Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 110

Students at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy blew bubbles, hula-hooped and snapped pictures at Aspinwall Riverfront Park on April 12, all in the name of raising money for their elementary school that sits just blocks away. The first-ever “Panther Prowl” walk-a-thon involved students soliciting pledges for walking around the...

St. Margaret Foundation officials are aiming to top last year’s record-breaking fundraising total of $107,000 when participants hit the streets of Aspinwall on May 19 for the Brian Demchak Hope run/walk 5K. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the UPMC St. Margaret campus near Aspinwall. Hundreds of runners and...

Fox Chapel Area High School librarian Laura Ward likened her profession to that of Star Wars character Jocasta Nu. She is the keeper of the Jedi Archives, or the galaxy’s vault of knowledge, Ward said. “School librarians give students the tools they need to locate, access and synthesize the best...

Allegheny County police are investigating an overnight shooting and crash in North Braddock. Officers responded at about 2 a.m. to a call for shots fired along the 1200 block of Bell Avenue at Tunns Bar. Police found several shell casings littering the ground. Shortly after, and just a short distance...

A police chase through several Pittsburgh neighborhoods early Thursday ended with a man being charged with child abduction, WPXI reported. Jake Howard is accused of taking his 4-month-old baby boy from a home along Pritchard Street in Sheraden. Police responded when the baby’s mother reported the incident just after midnight....

Two people were sent to the hospital after a fire early Thursday at a Wilkinsburg apartment building. Pittsburgh Public Safety Information Officer Alicia George said Wood Towers was evacuated at about 5:30 a.m. after fire broke out in an apartent on the seventh floor. The cause of the fire has...

University of Pittsburgh police have beefed up patrols in Oakland after three suspicious incidents were reported this week, and efforts are underway to adopt a more proactive approach to crime alerts. “We have no reason to believe that these three reported incidents are related, but investigations are still underway at...

A woman driving a SUV the wrong way on Route 28 early Thursday was stopped only when an Etna officer pulled his vehicle into her path, Shaler police said. The driver, Samantha Compliment, 27, went to a hospital with minor injuries and was released, said Shaler police Lt. J. Sean...

A local student is one of only two across the globe to earn a perfect score on the Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics Exam. Fox Chapel Area High School junior Rajeev Godse received a top score of 5 — exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 — and...

Blawnox Community Park was the scene of Easter-themed festivities on April 6. Borough churches hosted a holiday party for children and adults at the park on Center Avenue. The event was hosted by St. Pio Parish, Hoboken Presbyterian Church and I Heart Blawnox. It included games, face-painting, cookie-decorating and, of...

A teen last seen Monday in Mt. Oliver has been found safe, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers previously asked for help in locating Jaydin Eleam, 15. Police thanked the public for their help in locating Eleam....

Pittsburgh police have located a man missing from near the Veteran’s Administration hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section. Edward Lanigan, 65, was found safe after last being seen at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Police originally said Lanigan may have needed medical attention. Officers thanked the public for their cooperation...

The driver of a truck that went off a Shaler road early Wednesday and dangled over a bridge was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, Shaler police said. The incident happened at 3:20 a.m. along Kay Street near Saxonburg Boulevard. Police responded to the single-vehicle crash and found a pick-up...

A street fight late Monday in Mount Oliver left one man with multiple gunshot wounds, according to Allegheny County police. A 20-year-old victim was listed in stable condition at a Pittsburgh hospital, Lt. Ken Ruckel said. His name has not been released. The incident happened at 10:34 p.m. on Margaret...

A Ross Township couple escaped safely from their home early Tuesday after smoke alarms alerted them to an electrical fire in the living room of their Spruce Valley Drive home, according to authorities. The family’s dog also got out of the house, but their cat did not survive, according to...

Investigators believe a motorcyclist was speeding before he crashed and was killed Tuesday on the Homestead Grays Bridge, according to Allegheny County police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Gary Lamont Butler Jr., 41, of Penn Hills. The incident happened at 12:24 a.m. Tuesday and involved...

No one was injured when an SUV crashed into a home overnight in Baldwin but the impact crumbled bricks and damaged a gutter at the home along Michael Drive. The driver was in police custody after the incident, which happened at about 3:30 a.m., WPXI reported. Police are investigating how...

A specific variety of Hunt’s tomato paste is being recalled for concerns over potential mold in the cans. Chicago-based Conagra Brands, Inc. voluntarily recalled a limited amount of the no-salt added, six-ounce cans of Hunt’s tomato paste on April 3. The final product could have been damaged after the canning...

Families who have to spend the night at UPMC St. Margaret can rest a little more comfortably, thanks to reclining sleep chairs that can be moved into patient rooms. St. Margaret Foundation paid for 16 new chairs, with President Mary Lee Gannon saying the move is meant to make hospital...

Allegheny County police released an updated photo of a man they said is suspected in an April 7 fatal Pitcairn stabbing. Derrick Avant, 59, is wanted for an incident in which a woman was stabbed during an argument and later died from her injuries. The victim was identified as Alison...

Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of April 1: • Fox Chapel commits $1.3 million to road projects. • Fox Chapel Area School Board approves 2019-20 calendar. • Aspinwall, Blawnox seek volunteers for borough clean-ups • Alta Via in O’Hara among...

Howie Mandel might want to catch this lineup. Fox Chapel Area High School students will sing, recite poetry and perform magic during “Fox Chapel’s Got Talent,” a competition following the format of its reality TV series counterpart. Students have the chance to walk away with a top prize of $300....

Lower Valley municipalities will mark Earth Day with a slew of cleanup opportunities. In Blawnox, volunteers can meet at 9 a.m. April 27 at the community park along Center Avenue. Secretary Kathy Ulanowicz said efforts will focus on sprucing up the park in time for milder temperatures. The park, she...

Lower Valley residents can take advantage of a free Shred-it event on April 13. Hosted by Guardian Storage in O’Hara, the event is aimed at helping residents protect themselves from identity theft. It will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the facility at 1390 Old Freeport Road. People can...

Trees removed last year from a playground in Etna have been replaced thanks to an effort by community volunteers and experts from Tree Pittsburgh. Twelve trees were planted at Clarence Fugh Memorial Park and Playground. There were 23 volunteers who turned out to help dig and mulch. “Here’s to 70-plus...