Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 127
Video: Duquesne University Choirs at Fox Chapel Presbyterian ChurchVideo
As part of its special music event series, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church hosted a concert of the Duquesne University Choirs that included the Voices of Spirit, directed by Caron Daley, and the University Singers, directed by Joseph Stuligross. The choirs regularly perform around Pittsburgh and the region....
World Day of Prayer in Fox Chapel features Slovenian missionaries
Missionaries Scott and Lisa Boyd were the guest speakers at the March 1 World Day of Prayer in Fox Chapel. Themed “Come — Everything is Ready,” the event was hosted by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church along Powers Run Road. The annual ecumenical event is meant to bring together local churches...
Fox Chapel considering new public works building to replace aging structure
Fox Chapel Council is expected to move forward with a $5 million multi-year project to replace its aging public works facilities, officials said. The existing steel buildings are rusting and inefficient, Manager Gary Koehler said, but moving the project forward depends on whether bids are reasonable. Reconstruction has been on...
Fox Chapel’s Nico Castracani named U16 state skiing champ
Central Catholic sophomore and Fox Chapel resident Nico Castracani won the state Alpine Racing Championship on Feb. 24 and will advance to the Eastern Championships in Maine. Castracani was crowned the U16 state champ as the Men’s Overall Winner at Blue Mountain Resort in eastern Pennsylvania. It’s the fourth consecutive...
Photo Gallery: Etna’s Winter Street Skate
On a day when most people were talking about the region’s wind gusts that reached up to 61 mph, Etna was putting on a street party — complete with a free ice skating rink. “It was awesome,” Manager Mary Ellen Ramage said. “We had to batten down a lot of...
Mushroom Club welcomes new members at Beechwood Farms kickoff
The president of the Western PA Mushroom Club admits the idea of a monthly fungi-related meet-up might sound peculiar. But Cecily Franklin said there’s no better way to learn about foraging for finds whose edibility range from delicious to deadly. “It can actually be a matter of life and death,”...
Video: The Herald weekly news highlights
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of Feb. 18: • Anonymous donor steps up for Sharpsburg Community Library • Site preparation moving forward at Riverfront 47 in Aspinwall and Sharpsburg • Traffic near Highland Park Bridge restricted through March 1 •...
Fox Chapel trails ready for spring despite heavy flood damage in 2018
Fox Chapel walking trails will be open in time for spring hikes despite sustaining major damage during the 2018 summer floods, officials announced Friday. “We sustained a tremendous amount of damage during the July floods and continued rainy weather,” Mayor Alex Scott said. “I want to thank our public works...
Aspinwall targets Freeport Road safety and amenities with new study
Bike lanes, bus shelters and increased parking could all be in store for Freeport Road in Aspinwall. Amenities will depend on the results of a safety study, which kicked off last week. Council hired consulting firm TranSystem to study the corridor and its opportunities for walkers, riders and those who...
Traffic near Highland Park Bridge reduced to single lanes through next week
Motorists who travel near the Highland Park Bridge can expect slight delays for the next week. Inspections will be conducted at the interchanges, reducing traffic to single lanes near Sharpsburg, O’Hara and Aspinwall, PennDOT announced. Work will be done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be single-lane restrictions...
Indiana Township officials to consider billboard near Pa. Turnpike
A Verona-based company is seeking to erect a billboard along Hershey Road in Indiana Township, which sits adjacent to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Residents can hear more about the project during a zoning board public hearing at 7 p.m. March 6. Steel City Billboards wants a special exception to hang the...
Hunt Road in Fox Chapel closed on good weather days for waterline work
Hunt Road in Fox Chapel will be closed periodically for several weeks while crews install stormwater pipes and catch basins. Construction on the road is part of the borough’s rebuilding program for 2019, Manager Gary Koehler said. Because work is weather dependent, there is no set schedule, Koehler said. Costs...
Fox Chapel Area’s McKaveney wins at World of Wheels
Fox Chapel Area High School and A.W. Beattie Career Center senior Logan McKaveney didn’t spin his wheels during a regional Peddle Car Challenge at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Instead, McKaveney is among a group of students who designed a car that won first place in the World of...
James Sharp Landing remains closed after flooding
The James Sharp Landing in Sharpsburg remains closed after flooding in mid-February. Heavy rain and warm temperatures early this month caused Allegheny River levels to rise and wash over the riverfront park, borough officials said. Manager Bill Rossey said the water rushed over the ramp and parking lot at the...
Photo Gallery: Maker Mondays at Sharpsburg Community LibraryVideo
STEAM education coordinator Alison Babusci instructs students on Maker Monday at the Sharpsburg Community Library. To celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, they made good luck dragons attached to bamboo sticks to take home....
Anonymous donor steps up for Sharpsburg Community Library
An anonymous donor has saved the day for Sharpsburg Community Library — at least through 2019. Leaders announced Tuesday a $10,000 donation will restore hours previously slashed because of budget constraints. The library, at 1212 Main St., will resume operating 30 hours a week on March 4. Hours will be...
Hillman Center presents Celtic musicians, magician for spring shows
Celtic trio Poor Man’s Gambit will perform at Shady Side Academy in March. Traditional Irish musicians, the group is heavy on accordion, cittern and fiddle. The show will be at 7:30 p.m. March 9 in the Hillman Center for Performing Arts on the Senior School campus, 423 Fox Chapel Road,...
Organizers prep Fish Rodeo for hospitalized veterans at Squaw Valley Park
Morningside VFW Post 3945 is preparing for its sixth annual Fish Rodeo where more than 125 hospitalized veterans will sink a line in the pond at Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara. The event will be May 8, with veterans invited for a free day of fishing and a cookout. “They...
Riverfront 47 site prep will advance with $9.6 million loan
Site preparation at Riverfront 47 in Aspinwall and Sharpsburg will move forward thanks to a $9.6 million loan from a private investment fund, organizers announced Feb. 19. The Power of 32 Site Development Fund aims to propel the number of shovel-ready sites across a four-state region, moving key commercial and...
Shady Side Academy alumna’s Hello Neighbor to screen free film on journey of immigration
Shady Side Academy alumna Sloane Davidson started her nonprofit Hello Neighbor to partner local families with immigrants and help both to learn and grow. Volunteers help newcomers find their way around the Pittsburgh region and make connections with the city. The program also helps volunteers better understand the immigrant experience,...
Fox Chapel Area senior citizens get free showing of high school’s ‘Les Miserables’
Senior citizens in the Fox Chapel Area School District can get a sneak peek at the high school’s upcoming spring musical during a free dress rehearsal of “Les Misérables School Edition.” Students will perform the show at 3:45 p.m. March 12 in the auditorium. Refreshments will be served prior to...
Fox Chapel Area amends graduation requirements to include college, career planning
A course that helps prepare students for life after high school will become a graduation requirement at Fox Chapel Area School District. The school board approved the move this month, saying that with increased emphasis on planning and next steps after high school, Career and College Essentials helps students explore...
Cabrini Vioral happy to share Sharpsburg spotlight with pet sidekick
Cabrini “Rene” Vioral is a well-known Sharpsburg businesswoman, but people visit her office for more than notary public work. Vioral, who has lived and worked in the Lower Valley for more than seven decades, shares her days with about four pounds on four feet, her tiny dog, Reba. A tea-cup...
O’Hara’s Eton Drive could reopen by Friday
Eton Drive in O’Hara could reopen as soon as Friday if crews are able to wrap up storm water line repairs. The road is closed at the Delafield intersection while crews replace a culvert that was damaged in the July 2018 storms, Township Engineer Chuck Steinert said. Cost is $55,000....
Photo Gallery: Young People’s Disney Concert at O’Hara Elementary School
Fox Chapel Area High School students performed the Young People’s Disney Concert adorned in costumes Feb. 9 at O’Hara Elementary. The concert introduced string instruments to students in pre-K to second grade who danced along in the front of the stage. After the show, small stations were set up in...

