Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 129
North Hills Community Outreach offering help to people impacted by government shutdown
A local community group stepped up to help furloughed and unpaid federal employees during the government shutdown. North Hills Community Outreach will provide emergency food supplies for federal employees who live within one of the nearly 50 northern Allegheny County municipalities served by the nonprofit. “We have already begun receiving...
Fox Chapel ice rink erected; officials urge people to observe rules
The popular ice rink at McCahill Park in Fox Chapel has been erected just in time for the cold temps and snow expected from three potential storms this week. Already though, borough officials are asking people to observe the rules of the rink, particularly the “Closed” sign when posted. “The...
Valentine’s gift bags being compiled for homebound
Sunday school students from St. Juan Diego Parish already are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, planning to shower love on homebound members of the congregation. Students are hosting a collection of well-being items to fill gift bags that will be delivered in early February. Items sought are tea bags, cocoa...
Registration open for Shady Side Academy summer camps
Summer camp at Shady Side Academy might include ceramics, cooking, theater or sports — or all of the above. Registration is open for a bevy of summer programs offered from June 10 to Aug. 9. The nearly 50 flexible camps are aimed at children in pre-kindergarten through ninth grade, and...
Dave Nemec to be sworn in as Aspinwall police chief
Veteran Aspinwall police officer Dave Nemec has been promoted to chief, filling a year-old vacancy and ending speculation on the search. He will be sworn in by council in February. “I feel humbled and honored to be appointed to the position,” Nemec said. The pay scale has not been determined,...
Preliminary results of police regionalization study to be released
Initial results of the Lower Valley police regionalization study will be released this week. Members of local government will meet Tuesday to hear preliminary findings of a state-conducted study on police mergers. The meeting is for participants only. Ron Stern, a retired police officer who works for the state Department...
Sharpsburg seeking to hire part-time police
Sharpsburg is hoping to supplement its police force. Manager Bill Rossey said council is accepting applications for part-time officers. Starting wage is $16 an hour, with a minimum schedule of 24 hours a week. Applicants must have their Act 120 certification. Currently there are six full-time officers and two part-timers...
Aspinwall sewer project delayed until spring
A $550,000 sewer line project along Eastern Avenue in Aspinwall has been pushed back to spring. Council on Wednesday night said it hoped to get a jump on the prep work but decided it would be more efficient to wait for consistent temperatures. “We wanted to try to do some...
Retail development coming to Blawnox
Blawnox residents can look for a new development at the corner of Center Avenue and Freeport Road. Council recently approved construction of a building at the intersection, near the entrance to RIDC Park. Members unanimously approved the subdivision of property along with the development agreement. Deborah Laskey, council president, was...
Etna earns $50,000 to plant trees, tackle pollution
More trees are coming to Etna thanks to a grant awarded this week from the Allegheny County Health Department. The borough was among seven groups to earn money from the Clean Air Fund, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced on Wednesday. A total of $300,000 will support air quality projects in...
Fox Chapel taxes increased to pay for road projects
Fox Chapel property taxes will increase for the first time in four years to facilitate aggressive road rebuilding in 2019, borough leaders said. Council approved a tax rate of 2.95 mills, up 0.45 mills from last year. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will pay $590, or about...
Fox Chapel church to host annual ‘Fill a Truck’ food drive
Residents are encouraged to “Fill a Truck” at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church on Feb. 3 with peanut butter, paper towels and other non-perishable items. The church’s annual food drive will see a 10-foot box truck parked in the lot along Field Club Road waiting for donations. “It’s so amazing to...
Aspinwall Neighborhood Watch nets $1,700 for fire department through Disney raffle
Members of the Aspinwall Fire Department didn’t win a trip to Disney, but got the next best thing through a Mickey Mouse-themed raffle. Aspinwall Neighborhood Watch raised more than $1,700 for the fire department by raffling Walt Disney World park hopper tickets. It was the first of a series of...
Grant allows Fox Chapel to hold sewer fees steady
Fox Chapel officials were able to stave off an increase in the borough’s sanitary sewer fees this year, thanks to a grant awarded in late 2018. Rates will hold steady, with residents paying $4.66 per 1,000 gallons plus a fee of $60 a year. Finance Director Joy Hardt said residents...
Blawnox launches year-round hard-to-recycle collection
Blawnox residents now can dispose of hard-to-recycle items as part of the borough’s garbage hauling contract. A new program launched this month allows residents to get rid of TVs, computers, chemicals and other products typically prohibited from regular collections. Borough leaders said the “At Your Door” pickups are part of...
Volunteering at Aviary stokes passions for O’Hara resident
A retired teacher from O’Hara has found a way to continue her love of educating children. Sarah Jones, retired after 24 years from Pittsburgh’s Wilkinsburg School District, volunteers her time as a docent and conservation educator at the National Aviary on the North Side. “I had the most wonderful experiences...
Sharpsburg holds line on property taxes; eyes major Main Street upgrades
Sharpsburg council approved its 2019 budget, holding taxes steady and targeting projects to continue the town’s revitalization. Residents will pay a property tax rate of 7.15 mills, the same as last year. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will pay $715. The $2.7 million budget includes a variety...
Sharpsburg gym transforms for video shoot
Sharpsburg’s Linden Gym was transformed on New Years Eve for a music video featuring new band, Sad Girls Aquatics Club. Director Zack Eisenfeld is from Fox Chapel and said the gym was a perfect location for the filming. It was large enough to create a faux high school dance with...
O’Hara sewer rates increasing slightly
O’Hara residents will pay slightly more in sanitary sewer fees this year. Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to amend the township sewer rates, establishing a new fee of $2.35 per 1,000 gallons, up from $2.25. The customer service charge will also increase slightly to $5.75 from $5.65. The...
Audubon Society installing bins to recycle fishing line
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, headquartered in Fox Chapel, is launching a project to protect wildlife from tangling with littered fishing line. The group is placing recycling bins across the region, including local favorite fishing holes such as Millvale Riverfront Park, to tackle environmental issues stemming from discarded line. The...
Lawrenceville United aims to combat hate in Pittsburgh neighborhood
Hate has no home in Lawrenceville. That’s the message of an upcoming safety meeting hosted by community group Lawrenceville United and the FBI. Discussions will focus on a recent spate of hate activity popping up in the former industrial town whose resurgence in recent years has propelled development and property...
Crane Avenue in Beechview closing for most of today
Motorists who travel near Route 51 in Beechview should lookout for detours today. A portion of Crane Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The road will be shut down between Route 51 and Dagmar Avenue so the public works department can perform drainage work. Anyone who...
Fox Chapel Area launches pre-kindergarten program
Fox Chapel Area is accepting applications for the district’s new income-eligible pre-kindergarten program. The classes are expected to begin this fall at the new Kerr Elementary, now under construction along Kittanning Pike. The program is aimed at children who turn four by Sept. 1. To be eligible, a family’s income...
Power outage sends Clayton Academy students home
Clayton Academy in the Pittsburgh Public Schools is closed today due to a power outage. The district tweeted the announcement just before 9 a.m., saying students were being sent home. The school is at 341 South Bellefield Ave. in Oakland. All other schools in the district remain open. Tawnya Panizzi...
Aspinwall residents will pay more in property taxes; surplus dedicated to infrastructure
Aspinwall council voted to increase property taxes this year in hopes of investing in borough infrastructure, leaders said. Council approved the $2.6 million budget, raising the tax rate from 5.86 to 6.86 mills. The owner of home assessed at $100,000 will pay $686, an extra $100 over 2018. “It was...
