Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 29
Deer Lakes student with rare genetic disorder searching for perfect bone marrow match
Caisen Bedillion is a typical teenage girl who loves cheerleading, roller coasters and horror movies. The 13-year-old from West Deer, however, has endured an atypical amount of medical challenges. “Since she was born, she had a number of medical problems and delays at every turn,” said her mom, Erin Bedillion....
Universal Lunch initiative would mean free meals for all students, regardless of family income
Hungry kids can quickly turn into hangry students. Rumbling stomachs can lead to classroom distraction and discipline issues, research shows, along with feelings of isolation for children whose families struggle to afford school lunches. “Not only do we see the benefits of full bellies in academics, but it’s social, too,”...
Barb Kalina marks 25 years as St. Joe’s costume designer, making kids’ comfort her priority
When Barb Kalina began lending a hand with St. Joseph High School’s theater program in 1997, she spent a week washing and ironing 40 white aprons for the production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” “That was my entire duty,” said Kalina, a Lower Burrell resident and retired reading specialist from...
Junior Fire Camp in Aspinwall, Sharpsburg draws a dozen teens
The first Junior Fire Camp hosted by the Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services was a hit, officials said. A dozen local teens, 13 to 17, participated in the two-day event. Hosted June 22-23 at the stations in Sharpsburg and Aspinwall, participants learned the ins and outs of fire safety and...
East Deer opts into exploratory committee to save Eureka ambulance service
While the clock is ticking on the potential closing of Eureka Community Ambulance Service in Tarentum, another of the municipalities it covers has joined an effort to save the ailing EMS. East Deer commissioners on Wednesday opted into an exploratory committee that will research the formation of an ambulance authority....
Blighted Sharpsburg brownfield gets $25 million boost in Allegheny Shores transformation
Transformation of Allegheny Shores, a 52-acre brownfield along the Allegheny River in Sharpsburg, got a boost of nearly $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Money will be funneled to construction of a multimodal transportation network to support the project. Work includes a bridge over the Conemaugh rail line,...
Deer Lakes junior Madison Rethage among 250 selected for Congress-Bundestag program
Deer Lakes junior Madison Rethage was running typical errands last weekend, heading to the pet store to buy supplies for her guinea pigs, Jacques and Pierre. “My mom happened to check her phone and saw an email for a scholarship I had been waiting on,” the 16-year-old said. “She wanted...
St. Joseph High School eyes expanding band and chorus to meet growing demand
St. Joseph sophomore Louisa Palumbo misses the chance to showcase her musical chops in school. The 15-year-old participated in chorus throughout middle school at Mary Queen of Apostles in New Kensington and said it helped her grow not only as a singer but socially. “It’s nice to be a part...
Summer program ‘brings the world’ to youngsters at Natrona Community Park
From Phipps to Warhol to the Carnegie Museum, children in Natrona can tour the city’s biggest attractions this summer without ever leaving their backyard. “Our goal is to make learning fun, which keeps children coming back,” said Bill Godfrey, president of the advocacy group Natrona Comes Together. His group has...
Deer Lakes School Board resistant to posting meetings online, says member Leonard Verdetto
People who can’t tune in live to the Deer Lakes School Board meetings are out of luck, according to new board member Leonard Verdetto. The board meets the second and third Tuesdays of each month in the high school library. Meetings are available live on Zoom, through which people can...
Growing demand prompts $2.5M expansion at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel
Books are still the star of the show at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel, but the space draws a growing number of people for classes, programs and lending of nontraditional items. “Although the library offers a place for people and small groups to work or study in quiet, patrons...
Police say Harrison shooting could have been a drug deal gone bad
Allegheny County Police describe a shooting Monday in Harrison’s Sheldon Park plan as a botched drug deal. According to court documents, Albert Pittman, 15, of Harrison approached a 33-year-old man at the housing complex and “asked for bud,” meaning marijuana. As the pair walked around one of the apartment units,...
Rotary Club honors outstanding Fox Chapel Area graduates
Ten graduating seniors from Fox Chapel Area were honored by the Rotary Club for their leadership, academics and selfless attitude. “We are most impressed each year by the caliber of students chosen,” said Bob Trimble, the club’s president. “These are smart, likeable kids who will make a terrific contribution to...
ATI’s $1.2B hot strip mill in Harrison marks 10 years, remains world’s most powerful, company says
Lou Koprivnikar launched his career at ATI 36 years ago when everything was hands-on. Employees would load 43-ton metal coils by crane and affix labels on specialty metals fresh out of a 2,250-degree furnace. Today, operations are fully automated inside the Hot Rolling and Processing Facility (HRPF), a $1.2 billion...
Burtner descendant Nicole Glasgow takes reins of Harrison homestead
Butler native Nicole Glasgow was regaled as a child by tales of life at the Burtner House in Harrison — a three-story stone farmhouse that is among the oldest homes in Allegheny County and which was built by her ancestors. But it wasn’t until Glasgow completed college that she fell...
Building the Valley: The Church at Tarentum is putting down roots in the borough
Sometimes, being a minister doesn’t mean preaching from the pulpit. “On Tuesdays, at our church, it means giving food away,” said John Ganze, an Oklahoma native who leads The Church at Tarentum on East Eighth Avenue. “Other days, it means fixing the church up or throwing new mulch down.” Ganze...
New all-American restaurant in Tarentum asks ‘What are yinz eatin’?’
Yinz better come hungry to Tarentum’s newest eatery. The black-and-gold themed diner, Yinz Kitchen, features all-American cuisine with a ’Burgh flair: pierogies and gyros fill the menu, alongside breakfast platters, fried chicken sandwiches and “to die for wings,” said owners Dante Allen Pope of Brackenridge and Derek Hassim Jr. of...
Lack of funding might force closure of 88-year-old Eureka Community Ambulance Service
Eureka Community Ambulance Service in Tarentum is placing its own call to 911. Leaders said Thursday the 88-year-old emergency response service likely will close or significantly curtail operations by January, barring crucial and consistent funding from local, state and federal sources. “When we provide a $900 ambulance service and get...
Brackenridge Improvement Group making ‘BIG’ impression in the borough
Community pride is a big deal to lifelong Brackenridge resident Dino Lopreiato. As president of the Brackenridge Improvement Group (BIG), the owner of Vibo’s Bakery often is spotted around town planting trees, pruning park flowers or spearheading fundraisers. He’s not alone. Lopreiato is backed by a core group of 15...
Avonmore woman combines passion for engineering, art at custom craft shop in Tarentum
A longtime mechanic’s garage in Tarentum has been transformed with different sorts of machinery. Jackie Danielle Rearick replaced the car lift and other tools at the former Wally’s Garage with a Computer Numerical Control machine and laser engraver to open her custom craft store, dubbed JD CNC, along East Seventh...
Brackenridge moves forward with new, $1.1 million public works facility
A new public works facility will be taking shape in Brackenridge now that a $1.1 million contract has been awarded. Brackenridge officials expect the new building to be a significant upgrade and provide modern working conditions for its road crew that currently works at a building that dates to 1900....
Kayak Pittsburgh launches season in Sharpsburg
Boaters can hit the water in Sharpsburg on Saturday with the official season opening of Kayak Pittsburgh. The launch at James Sharp Landing will be open on weekends to offer kayak and canoe rentals. Individual passes, group bookings and classes are available. “We are eager to welcome the community back...
The Depot, a digital resource center and laundromat, hopes to finally move forward in Tarentum
By this time next year, people might be able to find digital resources and do their laundry all in one Tarentum storefront. Wheels are in motion — after a three-year delay — to transform an East Fifth Avenue building into a gathering and training space. The Depot is a former...
Movie nights, maybe a grandstand, coming to East Deer Memorial Park
If 9-year-old Jaelyn Gordon had her way, East Deer Memorial Park would have a spray park. The Deer Lakes third grader spends plenty of summer days at the playground and said it can get “burnin’ hot.” “My favorite thing is the swings, but we need some sprinklers to cool us...
Italian eatery Totaro’s planned for Tarentum
Al Colelli grew up in a big Italian family, watching at his mother’s knee while she whipped up favorites such as meatballs and marinara. The Arnold resident picked up a thing or two. “I’ve been cooking for awhile, and I love to do it,” said Colelli, 52. “Call me crazy,...
