Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 22
Highlands pre-kindergarten students kick off holiday with song and dance
Pre-kindergarten classes at Highlands Early Childhood Center presented “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on Thursday to the delight of parents and staff. The 30-minute holiday concert featured songs such as “Jingle Bells” and “The Reindeer Pokey” with choreographed dance moves. Accompanying the 34 singers was music teacher Amy Karavlan...
Then and Now: From EMS to community library, this Fox Chapel property is always in service
From EMS to community library, the property at 403 Fox Chapel Road has long served residents. The site adjacent to the Fox Chapel Municipal Building was home to Foxwall EMS for years before it was replaced in 2011 by the $6 million Cooper-Siegel Community Library. Foxwall EMS landed a larger...
Leaders of community garden hope to nurture young residents with scholarship program
Organizers of the Sharpsburg Community Garden are hoping to grow a new generation of people with a passion for planting. The garden, situated behind the community library along Main Street, is launching a scholarship program for 2025 through which a newbie can get their hands dirty and harvest crops such...
More than just books: Cooper-Siegel Community Library closes in on funding for $2.5M expansion
Tools, 3D printers and musical instruments probably aren’t what most people associate with libraries. But Cooper-Siegel in Fox Chapel is far from ordinary. The $6 million, 24,000-square-foot facility along Fox Chapel Road has grown its lending libraries, programs and classes to meet the demands of patrons who number nearly 30,000...
Tarentum real estate tax increase to benefit volunteer fire departments
Tarentum property owners will pay 9% more in real estate taxes next year, ending a 20-year run with no increase. Council approved the borough’s $4.7 million budget, raising the millage from 5.48 to 5.98 mills. The hike is to institute a fire tax, meant specifically to benefit the borough’s three...
West Deer foots bill for $203,000 ambulance
While ambulance services across the state struggle to stay afloat, West Deer EMS just got a life-saving lift. The township is footing the bill for the group’s $203,000 ambulance, delivered to the East Union Road station on Tuesday. Chief Bill Humes knows how significant it is. “There’s only so much...
Highlands basketball coach resigns amid hazing allegations
The Highlands High School varsity boys basketball season will continue despite the resignation of its head coach, Bill Flow. Flow, hired this summer, submitted a letter of resignation Monday, citing personal reasons, school officials said. He remains a teacher at the high school. The departure comes on the heels of...
Building the Valley: The Amish Home in Frazer thrives with custom, handcrafted furniture
Anyone seeking custom, American-made hardwood furniture might want to take a spin through the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. Nestled inside the shopping center off Route 28 is The Amish Home, a furniture showroom that in recent years built such a clientele that expansion was necessary. It’s housed in an...
Pittsburgh Brewing wants to make sure docks are in place for summer concerts
One way or another, boaters are expected to have another summer of concert-listening from the water at Pittsburgh Brewing in East Deer. The company submitted an application with the state Department of Environmental Protection to build a temporary dock on the Allegheny River at the rear of its facility along...
S’mores, songs and skillet tossing create successful Christmas in the Woods in Lower Burrell
Andrea Guido isn’t a trained performer but there she was Saturday, donning a Santa hat and belting out Christmas carols at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Park in Lower Burrell. Guido got a text from a friend earlier in the month, asking if she would like to perform at the city’s...
4 Highlands grads host Christmas ‘dinner’ for those in need
Not everyone has enough money to enjoy a Christmas feast with all the trimmings, so four Highlands alumni are stepping in to provide help. A free giveaway with holiday dinner items will be hosted from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 19 by high school friends Chris Nemeth, Tom Schmaus, Kurt...
Harvest Baptist and Walmart enable kids to ‘Shop with the Heroes’
Kourtney Hawkins and her daughter, Daisy, have struggled through extraordinary losses the past two years. Hawkins’ son, Ryder, died two years ago, and her husband, Scottie Joe, was killed in June in a motorcycle crash along Markle Road in Allegheny Township. “My daughter has been through it,” Hawkins, of Vandergrift,...
Friends recall West Deer’s Rev. James Legge as tireless advocate for less fortunate
The Rev. James Legge, longtime pastor at Bull Creek Presbyterian Church in West Deer, is being recalled by friends as a team player and ardent supporter of leveling the playing field for the less fortunate. Serving on the board at Allegheny Valley Association of Churches and the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE...
Brackenridge property tax to increase by 12%
Brackenridge residents will see a 12% tax increase next year. Council approved its $1.2 million general fund budget, which calls for a millage increase from 6.25 to 7 mills. The owner of a home at the borough’s median assessed value of $50,900 would pay about $38 more, or $356. “The...
See the light to combat seasonal blues
The Rev. Levi Hartle swears by red light therapy to boost his spirit. “When I’m feeling tired, I use the machine for 10 or 15 minutes and I’m ready to go,” said Hartle, 39, who recently was transferred to the Mon Valley from his post at Holy Family Parish in...
Then and Now: Longtime bank landmark now prominent retail/office space
A prominent building in the Aspinwall business section has been drawing people to the corner of First Street and Brilliant Avenue for nearly 100 years. The red-brick building is a well-recognized cornerstone, initially home to financial institutions before transforming into a retail hub. Known originally as the Bank of Aspinwall,...
Free veterinary clinic at Sharpsburg nonprofit helps pet owners in need
A newly launched pet clinic at Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg is working to boost the health of animals and their humans. In partnership with Allegheny Health Network and Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, a semiregular event will tend to the health of furry friends and their owners — all...
Harrison seeking safety boost along Freeport Road
Harrison officials are seeking to boost safety along Freeport Road for vehicles and pedestrians. Police Chief Brian Turack said traffic signals along the business stretch are “pretty outdated.” “They were all added or designed at different times so none of them really work together,” he said. Commissioners have hired HRG...
Harrison business delivers Christmas locally and in hurricane-ravaged North Carolina
Harrison real estate agent Cameron Yockey wants to work some holiday magic at home and more than 400 miles away in communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Through his company, Realty One, Yockey is spearheading a toy collection to provide a joyful Christmas for children in North Carolina towns that are...
2nd station for West Deer EMS expected to shorten response times
West Deer EMS has landed a permanent substation in Indiana Township which is expected to reduce call times for emergency responses, officials said. Director Bill Humes said the move is a boon to his service, which responds to about 3,200 calls a year. That number is up 42% over last...
Faces of the Valley: Deer Lakes’ Bernie Donovan earns top prize in national poetry contest
Deer Lakes fifth grader Bernie Donovan loves her life — so much so that she wrote a poem to commemorate it. “Dear Future Self” speaks to how perfect the 10-year-old sees her existence as a girl who loves mac and cheese, soccer and her dog, Carter. “I like the way...
Fraud is a $10B business, according to FTC; Harrison workshop aims to safeguard people
Pennsylvanians lost more than $118 million in phone scams and other frauds last year, taking a particular hit during the holidays, according to the FBI. Across the country, older Americans appear especially prone to fake calls and emails soliciting money for charities, “family emergencies” or other schemes, the Federal Trade...
Camp Guyasuta features new showstopper with illuminated waterfall
Christmas in Guyasuta will have an extra special glow this year as organizers introduce the newest feature, an illuminated waterfall. The winter-themed extravaganza is scheduled Nov. 30 at the Scouting America-owned campgrounds and is a fan-favorite to kick off the holiday season. “There is no better way to get into...
Sharpsburg invites public to weigh in on 19th Street transformation
Sharpsburg Mayor Kayla Portis hopes a project to transform 19th Street will highlight inclusivity and accessibility for all. The borough is hosting a meeting Dec. 3 to gather input on a sweeping improvement plan expected next year. It will see the redevelopment of 19th Street as an access point to...
Harrison expects nearly 10% tax increase; no paving budgeted in 2025
It’s been a tough budget season, according to Harrison officials. Ongoing tax assessment appeals are expected to result in a 10% dip in real estate revenue while commissioners are tasked with crucial expenses next year that include new police hires and EMS funding. “This challenge is compounded by the fact...
