Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 65
Harrison Hills Park gets facelift as students revamp overgrown pond embankment
Bird populations are expected to soar near the south pond at Harrison Hills Park after a rigorous project to restore habitat at the Allegheny County site. Japanese barberry, honeysuckle and other bushy invasives were plucked from the pond embankment — nearly an acre’s worth — and replaced with native species...
Fawn will become Hollywood backdrop for Highlands grad’s feature film
The bright lights of Hollywood will transform some rural Fawn landscapes in July when a Highlands grad comes home to shoot a feature film. Nikki Serafini Neurohr, 26, will return to her Steel City roots for her directorial debut of a dark comedy called “Baggage Claim.” “It’s basically a homage...
Summer camps at St. Joseph High School in Harrison combine learning, fun
School’s out for the summer, but there still are lessons to learn and fun to be had at St. Joseph High School in Harrison. Summer camps will be offered in a variety of subjects, from science and art to basketball and music, at the school on Montana Avenue. “The camps...
Alle-Kiski Valley pools poised to make a splash
Local pools are prepped and ready for a sizzling summer swim season. Alle-Kiski Valley residents have several options to cool off, including sites in Harrison, Allegheny Township, Leechburg and Kittanning. “Last weekend was so ridiculously hot, it was definitely a good start to the season,” said Gianna Kraus, a Kiski...
Tarentum man faces prison for part in drug trafficking ring
A Tarentum man faces at least 10 years in prison for his part in a cocaine distribution ring, officials announced. John William Montgomery, 33, pleaded guilty in federal court before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy to charges of conspiracy to distribute at least 5 kilograms of cocaine. Montgomery admitted...
Highlands High seniors reminisce, celebrate with elementary walk-through and parade
Lots of cheers — and plenty of tears, too — marked a series of events Wednesday for Highlands seniors who are set to graduate Friday and embark on their next journey. Pre-commencement celebrations began with a 9 a.m. walk-through at each of the three former buildings that most students attended...
FC Pride in the Park aims to show support for all
“Be who you are” – that’s the message of the second annual FC Pride in the Park, a family-friendly event scheduled to fill the grounds at Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall. An inclusive festival featuring crafts, carnival games, button making, canvas painting and food will be 5 to 8 p.m....
Health, wellness and employment fair returns Saturday in Tarentum
Nearly 50 health, wellness and employment experts will fill Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum on Saturday during a community fair. Hosted by state Rep. Carrie DelRosso, the event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the park along First Avenue. Among the offerings will be: • Health screenings;...
Allegheny Land Trust secures capital to preserve 75 acres in Sewickley Hills
The goal has been met. Sewickley-based Allegheny Land Trust announced on May 26 that it successfully met a $1 million campaign to purchase and preserve a 75-acre property in Sewickley Hills. The nonprofit is expected to close his month on the Buerkle Woodlands, which sit at the northwest corner of...
Tarentum Manager Michael Nestico excited for new post in Murrysville, proud of work in borough
Outgoing Tarentum Borough Manager Michael Nestico is eager to rebuild ties with Westmoreland County when he assumes the position of top administrator in Murrysville next month. A resident of Jeannette, Nestico worked as an attorney and municipal manager there before taking the reins in Tarentum five years ago. “I’m looking...
‘Riverfront Revival’ to offer food, music, prayer in Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park
A Pentecostal preacher and a Brackenridge church are teaming up to put love into the community with a food giveaway Wednesday where everyone is invited. “That’s it. That’s the whole mission — just to let people know they are loved and there is a place for them,” said Chris Cugini,...
Signs, flyers to be prohibited on Tarentum utility poles, even for nonprofits, charities
Signs that advertise lost cats and yard sales no longer will be permitted on utility poles in Tarentum. Neither will signs touting events for charities and nonprofits. Council is expected to vote at its next meeting at 6 p.m. on June 14 to modify an ordinance regarding boroughwide posting. Manager...
Harrison baby couldn’t wait as mom delivers on Highland Park Bridge with help from EMS crew
Harrison mother-to-be Caitlin Fox knew her baby was coming fast. “It was about 7 a.m., and things started getting real,” Fox said, of the morning of May 9. “I started understanding that this was happening now, and I needed to get my butt to the hospital.” In a Citizens Hose...
Fox Chapel Area students earn high rankings in Governor’s STEM competition
Fox Chapel Area High School teacher Lisa Gibson never fails to be inspired by her students’ creativity. The gifted support facilitator said the teens’ solutions to modern-day dilemmas are innovative and capable. Most recently, a team of her students was named runner-up in the ninth annual state Department of Education...
Highlands’ Girls on the Run program fuels fitness, builds character
When Highlands fourth grader Kendall Walter runs laps around the playground after school, she hums tunes from the hit Broadway show “Hamilton.” “That Lin-Manuel Miranda really keeps me going,” said Kendall, a second-year participant in the elementary school’s Girls on the Run (GOTR) program. Hosted in part by the University...
Brackenridge’s Platinum Ridge residents dance the night away at prom
It’s prom season across the Alle-Kiski Valley and residents at Platinum Ridge in Brackenridge celebrated recently with a special night of their own. Residents dressed to the nines for the big event, hosted May 12 on the grounds of the nursing home and rehab center along Broadview Boulevard. “They always...
Harrison Cub Scouts to place 745 flags to honor fallen veterans at Prospect Cemetery
The members of Cub Scout Pack 186 from Harrison have a large chore looming this week but the people they’re serving had an even bigger one, the youngsters said. Pack members will traverse the 13-acre Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge to place 745 American flags on grave sites of veterans buried...
Business Network seeks female entrepreneurs
A group aimed at bolstering female entrepreneurs will host three local meetings this month. Women’s Business Network, an award-winning association, supports commercial growth of members through networking tools. Meetings will be: • 8 a.m. the first and third Tuesday — June 7 and 21 — at 817 Main St., Sharpsburg....
Fox Chapel Presbyterian looking ahead to Harvest Fair, seeking donations
Summer weather is just starting to heat up, but leaders of the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Harvest Fair are already thinking about crisp autumn days. Collections kicked off this week for the annual fundraiser, scheduled for Sept. 9-10, and organizers are hoping to grow the much-loved sale-a-palooza to pre-pandemic levels....
Fines eliminated for belated book returns at Harrison library
Anyone who likes to take their time to savor a good book from the Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Harrison can now return it after the due date without repercussion. The site on May 1 announced it is fine-free. “We are committed to serving our community in the best...
Tarentum Farm Market returns with new vendors, old favorites
Fresh eggs, just-picked produce and homemade raisin bread will help fill the parking lot at First United Presbyterian Church of Tarentum when its farm market returns for the season June 8. At least three new vendors will join the fray, along with the annual offerings that include fried potato pancakes...
Tree planting along Carlisle Street in Harrison an effort to ‘preserve heritage’
Efforts continue to preserve the majestic elm trees along Carlisle Street in Harrison, and with good reason. It is the largest stand of elms in a suburban setting in Pennsylvania, according to Gene Becker, president of the Allegheny Shade Tree Association. The 10-member group of neighbors formed in 2004 with...
Economic recovery tops the agenda in 33rd District state House race
With a victory for the Democratic nomination in the state House 33rd District race, Fox Chapel resident Mandy Steele is poised to take on Republican nominee Ted Tomson of Fawn in what both are calling a race significant for regional revitalization. “People in this district see how sticking to the...
Left-turn signal coming to busy Tarentum intersection
A traffic light project at 10th Avenue and Corbet Street in Tarentum is expected to improve safety at the busy intersection. Council green-lighted the work, at a cost of $215,800, to replace the traffic signals and add a third crosswalk at the busy intersection. “You won’t have to cross Corbet...
Tarentum Night Market returns with a splash
Tarentum kicked off the return of its Night Markets on Thursday, with hundreds of people drawn to town to browse vendors, sample food and listen to live music. The events are scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. the third Thursdays of each month. The next one is June 16. Coinciding...
