Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 53
Future of Tree of Life focus of Fox Chapel program
People can hear plans for the future of Tree of Life in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood — the site of the 2018 shooting that marked the deadliest antisemitic attack in the country — during a mid-March presentation in Fox Chapel. Carole Zawatsky is the new CEO of a nonprofit institute...
Tarentum brings back agenda sessions to boost discussion
In an effort to spur more discussion and allow extra time to answer questions that arise on borough issues, Tarentum Council has decided to return to having two meetings a month moving forward. An agenda meeting will be the first Tuesday of the month, and a regular meeting will take...
Corbet Street building demolition is on the books again
A building in the heart of the Tarentum business district is back on track for demolition, officials hope. The three-story brick building at the corner of Third Avenue was set to be razed before Christmas, but the job was ignored by contractor AP Wise Excavating of Butler, borough officials said....
The Hungry Cupcake in West Deer dishes up free Valentine’s treats
Forget diamonds and dinner reservations. Jennifer Urbanek of West Deer believes sweet confections are the best Valentine treats. She’s doling them out via the Little Free Library outside her coffee and tea shop on McKrell Road. “I think it’s fun to be able to walk up to the box and...
Quilters’ stories on display at Harrison library
Harrison resident Vicki Frantz didn’t discover her passion for quilting until well into adulthood. As a caregiver in 2018 for her terminally ill mother, Frantz spent most of her days sitting by her mom’s bedside. “My mom was an avid quilter for many years and her sewing machine was set...
Changes to garbage collection postponed in Tarentum
Big changes to Tarentum’s garbage service that were expected in April have been pushed back to mid-summer. Starting then, residents no longer will have unlimited collection. Waste Management will switch to cart service with each property given one 96-gallon container. Residents will have the opportunity to buy additional containers for...
Tarentum seeks emergency management coordinator in wake of recent tragic events
If a train derailed in Tarentum or a fire broke out in the business district, police and fire crews would respond, but the borough would be without a point man. Tarentum lost its emergency management coordinator in September when then-Borough Manager Michael Nestico left for a job in Murrysville. He...
Harrison, Tarentum among those earning Banner Community distinction
To be considered a Banner Community, local officials need to excel at the daily grind of running municipal operations. From money management to an easy-to-navigate website, the things that engage people are what make a stellar community, according to the Allegheny League of Municipalities. The group each year doles out...
Cheswick Council President Michael Girardi announces candidacy for district judge
Cheswick Council President Michael Girardi has resigned that position and announced his candidacy for Lower Valley district judge. The position “unites two of the great loves in my life — service to the community I have chosen to call home and the law,” Girardi said. District Court 05-3-03 covers Cheswick,...
Brackenridge, McKeesport grieve together over loss of officers
While Brackenridge police were mourning the death of Chief Justin McIntire, McKeesport Officer Sean Sluganski volunteered his time to patrol the tiny borough. Now, barely a month later, Brackenridge officers are patrolling McKeesport while police there mourn Sluganski’s death. “He was one of the first volunteers to sign up to...
Free glass recycling coming to Hartwood Acres
A traveling glass recycling bin will be available at Hartwood Acres this summer. The program provides a free recycling option for people to rid their houses of glass bottles, jars and jugs of all colors. No sorting is required. The bin will be at the Indiana Township park July 8-13....
Blawnox restaurant challenges people to eat clean — winner gets 3 months of free food
Interested in eating free for three months? A Blawnox eatery that specializes in healthy food and low-cal meals is offering that chance. Clean Eatz, at 175 Freeport Road, has launched its fifth annual WeChangeLivez Challenge through which patrons can win a bundle of food for sharing their healthy-eating journeys on...
Springdale Council President Mitchell Karaica announces candidacy for district judge
Springdale Council President Mitchell Karaica has announced his candidacy for Lower Valley district judge. “Having lived in the magisterial district for 48 of my 50 years, I have a personal stake in the safety and well-being of all five communities and strongly relate to the needs and concerns of the...
Friends of the Riverfront seeks public input on Cheswick trail
Plans to extend the Three Rivers Heritage Trail through Cheswick are inching closer to reality. The public can weigh in on potential designs during an open house Wednesday at the Cheswick Volunteer Fire Department. Friends of the Riverfront, the nonprofit that oversees the Heritage Trail, is seeking input on construction...
CDTCA students deliver messages of thanks to Aspinwall merchants
Aspinwall businesses got a big shout-out during Catholic Schools Week from students at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy. Students trekked through the busy corridors of Brilliant and Commercial avenues to deliver hand-drawn posters and cards to merchants which share the neighborhood with the private school. “One of our greatest...
Unspecified threat led to early dismissal at Highlands Middle School last week
Highlands Middle School students were dismissed early Friday after a threat was made to the school, district leaders said Monday. Details of the incident and the nature of the threat were not released by the district. A statement from Superintendent Monique Mawhinney did not disclose who made the threat or...
LED lights, other exterior upgrades to boost safety at UPMC St. Margaret hospital
Ongoing upgrades to the UPMC St. Margaret hospital campus near Aspinwall will boost safety for patients, staff and visitors, hospital leaders said. A switch to LED lights in the parking areas is a key component of the project. Work cost about $50,000 for 96 new lights in the parking and...
Harrison eyes $640,000 sewer upgrades near Sylvan Park Pool
The Harrison commissioners are eyeing a $640,000 sewer project to help ease overflows in the neighborhoods near Sylvan Park Pool. The Little Bull Creek sanitary sewer upgrade is being done to comply with a years-old consent decree from the federal government. “It is a complicated project, but we hope to...
Brackenridge Salvation Army programs uninterrupted despite red kettle campaign falling short
The closing of the Walmart store in The Waterworks mall dampened collection efforts by Salvation Army bell ringers and caused a shortfall in the annual fundraising campaign, leaders at the Allegheny Valley Corps in Brackenridge said. “With that store not available to us, and some other situations, we’re facing a...
ATI sees strong finish to 2022, full-year sales near $4 billion
ATI had a strong finish in 2022 with fourth-quarter sales of $1 billion, company officials announced Thursday. It is an increase of more than 30% over the same time period in 2021. “We’re executing expertly against robust markets,” CEO Bob Wetherbee said in a release by the company, which moved...
Finishing touches to cap off $80,000 Harrison Honor Roll project
Janice Friel-Kaufman grew up in Harrison in an ardent military family. Her father was an Army lieutenant; one uncle was a Navy bombardier who was shot down over the Pacific; another uncle was a Marine Corps pilot who flew the first rescue missions into Okinawa. There were several others. “I...
Highlands alumni reunite for 11th annual cabaret concert fundraiser
Maggie (Baird) Griffith first fell in love with musical theater at 5, when she and her mother would sit in the audience at Highlands High School and dance along in their seats with whatever ballads or toe-tapping numbers were being performed. “I just couldn’t get enough of the life and...
First Baptist Church in Tarentum to host roving MLK memorial service
The Rev. Helen Burton believes there has never been a better time to preach Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages of unity. “He was always teaching about love and caring for others,” said Burton, pastor at First AME Church in Clairton. “These days, it appears to be every person for themselves,...
Highlands to implement new tools to combat student vaping
Highlands administrators will get an edge in their battle against the popular — but unhealthy and illegal — teen habit of vaping. Detectors will be installed in restrooms at the middle and high schools in the coming weeks to notify officials when students are puffing inside the stalls. “Vaping is...
Brackenridge resident spearheads effort to rename borough street for Chief McIntire
The Brackenridge street where fallen police Chief Justin McIntire was killed could be renamed in his honor if a longtime resident has her way. Family friend Debbie Beale is spearheading the effort to rename Third Avenue, where the 46-year-old chief grew up and also where he was killed during a...
