Completion of Pennsylvania’s panel for ‘America’s Tapestry’ celebrated in Shaler
Millions of stitches over thousands of hours by hundreds of people have produced in Shaler a colorful representation of Pennsylvania’s history as one of the original 13 colonies. Work on the state’s embroidered panel for America’s Tapestry, part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the...
Pitt grad’s journey went from aiding Brazilian flood victims to pursuing sustainability career
It’s one thing to see natural disasters on the news but another to experience them firsthand, says Cassidy Laffey. During her sophomore year as a University of Pittsburgh student, she participated in a study abroad trip to Brazil. During her stay there, a catastrophic flood left thousands of residents in...
Shaler contractor accused of fraud, not completing home repairs
A Shaler contractor is accused of not completing a home repair job after a dispute over the color of the windows the homeowner wanted. Shaler police charged Kevin Gray, 36, owner of KG Contracting, on April 28 with felony counts of deceptive or fraudulent business practices and home improvement fraud....
Students return to Shaler Area Middle School after fire alarm prompts evacuation
Shaler Area Middle School was briefly evacuated Wednesday morning when an automated fire alarm went off, a district spokeswoman said. The alarm at the school on Mt. Royal Boulevard went off about 8:44 a.m., spokeswoman Carrie Butler said. A high water sensor, along with dust from work being done on...
$3M state grant to help support redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia in Millvale, Shaler
A $3 million state grant will support the $100 million redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia in Millvale and Shaler. The money comes from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s mixed-use revitalization grant program. Created in 2024, the program provides grants and loans to help with increasing mixed-use development across...
Etna seeking architectural, engineering, cost estimating services for municipal hub
Etna is seeking proposals from architectural and construction firms for the development of the borough’s new municipal hub. The borough in March 2025 bought a former office and industrial building at 30 Pine St. for about $2.3 million, which it paid from a $4.2 million bond issue. The 48,000-square-foot building...
Shaler pays $12.5K to settle litigation brought over bidding for pool bathhouse
Shaler paid $12,500 to settle litigation a township resident brought over construction of the new bathhouse at Crawford Pool in Kiwanis Park. Catherine Shepherd sued the township and TBI Contracting in Allegheny County Court in January, alleging the township violated the First Class Township Code and the Pennsylvania Separations Act...
Shaler Area OKs bond issue that restructures debt, gets new money for building projects
The Shaler Area School Board has approved a bond issue that will restructure the district’s debt and pay for building projects, dominated by work at the middle school for which contracts were already awarded. The bond issue the board approved on a 7-0 vote April 22 is for up to...
Longvue Acres Garden Club gearing up for 76th annual plant sale
The Longvue Acres Garden Club will present its 76th perennial plant sale from 9 a.m. to noon May 16 in the lower parking lot of Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless. More than 800 perennials — including Pennsylvania natives and pollinators — will be available for purchase. The...
9/11 survivor Stanley Praimnath shares message of faith, grace at Shaler Area High SchoolVideo
About a year after widespread power failures canceled his appearance, a survivor of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center made good on his promise to speak at Shaler Area High School on Monday. Stanley Praimnath, 69, of Long Island, N.Y., was one of only 18 people who were...
Block party helps people discover ‘underappreciated treasure’ of the Maxo Vanka murals in Millvale church
While heads are often bowed in prayer inside churches, many were looking up in awe at a Millvale church on Sunday. For some, St. Nicholas Church was something like a man-made geode, its unassuming yellow brick walls containing a colorful treasure within. The treasure inside the 125-year-old Croatian church perched...
Pitt track and field athletes put on training clinic for Shaler Area’s Kids of Steel
Shaler Area Elementary School students preparing for the Pittsburgh Kids Marathon got some tips from members of the University of Pittsburgh track and field team. The Pitt students and their coaches put on a Track 101 clinic April 15 around the elementary school’s track. There were stations where kids could...
Boys & Girls Club clubhouses offer a variety of unique experiences to children in Shaler area
As a working mom married to a working dad, Maggie Giel-Bovaird of Shaler knows it takes a village to raise kids these days. When they were looking for an after school program close to where their son, Bryce, was going to school, there couldn’t be anything closer than the Boys...
Millvale accepts bank’s terms for $2M in loans approved by county judge
Millvale Council has accepted a bank’s terms for loans totaling $2 million, which the borough is taking out after a county judge approved its emergency request in February. Council voted 5-0 on April 14 to approve two loan commitment letters from First National Bank. Council members Katie Dembowski and Al...
DNA leads to charges, arrest in 1989 kidnapping, rape case in Reserve
A DNA match has resulted in an Aliquippa man being charged in connection with a kidnapping and rape of a woman reported to Reserve police more than 37 years ago. Allegheny County Police charged Lewis Vearnon, 65, on Tuesday with rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, sexual assault and indecent assault. Vearnon...
Finding love at 13,500 feet: Shaler couple meets, builds relationship through skydivingVideo
Justin Mastermonico was just looking for someone to fall with him. But he found someone who fell for him, too. It was 2020. The world was shut down because of the covid-19 pandemic. Sitting at home and doing nothing, Mastermonico put a post on his Facebook page saying he had...
Military veterans find lifeline through Pittsburgh Warriors hockey team
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Go to a concert and just about every artist has opening acts that are trying to grow their name. The same thing...
Shaler unveils advanced AEDs available for public use in township’s 10 parksVideo
Highly advanced devices that are very simple to use to save lives are now available to the public throughout Shaler. The township partnered with Shaler Hampton EMS to place a dozen automated external defibrillators in 10 parks. “One day, one of these devices will be used, and when it is...
Shaler Area’s new athletic director embraces positive, student-driven environment
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. In February, Stephanie Strauss took over for Clint Rauscher as Shaler Area’s athletic director. She most recently was the athletic director at...
Pittsburgh Opera Company’s retiring general director reflects on long career of nurturing the arts
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. After a nearly 40-year career, Christopher Hahn, the general director of the Pittsburgh Opera Company, is planning to retire after the 2025-26...
3 Sharps Hill volunteer firefighters recognized for 50 years of service in Shaler
For young boys growing up in the Sharps Hill neighborhood of Shaler in the 1970s, the fire hall was the place to be. Brothers Chris and Mike Cavlovich and their friend, Rick Hilinski, all grew up not far from the station. “We were always up there,” Mike said. “The fire...
In brief: Happenings from across the Shaler Journal area
Millvale mourns death of longtime police officer William Fishinger, a Millvale police officer for 28 years, died Saturday, April 4. He was 78. “Anyone who lived, worked or visited Millvale in the 1970s, ’s and early ’s had the honor of knowing Officer William Fishinger. He always had a commanding...
Power surge gives jolt to Shaler softball
Anyone sitting beyond the outfield fence at a Shaler softball game should be prepared to pick up their chairs and move. The Titans are built to send balls screaming over the fence. During Shaler’s 8-1 start, the Titans have smashed 15 home runs. Shaler’s power is coming from all throughout...
Shaler goalie headed to Slovakia for ball hockey world championships
Roman Ober understands the nuances of keeping the score low on the ice and deck. The Shaler freshman will get a chance to see how that translates at a world tournament in early July. Ober was chosen to play for the Team USA U16 team and will travel to Banska...
Natural gas pipeline upgrade will impact parts of Fall Run Park in Shaler
A Peoples Gas pipeline upgrade will touch parts of Shaler’s Fall Run Park and may lead to certain areas of the park being restricted, according to the utility company and township. Work on the project was expected to start April 6, Peoples Gas spokesman Nick Paradise said. A completion date...
