Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 8
Added safety measures begin at Tarentum spray park, playground
A project to make the Tarentum spray park and playground a safer place began Wednesday. Thick posts called bollards are being installed inside the park fence along First Avenue. The equipment is an added measure to protect park-goers from potential vehicle crashes. “We’ve had several incidents over the years where...
Community Supermarket employees, customers bid farewell to Harrison store
Archie Nyga drove about a half-mile in his electric wheelchair Wednesday to Community Supermarket in Harrison to buy lottery tickets. The 75-year-old, a resident of nearby Sheldon Park, was too late. The grocery store was preparing to close its doors for good at 3 p.m. “It’s OK,” Nyga said. “If...
Name change coming for Tarentum street
Tarentum residents who live on Highland Avenue will be getting a change of address of sorts. The road technically is recorded with Allegheny County as Highland Street — not Highland Avenue. Council voted on Tuesday to update borough-issued signs to match the county’s records and alleviate any confusion for emergency...
Habitat project at Deer Creek cuts sediment, boosts water quality
Thousands of trout stocked each year in Indiana Township’s Deer Creek will soon have a healthier habitat. A recent project to stabilize a portion of the creek’s eroding streambank should cut excess sedimentation by 18.7 tons a year, according to the Western PA Conservancy. The nonprofit partnered with the state...
Tarentum borough manager among only 11 in country chosen for Stanford fellowship
Tarentum Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf wants to marry his military and municipal backgrounds to help veterans gain hands-on experience in local government. Boddorf is among 11 people nationwide chosen as a 2025-26 Veteran Fellow at Stanford University, where he will learn to create pathways for veterans to earn what is...
Community Supermarket in Harrison likely to close Wednesday
Community Supermarket in Harrison will likely close its doors Wednesday, about two weeks ahead of schedule. “I was in there today, and we don’t have much left,” General Manager George Sears said. “We’re not 100% sure it will be Wednesday, but it looks like it.” Shoppers who want to peruse...
Heights Plaza in Harrison on the market for $16M
The Heights Plaza shopping center in Harrison is for sale. The 30-acre property, owned by New York-based Benbrooke Realty Investment Co., is on the market for $16 million, according to a listing on LoopNet.com. Rich Lubkin of Benbrooke did not return TribLive calls or email requests for comment. The sale...
Haunted Guyasuta kicks off Halloween season with thrills and chills
The wooded grounds of Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara will be the setting for hair-raising Halloween frights. Zombies, ghosts and goblins will fill the 175-acre campus for the 16th annual Haunted Guyasuta celebration, with family-friendly fun followed by spine-chilling scares later in the night. “Every year we look forward to sharing...
3 candidates vie for 2 seats in Highlands School Board’s Region 2 election race
Highlands School Board candidates in Region 2 said they will make school culture a priority if elected. Three candidates — Shane Chesher, Debra Lehew and Jeff Thimons — will compete for two available four-year positions. Region 2 includes Brackenridge and parts of Harrison. Bullying With reports of bullying and conduct...
Redesign in the works for office, retail space along Route 28 in Harrison
A mixed-use development that could bring offices, restaurants and retail along Route 28 in Harrison is back on the drawing board. The project, known as Harrison Point, is moving forward despite sitting dormant for 11 years, according to Richard Gasperini Jr. of Genfor Real Estate. His group is soliciting development...
Habitat project at Deer Creek cuts sediment, boosts water quality
Thousands of trout stocked each year in Indiana Township’s Deer Creek will soon have a healthier habitat. A project to stabilize a portion of the creek’s eroding streambank is expected to cut excess sedimentation by 18.7 tons a year, according to the Western PA Conservancy. The nonprofit partnered with the...
Street smarts and online safety seminar offered in Harrison
Social media safety and trending scams will be the topics of discussion during a free presentation at the Allegheny Kiski Health Foundation in Harrison. Township police will present “Street Smarts and Safety: Exploitation, Awareness and Staying in Control,” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19. The program is for all...
Public input sessions on tap for paid EMS Authority in Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge
A paid EMS Authority served by the consolidation of Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum and Citizens Hose EMS in Harrison remains “a ways off,” according to some local officials. The idea, floated last year as a solution for the nationwide EMS funding crisis, would see member municipalities sharing the costs...
7 Brew coffee house seeks to set up shop in Harrison
A mid-West coffee giant known for brewing 20,000 unique beverages might be settling into Harrison. Founded in Arkansas and famous through social media channels, 7 Brew is seeking preliminary approval for lot consolidation along Freeport Road. The company presented its plan Monday before the township’s planning commission, seeking the green...
Highlands National Honor Society among 9 in state awarded for ‘strengthening community’
Highlands senior Jabari Walker believes a strong community starts at school. As a member of the National Honor Society, Walker said hosting year-round fundraisers helps district residents who need it most. “We do a lot through NHS,” Walker said. “It’s important because it’s a chance to help people who don’t...
Bariatric surgery ‘saved’ Vandergrift woman when weight loss medication failed
At 293 pounds, Stormie Fish couldn’t carry her toddler from the parking lot at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township into the 2019 Labor Day festival. “By the time we got to the top, I was hyperventilating,” said Fish, 26, of Vandergrift. “I fell to the ground and sobbed. “How would...
16 ‘ghosts’ on tap at Prospect Cemetery fundraiser in Brackenridge
Sixteen “ghosts” of long-gone prominent residents will haunt Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge on Thursday. People are invited to hear their tales at the 17th annual tour which doubles as a fundraiser for the cemetery. Cost is $10 a person. Proceeds pay for maintenance at the 13-acre site along E. 10th...
Teen missing in West Deer found safe
A 15-year-old boy reported missing in West Deer on Thursday was found safe, township police said. The teen was found at about 7:10 a.m. Friday near Golden Lane. No other information was released. Police had requested help from the public early Thursday as they conducted a search in the area...
Tarentum church eyeing former Rite Aid for community center
A former Rite Aid building in Tarentum will find new life as a community center/food hall. Gifted by the now-bankrupt pharmacy chain in 2019 to Abundant Joy Fellowship, the building at Fifth Avenue and Corbet Street will be a place for people to connect, Pastor Cathy Blythe said. Construction crews...
Three Rivers Heritage Trail gap named as state priority
A critical missing link on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail is getting some love from the state. The Millvale/Shaler/Etna gap has been designated as one of the state’s priorities by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said Kate Angell of nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront. Her group manages the...
Trash or treasure: Appraisal fair coming to Tarentum history museum
For people who love a treasure hunt, the Tarentum history museum is the place to be Saturday. Four appraisers affiliated with the Sen. John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh will be on-site to assess the value of old jewelry, art, side tables, lamps and more. “People seem to love this...
Inventory to dictate closing date of Community Supermarket in Harrison
Inventory is starting to dwindle at Community Supermarket in Harrison. The store, which has operated in the Heights Plaza shopping center since 2002, is expected to close by Oct. 31. Joe Glaister of Brackenridge believes it might be sooner. “I’m probably there three or four times a week,” he said....
Bill to help pay for police bulletproof vests a ‘game-changer’
Allegheny County Housing Authority police Chief Mike Vogel recently paid $1,800 for his bulletproof vest. Through a federally funded grant program enacted by Congress in 1998, he should get a 50% reimbursement. But instead of $900, he received $450. “The bill hasn’t been written for 20-some years. We’re still using...
$7 million upgrades revealed for Rachel Carson Riverfront Park in Cheswick
Cheswick resident Bruce Holtman carefully perused the newly released plans for upgrades to Rachel Carson Riverfront Park, noting the addition of restrooms, an elevated overlook and a boat dock. “I like it all,” said Holtman, a borough resident for 25 years. “I don’t know if we can afford it all,...
Authentic pow wow in Indiana Township aims to teach, share, celebrate culture
Vic Alvin stood in full Native American regalia, waiting to perform for a crowd of thousands at the 46th annual Pow Wow at the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Indiana Township. Alvin, 35, has been dancing his whole life. This year was more special because his oldest...
