to-school needs — all for free....
Plan to realign Aspinwall’s Brilliant Avenue on hold
A project to realign Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall has been put on hold while additional funding is sought, officials said. Work to reconfigure the intersection is aimed at creating a safer entrance to Aspinwall Riverfront Park and the borough’s public works complex. It was initially proposed in 2013 at an...
O’Hara’s Stage Right theater unveils new name
It’s a big year for Stage Right Performing Arts & Education. The group marked 55 years of community theater with a move to a new home at Aspinwall Riverfront Park and announced this week that there will be a name change as well. The new moniker — Riverfront Theater Company...
Animal Friends thanks Sharpsburg residents with low-cost pet adoption
Sharpsburg residents can make a low-cost pet adoption this weekend, thanks to the borough’s designation through Animal Friends as a Compassionate Community. The group along Camp Horne Road in Ohio Township will host a dog, cat and rabbit adoption event for Sharpsburg residents only on July 27. The event is...
O’Hara, Etna residents can expand property, fight blight
O’Hara and Etna residents can expand their property and fight blight at the same time, with help from an Allegheny County program. The 2019 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program runs through Sept. 30. It assists residents in purchasing and transforming vacant or dilapidated properties into usable space. O’Hara and...
Soccer club eyes upgrades to Middle Road fields in Indiana Township
Hampered by soggy field conditions, Fox Chapel Area Youth Soccer is launching a plan to upgrade the Middle Road complex that accommodates more than 700 athletes each season. “The soaking rains over the years have made field conditions difficult to maintain,” club President Jake Williams said. The fields sit on...
Saxonburg Boulevard closed daily for slide repairs
Landslide repairs along Saxonburg Boulevard in Indiana Township will necessitate a detour for motorists through the first week of August. Work near Harts Run Road was expected to begin today, PennDOT announced. Specifically, Saxonburg Boulevard will close from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays between Harts Run and Klein Road....
Video: This week’s top storiesVideo
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of July 14: • Ice Cream World serves its last scoop. • Expect traffic delays along Little Deer Creek Valley Road. • Hoboken church in Blawnox marks 140 years. • Chase Bank to fill vacant...
O’Hara bridge scheduled to reopen with new name after 5-month reconstruction
The Brownshill Road Bridge in O’Hara is scheduled to reopen next week with a new look and a new name. The span, closed for five months during reconstruction, will be called the Judith B. Spray Bridge in honor of a late township employee. A dedication ceremony will be hosted at...
Traffic delays continue in O’Hara for flood cleanup
As flood cleanup continues in O’Hara after the July 11 storms, motorists should expect delays along Kittanning Pike near the Sharpsburg border. The busy road will be restricted to single-lane alternating traffic from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Tuesday, PennDOT announced. Crews from Allison Park Contractors are conducting the...
Fox Chapel 12U boys make the most of play in Cooperstown
A triple play in Cooperstown, New York will be among the highlights for the Fox Chapel 12U boys baseball team which competed this week in a national tournament at the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. “The underdog role motivated the team and, after a slow start, we hit...
State grants provide expanded public docks in Sharpsburg
Fishing and boating enthusiasts have even more reason to spend the day at James Sharp Landing along the Allegheny River. New, larger docks were installed this month at the Sharpsburg hot spot along 13th Street. The cost was nearly $63,000, paid with grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and...
Hillman Performing Arts offers musicians, mentalists and modern-day circus
With seven new shows announced for the 2019-2020 season, the Hillman Performing Arts Series is bringing music, illusions and a modern-day circus to the stage at Shady Side Academy. The series kicks off Sept. 28 with Dom Flemons, known as the American Songster, in a solo acoustic performance of folk...
Sharpsburg camp gives teens a glimpse of gaming design
Ten lucky teens from Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale got the chance to attend an intensive hands-on gaming camp at Sharpsburg Community Library where they learned the ins and outs of design, storytelling and graphics. Sponsored by the Triboro Ecodistrict and presented by Heather Mallak and the Pittsburgh International Game Developers...
Still reeling from flood damage, Camp Guyasuta gets boost from Fox Chapel Rotary
The Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area brought in more than $34,000 at its annual Charity Golf Classic, much of which will be donated to help Camp Guyasuta recover from flood damage sustained in 2018. Portions of the money will also be distributed to local and international charities, Walter Jenkins,...
Harrison City Heat captures top spot at Summer Showdown
Harrison City Heat (Murrysville) and Legend Fastpitch (Kittanning) softball teams captured the top spots in the 14U division at the 2019 Summer Showdown, hosted by Penn Township Girls Softball Association July 12-14 at Penn Township Municipal Fields. The three-day competition, sponsored by the USSSA WPA, saw heated rivalries on the...
Video on gun violence earns Shady Side Academy Student Emmy nominationVideo
A teen-produced video about the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., has earned a Student Emmy nomination for Shady Side Academy. A team of six students and recent graduates worked on a WSSA-TV news story about gun violence following the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School,...
Video: Top stories of the week
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of July 7: • Torrential rain closes roads throughout Lower Valley. • UPMC St. Margaret earns 3rd Magnet designation. • Indiana Township road closes for 4 months. • Residential development OK’d near Beechwood Farms. For...
Indiana Township’s Ice Cream World serves its last scoopVideo
Five days after Ice Cream World opened in Indiana Township, the Flood of 1986 cascaded down Harts Run Road and water climbed to the window where thousands of hand-dipped cones have since been served. “We had an employee standing on the roof,” said Joel DeBaldo, owner of the old-school ice...
Expect delays on Little Deer Creek Valley Road through mid-August
Traffic restrictions will continue for several weeks on Little Deer Creek Valley Road in Indiana Township, PennDOT officials announced. Anyone traveling near the Lefever Road neighborhood should expect delays. Milling and paving is happening from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Crews from Tresco Paving will flag motorists into single...
Hoboken church in Blawnox marks 140 years with ‘big party’
When Hoboken Presbyterian Church first opened its doors in 1879 — 140 years ago — parishioners turned out to worship in a small school building near the Allegheny County Work House. The congregation grew and moved to the cavernous red brick building on the corner of North Avenue, just off...
