Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 39
Homicide accusations against nurse Heather Pressdee raise scrutiny of state, nursing home vetting processes
Administrators and staff at five nursing homes where Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee worked either were suspicious or knew outright that she was harming patients, according to charges filed Thursday by the state Attorney General’s Office. Pressdee, 41, was charged in connection with 17 total deaths at five nursing homes in...
A look at some of the victims in connection with Heather Pressdee’s murder, attempted homicide charges
Heather Pressdee faces two new counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for overdosing patients with insulin. The 41-year-old nurse from Harrison is accused of crimes at five nursing homes: Concordia at Rebecca Residence in West Deer; Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation (Guardian) in Lower Burrell; Quality Life...
Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee linked to 15 additional nursing home deaths
Two new counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder were filed Thursday against a Harrison nurse previously charged in killing two patients with lethal doses of insulin. Attorney General Michelle Henry said Heather Pressdee, 41, is again accused of administering excessive amounts of insulin to patients, some...
ATI brings in revenue of $1B for 5th consecutive quarter
ATI’s revenue has topped $1 billion for a fifth consecutive quarter. The third-quarter results, released Thursday, show sales were up 18% over the same time last year. Increasing Aerospace and Defense content has driven the year-over-year earnings, company officials said. “ATI’s growth as an aerospace and defense leader continues,” CEO...
First-ever Cookie Walk to benefit Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg community libraries
Sharpsburg Community Library Clerk Jamie Cozza loves to bake, but she enjoys a sweet treat even more when it comes from someone else’s kitchen. She plans to stock up on her favorite, peanut butter kiss cookies, during the first-ever Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries Cookie Walk. The event, 1 to...
Foxwall EMS Chief Tony Cuda recalled as mentor, inspiration for departments across the A-K Valley
Emergency services lost a giant in the field with the death of Foxwall EMS Chief Tony Cuda on Oct. 28, according to friends and peers. Cuda, 54, served with numerous local departments, from Swissvale to Aspinwall to Penn Hills, inspiring countless members with his mentoring and benchmark of excellence. Service...
Community service can bolster skills, impact job hiring
Valley High School sophomore and welding student Brandon Stankiewicz hoped to sow some career seeds while volunteering at an ATI tree-planting event Wednesday in Harrison. “I’m really hoping to meet up with some other tech students and people from ATI,” said Stankiewicz, 15, who is enrolled at the Northern Westmoreland...
Little Bull Creek sewer project to ease overflows in Harrison
Harrison residents who live near Sylvan Park should get some relief from sewer overflows because of a $555,000 township project to upgrade lines in the area. Work is expected to start this week and last through January. The Little Bull Creek sanitary sewer project will impact homes near the park,...
Faces of the Valley: Tarentum’s Carrie Fox stepping back from politics after 16 years but won’t forgo volunteerism
Carrie Fox hasn’t had time in decades to focus on her passions — cooking, ceramics and crafts. The Tarentum native and councilwoman has spent more than half her life behind the scenes of local government, school-related issues and the borough’s busy slate of social activities. “I love Tarentum,” Fox said....
Tarentum docks and decks removed for deadline, giving riverfront a new appearance
Drivers crossing the Tarentum Bridge this week might have done a double take. The shoreline in Tarentum is nearly empty for the first time in decades. It’s being cleared of boat docks, decks, picnic tables, bars and sheds while lease holders race to beat a Tuesday deadline set by council....
Hilltop Hose ‘sounding the alarm,’ doling out free smoke detectors to Natrona residents
A 2008 blaze in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood started in a century-old vacant apartment and, within minutes, tore through five buildings along Chestnut Street, including the township tax collector’s office. “Oh, I remember that one,” said Pat Walters, who has lived in the community for 60 years. “There was another bad...
‘Assassins’ production in Aspinwall takes audience into the mind of a presidential killer
In a dark glimpse of America’s often-twisted political history, Aspinwall native Jake Froehlich will bring to life the man who assassinated President James Garfield in a musical tale of greed, rage and irony. “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim will be produced by Riverfront Theater Company on Nov. 9-12 and 16-18 inside...
St. Mathias in Natrona gets 2nd life from father and son with passion for old buildings
Growing up in Lower Burrell, Tom Bertus often visited family in Natrona and can recall the harmonies of the carillon chimes that rang from the bell tower at St. Mathias. “It was the most beautiful sound,” said Bertus, who with his son, Peter, purchased the 118-year-old vacant building on Pond...
Highlands Region 3 race decided in spring, but voters in regions 1 and 2 have multiple options
Highlands School District voters will have an array of options in the upcoming election, with eight candidates seeking five positions on the board. In Region 3, the race was all but decided in the spring when 18-year-old Democrat Eli Majocha and Democratic incumbent Kristie Babinsack won the top two nominations...
St. Ladislaus in Natrona gives people chance to claim keepsakes, say goodbye
Rachel Brown doesn’t have the energy for social media. But the Natrona resident has a keen eye for what might go viral. Her interest in the architectural salvage of St. Ladislaus Church, shuttered in 2022, has drawn people from across the country to Spruce Street to rescue items before the...
Write-in winner Gary Hines challenges incumbent Eric Bengel for Harrison commissioner
Voters in Harrison’s 3rd Ward will get a repeat of a heated commissioners race between incumbent Eric Bengel and newcomer Gary Hines. The Democrats competed in the spring for a four-year seat, with Bengel edging Hines by seven votes. Hines won the write-in nomination on the Republican ticket for the...
Allegheny Township man spent 5 months in Ukraine, ‘helping the people who need it most’
The train ride from Krakow, Poland, into Ukraine was dark and cold. When the engine pulled into the Ternopil station, Allegheny Township truck driver Mark McLure immediately felt the terror of a war-torn territory. “The military gets on the train and they are armed with assault weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs,”...
Sharpsburg voters will choose between 2 newcomers for 2-year term
Sharpsburg voters will choose between two newcomers on Nov. 7 for election to a two-year term on council. Democrat Corey Ochai and Republican Diana Oliver will compete for the position. Other races in the borough are uncontested. Here are the answers given by Ochai and Oliver to questions posed by...
Fox Chapel, O’Hara eyeing comprehensive plan to improve quality of life
Fox Chapel and O’Hara leaders are teaming up to address the effects of climate change, ease traffic congestion and boost active transportation opportunities as a way to improve the quality of life. A joint comprehensive plan has been underway for about two years. Officials recently got a boost, in the...
Dadowski, Smith seeking election to ward seats in Tarentum but also vying for at-large position
Two people are vying for three open seats on Tarentum Council — but there’s still a race at hand. Council President Scott Dadowski, a Democrat, is running unopposed for a four-year 2nd Ward seat. Republican newcomer Maggie Smith is seeking a four-year term in the 3rd Ward. They also are...
Members of Tarentum, Brackenridge churches deliver ‘seeds of friendship’ on mission trip to Ghana
Members of two local churches are on a mission nearly 5,400 miles across the globe to deliver “seeds of friendship” in the form of eyeglasses, jump ropes and produce. A group of eight congregants from Abundant Joy Fellowship in Tarentum and Generations House of Worship in Brackenridge recently traveled to...
Tarentum Boo Festival brings hayrides, balloon art and an obstacle course
A sidewalk chalk contest, inflatable obstacle course and caricature artist will fill Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park for the annual Boo Festival. Sponsored by the borough’s recreation board, the event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 28. “It’s a wonderful event,” said Carol McPherson, a longtime volunteer. “It’s so...
Hands-on fire safety demonstration excites Highlands students
Highlands first grader Isabella Young didn’t seem fazed that the Eureka Fire-Rescue engine she was admiring at school this week cost more than $1 million. She only wanted to know what all the buttons were for. “Where do the firetrucks come from?” she asked. “How do you put out the...
Harrison police go pink for October, Breast Cancer Month
Harrison police are sporting a new hue for October. Bright-pink uniform patches are intended to raise awareness for the battle against breast cancer, Chief Brian Turack said. “People are already talking about it, so it’s working,” he said. The department is participating in the Pink Patch Project, founded in 2013...
Tarentum eyes ways to salvage ‘unsustainable’ water plant system
Tarentum has experienced eight water main breaks in the past two months. Ninety percent of the pipes at the water distribution plant are 100 years old. “Our system is failing,” Manager Dwight Boddorf said. “Anytime we go to replace something, there’s a high chance of collapse.” Officials are trying to...
