Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 37
Snakes, lizards, spiders coming — monthly — to Pittsburgh Mills in Reptile Show & Sale
Anyone who has never had the chance to see an axolotl up close is in luck. The slippery little aquarium creature, made popular by the Minecraft video game craze, will be on display at the Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale making its new home at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer....
Clairton man headed to court on charges of shooting Monroeville police officer in Allegheny Township
A Clairton man on Wednesday waived to court charges of attempted homicide after being accused of shooting a Monroeville police officer during a November car chase through Allegheny Township. Bruce Alvarado, 39, of Toman Avenue was scheduled for a preliminary hearing at Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec’s office for charges that...
Rescue Plan Act comes to the aid of Tarentum’s failing water system, other area projects
Tarentum officials were praying for a miracle to salvage the borough’s failing water distribution system. On Tuesday, they got one. The borough is among 15 Alle-Kiski Valley municipalities and water authorities to split nearly $7 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. “We believe that access to...
Tarentum taxes hold steady; utility costs climb
The good news for Tarentum residents is that property taxes will remain the same for the 20th consecutive year. The bad news is utility costs are going up. That includes garbage, water and electricity. Councilwoman Carrie Fox said the increases mostly are because of rising supply costs and contractual obligations...
Burger King to reopen in Harrison
Anyone craving a Whopper soon will be able to have it their way again — and in a familiar Harrison location. Burger King at 1509 Freeport Road, in the heart of the Natrona Heights business corridor, is opening in the same location that formerly operated as a Home of the...
Faces of the Valley: Brackenridge’s Carter Anderson goes for the gold in powerlifting competitions
Highlands junior Carter Anderson admits he was a bit nervous stepping into the arena at the Villanova Fall Festival, a three-day competition that is the largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world. The 17-year-old vied for the powerlifting title in his 120-pound weight class in three categories — dead...
State Rep. Mandy Steele opening Tarentum office
Alle-Kiski Valley residents who need help with income taxes, state-issued licenses or notary services will have a one-stop shop in Tarentum. State Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, is opening a satellite office along Corbet Street in an effort to be more accessible to residents. The office will be inside the...
3 years after covid shutdowns, Fox Chapel Area Adult Education maintains online learning as convenience for students
While the covid pandemic shut down most of the world in 2020, it opened an opportunity for online learning. Fox Chapel Area Adult Education, kicking off its winter class schedule, has learned to lean on the convenience of Zoom to draw a wider enrollment for language, cooking and fitness sessions....
East 7th sewer work in Tarentum moving forward, largely paid by grants
A major sewer project is finally moving forward in Tarentum, four years after council first started considering the work. Manager Dwight Boddorf said work near East Seventh Avenue and South Ormond Street is back on the books. “This is big for us,” he said. The work is part of a...
Route 28 near Fox Chapel will be limited to single lanes this week
Motorists who use Route 28 near Fox Chapel should allow extra travel time this week. Single-lane restrictions in both directions will be in place Wednesday and Thursday while crews install message boards, PennDOT announced. In the northbound lanes, work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Exit 7...
Indiana Township District 1 supervisor race decided by 1 vote
The race for Indiana Township supervisor in District 1 has been decided by one vote. Republican incumbent Paul Jorgensen will retain his seat after beating Democratic challenger Amy Giammattei by the narrowest of margins, 218 votes to 217. The contest landed in a tie on election night, leaving the candidates...
Building the Valley: The Teen Spot after-school program helps Highlands students connect to community
Organizers of an after-school program for Highlands teens peg it as a home away from home. But The Teen Spot, geared toward students in grades six through 12, is also a learning facility, life skills provider and extended family for many of the 70 participants. “These are my kids,” said...
New playground equipment comes to ‘Hoops on Sixth’ in Tarentum, courtesy of Tripak Industries
The basketball court at Tarentum’s “Hoops on Sixth” park was barely usable before a local business owner stepped up to assist. Eric Hashim, owner of Tripak Industries in West Tarentum, donated heavy-duty hoops with steel nets and a new swing set with a toddler space and high-bucket seats. The equipment,...
Christmas presents for Ukrainian orphans made possible by Arnold church and area high school students
Ten-year-old Nastya Shytnikova has a short Christmas list. She didn’t ask for an iPhone or a doll. “I’d really like Legos, candies and cookies, and a warm shirt,” Nastya wrote in a note to St. Nicholas. “My biggest dream is for the war to end.” The Ukrainian girl — orphaned...
In effort to rebuild, tours showcase historical significance of Natrona
From its early days as sacred salt-gathering grounds for Native Americans to the manufacturing of the pesticide DDT for war efforts in the 1900s to today’s steel mill, Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood oozes historical contributions to modern industry. Scandalous tales are a close second. Fanny Sellins, the first woman union organizer,...
A year later, still no resolution in online theft of nearly $140,000 from Tarentum
Few answers have turned up in the year since Tarentum was robbed of nearly $140,000 in an online phishing scam. The investigation by the borough’s insurance carrier is ongoing. Officers determined the person or group responsible for the crime netted a total of between $800,000 and $900,000 from many victims,...
Fox Chapel expects to hold tax rate steady
Fox Chapel residents are likely to pay the same in property taxes next year after council approved its tentative $9.2 million budget. The tax rate is expected to remain at 2.95 mills, the same as it’s been since 2019. “It’s the 16th lowest in Allegheny County, and it includes garage...
Highlands School Board votes to limit tax hike; 3 new members sworn in
Residents in the Highlands School District should not expect to see a property tax increase for the 2024-25 school year beyond 7.6%. The school board agreed to keep any tax hike next school within a limit that’s tied to inflation. The tax rate for residents is 25.13 mills. The owner...
Tarentum water rate increase aims to help restore failing distribution system, bring East Deer’s bulk costs in line
A failing water distribution system in Tarentum coupled with an impractical contract for wholesale water costs to East Deer will spur a rate increase this spring for people in both municipalities. Costs will climb by $1.30 per 1,000 gallons — about an 11% increase in Tarentum and about a 29%...
2 years after devastating fire, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church rises in Arnold
Two years after a raging fire swept through St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold, support has swelled to see the rise of a new $2.2 million sanctuary. The disaster on Dec. 4, 2021, could easily have destroyed the congregation of just 35 members. Instead, it made the parish stronger....
Indiana Township teen travels to Kenya through scholarship set up by late Fox Chapel Area teacher
Fox Chapel Area junior Ben Fiedler is an aspiring astrophysicist with an itch to travel the world. He got the chance on a nearly three-week summer visit to Kenya, the East African country nearly 7,700 miles across the globe. Known largely for its safari landscapes and wildlife preserves, Kenya borders...
No increase likely for Harrison property taxes
Harrison property taxes are not expected to increase next year after the township commissioners approved a preliminary $7.8 million budget. The tax rate is expected to remain at 5.1 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would again pay $510. The commissioners will take a final vote Dec....
Heights Plaza buzzes with opening of Harvest Moon’s 2nd location
Scott Walmsley relaxed in a velvet armchair with a hot beverage Wednesday morning during the grand opening of Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates in Heights Plaza in Harrison. He couldn’t have looked more content. “This is exactly what I’d be doing at home,” said Walmsley of Freeport. “It’s a comfortable...
Natrona native pays for holiday wreaths to spotlight Harrison veterans
Natrona native Janice Kaufman trekked the 70 miles from her home in Hermitage last weekend to help hang 12 holiday wreaths in Harrison. “It’s just my way of saying ‘thank you’ to all of the people who built our town and served in the military on the home front —...
Winter Ready Rams doles out 300 coats for kids in need; mission not quite complete
In her fourth year collecting winter coats for needy children in the Highlands School District, parent Christina Faltot said the effort fell just short of amazing. “We received lots of donations but not enough for the number of kids in need,” Faltot said. The effort, called Winter Ready Rams, brought...
