Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 30
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,...
Deer Lakes School Board eyeing 6.9% property tax increase
Deer Lakes School District residents likely will see a tax increase after the board approved a tentative $43.8 million budget. The plan calls for a 6.9% increase in property taxes, setting the rate at 24.25 mills, up from 22.69. It was approved Tuesday by a vote of 7-2, with board...
Indiana Township rezoning would accommodate fracking off Route 910
Indiana Township resident Michael Quinn is frustrated by thoughts of more fracking in his community. His home along Eisele Road sits not far from a gas well constructed in the past several years. “The noise is constant — a din — and the truck traffic is ridiculous,” Quinn said in...
Deer Lakes students learn to ‘chill’ through AHN, Pirates Charities initiative
Everyone needs a minute once in awhile. Just ask Ana Drum, a Deer Lakes fifth grader learning about mindfulness through a school initiative sponsored by the Allegheny Health Network and Pirates Charities. The Chill Project, launched in 2019, aims to teach evidence-based coping techniques to students of all grade levels....
Highlands’ Summer Fun Runs to bring reading, STEAM, snacks to children while school’s out
Highlands library specialist Kristen Gettens is ready for summer fun — but it’s not because the longtime teacher is counting down the days to vacation. She’ll be motoring the district’s Ram Van through Fawn, Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum to promote reading and prevent learning loss. “We are very excited about...
Indiana Township teen Mira Owens takes top prize in Congressional Art Competition for 17th District
Sixteen-year-old Mira Owens pays a lot of attention to what’s around her. The self-taught artist from Indiana Township is an ardent observer, which provides all the inspiration she needs to develop her passion for art. “I have a sketchbook or drawing utensil with me everywhere I go, as well as...
Highland Hose firefighters mark 50 years of service
Dave Torrence vividly remembers his first fire call in 1974 with the Highland Hose Volunteer Fire Company — it was the night he joined the Tarentum department. “I got in bed and the whistle blew,” said Torrence, 72, a lifelong borough resident. “I just thought, ‘Here we go.’ ” Fellow...
Highlands launches summer tech internship
The Highlands School District is offering a unique summer internship for students who want to test the tech waters. Students in grades 8 to 11 have an opportunity to shadow the district’s technology department during two separate sessions that last about 10 days each. Positions are unpaid but Superintendent Monique...
Fox Chapel Area grad Nathaniel Serkov serving on Navy helicopters in Japan
Nathaniel Serkov credits his success in the Navy to his upbringing in the Lower Valley. A 2020 Fox Chapel Area High School graduate, Serkov is serving at the Atsugi Naval Air facility in Tokyo. “Humility and accountability have helped me,” said Serkov, a petty officer third class and helicopter aircrewman....
Firetrucks, K-9 Midas a hit at Curtisville Primary’s Safety Day
Firetrucks, police officers and a special guest, Midas the K-9, all were a big hit with students at Curtisville Primary during the school’s annual Safety Day on Thursday. Youngsters in kindergarten through second grade were excited to learn about the first responders who serve the Deer Lakes communities. On hand...
Lower Burrell man charged in connection with church disruptions, threatening to exorcise priests
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is applauding the capture of a Lower Burrell man accused of disrupting church services across the region, including at churches in New Kensington and Freeport. Wendell Hissrich, the diocese’s director of safety and security and former Pittsburgh public safety director, said that, given the climate...
No tax increase expected at Highlands
New tennis courts and a revamped track are among the projects in the tentative Highlands School District budget, but the $1 million worth of work isn’t expected to cause a tax increase. The proposed $53 million spending plan would maintain the property tax rate at 25.13 mills. If approved, the...
Immune therapy drugs show promise in treating esophageal cancer
Gary Hines didn’t want to lose his hair. The Harrison resident, diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2021, worried about looking his best for his son’s wedding. “I was all worked up,” said Hines, 60, retired after 30 years with the Harrison Township Water Authority. “Turns out, I never lost one...
Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg libraries get $80,000 computer upgrade through Allegheny Regional Asset District
New computers at Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its branch site in Sharpsburg are expected to provide a smoother experience for patrons. The project also will provide a boost to the library budget because the computers were upgraded for free. The purchase by the Allegheny Regional Asset District was part of...
Faces of the Valley: O’Hara’s Sarah Jones parlays passion for teaching into Volunteer of the Year Award from National Aviary
O’Hara resident Sarah Jones calls herself a lucky duck. After retiring as a first-grade teacher from the Wilkinsburg School District, Jones spread her wings and found a new passion — birds — while still keeping her love for teaching close. She began volunteering in 2014 at the National Aviary on...
Highlands partners with UPMC for pediatric diabetes study
Highlands Middle School nurse Aliza Zelina keeps individual baskets stocked with snacks and medical supplies for her students battling Type 1 diabetes. “They come to me several times a day,” said Zelina, of the preteens at the Harrison school. “They are little kids who are learning to manage this illness. They...
New Kensington’s Davon Magwood looks to go from comedy clubs and restaurant kitchens to the state House
A professional chef from New Kensington who had an early career as a Pittsburgh comedian has turned his sights to politics. Davon Magwood, 38, is running for the state House’s 55th District seat after having won the Democratic write-in in the April primary. He earned a spot on the November...
Deer Lakes students could be budding ‘Rockhounds’
Cole Protzman was fascinated by the minerals and colorful stones in his Deer Lakes third-grade classroom, but wondered if the program’s host, the Monongahela Rockhounds, had made bigger discoveries. “Have you ever found a T-Rex fossil?” Cole asked Friday at East Union Intermediate Center. Rockhounds member Margaret Robertson said she...
In its 20th year, Ride for Homeless Vets continues to grow; fundraising surpasses $400,000
When Tom Grates first heard the term “homeless veterans,” the Tarentum resident was appalled. “It made me sick,” Grates said. “I’m a vet, my dad and grandfather were both vets, and my son’s in the military now. “I figured I’d better do something to address this.” It was 20 years...
Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services to host Junior Fire Camp to recruit young members
Joining the Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Department at 14 is a move that benefited Jean Daniher far beyond learning rescue skills. She was able to earn an associate degree and a registered nurse’s license for free through the Community College of Allegheny County solely because of her status as an active...
Islamic center eyes purchase of former Holy Family church in East Deer
A potential buyer for the shuttered Holy Family Church in East Deer appears to be another religious organization. Alfatimiah of Pittsburgh, a group that describes itself as operating “under the teachings of Islam,” is eyeing the site at 787 Freeport Road, according to East Deer officials. However, the group will...
Jodi Klebick takes reins at Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization
The new executive director of the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization is hoping to continue more than a decade of work in the nonprofit sector, this time helping to improve the quality of life in the quaint river town. Jodi Klebick will take the reins of the group, founded in 2014 with...
Plans for Harrison Aldi, twice-delayed, appear uncertain
Plans for an Aldi grocery store in Harrison appear to be up in the air, following a two-year construction delay. J.R. Perry, Aldi divisional vice president, said previously that work would start this year for the proposed store at 4024 Freeport Road, on the property formerly occupied by Harbison Nursery....
Faces of the Valley: Harrison’s Diane Umile connects children with music through Pete’s Heartstrings charity
A passion for music runs in Diane Umile’s family. The Harrison resident has orchestrated a way to stoke that passion for others through a new nonprofit, Pete’s Heartstrings. Run from her home along McWilliams Drive in the Birdville section of the township, Umile’s efforts provide musical instruments to people in...
Indiana Township lands 2 new police SUVs through state grant
Indiana Township police log a lot of miles patrolling the 17-square-mile community. With the addition of three full-time officers this year, for a total of 13, Chief Steve Colucci said police are on the road a lot and “the miles add up.” One of the department’s SUVs racked up 120,000...
