Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 112

It was a banner day for several Lower Valley communities — Sharpsburg, O’Hara, Aspinwall, Etna and Indiana Township — which were named among the best by the Allegheny League of Municipalities. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, joined by other local officials, announced the 2019 Banner Community Program honorees March 8 during...

Sharpsburg will host its second annual mobile pet clinic in April. The event will offer spay/neuter procedures, rabies and FVRCP vaccines, and flea and ear mite treatments. In partnership with Animal Friends and Paws Across Pittsburgh, the clinic is for cats only. It is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m....

Squaw Valley Park has a new swing built for two. The equipment was installed March 12 at the adaptive playground along Fox Chapel Road. Cost was about $1,100. “It is a tandem swing where two people can ride together,” Township Manager Julie Jakubec said. The township’s adaptive playground is a...

From crumpled baseball cards to pristine porcelain, treasure hunters can learn the value of items stashed away in their own closets this afternoon in Fox Chapel. Art expert Kurt Shaw will be on hand from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cooper-Siegel Community Library to take a peek at old, unique...

A Westmoreland County McDonald’s is reopened after an evacuation late Thursday night. The fast food restaurant at 9051 Route 30 in North Huntingdon was closed temporarily after someone used pepper spray inside the building, police Chief Robert Rizzo said. It happened just after 10 p.m. March 14. Township police, fire...

One lane of the Pennsylvania Turnpike remains closed after an early-morning tractor-trailer fire. Traffic restrictions are in place along the westbound lanes, between the Cranberry and Beaver Valley exits. The truck driver’s condition was not clear. The truck was hauling tobacco products. The fire happened in North Sewickley Township, around...

Pittsburgh police are seeking help to identify two men accused of tagging East Ohio Street in the city’s North Side with graffiti. Police early Friday morning tweeted a video of the one of the suspects. Pittsburgh Graffiti Squad detectives seek the public’s help in identifying two male suspects, including this...

Three people were injured Thursday morning when a Port Authority of Allegheny County bus stopped short to avoid hitting another car in North Versailles. Initial reports indicate a car pulled out of a parking space, causing the operator of a P76-Lincoln Highway Flyer to slam on the brakes, jostling people...

Consumers should check their refrigerators for ground turkey products after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a recall Wednesday. The North Carolina-based food manufacturer, Butterball, recalled more than 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products for concerns of salmonella Schwarzengrund. The prepacked poultry was produced on July 7, 2018 and...

An Aliquippa police officer suffered minor injuries when his vehicle was struck early Thursday morning during an attempted traffic stop. Sgt. Steven Roberts said the officer was treated and released after another car crashed into the police cruiser. The incident happened at about 5 a.m. at the intersection of Grand...

The body of a female was discovered Wednesday morning near a business in Pittsburgh’s Larimer section, WPXI reported. Police are on the scene investigating. The body was found near an auto body shop along Washington Boulevard, under the Larimer Avenue Bridge. Details were not yet available from Pittsburgh police....

Anyone traveling to the Pittsburgh International Airport or nearby areas late Wednesday might want to leave early. The Fort Pitt Tunnel will be restricted to a single lane outbound from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday morning for maintenance. Crews will be replacing cameras, PennDOT officials said. Work is expected...

A man was transported by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital after being bitten by a dog Tuesday at the Beaver County Humane Society. His name and condition were not released. The group issued a statement on its Facebook page, explaining the incident and sending prayers to the victim. The...

Pittsburgh police said a teen missing from the East End has been found safe. No other details were released. UPDATE: Alyssa has been safely located. Thanks to all for you concern. Pittsburgh Police (@PghPolice) March 13, 2019 Police originally tweeted for help after Alyssa McEachern, 14, was last spotted...

Aspinwall Riverfront Park will be the backdrop Wednesday for a meeting of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources officials. Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and others will tour the 10-acre site that abuts the Allegheny River, while discussing how the Restore Pennsylvania proposal could help address infrastructure needs at local park...

Consumers are being told to throw away Pillsbury unbleached all purpose flour products after a voluntary recall by makers amid concerns of salmonella. A tweet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 11 urged people, “Do not eat.” #RecallAlert: Hometown Food Company announces voluntary recall on select Pillsbury Unbleached...

A man suspected of causing more than $20,000 in damage spray painting graffiti in Pittsburgh’s East End has been arrested. Trevon Kinnon, 24, of Pittsburgh’s North Side, was charged March 13 with six counts of criminal mischief and two counts of institutional vandalism, said Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri....

Eight people escaped without injury after a tree fell early Tuesday morning onto a Pitcairn apartment building. A female tenant said she was trapped temporarily in her bed when the tree fell but was able to get out without assistance, WPXI reported. The massive tree fell onto the roof just...

Shoppers who bought Chef Boyardee’s microwaveable rice with chicken and vegetables bowl might open it to find beef ravioli. The maker of the shelf-stable meals, Conagra Brands, is recalling the lunch-sized products for mismarked packaging and potential allergens. Meals actually contain beef ravioli products, according to an alert from the...

Police suspect two men robbed a 7-Eleven and a BP gas station Monday morning. The men, one armed with a gun, got away with $600 Monday morning from the Turtle Creek convenience store. Allegheny County police believe they were involved in another heist at BP in Penn Hills a short...

A baby nyala at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium was rescued Saturday after falling into a frozen pond. A nearby zookeeper is credited for jumping into the frigid water in the nyala’s enclosure and helping it back onto dry land, WPXI reported. Onlookers cheered as the zookeeper was able...

Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of March 4: • Aspinwall police want residents to vote on seminar topics • Fox Chapel police hosting “Coffee with a Cop” • Sharpsburg pastor continues tradition of “Ashes to Go” • Aspinwall’s $550,000 sewer...

Major traffic restrictions are expected to begin today for Pittsburgh commuters. Reconstruction of East General Robinson Street near the northbound I-279 ramp to Route 28 is scheduled to kick-off, PennDOT announced. Work is part of the $87.9 million I-279 Parkway North Improvement Project and will target the area near Anderson...

Do not pass Go — instead, pass the Senior Quad on Shady Side Academy’s Fox Chapel campus and collect $200. In a clever twist on the iconic Monopoly game, students have created a school-themed version — SSAopoly — with details that include paying $10 for forgetting “Dress Up” Day or...

Shady Side Academy senior school students got to sleep in on March 7 as a reward for a successful challenge issued this winter. Members of the environmental club challenged students and staff to reduce waste on campus. Their work paid off — trash was slashed by 25 percent, school officials...