Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 21
Morning Roundup: Car crashes into home in Ross; water main break in Shaler
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 23: Car smashes into Ross home No one was reported injured after a vehicle crashed into a Ross home on Wednesday. Emergency crews were called to Jacks Run Road at about 3:30 p.m. The Seville Volunteer Fire...
Cash 5 lottery winning ticket sold in Crafton
A lottery player is $75,000 richer after buying a ticket Sunday in Crafton. The winning ticket was sold at the Giant Eagle along Walsh Road, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. It was a Cash 5 ticket with Quick Cash that matched all five winning numbers — 7, 8, 19, 31...
Woman found shot dead in Pittsburgh’s Perry South
A woman was fatally shot Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood, city police said. Officers said they were called at about 12:30 p.m. to the 100 block of Hawkins Avenue. At the scene, officers found a woman inside a home with a gunshot wound to the head, according to public...
Morning Roundup: Water line break creates icy road in South Side Slopes; fire in Beechview
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 22: Water line break in South Side A water main break in Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes neighborhood has left one street an icy mess. Crews were called to Mission Street near South 21st Street early Wednesday, according...
Frigid now, but forecasters say coldest temps still to come
More than 300 schools and community centers closed down Tuesday as the region battled subzero wind chills and blustery conditions. But we haven’t even felt the worst of it yet, forecasters said. “The coldest night will be tonight, and we should be looking at -8 or -9 tomorrow morning,” said...
Morning Roundup: Firefighters battle blazes in Leetsdale and South Greensburg
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 21: Fire in Leetsdale Crews battled a fire in Leetsdale early Tuesday morning. The Leetsdale Volunteer Fire Department responded after 3 a.m. to a home along First Street. Fire officials posted to Facebook that crews were getting...
Sharpsburg’s Second Harvest helps refugees settle in to new lives
Settling into a new life can be scary, especially in a foreign land. Second Harvest Community Thrift Store in Sharpsburg is making the transition easier. Through a partnership with Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Hello Neighbor, refugee families are getting a lift creating a new home in the Lower Valley. “With Second Harvest,...
Contamination threatens recycling programs with Harrison Hills and Westmoreland Cleanways
Audrey Bensy of Fox Chapel unloaded a trunk full of flattened cardboard boxes on Friday and stacked them neatly into the public recycling bins at Harrison Hills Park. She is among a drove of people who drop off plastics, aluminum, glass and paper at the blue bins near the park’s...
Highlands students get up-close glimpse of medical careers at UPMC St. Margaret
With one arm in a sling, Highlands seventh grader Emily Svorcek struggled to put her socks on using only her other hand. “I was pretending I had a stroke,” said Emily, 12, of Harrison. “It makes the difficulty pretty real.” The demonstration was part of a career expo hosted Friday...
Highlands community mourns No. 1 fan Eddie Teorsky
He was known as The Mayor, Mr. P.R. and Highlands’ No. 1 fan. Harrison native Eddie Teorsky was best known as a supporter of the Highlands community — but it was just as much of a fan of him. “He was at every practice and on every sideline of every...
As wind chills plummet below zero, officials undeterred: ‘It’s winter’ in Western Pa.
Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner makes a flurry of decisions before 5:30 each morning, especially this time of year. On Monday, when temperatures are expected to nosedive below zero for the first time since 2022, Wagner will be up at 4:45 a.m. to review road conditions with Upper Burrell and Lower...
Civil lawsuits from families of former nurse Heather Pressdee’s victims continue to work through courts
Eight months after Heather Pressdee pleaded guilty to murdering at least three patients in nursing centers where she worked, wrongful death lawsuits against many of those centers continue to wind their way through the courts. Pressdee, 42, is serving three consecutive life terms without parole, plus an additional 380 to...
West Deer resident praises emergency response after fire, says ‘could’ve been a whole lot worse’
Larry Hopper lost some expensive “tools and toys” when fire ripped through his West Deer garage Sunday, but he woke up Monday feeling grateful that the damage was limited to material items. “Our fire department was so on point,” said Hopper, 42. “There was an army of people at my...
6 Highlands students charged in connection with hazing allegations
Six student-athletes from Highlands School District have been charged in connection with an alleged hazing incident. Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said the students, all members of the boys basketball team, were charged with harassment, disorderly conduct and hazing stemming from an incident Nov. 26 on a bus carrying the...
Springdale resident rallies community to fight Pittsburgh Mills’ potholes
Lisa Alexander refuses to go to the Pittsburgh Mills mall. “I used to walk at the mall or eat at the restaurants or swing by Starbucks a few times a week,” she said. Alexander, of West Deer, vowed to avoid the shopping complex in Frazer after a November trip to...
Patient shuttle service grows, remains vital link to care from Tarentum to Etna
Brad Scherf doesn’t miss a chance to help a fellow cancer survivor — or anyone else — who needs medical attention. As coordinator of a free shuttle offered by the St. Margaret Foundation and Wesley Family Services in New Kensington, Scherf has found himself up before dawn to drive a...
Zynka Gallery marks 5 years of showcasing art in Sharpsburg
It’s a thrill for Jeff Jarzynka when the glass doors of his Sharpsburg art gallery are ajar and something inside catches the eye of a passerby. “The doors are open wide all summer, and you’ll have kids running up the street who stop and ask, ‘Is this a museum? Can...
Tarentum to tow vehicles in no-parking zone
Motorists who park in a no-parking zone at the intersection of East Street and West 10th Avenue in Tarentum have run out of chances. Moving forward, vehicles will be towed and violators will be responsible for costs. “We’re having a problem with people not complying,” Mayor Bob Lang said. “We...
Free school lunches could be on the table again for all students beginning in the fall
A pair of state lawmakers are advocating to again provide universal free lunches to students in the coming school year, though nobody knows for sure how much it would cost. State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-North Hills, and Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, will reintroduce the Universal School Meals legislation, aimed at...
Dick’s Sporting Goods construction begins at The Waterworks
The new Dick’s Sporting Goods store at The Waterworks near Aspinwall is expected to open this summer. The new store is located in the shopping center’s former Walmart anchor space. It is unclear what that means for the Dick’s store at the Pittsburgh Mills mall — just nine miles away...
Then and Now: Casile’s Courtesy Corner in Aspinwall still a gem of a location — now for jewelry store
People who travel along Freeport Road in Aspinwall are likely familiar with Chapel Hills Jewelry, the upscale shop at the intersection of Virginia Avenue. It’s been a staple more than three decades, opened by Jack and Tina Tesauro in 1989. Previously, the corner was a mainstay for residents and those...
Frazer promotes Sgt. Aaron Scott to police chief
Not much will change for Frazer police Sgt. Aaron Scott after being promoted to chief this week. “It’s just a new uniform and a different badge,” he said. “It’s still work as usual.” Supervisors approved the appointment eight months after the death of former Chief Terry Kuhns. Scott, 39, had...
West Deer starts year with new garbage hauler; cost jumps 34%
A new garbage hauling contract for West Deer residents began this week with costs jumping 34%. Supervisors in October approved a contract with County Hauling for a three-year deal. It came after current hauler Shank Waste Service opted out of its alternate years, Township Manager Daniel Mator said. “New service...
Sugar Spell Scoops outgrows Sharpsburg spot
Amanda Burk is disappointed to see her sweet times in Sharpsburg potentially coming to an end. The owner of Sugar Spell Scoops, a vegan ice cream spot along North Canal Street, announced the store is closing — with its final hours the first weekend of January. The lease expires Jan....
Fawn taxes remain same for 27th year
Fawn property owners are nearing three decades without a property tax increase in the township. Supervisors this week approved a nearly $1.8 million budget that keeps the tax rate at 3.04 mills. It is the 27th consecutive year without an increase. The owner of a home with the township’s median...
