Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 15
Brackenridge mayor’s race draws no candidate interest
Brackenridge could be without a mayor early next year, at least temporarily. Incumbent Lindsay Fraser is undecided on whether she’ll seek reelection, and no one else has shown interest in the position heading into the May 20 primary election. A representative at the Allegheny County Elections Division said that nobody...
Oakmont archivist Stephanie Zimble preserves hidden history
Stephanie Zimble is a woman who finds treasure in other people’s “trash.” The archivist at Oakmont Carnegie Library often can be found prodding people to reconsider basement finds before they end up in the garbage can. “The more people I can convince not to throw cool stuff away, the better,”...
Highlands students get farm-to-table lesson from Fawn’s Blackberry Meadows
Farmer Greg Boulos asked first graders in the Highlands School District how many of them liked spinach and was surprised to see 50 hands shoot into the air. Boulos, owner of Blackberry Meadows Farm in Fawn, brought his farm-to-table presentation to the students Tuesday to promote sustainability and raise awareness...
Fox Chapel’s John Miclot recalled for entrepreneurship and volunteerism
Friends of John Miclot are recalling the Fox Chapel businessman as a visionary who was generous with his time and leadership. The former president and CEO of Respironics served on the board of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and the St. Margaret Foundation and was an active volunteer at the...
Second Harvest free fridge program expands
A free food program in Sharpsburg is expanding, enabling hundreds of people to have access to fruits, veggies, milk and eggs any time. The Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest Community Thrift Store will be stocked three days a week, up from two, with fresh food, frozen meats and prepared...
Brackenridge author chronicles mother’s immigration from Slovakia
Karolina Hrustinec was abandoned in Slovakia at 9 years old, left in the care of an aunt and forced to forge her way as a farmhand until she could follow her parents to the United States nine years later. “The war broke out, but she made her way to Creighton,...
Tarentum church opens pantry to combat ‘hygiene poverty’
Plenty of churches and pantries across the Alle-Kiski Valley offer closets where people can pick up free coats, pants and shirts. The Rev. Felicia Brock, pastor at First Baptist Church of Tarentum, is taking it a step further. “When we were thinking about what we can do to help the...
Contents of armored truck burned in O’Hara fire unclear
The interior of a GardaWorld armored truck suffered severe damage during a fire Wednesday in O’Hara, but it’s unclear what, or how badly impacted, the contents were, police Chief Jay Davis said. The incident is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office. Kasey Reigner, emergency services spokesperson, said...
Then and Now: Sharpsburg Presbyterian still a place that’s good for the soul
A massive stone church on the corner of 13th and North Canal streets in Sharpsburg continues to be a gathering place more than a century after its construction. Built in 1906, the Gothic-style building was originally home to Sharpsburg Presbyterian Church. Established in 1838, people initially worshipped along Main Street...
Environmental cleanup underway after 100 gallons of fuel leaked into O’Hara stream
Environmental remediation is underway after about 100 gallons of gasoline spilled into an O’Hara stream Friday from a leaking BP tank nearby, officials at the state Department of Environmental Protection said. Fire crews responded to Fox Chapel Road after several people reported the odor of gasoline near Fox Chapel Plaza....
Cancer survivors support those newly diagnosed through AHN’s Ambassador Program
Rachel Machen recalls getting a string of online mammogram reminders from her physician’s office and pushing them to the bottom of her to-do list. “I’m young, and I had no family history. I felt so healthy,” said Machen, 44, of Oakmont. “My diagnosis came as a 100% shock.” Machen spent...
EMS Authority billed as long-term solution for Brackenridge, Tarentum, Harrison, East Deer
A paid EMS Authority to serve Brackenridge, East Deer, Harrison and Tarentum could be in effect by January. That’s the most recent update from an exploratory committee tasked with researching the agency for the past year. Their hope is to solve the local EMS funding crisis that mimics struggles of...
Diversity on display at Fox Chapel Area Multicultural Night
An event that started two decades ago at Fox Chapel Area High School to showcase Indian culture has evolved into a way to embrace the diversity of all district students. Born from the DESI Club’s early 2000’s event featuring Indian dance, food and music, Multicultural Night is an annual celebration...
Portion of Rachel Carson Trail, amid Indiana Township watershed, nearing preservation status
When Mark Eyerman started walking on the Rachel Carson Trail through Indiana Township in the 1990s, it wasn’t uncommon to be alone in the woods. “It was at least two or three years before I saw another person on my walks,” said Eyerman, who today is the trail manager for...
Fuel cleanup continues at Sycamore Run in O’Hara
Cleanup continues at an O’Hara stream after a fuel leak early Friday. Fire crews were called at 6:45 a.m. to Fox Chapel Road for the odor of gas near the BP station, just outside Fox Chapel Plaza. Blawnox and Pleasant Valley volunteer fire companies deployed booms into Sycamore Run, which...
Women’s Board helps fight child hunger in Fox Chapel Area
When the Women’s Board of Pittsburgh makes a commitment to help, it follows through. The Fox Chapel-based group’s annual fundraiser has brought in more than $1.6 million to support the welfare of children – but members make it a point to keep tabs on past beneficiaries, too. One special way...
Failed ATI contract blamed on wages, according to some United Steelworkers
A failed contract between United Steelworkers and ATI boils down to money and respect, according to some who voted against a six-year deal Monday. William “Scooter” Polczynski, a welder at Harrison’s Hot Strip Mill, said the contract wasn’t even worth looking at. “We’re working with molten steel every day and...
Dress for Success public warehouse sale in Sharpsburg benefits women entering work force
When Monica Nixon moved from Tulsa, Okla., to Pittsburgh post-covid, her resources were lacking. “My job shut down and I finally got a position that would elevate me after all of that craziness that most of us went through,” Nixon said. But she needed a helping hand to put her...
United Steelworkers vote down ATI contract
ATI and United Steelworkers are still without a contract. A tentative agreement was reached Feb. 28, just hours before the most recent contract was set to expire. But it failed to pass a union vote Monday. ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie said company leadership is disappointed the union vote was unsuccessful....
Tarentum history museum hosts native author of ‘Gun Smuggling, Castro’s Cuba and the Pittsburgh Mafia’
Gun smuggling, Swiss bank accounts, Fidel Castro and the New Kensington mafia converge on the pages of Richard Gazarik’s newest book, a harrowing tale of local ties to the criminal underworld. In his seventh release, Greensburg resident Gazarik dives into declassified FBI files stemming from the mafia’s grip on New...
Fence project at Natrona Community Garden strives to keep deer at bay
Bill Godfrey knows that lettuce, peppers and fruit grown in the Natrona Community Garden are vital to feeding residents of the Harrison neighborhood. But that doesn’t include the deer. “There was a total destruction of our garden last year once a herd discovered it and had a gourmet salad buffet,”...
Fox Chapel event honors Women’s History Month with local author Eliza Smith Brown
Pittsburgh author Eliza Smith Brown will mark Women’s History Month in March with a personal tale of two females who transformed the local political landscape. Brown will lead a discussion of formidable sisters Lucy and Eliza Kennedy — her grandmother and great aunt, respectively — who came of age in...
Youth Empowerment Project in Sharpsburg buoys children to ‘reach full potential’
Their name couldn’t be more fitting. Youth Empowerment Project, an afterschool and summer program situated along Main Street in Sharpsburg, is a place where children can become their best selves. “There are so many positives here,” said Ashley Ireland, whose daughter and two sons attend. “The people who run it...
Ash Wednesday: Tradition meets convenience when it comes to buying ashes
Online shopping has become a way of life — even for the Catholic Church. In preparation for Ash Wednesday, a rising number of religious leaders are forgoing the tradition of burning palms and instead buying ashes on the web. “Actually, the manufactured ones stick better and are darker,” said Joan...
Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization teams with VFW for winter markets
Pancakes and crafts are on the menu select Sundays at the Sharpsburg VFW. Chas Smith, organizer of the Sharpsburg Flea Market, is inviting people to check out the indoor event that is an extension of the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization’s popular outdoor summer series. “It’s a nice way to spend the...
