Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 96
‘Christmas in Guyasuta’ offers sleigh rides, visits with masked Santa
With its wooded trails and countless twinkling lights, Camp Guyasuta is welcoming guests to kick off the holiday season in the ultimate winter wonderland setting. The second annual “Christmas in Guyasuta” event will be Nov. 28 at the O’Hara campus, accessed off 23rd Street in Sharpsburg. The family event is...
Thomas Jefferson High School goes remote through Dec. 1
Thomas Jefferson High School students will attend class remotely through Dec. 1 as exposure to covid-19 cases rise in the West Jefferson Hills School District. Superintendent Michael Ghilani alerted families through a letter that the high school would begin 100% virtual learning on Nov. 16. This came after the district...
Hospital foundation to gift turkey-shaped candle holders to patients in UPMC St. Margaret on Thanksgiving
Orange organza bags with turkey-shaped candle holders will be delivered to each patient at UPMC St. Margaret on Thanksgiving, in an effort to comfort people spending the holiday away from family. The effort is spearheaded by St. Margaret Foundation, with President Mary Lee Gannon saying “We want our patients to...
Shaler ‘Lite Up Night’ canceled for covid-19 concerns
Shaler “Lite Up Night” is canceled, township officials announced Tuesday. A post on the township website said the decision was made after consideration of covid-19 concerns and feedback from residents. According to the announcement, the cancellation was a difficult but necessary decision. “We were hopeful that with extra distancing measures...
Etna sewer project will close Kittanning Street for 30 days
A stormwater project off Kittanning Street in Etna is expected to begin Friday – nearly a month after the original start date was postponed. A portion of the road will be shut off to most traffic for about a month. The project targets the stretch between Greismere and Snyder streets....
Fox Chapel votes to remove Squaw name from borough streets, trail
Fox Chapel council voted to eliminate the word Squaw from two borough roads and a trail, bringing an end to a divisive months-long debate and following a national trend to remove the slur from place names. Council voted 6-0, with member Jay Troutman abstaining, to change the name of Squaw...
2 Shaler Area students sign National Letters of Intent
Two Shaler Area seniors signed National Letters of Intent on Nov. 11, committing to academics and athletics after high school. Brandon Miller, a volleyball player for nine years, will attend Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia. Miller intends to study business administration. Classmate Alyssa Juzwick, a lacrosse player for eight...
Gateway High School students return to school after 5-day covid-19 closure
Gateway High School students returned to class Monday after a five-day closure for covid-19 concerns. Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey alerted families on Nov. 11 that three high school students tested positive for the virus. In a letter posted to the district’s website, Chakey said the students had not been in...
Blawnox awarded $21,700 from ALCOSAN for sewer work
Blawnox was awarded nearly $22,000 from the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) for sewer work in the borough. Money was made available through the Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW) program and is part of $15.1 million in grants doled out across the region. “The grant, worth $21,700, is a...
News briefs: Sharpsburg art gallery extends hours; Glenshaw community dinner canceled
Zynka art gallery in Sharpsburg will open Sundays through the holidays. Hours will be noon to 4 p.m. The gallery at 904 Main St. is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and by appointment. Church cancels Thanksgiving dinner Glenshaw Valley Presbyterian Church has canceled its...
Student news: Change in free meal pick-ups, Fox Chapel Area accolades
Fox Chapel Area School District has changed the pickup location for free meals that are distributed Wednesdays. Food should be picked up at the high school entrance 14, near the receiving area. Pickup times are from noon to 1:30 p.m. All students in the district are currently eligible to receive...
O’Hara seeking Republican applicants for 3rd Ward council vacancy
Registered Republicans in O’Hara have a chance to fill an open seat on council, at least for the next year. The township needs a representative to serve the 3rd Ward after Scott Frankowski resigned this week. Frankowski was hired by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which has a policy that...
Sharpsburg-based Addiction Recovery Ministry offers full winter schedule for people in need
St. Juan Diego Parish in Sharpsburg has released a full slate of winter programs for people fighting addiction. The Rev. Michael Decewicz, founder of the Addiction Recovery Ministry (ARM), said it’s important to keep a steady stream of services during the holidays, when people might find their challenges particularly hard....
Regent Square attorney honored as Shaler Area Distinguished Alumnus
A 2005 Shaler Area graduate who founded Pittsburgh’s pro bono Housing Rights Project and is paving the way for affordable housing in the city’s Hill District has been chosen as the district’s annual Distinguished Alumnus. Jerry Dickinson, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, was honored...
Keystone Oaks moves to online learning after 4th covid-19 case this week; Chartiers Valley reports case at high school
Keystone Oaks School District has closed for the remainder of the week after a member of the Myrtle Avenue Elementary School tested positive for covid-19. Superintendent William Stropkaj on Tuesday posted a letter to the district’s website to alert families of the case, which marks the fourth in the past...
Animal Friends celebrates Veterans Day with free adoptions, discounted supplies
Animal Friends continues its commitment to the armed forces this week with free adoption for veterans and a discounted care package for their new furry friends. Animal Friends was founded more than 75 years ago as a resource for soldiers who were shipping off for World War II and had...
Hampton graduate vying for Best Buddies state Champion of the Year title
A Hampton graduate is in the running to be crowned Best Buddies Pennsylvania Champion of the Year. Abby Molinaro is competing in a fundraising campaign to grow awareness for the Best Buddies program, which she enjoyed for three years as a student at Hampton High School. Best Buddies was founded...
Cash 5 winning ticket worth $100,000 sold at Kuhn’s
A winning Cash 5 ticket worth $100,000 was sold at a North Hills area grocery store, state lottery officials said Monday. The jackpot-winning ticket sold for the Nov. 7 drawing and matched all five balls drawn. It was purchased at Kuhn’s Quality Foods along West Ingomar Road. The winning numbers...
Giant Eagle hiring 600 people for holiday season
Giant Eagle plans to add 600 jobs this holiday season, company leaders announced this week. A hiring fair will run 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 28 sites across the Pittsburgh area, company spokesman Dick Roberts said. The jobs will be both full-time and part-time positions at Giant...
5 employees at Brentwood Borough School District test positive for tuberculosis
Five employees of the Brentwood Borough School District have tested positive for tuberculosis, officials announced over the weekend. In a letter to district families, Superintendent Amy Burch said the employees are not infectious. Their illness was discovered as a result of extended testing implemented after a high school student tested...
Lower Valley residents celebrate Biden’s victory with a spontaneous party in Fox Chapel’s McCahill Park
There was dancing and flag-waving in Fox Chapel’s McCahill Park on Nov. 7 as dozens of residents gathered to celebrate Democrat Joe Biden’s victory to become the 46th U.S. President. It was one of countless spontaneous block parties that broke out across the region, from Squirrel Hill to the South...
Niche ranks Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel as Best Private School in area
Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel tops the list of Best Private Schools in the Pittsburgh area, according to the latest ranking by Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based search site calculates its rankings based on data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews by students and parents, and factors such...
News briefs: In-person church services return; community holiday dinner on tap
Glenshaw Presbyterian Church at 300 Glenn Ave. has resumed in-person worship service. Parishioners are welcome to attend at 10:30 a.m. Sundays but must follow social-distancing guidelines and wear masks. For questions, call the church at 412-486-8400, ext. 110, or visit glenshawchurch.org. Thanksgiving dinner slated Glenshaw Valley Presbyterian Church will host...
The top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Nov. 1Video
Here are some of the top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Nov. 1: • Aspinwall awarded $537,000 from ALCOSAN The Western Avenue sewer project in Aspinwall will be paid in large part with money from the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN). The borough has been...
Blawnox encourages residents of all ages to pick up a good book at its new Little Free Library
From Dr. Seuss to James Patterson, Blawnox residents have access to a revolving list of good reads at the borough’s new Little Free Library along Freeport Road. Borough officials gathered Oct. 29 near the Veteran’s Memorial to celebrate the opening of the 2-foot-by-2-foot box filled with free books for all...
