Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 15
Cyber school’s flexibility and support help West Tarentum boy thrive
Brook Stitt is keeping a close eye on the state budget vote this year. The West Tarentum mother is concerned about a proposal to limit per-student payments to Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools. The bill, which also calls for changes to how cyber charters operate, narrowly passed the state House last...
Pickleball popularity presents sustainability problems with plastic balls
When pickleball exploded in recent years as America’s favorite sport, the pastime came with collateral damage — plastic neon-colored balls piling up in landfills. More than 500 million pickleballs are manufactured each year, seemingly with nowhere to go, said Jeff Pepper, an avid player from Verona. “The number is huge,”...
Highlands School District holds tax rate steady as budget is approved
Property owners in the Highlands School District won’t see a tax increase for next school year after the board approved its $54.5 million budget. The plan holds the property tax rate steady at 25.13 mills. The median household income for the district is about $60,000. The owner of a home...
Student-led garden at Fox Chapel Area High School to help feed community
An organic idea by two rising Fox Chapel Area seniors is expected to make a lasting impact on their larger school community. James Manges and Aavree Hill are creating a community garden at the high school, the crops from which will help feed those in need. Fruits and veggies will...
UPMC St. Margaret opens urology lab, streamlines prostate cancer testing, treatment
A new urology lab with advanced diagnostic testing is up and running at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital to deal with a slow but steady increase in the number of prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year. The second-leading cause of cancer death in men, prostate cancer impacts one in eight men,...
Highlands, St. Joe’s agree to co-op tennis, baseball and softball; now 7 combined teams
Highlands Athletic Director Katie Jo Stobert said an expanded sports co-op with St. Joseph High School is a no-brainer. The schools, both in Harrison, already field combined teams in cross country, swimming, bowling and track. This coming year, students will get even more athletic opportunities in tennis, baseball and softball....
Fencing considered for Tarentum Bridge after New Kensington man jumped to his death
PennDOT officials said Friday they will assess the potential of installing fencing on the downriver side of the Tarentum Bridge following the death of a New Kensington man who apparently jumped to his death from the span Tuesday. The victim was identified as Thomas Peter Link, 68, by the Allegheny...
From gardening to lifeguarding, Highlands Camp Creativity helps stop ‘summer slide’
When Lincoln Sims chomped into a handful of kale at the Greg Blythe Friendship Garden in Tarentum, the 6-year-old gave it a thumbs up. Classmate Teigen Capozzoli followed suit — and promptly spit the bitter greens to the ground. “I didn’t care for it,” she said. “I liked the strawberries...
New Kensington man identified as Tarentum Bridge jumper
A man who jumped to his death from the Tarentum Bridge on Tuesday has been identified. The victim was Thomas Peter Link, 68, of New Kensington, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Link jumped into the Allegheny River shortly before 11:30 a.m. and died before he could be...
Offers but no buyers on 3 Guardian Angels churches still on the market
Three former churches, once part of the Guardian Angels parish, remain for sale three years after the parish cut seven churches to two, keeping open Most Blessed Sacrament in Harrison and Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. “We have people looking all the time,” parish Business Manager Tom Babinsack...
Interest in skilled trades surges nearly 14%
At 15, Ryley Potlas already knows what she wants to do with her life. The Kiski Area School District freshman dreams of a career in welding, and she’s getting a jump on it by enrolling at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington. “There’s a big need for...
Allegheny Valley Hospital opens Healing Garden, public wellness space
Rosemary Musolino said she couldn’t think of a more fitting project for Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison than the new outdoor respite garden. “It’s a beautiful design because it’s so welcoming,” said Musolino, an Allegheny Township resident and vice president of the hospital auxiliary. “It’s not only connected to our...
Familiar face seeks return to Tarentum Council; unclear whether incumbent wants GOP nod
A familiar face could be returning to Tarentum Council. Two years after stepping down from local government, Carrie Fox has found herself in the political mix again. She secured the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Ward by write-in votes during the May primary election. “I do miss having a voice,”...
Free program on purple martins hosted at Harrison Hills, home to only colony in Allegheny County Parks
Harrison resident Ken Kostka has worked for years to revitalize the region’s colony of purple martins — the species of bird that vanished from Western Pennsylvania after Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. His efforts have taken flight. Harrison Hills, the 500-acre park off Freeport Road, is home to the only...
Fawn seeking resident to fill supervisor vacancy
Fawn residents interested in serving in local government can apply for a temporary supervisor’s term. A vacancy was created after board member Phillip Smozski resigned effective June 3. His departure was announced at Tuesday’s supervisor’s meeting. “It was a learning adventure,” Smozski said, when reached by phone on Wednesday. He...
Winning Match 6 ticket worth $620K sold in Harrison
Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Harrison on Thursday is $620,000 richer. A jackpot-winning PA Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at a Freeport Road gas station. The winning ticket was sold at Bob’s Exxon, 2602 Freeport Road. It correctly matched all six winning numbers, 1-14-28-35-42-47. The gas...
Harrison suspect in pet cremation scandal scheduled for arraignment
Terry Onufer will never get a pet cremated again. The Buffalo Township resident is still reeling after Patrick Vereb, owner of Harrison and Pittsburgh funeral homes and pet crematoriums, was charged in April with allegedly discarding animals in landfills. “He had disrespect and disregard for our pup and others,” Onufer...
Then and Now: Sharpsburg YMCA to Linden Gym has long provided recreation
On any given day, the Linden Gym is bustling with basketball fanatics hitting the courts. It’s been that way for more than a century, since the building was established in the late 1800s as a YMCA. Early on, the building at 205 N. Canal St. served the borough’s youth and...
Leave it to the laser: Green beam gets rid of geese at Blawnox park
Green means go, at least to the geese at Blawnox Community Park. Mayor Tony Gross said that for whatever reason, the borough’s new green laser system meant to shoo geese is working like a charm. Council hired Harrietta Hills Trout Farm to tackle the persistent problem of birds on the...
Recent Pine-Richland grad earns college certificate before high school diploma
Pine-Richland graduate Kate Turner doubled-down on hitting the books in high school — so much so that she simultaneously earned a college business certificate from Community College of Allegheny County. Turner, 18, will start Duquesne University this fall to study accounting. “With my classes from Pine-Richland and my CCAC classes,...
Fox Chapel church kicks off summer with collections for fall festival
Summer hasn’t officially begun, but members of Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church already have autumn on their minds. Preparation for the 2025 Harvest Fair is underway, with donations being accepted three days a week. People are encouraged to rummage through their gently used household goods, linens, glassware, decorations and tools to...
Plum author details RIDC’s efforts to revitalize Pittsburgh region over 7 decades
The Regional Industrial Development Corporation is marking its 70th year of helping guide southwest Pennsylvania’s turbulent economic journey spurred by the steel industry collapse. Plum native Jeff Fraser tells the company’s tale in a newly released book, “Rebuilding Pittsburgh: RIDC and the Transformation of the Steel City.” It details RIDC’s...
Demand for Mohs surgery skyrockets; treatment up to 99% effective for skin cancer
Erin Wheeler has always known she was at high risk for skin cancer. A kidney transplant, combined with fair skin from her Irish heritage, put skin cancer on her radar at age 10. Some three decades later, Wheeler, a senior career consultant at the University of Pittsburgh, is a quasi-regular...
Highlands senior graduates from CCAC Dual Enrollment program before earning high school diploma
For Alex Lane McCants, earning a college certificate before graduating from high school was a no-brainer. A Highlands senior, McCants is one of 11 regional students to participate in the Dual Enrollment program at Community College of Allegheny County. Other students attend Pine-Richland, Montour, Allderdice and Baldwin, among others. Open...
Fourth Avenue bridge in Tarentum over Bull Creek closed
The Fourth Avenue bridge over Bull Creek in Tarentum is closed after a sinkhole formed near the span. Borough engineers said a storm sewer line beneath the road collapsed, causing ground instability. It poses a risk to the bridge and surrounding infrastructure, according to an online post by the borough....
