Joyce Hanz stories, Page 28
Religious-themed Easter children’s event returns outdoors at Leechburg church
There was egg-stra excitement in the air Wednesday afternoon along Main Street in downtown Leechburg. Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church on Main Street welcomed youths of all ages to a free, Easter-themed Egg-Stravaganza event on the church grounds. The event began last year as a way to invite children in...
Leechburg Area School Board approves joining land bank in fight against blight
Leechburg officials are one step closer to joining the Armstrong County Land Bank. The Leechburg Area School Board voted 5-4 to approve joining the land bank at its regular meeting last month — a move applauded by Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo. “I’m thrilled the school board did pass it,” Roppolo...
Senior citizen forms nonprofit to help generations come together in Vandergrift
There is, or soon will be, a new nonprofit dedicated to helping seniors citizens and children in the Alle-Kiski community. Steve Jurovic, 85, of Vandergrift is the determined citizen behind the Kiski Valley Community Center. A retired structural designer and Army veteran, Jurovic grew up in Turtle Creek, lived in...
Daycation: Charming Volant in Lawrence County boasts 30 rural retail optionsVideo
A daycation to Volant offers a rural retail retreat with more than 25 independent shops and eateries along Main Street and the surrounding countryside. The tiny borough, home to about 125 residents, occupies land purchased from Native Americans in 1784. Its rural location once served as the hub for commerce...
Training seminar teaches police how to handle domestic violence situations
For Harrison police Officer Colton Stebler, responding to domestic violence is an almost daily occurrence. “Sometimes it’s multiple calls a day,” said Stebler, who has spent six years in law enforcement. The Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center sponsored a free training seminar on domestic violence for area law enforcement officials Friday...
Pressed glass in Western Pennsylvania the topic of upcoming program at Heinz History Center
Before it was known for steel, before it was known for iron, Pittsburgh was known for glass. “Pittsburgh was the national center of the glass making industry beginning around 1820 and lasted more than 100 years, until the 1940s,” said Anne Madarasz, chief historian and curator at the Heinz History...
Bridge over Kiski River renamed after North Vandergrift baseball legend
A bridge spanning the Kiski River and connecting Vandergrift to Parks Township finally bears the name of a local hometown sports hero. After nearly 10 years of petitioning, the Vandergrift Bridge is now the Rudy Minarcin Memorial Bridge. “I had no idea my dad had such an impact on people,”...
Annual CDTCA fundraiser returns, promises fashion and fun in Fox Chapel
A revamped, fashion-themed fundraiser to benefit an Aspinwall Catholic school is returning from a two-year, covid-induced hiatus. The 2023 Sip & Style Fashion Fundraiser supporting Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy is scheduled for May 7 at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel with the doors opening at 1:30...
New Kensington beefs up police department, hires 3 full-time officers
New Kensington officials are a step closer to one of their community policing goals: making officers more visible to residents. “People notice when our officers are visible and are out in the community, which we really like them to be,” said Mayor Tom Guzzo. “It’s important for us to get...
Community leaders unite to fight blight in Leechburg
Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo is aiming to improve the borough he serves by knocking down more blighted, abandoned buildings. “I’m concerned about the safety of the overall neighborhoods and potential downside and contamination spreading from there to adjacent properties,” Roppolo said. “It’s just an overall positive-positive across the board getting...
$267,000 grant steps up bridge replacement in Washington Township
Washington Township supervisors are grateful for state grants that make expensive bridge projects possible for small, rural communities like theirs. The township’s former Poke Run Church Road bridge was torn down this month to make way for a box culvert bridge. The new bridge is being paid for by a...
New paranormal group forms in Vandergrift, plans ‘investigations’
For anyone who has wondered how to explain something unexplainable, there’s a new group in Vandergrift that might be right up your alley. The 12 O’Clock Society for Paranormal Investigation is a public group for people looking to socialize, explore paranormal topics and conduct paranormal investigations. The group is based...
Vandergrift Council increases parking fines, eliminates free parking
Some motorists and pedestrians navigating the sidewalks and streets of Vandergrift are asking questions about the recent appearance of bagged parking meters throughout the borough. “I had a customer ask me what was going on,” said Allusion Brewing Co. co-owner Robert Buchanan. “The bags look trashy. That’s the first thing...
Riverview Junior-Senior High School presents Mel Brooks’ madcap ‘Young Frankenstein’
Opening night was a hit for Riverview Junior-Senior High School’s drama students, who presented Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” to a nearly sold-out crowd on March 16. More than 100 cast and crew members were involved in the monster-themed production. The show, performed at the Tenth Street Elementary auditorium, transports the...
Time capsule provides peek into Salvation Army’s past in New Kensington
It was a visual trip down memory lane and a peek into the past Sunday at the Salvation Army in New Kensington. The original contents of a 1924 Salvation Army time capsule were on display for several hours after a worship service led by Maj. Greg Hartshorn of the organization’s...
Periwinkle’s Bakery in O’Hara permanently closes; building available for lease
An O’Hara bakery open for less than two years apparently has closed for good. Hanna Commercial Real Estate is advertising Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe, located at 900 Gamma Drive in the RIDC Industrial Park off Route 28, for rent as a “turnkey” restaurant that is ready for immediate operation. The...
Lower Burrell hosts largest St. Patrick’s Day parade to date
The hundreds of spectators lining Leechburg Road on Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade were treated to a bigger-than-ever green scene. “They do it up,” said Lower Burrell resident Jacquie Springer, who arrived in tow with several youngsters. “It’s a great reason to get the kids out of...
ALS awareness event scheduled April 28 at Old Thunder Brewing in Blawnox
An event celebrating Pittsburgh-area runners who are raising funds for ALS — commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — is scheduled next month at a Blawnox brewery. More than 50 runners with Team Challenge ALS are registered to participate in the 2023 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 1, and a kickoff...
Riverview Junior-Senior High School presents Mel Brooks’ madcap ‘Young Frankenstein’
Opening night was a hit for Riverview Junior-Senior High School’s drama students, who presented Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” to a nearly sold-out crowd Thursday. More than 100 cast and crew members are involved in the monster-themed production. The show, performed at the Tenth Street Elementary auditorium, transports the audience to...
After 5-year closure, bridge slated for replacement in Bell Township
Five years ago, Mother Nature pummeled a stone bridge in Bell Township, and it has been closed ever since. The Lantz bridge over Wolford Run, which is more than 60 years old, was severely damaged and partially washed out by high waters during an intense storm that year, said Angela...
Police investigating attempted abduction of 2 children in Gilpin
Southern Armstrong Regional police are investigating a report of an attempted abduction Wednesday of two juveniles in the 300 block of Route 66 near the Dollar General in Gilpin. Police received a report at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday of an older, white man with long, dark hair driving a tan minivan...
Gilpin officials seek volunteers for new economic development committee
Gilpin officials are seeking volunteers for a new committee aimed at expanding business development in the rural township. Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull announced Wednesday plans to create an Industrial and Economic Development Advisory Committee. “As a local official, I’m always concerned for and looking for ways to bring more development...
Police investigate shooting in East Vandergrift
Vandergrift police are investigating a shooting late Saturday in East Vandergrift. Officers responded to a report of gunshots fired in the 400 block of Kennedy Avenue about 11:55 p.m., police Chief Joe Caporali confirmed Wednesday. “Police checked the area and no one was seen in the area,” Caporali said. There...
Local businesses, community unite to sustain new food bank in Apollo
Since its debut in January, the Fresh and Free Community Pantry inside Apollo Memorial Library has been in high demand, with more than $1,000 in food moving off its shelves some days. The effort hit a snag Feb. 3, when Jennifer Ramsey, the new library director, received its last donation...
Apollo-Ridge High School to stage ‘Sound of Music’ this week
Apollo-Ridge High School thespians are wrapping up last-minute rehearsals this week as they prepare to perform a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein production. A cast of more than 40 will present “The Sound of Music” on Thursday through Saturday in the high school auditorium. A live student-led pit orchestra overseen by...
