Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 68
Herb Society returns to Beechwood Farms in Fox Chapel with spring sale after pandemic-related break
Members of the Western PA Unit of the Herb Society of America will be back in action for their annual spring plant sale after a two-year covid-related break. “After two years with no sale, it will be great to see and talk with friends and gardeners once again,” club member...
Foxwall EMS, Aspinwall VFD fundraiser will conquer Center Avenue, one of region’s steepest hills
Foxwall EMS and Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department are encouraging people to Run for the Hill of It. The new fundraiser to benefit both groups will celebrate its inaugural race on Sunday, April 24. “This is the kind of event that we have thought about for a long time,” said Rob...
Harrison Commissioners eyeing couches, tires, TVs in Earth Day cleanup
Harrison Commissioner Jamie Nee already is eyeing larger-than-normal pieces of litter to be collected at the township’s April 23 Earth Day cleanup. Her list includes an inventory of 82 tires, 25 TVs and seven couches that have been tossed in township parks or left on sides of roads as eyesores....
New life for Cycle Diner in Tarentum is possible, owners say
There might still be life in Tarentum’s Cycle Diner, just not as a traditional sit-down eatery. The 1949 diner is owned by Gatto Cycle Shop and attached to its Harley-Davidson showroom along East Sixth Avenue. In January, it was denied a permit by the Allegheny County Health Department to reopen....
Policy’s gender definition at center of debate for Highlands School Board
The question of what constitutes gender could be front and center at the next Highlands School Board meeting. On Tuesday, board members will consider approval of an education equity policy that at least two members have voiced concern about. The aim of the proposed policy is to remove educational barriers...
Cintas’ move will double industrial space at RIDC Park in O’Hara
An O’Hara business that specializes in first aid, safety and cleaning supplies is expanding to nearly double its size in the township’s industrial park. Cintas will move operations from a 5,000-square-foot facility along Alpha Drive in RIDC Park to one that’s nearly 10,000 square feet and just a few doors...
Volunteers sought for Harrison rain garden cleanup
A rain garden installed near Highlands Middle School has done its job of helping to eliminate a swampy lawn at the campus in Harrison. But it needs help to remain effective. “We pruned back a lot in the fall, but we need a group to go in there and really...
2 years into pandemic, the Brackenridge Salvation Army still churning out free meals
The lunch menu Thursday at the Brackenridge Salvation Army was far more elaborate than its grab-and-go description. Fresh out of the oven was a nutritious meal of baked tilapia with garlicky lemon butter, mac and cheese, and green beans. It was free and waiting for the first 100 people to...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education adds tech lessons to help eliminate digital clutter
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education has a perfect class this spring for tech novices who accumulate thousands of emails or for people who yearn to shoot better photos with an iPhone. Private lessons for Apple devices, taught by Plum resident Emily McNeil, are part of the spring offerings that launched...
Allegheny Land Trust enters final push to secure Sewickley Hills parcel
Allegheny Land Trust is in the final push of a $1 million campaign to purchase a 75-acre property in Sewickley Hills for preservation. The conservation nonprofit needs to raise $100,000 by April 30 in order to acquire the Buerkle Woodlands at the northwest corner of the Mount Nebo Interchange along...
Graduation march, visits to former buildings to remain tradition at Highlands
The traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation march by Highlands seniors will continue, albeit slightly modified. At the district school board meeting Monday, Superintendent Monique Mawhinney addressed rumors circulating about potential changes to commencement exercises, scheduled for June 3 at Golden Rams Stadium. Among the rumors: • The district is doing...
Building the Valley: Ales on 6th to bring extensive beer, entertainment options to Tarentum
A new bar and grill is set to open this spring along East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum. Ales on 6th, housed on the ground level of the Tarentum Hotel, is the venture of five cousins with ties to the Alle-Kiski Valley. “We want to bring something fun and new to...
Penn State Master Gardeners present workshop in Hampton on biodiversity, pollinators and design
A Garden and Landscape Symposium hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County will feature topics more far-reaching than the latest trends in horticulture. The workshop on April 30, held at the Hampton Community Center, features three keynote speakers who will focus on pollinators, biodiversity and bird-friendly habitat. The...
Ride for Homeless Vets fundraiser set to return to Alle-Kiski Valley
A June motorcycle trip by more than 1,200 riders will travel through the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond to benefit homeless veterans. The 15th annual Ride for Homeless Vets is back after a two-year covid-related absence. “I started this little ride just wanting to get 100 people involved,” said Tom Grates,...
Police: No updates in Aliquippa shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured
Police are investigating after a shooting in Aliquippa early Sunday left one man dead, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. The victim, a 21-year-old man, was shot multiple times just before 3 a.m. Another person was also shot and was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in stable condition. There were...
Drowning ruled as cause of death for man pulled from Mon River in October
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled drowning as the cause of death for a man found floating in the Monongahela River in October. David Roberts, 53, was found unresponsive in the river by a boater on Oct. 15. Roberts, of Mount Oliver, was discovered near the Color Park...
Volunteers sought for Tarentum cleanup day
Tarentum Councilwoman Carrie Fox is hoping to see at least 500 pounds of trash piled up in the borough on Saturday, April 23. That’s the day when volunteers can participate in the Great American Cleanup, a national effort to spruce up streets, parks and public spaces. “Everyone deserves a clean...
Tarentum Council eyes tighter ordinance for abandoned vehicles
Tarentum council will consider beefing up the borough’s ability to get abandoned vehicles off the street. Mayor Bob Lang is proposing that council tighten an ordinance that currently gives owners 10 days to remove an uninspected or unregistered vehicle from the road. Police are able to tag an illegal vehicle...
Kiski Area student found with bullets on school bus
Kiski Area School District officials and police are investigating after an elementary student was found with bullets on a morning bus route. Superintendent Misty Slavic alerted families in a letter, saying the student had two bullets but an initial investigation showed “no evidence to suggest malicious intent” and no evidence...
Glass recycling bin available at Harrison Hills Park through Thursday
A dumpster to collect glass for recycling is available at Harrison Hills Park through sundown Thursday. Allegheny County is partnering for the second consecutive year with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to offer the Traveling Glass Recycling Bin program in parks throughout the region on a rotating schedule. Up next, collections...
Blawnox egg hunt makes return after 2 years of pandemic cancellations
After two years in a covid-related hiatus, the Blawnox Easter Egg Hunt will return Sunday April 10 with cookie decorating, crafts and hundreds of candy-filled plastic eggs hidden in Community Park. Hosted by the nonprofit Best of Blawnox, the event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. at the park...
Flag-raising ceremony honors organ donation awareness at Allegheny Valley Hospital
A small crowd gathered Monday in the courtyard at Allegheny Valley Hospital to raise awareness about the gift of life. A flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. honored those who have donated organs and called attention to the need for more people to register, organizers said. The event was outside the...
Ground breaks on Harrison Community Garden
A small crowd that gathered for the groundbreaking of the Harrison Community Garden was “excited to get growing,” organizers said. The project from the Highlands Partnership Network and Citizens Hose Fire-EMS-Rescue will see a one-acre public garden near the firehouse off of Burtner Road. “HPN is really excited to get...
Spring planting day on tap at Tarentum community garden
The Rev. Phil Beck likened the Tarentum community garden to a mini-farm that provides fresh, free produce to anyone. But farms need lots of labor to yield healthy crops. Beck encourages people to get their hands dirty and turn out for spring prep day, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
