Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 6

Property owners in the Highlands School District won’t see a tax increase for next school year after the board approved its $54.5 million budget. The plan holds the property tax rate steady at 25.13 mills. The median household income for the district is about $60,000. The owner of a home...

An organic idea by two rising Fox Chapel Area seniors is expected to make a lasting impact on their larger school community. James Manges and Aavree Hill are creating a community garden at the high school, the crops from which will help feed those in need. Fruits and veggies will...

A new urology lab with advanced diagnostic testing is up and running at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital to deal with a slow but steady increase in the number of prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year. The second-leading cause of cancer death in men, prostate cancer impacts one in eight men,...

Highlands Athletic Director Katie Jo Stobert said an expanded sports co-op with St. Joseph High School is a no-brainer. The schools, both in Harrison, already field combined teams in cross country, swimming, bowling and track. This coming year, students will get even more athletic opportunities in tennis, baseball and softball....

PennDOT officials said Friday they will assess the potential of installing fencing on the downriver side of the Tarentum Bridge following the death of a New Kensington man who apparently jumped to his death from the span Tuesday. The victim was identified as Thomas Peter Link, 68, by the Allegheny...

When Lincoln Sims chomped into a handful of kale at the Greg Blythe Friendship Garden in Tarentum, the 6-year-old gave it a thumbs up. Classmate Teigen Capozzoli followed suit — and promptly spit the bitter greens to the ground. “I didn’t care for it,” she said. “I liked the strawberries...

A man who jumped to his death from the Tarentum Bridge on Tuesday has been identified. The victim was Thomas Peter Link, 68, of New Kensington, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Link jumped into the Allegheny River shortly before 11:30 a.m. and died before he could be...

Three former churches, once part of the Guardian Angels parish, remain for sale three years after the parish cut seven churches to two, keeping open Most Blessed Sacrament in Harrison and Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. “We have people looking all the time,” parish Business Manager Tom Babinsack...

At 15, Ryley Potlas already knows what she wants to do with her life. The Kiski Area School District freshman dreams of a career in welding, and she’s getting a jump on it by enrolling at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington. “There’s a big need for...

Rosemary Musolino said she couldn’t think of a more fitting project for Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison than the new outdoor respite garden. “It’s a beautiful design because it’s so welcoming,” said Musolino, an Allegheny Township resident and vice president of the hospital auxiliary. “It’s not only connected to our...

A familiar face could be returning to Tarentum Council. Two years after stepping down from local government, Carrie Fox has found herself in the political mix again. She secured the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Ward by write-in votes during the May primary election. “I do miss having a voice,”...

Harrison resident Ken Kostka has worked for years to revitalize the region’s colony of purple martins — the species of bird that vanished from Western Pennsylvania after Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. His efforts have taken flight. Harrison Hills, the 500-acre park off Freeport Road, is home to the only...

Fawn residents interested in serving in local government can apply for a temporary supervisor’s term. A vacancy was created after board member Phillip Smozski resigned effective June 3. His departure was announced at Tuesday’s supervisor’s meeting. “It was a learning adventure,” Smozski said, when reached by phone on Wednesday. He...

Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Harrison on Thursday is $620,000 richer. A jackpot-winning PA Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at a Freeport Road gas station. The winning ticket was sold at Bob’s Exxon, 2602 Freeport Road. It correctly matched all six winning numbers, 1-14-28-35-42-47. The gas...

Terry Onufer will never get a pet cremated again. The Buffalo Township resident is still reeling after Patrick Vereb, owner of Harrison and Pittsburgh funeral homes and pet crematoriums, was charged in April with allegedly discarding animals in landfills. “He had disrespect and disregard for our pup and others,” Onufer...

On any given day, the Linden Gym is bustling with basketball fanatics hitting the courts. It’s been that way for more than a century, since the building was established in the late 1800s as a YMCA. Early on, the building at 205 N. Canal St. served the borough’s youth and...

Green means go, at least to the geese at Blawnox Community Park. Mayor Tony Gross said that for whatever reason, the borough’s new green laser system meant to shoo geese is working like a charm. Council hired Harrietta Hills Trout Farm to tackle the persistent problem of birds on the...

Pine-Richland graduate Kate Turner doubled-down on hitting the books in high school — so much so that she simultaneously earned a college business certificate from Community College of Allegheny County. Turner, 18, will start Duquesne University this fall to study accounting. “With my classes from Pine-Richland and my CCAC classes,...

Summer hasn’t officially begun, but members of Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church already have autumn on their minds. Preparation for the 2025 Harvest Fair is underway, with donations being accepted three days a week. People are encouraged to rummage through their gently used household goods, linens, glassware, decorations and tools to...

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation is marking its 70th year of helping guide southwest Pennsylvania’s turbulent economic journey spurred by the steel industry collapse. Plum native Jeff Fraser tells the company’s tale in a newly released book, “Rebuilding Pittsburgh: RIDC and the Transformation of the Steel City.” It details RIDC’s...

Erin Wheeler has always known she was at high risk for skin cancer. A kidney transplant, combined with fair skin from her Irish heritage, put skin cancer on her radar at age 10. Some three decades later, Wheeler, a senior career consultant at the University of Pittsburgh, is a quasi-regular...

For Alex Lane McCants, earning a college certificate before graduating from high school was a no-brainer. A Highlands senior, McCants is one of 11 regional students to participate in the Dual Enrollment program at Community College of Allegheny County. Other students attend Pine-Richland, Montour, Allderdice and Baldwin, among others. Open...

The Fourth Avenue bridge over Bull Creek in Tarentum is closed after a sinkhole formed near the span. Borough engineers said a storm sewer line beneath the road collapsed, causing ground instability. It poses a risk to the bridge and surrounding infrastructure, according to an online post by the borough....

For the better half of the last century, you could set a watch by the Sunday morning tradition on Garfield Street in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood. “Everyone went to 9:30 Mass at St. Joe’s in their white shirt and tie, and then you’d see them all running down the street to...

It took a while to find the right fit, but Tarentum has its police dog. The borough announced the arrival of Kilo, who is paired with Officer Jeremy Belusar. The team worked their first shift together on Tuesday. “He’s a beautiful dog, and we’re lucky to get him,” Mayor Bob...