Joyce Hanz stories, Page 21
Kayaker videotapes alligator swimming in Kiski River near ApolloVideo
A Vandergrift couple paddling the Kiski River on Saturday had an up-close encounter with a small alligator. Theresa Jeroski was kayaking with her husband, Heath Evans, about 4 p.m. when three kayakers ahead of them alerted the couple to an alligator sighting. “They said, ‘There’s a gator over here,’ ”...
5-day carnival embraces fundraising and fellowship in Leechburg
Carnival volunteers from the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company are busy prepping for their biggest annual fundraiser. The annual five-day carnival starts Tuesday on the fire company’s grounds at 268 Canal St. The event has entertained carnival goers for more than 85 years. The carnival serves as an essential fundraiser for...
River’s Edge outfitter on market for $2M in Gilpin
A popular river recreational business is on the market in Gilpin. The River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak at 3158 River Road is listed for sale by Coldwell Banker Realty for $2 million. Co-owners Neill and Evelyn Andritz have been a fixture at the family-run business for more than 16 years...
Input sought as Gilpin officials work to update 38-year-old zoning ordinance, map
Gilpin officials want to hear from township residents and business owners concerning ongoing efforts to officially rezone the township. Residents are asked to review the proposed zoning ordinance and fill out the corresponding online comment form by Sept. 25. “It’s time to bring our township into the 21st century,” Supervisors...
Faces of the Valley: Leechburg native goes global to advocate for clean water access in Africa
Water is life. That’s the message Leechburg Area High School alum and University of Pittsburgh graduate student Ariana Scott heard loud and clear this summer while visiting Africa. Scott, 23, is enrolled in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, studying international development and public health. She took a...
Church bells to ring again in Leechburg after successful $30,000 fundraiser
A defunct church belltower in Leechburg will soon be operational again, thanks to the fundraising work of church volunteers the last five months. “I had a Jesus moment,” said the Rev. James Arter of First Evangelical Lutheran Church of the moment last Tuesday when he opened the church mailbox and...
Kiski Township officials draft ordinance to end alligator ownership; police fear more gators are in Kiski River
Kiski Township officials are clamping down on alligator ownership in the township after two reported alligator sightings in recent weeks along the Kiski River. In light of the recent capture of a juvenile alligator some nicknamed Chomper in August and a rogue alligator named Neo that remains at large after...
Two new Allegheny Township businesses now hiring in Hyde Park Plaza
Two new businesses are hiring in Hyde Park Plaza, Allegheny Township. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Dollar Tree have signs posted with contact information for potential employees. The stores are located where a former Big Kmart once occupied about 85,000 square feet of retail space. Township officials have not provided opening...
Owner of 2nd alligator seen in Kiski River explains how it got there, efforts to bring him back home
The recent report of a second alligator swimming Sunday in the Kiski River appears to be a runaway reptile named Neo. Austin Randall, 23, of Lyndora, Butler County, said Wednesday he lost Neo on Aug. 29 while attempting to re-home the baby male alligator to Kiski Township resident and alligator...
Separate Oktoberfests brewing in Saxonburg and Vandergrift
Say cheers to beer at two separate Oktoberfest festivals on back-to-back weekends in Saxonburg and Vandergrift. Sprankle’s annual Octoberfest celebrates its fifth anniversary with a three-day celebration Friday through Sunday at the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company fairgrounds in Saxonburg. Oktoberfest in Vandergrift is a one-day celebration Sept. 16 on Grant...
Canine ‘Cavalier’ Roo celebrates 1st birthday posing for yearbook picture at Kiski Area High School
A Kiski Area School District therapy dog was ready for her closeup Wednesday during picture day in the high school library. Roo, a 1-year-old deaf therapy dog, joined the Kiski Area staff in January after being adopted by Superintendent Misty Slavic. “She’s the sweetest thing when she roams the hall,”...
Residents invited to discuss social, economic and other issues with officials in Leechburg
“Let’s talk.” That’s the message from Leechburg-area clergy and officials as they prepare to host an inaugural town hall meeting Sept. 27 at the Marconi Club in Leechburg. The meeting is presented by the Leechburg Ministerial Association, which comprises several Leechburg and Gilpin churches. Participants will include government officials, school...
‘It’s shocking’: Apollo-area residents react after another alligator reportedly spotted in Kiski
Apollo area residents were saying “see ya later, alligator” after a gator some called Chomper was captured last month from the Kiski River. But over the weekend, another alligator, or something thought to be an alligator, was spotted in the same area. It left some river enthusiasts less enthused over...
Revelers enjoy ‘last hurrah of summer’ at Labor United Celebration
The weather wasn’t the only hot thing at the 2023 Labor United Celebration held Sunday and Monday at Northmoreland Park. Hot fresh-cut fries were a hit with toddlers Waylon Smith and Jax Wheeler of Parks Township. The two friends were focused and determined as they shared a large helping of...
Another alligator sighting in the Kiski River reported to authorities
There appears to be a reptile repeat of sorts along the Kiski River in Kiski Township. After a weeklong search and rescue of an alligator from the river near Apollo in August, a group of six kayakers reported spotting another alligator swimming in the Kiski on Sunday afternoon, about a...
Penn’s Colony Festival abruptly canceled in Clinton Township because of staffing shortage
Penn’s Colony Festival organizers have canceled their regional dayslong festival, mere weeks from its scheduled kickoff date of Sept. 16. The event typically runs on two weekends and showcases the French-and-Indian-era history of Western Pennsylvania. It offers an expansive outdoor village featuring period craftsmen, demonstrations, live music, food, battle reenactments...
Daycation Destination: Historic Canonsburg big on chocolate, candy and celebrations
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a daycation road trip to the unofficial chocolate capital of Western Pennsylvania in historic Canonsburg, located 18 miles southwest of Pittsburgh in Washington County. Sarris Candies, a family-owned chocolate mecca, has been a sweet tradition for more than 50 years in Canonsburg. Founded by the...
First roundabout in Alle-Kiski Valley aims to decrease vehicle crashes in Allegheny TownshipVideo
A newly completed roundabout is operating smoothly in Allegheny Township, officials say. The roundabout, the first of its kind in the Alle-Kiski Valley, is at the intersection of Route 356 and La Belle Vue Road. A roundabout is a one-way type of circular intersection that does not require vehicles to...
Harmar House fire leaves clients scrambling to find alternate venues
Bride-to-be Ashley Pometo spent most of Wednesday night in shock — and in tears. Pometo, 23, of New Kensington thought the plans for her Sept. 23 wedding were neatly squared away until a fire swept through Futules’ Harmar House on Wednesday evening, leaving the popular family-owned event venue considered to...
Labor Day Celebration offers 2 days of festivities in Northmoreland Park
A jam-packed Labor Day festival returns to Northmoreland Park, celebrating the traditions and heritage related to organized labor in Western Pennsylvania. The annual two-day 2023 Labor United Celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. Sunday and runs through Labor Day. The event typically draws more than 20,000 attendees to pavilion grounds...
Greensburg bishop strengthens spiritual and ancestral ties with faith-filled trip to Slovakia
It was a European trip filled with faith, family, friends — and a first. Greensburg Bishop Larry J. Kulick combined exploring his Slovak heritage with official duties during a trip this summer to numerous towns in Slovakia, including his ancestral village of Nova Bystrica. While there, he experienced a vocational...
Vandergrift steel processing company for sale for nearly $10M
A longstanding specialty steel processing business is for sale in Vandergrift. MSI Corp., at 210 First St., is listed for $9.9 million by listing agent Scott Lewis of Edward Lewis Inc., based in Youngstown, Ohio. Owners Henry “Duke” and Gisela McLaughlin of Allegheny County, both in their 70s, are looking...
Kindergarten enrollment spikes at Leechburg’s David Leech Elementary School
A surge in kindergarten enrollment has hit David Leech Elementary School in the Leechburg Area School District. The kindergarten program welcomed 69 students Wednesday on the first day of classes. That’s a 64% increase over last school year’s enrollment of 42 pupils. As a result, a fourth class was added...
Sprawling estate listed for $28M in North Strabane
A luxurious estate with mega-amenities is on the market in North Strabane Township, Washington County. Oak Grove, a 110-acre property at 784 Waterdam Road in North Strabane, is listed by Coldwell Banker Realty for $28 million. That whopping listing price makes it the most expensive single-family residential listing currently in...
Plum District to host community back-to-school movie event
Plum Borough School District’s previously scheduled Back-to-School Movie Night will go on as planned Saturday evening. In its second year, the event will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and include games, food trucks and tables featuring school resources and information. It is open to the public. Assistant Superintendent Denise...
