Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 55
Upgrades coming to Camp Guyasuta’s McGinnis Center
Leaders at Camp Guyasuta are eyeing renovations to the McGinnis Education Center, the massive dorm and conference facility at the entrance to the wooded grounds in O’Hara. The Boy Scout-run camp received word last week that it received a $100,000 state grant through the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund. Money...
West Mifflin Area administrators investigating weekend fight inside locked high school
West Mifflin Area Superintendent Jeffrey Soles said the district is investigating a video of what appears to be two students fighting last weekend inside the high school, which had been closed at the time. It was not clear how the students got inside the locked building. “The district will uphold...
Pittsburgh police safely locate missing teen
Pittsburgh police have safely located teen Jaquan Groomes-Smith. The 13-year-old was last seen Friday at Allegheny Traditional Academy when police issued an alert seeking help to locate him. Police posted an update Tuesday to social media that he has been found....
Thanksgiving detour: Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Bridge to close for Turkey Trot
Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Bridge will close to traffic for a short time on Thanksgiving Day to make way for more than 6,000 runners in the 32nd annual YMCA Turkey Trot. The bridge links the North Shore to Downtown at Seventh Street. It is scheduled to be closed from 7 to...
Pittsburgh police ask for help to find man last seen in early November
Pittsburgh police are seeking help from the public to locate a man last seen on Nov. 5. William “Billy” Garasich Jr, 30, is known to frequent Stanton Heights and Lawrenceville. He also hangs around The Waterworks shopping plaza near Aspinwall, according to police. He is described as 5-foot-6, 145 pounds,...
Suspect in Penn Hills homicide extradited to Pa. from Georgia
A man accused of fatally shooting a man at a Penn Hills gas station in September has been extradited to Pennsylvania, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Michael Wade, 36, was arrested earlier this month in Georgia and charged with homicide in connection with the death of Dante Jones. Wade...
Bitter cold weather gives way to sunshine; temps to hit 50s by Thanksgiving
Here’s something to be thankful for: The colder-than-normal weather will come to an end Monday in the Pittsburgh region with sunny skies warming temperatures into the low 40s. National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said there will still be some cold overnight lows, but the days will begin to heat...
Faces of the Valley: Natrona’s Patty Babinsack is a volunteer any group would relish
Natrona resident Patty Babinsack believes it takes work to build a better future. The 79-year-old is willing to do the heavy lifting. A lifelong resident of the small Harrison neighborhood along the Allegheny River, Babinsack has volunteered thousands of hours to making the Alle-Kiski Valley a region that boasts successful...
Gatto’s Harley-Davidson showroom set to open as watercraft hub in Tarentum
The Harleys have roared out of Gatto Cycle Shop along East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum, and the owners are transitioning the space to all things water-related to meet an increasing local demand. Jet skis and wave runners already are filling the Gatto Cycle Shop Marine Center, which is expected to...
Highlands Area Rotary Choral Festival makes return after 2-year covid hiatus
One of the high notes of the holiday season is back after a two-year covid-related break. The Highlands Area Rotary Club’s choral festival is set to hit the stage Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Highlands High School in Harrison. It features choirs from five districts: Burrell, Freeport Area, Highlands, Kiski Area...
Equus and PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski in New Kensington surpass 100th GED milestone
Diamond Stockfields was hit with family problems as a teen and decided that graduating from Valley High School wasn’t the path for her. Instead, she earned her GED through Equus and PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski. Now working as an EMT, she hopes to attend college in the spring. “I don’t think...
No injuries reported in New Kensington crash that closed Tarentum Bridge Road
A portion of Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington was closed for a short time Friday morning after an SUV flipped between Leechburg Road and Carl Avenue. No injuries were reported, according to New Kensington Fire Department No. 2. Emergency crews responded to the crash just after 7 a.m. near...
First-ever meatloaf dinner fundraiser a whopping success for Harrison Cub Scouts
Meatloaf dinners are paving the way for exciting Cub Scout activities in the new year. Pack 186, based out of Guardian Angels Parish in Harrison, hosted a fundraiser dinner Nov. 6 where more than 300 meals left the church kitchen. “It was the first time we attempted this type of...
Faith Lutheran Church in Harrison to celebrate 50th anniversary
A reluctant merger of two local churches in 1972 has led to a thriving congregation at Faith Lutheran Church in Harrison. Parishioners will mark the 50th anniversary Saturday, celebrating a unity that “accomplished many wonderful things,” longtime member Elaine Sakaluk said. “Now we’re like family,” said Marilyn Gilkey of Cabot....
Tarentum doubling earned income tax to compensate for budget shortfall; millage to remain the same
An updated tentative 2023 budget for Tarentum calls for an increase in the earned income tax from 0.5% to 1%. Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf blamed the increase on a projected $1.2 million general fund deficit. The overall proposed budget for next year of nearly $17 million assumes the borough will...
Pittsburgh’s rock royalty releases ‘A Very Yinzer Christmas’ to benefit people with autism
Legendary Steel City musicians will release a holiday album Friday that might be the ’Burgh-iest musical compilation to ever hit the airwaves. “A Very Yinzer Christmas” features holiday tracks by more than 25 Pittsburgh music icons, including Donnie Iris, The Skyliners, Johnny Angel & the Halos, Bill Deasy and Joe...
Sharpsburg sewer line project will bring minor disruptions for area residents
Sharpsburg residents in the area of 10th to 13th streets can expect slight water disruptions when a major sewer line project is scheduled in early December. Insight Pipe is expected to begin work Dec. 1 along Main Street. “The sewer line in that area needs to be relined,” Manager Christine...
Demand for Murphy Building in Tarentum shows renewed interest in business district
Demand for office suites at the near-century-old Murphy Building in Tarentum is outpacing available space. The large corner building that sat vacant for eight years is breathing new life into the borough’s business district, with offices on the first floor rented at capacity. Owner Dave Rankin has kicked off a...
Handgun among items stolen from vehicles in Harrison; police seek help to identify suspect
Harrison police are seeking information on a person caught on camera entering and stealing from unlocked vehicles in the township. A handgun was among the items stolen, according to police. The suspect was captured by residential security cameras early Sunday ransacking cars along Saxonburg Road, High Street and Jefferson Avenue....
Local schools share in $190 million from state to boost security and mental health programs
By spring, Highlands students will have roving access to health and hygiene supplies, clothes and classroom items to help increase their chances of success in school. The Mobile Support Station will be paid for through a $270,000 state grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency School Safety and...
Winter Ready Rams brings in 200 coats to keep Highlands students warm
Nearly 200 Highlands students will be extra toasty this winter thanks to a warm-clothes collection hosted by the school district community. Parent Christina Faltot spearheaded the Winter Ready Rams drive for the third consecutive year, bringing in coats, hats, scarves and gloves to help students in need. Faltot of Harrison...
Site work expected to begin at Harrison’s mixed-use business park
A mixed-use development off Route 28 in Harrison is expected to move forward in the spring after several years sitting dormant. Brian Clark, consultant for R&Z Harrison Properties, said site work and infrastructure are scheduled to begin on Harrison Point, a 162-acre development near the Tarentum interchange of the expressway...
Highlands Elementary students mark Veterans Day by honoring family members who served
Desert Storm veteran Frank Banks shared a special breakfast Friday morning with fellow serviceman Robert Hayden and his nephews, Grayson and Ezra Killian, at Highlands Elementary School. “I love being here with the kids,” said Hayden, an Air Force veteran and Harrison resident. “It’s a nice event all-around.” The pancake...
Bitter 2021 ATI strike focus of documentary, Zoom discussion
Caustic picket line conversations and fiery union hall debates will take center stage in an upcoming documentary about the bitter 2021 ATI strike that impacted 450 workers in the Alle-Kiski Valley. “Local 1196: A Steelworkers Strike” gives a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of union workers and their families while...
Friends, family of late Vietnam veteran from Freeport hope to secure military honors for him at VA cemetery
Late Freeport resident Bob Johnston served three tours of harrowing conflict in the Vietnam War, running supplies along the Cua Viet River at Dong Ha. He served four years in the Navy, 1965-68, basically living on the water while repelling ground attacks and artillery fire from the enemy. “He made...
