Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 97

The deteriorating parking lot at The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is expected to get an overhaul, thanks to an Allegheny County gaming grant. It will be the first extensive renovation to the lot in 40 years. The zoo was awarded $450,000 through the county’s Gaming Economic Development and Tourism...

Dooker’s Hollow Bridge between North Braddock and East Pittsburgh Borough will close Oct. 19 for up to 14 months. The 80-year-old bridge will be reconstructed, with work expected to last through December 2021. Project cost is $9.95 million and includes paving, drainage and lighting. Allison Park Contractors from Gibsonia will...

A donation of meat, eggs and produce to the St. Juan Diego Food Pantry is expected to feed about 60 needy families. The food totaled about $500 and came from the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area, whose mission is marked by the motto “Service Above Self.” Barbara George, food...

Four Sharpsburg homes were razed by PennDOT as part of a landslide remediation project in conjunction with the Route 28 widening between Millvale and the Highland Park Bridge. The houses sat along Noble Street which abuts the expressway. The specific cost of the demolition was not released by PennDOT, but...

Shady Side Academy is transitioning its curriculum to arm students with tools to improve how they use technology and social media, as devices play an increasing role in children’s lives. A partnership with The Social Institute will see the #WinAtSocial curriculum implemented in January for students in grades five to...

There won’t be lederhosen or steins of beer but the Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara will still host its annual Oktoberfest fundraiser, albeit virtually. Pegged as the site’s biggest night, the “Celebrate the Center” event typically transforms the Powers Run Road campus with live music, themed décor and...

A hoarding situation in Sharpsburg has left a woman facing charges of child welfare endangerment and risking a catastrophe, among others. Police are seeking the public’s help in finding Dawn Marie Ecker, 51, who fled from a welfare check at her apartment at 902 Penn St. Borough police were called...

Sharpsburg police Chief Tom Stelitano is hoping the acquisition of body cameras will improve community relations and potentially offer a glimpse into the daily life of his officers. “Hopefully they can shine a light on what police officers deal with on a daily basis,” Stelitano said. The borough is purchasing...

Moss Side Middle School in the Gateway School District is closed for five days after a second staff member tested positive for covid-19 on Sunday. It is the fourth instance of covid-19 in the district this week and the second at Moss Side. Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey posted a letter...

A private opening ceremony will be hosted in October for Fox Chapel’s newest recreational gem, the 17-acre Hardie Valley Park, just prior to the space officially welcoming the public. A brief event at 11 a.m. Oct. 17 will include members of the parcel’s previous longtime owners, the Hardie family, borough...

O’Hara police are investigating several reports of the theft of political signs from front yards. Township leaders are reminding people that stealing political signs is a crime. Violators will be charged with trespassing and theft by unlawful taking. Glitter an Glow event canceled Fox Chapel Garden Club’s Glitter and Glow...

Shady Side Academy Middle School eighth-grader Sonia Kshirsagar created the Breckenridge Youth-Run Service Committee (BYSC) in Wexford for which she serves as chair. On Aug. 22, she organized a multicharity neighborhood block party that benefited four local nonprofit organizations: The Free Store in Wilkinsburg, Urban Impact, Every Child Inc. and...

A $125,000 state grant for Sharpsburg parks will be matched by a private donation to bring new playground equipment and safety features to two popular borough spots. Council on Thursday night announced the state grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Money will be used to install rubber...

Fox Chapel Council on Monday night added some work to the borough’s 2020 road paving list. Members voted to add Dogwood Lane to the road improvements after saying the money was available. “When we initially awarded the contract, covid-19 just hit and we were concerned about funding,” manager Gary Koehler...

Children can start setting their sights on a Harry Potter or Baby Yoda costume. It appears that trick-or-treat won’t be sidelined across the Lower Valley because of covid-19. Municipal leaders said the Halloween tradition will carry on this year, although they are urging participants to follow CDC safety guidelines. Most...

The scent of grilled burgers and Mexican street corn will fill Butler Street in Millvale on weekends as Mr. Smalls Cafe takes over the road for socially distanced food, friendship and live music. It is the latest move by the music venue to stay afloat after being hard hit by...

Work is underway on a sewer project in Sharpsburg that is expected to remove more than 6 million gallons of overflows along Clay Street. A section of the road will be shut down for more than three months. The project targets the section between Sixth and Eighth streets, from the...

Picking a pumpkin from a makeshift patch probably has never had such far-reaching effects. Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church (FCPC) will host a harvest sale Oct. 2 through 7 to benefit four rural villages in Haiti. Money raised at the fall-themed event will help pay for infrastructure in small towns across...

A deteriorating stormwater line in O’Hara will be replaced with a natural open channel thanks in part to a grant from Allegheny County. The township was among three local groups to share in more than $795,000 distributed through the county’s Gaming Economic Development and Tourism grants program. The projects include:$245,248...

Bread of Life food pantry in Etna served more families in September than in each of the previous five months. “Resources are becoming scarcer, unemployment is becoming more evident and benefits are running out for families,” food pantry manager Alexis Weber said of the covid-19 impacts on the program. A...

Bubbling cauldrons, pumpkin patches and gory goblins will overtake Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara for one day only in October. Dubbed Haunted Guyasuta, tickets are on sale now for the Halloween-themed event. Haunted Guyasuta will be 3 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 17, with specially timed events for those who prefer...

A Fox Chapel Area senior is spearheading a social justice workshop for teens that aims to challenge discrimination and develop potential legislation. Abby Rickin-Marks said the remote conference Oct. 24 is meant to enlighten students about issues of inequality and arm teens with the know-how to write proposals and petitions...