Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 17
3rd grade students trying to collect Valentines cards from every state
Students at Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington are feeling the love. Third graders are on a mission to collect Valentine’s Day cards from all 50 states by Friday. They’re more than halfway to their goal. With two days left, students are still hoping for cards from Alaska,...
Winning $600,000 lottery ticket sold in Upper Burrell
Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Upper Burrell is $600,000 richer today. A jackpot-winning Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket was sold at The Little Store along Seventh Street Road. It matched all five balls for the Monday drawing — 7-16-18-37-38. “I don’t know who it is...
Tarentum gets state boost to continue waterline upgrades
Tarentum taxpayers are getting a boost from the state to address waterline woes, putting the borough one step closer to remedying a severely aged system. The borough is set to receive about $51,000 to replace a waterline along Tripak Boulevard, which has been an area vulnerable to breaks. It is...
Developer proposes 55+ community in Frazer
Vacant property along Butler-Logan Road in Frazer might someday be filled with resort-style homes for an older crowd. Foxlane Homes, developers of upscale 55-plus housing, hopes to build there. They were expected to bring a proposal to the township’s planning commission Wednesday but have delayed it at least a month....
Then and Now: Former Sharpsburg High School still a place for students to thrive
The former Sharpsburg High School, an enormous red brick building along Linden Street, served the borough for decades. It sat along Linden Street, marked by white columns and ornate windows. The district merged in 1970 with Fox Chapel Area, sending students to a new school along Field Club Road in...
Teen volunteerism helping to grow Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg
Fox Chapel Area High School junior Kelly Dayton doesn’t fancy herself a chef, but she never misses the chance to help prep a meal at Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg. The 17-year-old pencils in one Thursday each month to plate home-cooked dinners and serve them to dozens of people who...
Heights Plaza owners plan resurgence: ‘Despite challenges, it can still be community center’
If the longstanding Heights Plaza Shopping Center in Harrison is going to survive, it has to change with the times. At least that’s how the plaza’s owner, New York-based Benbrooke Realty Investment Co., sees it as it plans to demolish part of the almost 70-year-old shopping center to make room...
Former West Deer Municipal Building demolition to begin
Demolition of the former West Deer Municipal Building is expected to begin in this month but there’s a chance a small portion of it will remain to benefit homeless dogs. Chairwoman Beverly Jordan said the board is considering a plan to renovate the old police carport area into a 26-foot...
Trading pin design by Deer Lakes senior Morgan McCloskey among top 3 in state
Deer Lakes senior Morgan McCloskey was tasked with drumming up an advertising design to best represent Pennsylvania, and her first thought was a bright yellow chick. Specifically, she chose a marshmallow confection chick better known as a Peep, manufactured by the Just Born company in Bethlehem. “It’s bright and colorful,...
This year’s 18 Under Eighteen helping to shape the future
Deer Lakes senior Zier Williams has earned a reputation for his toughness on the football field, rushing for nearly 2,900 yards as a Lancer. Off the field, the teen has become known for compassion and promoting positive change. Williams, 18, has made it a mission to fight for the underdog...
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio pushes rail safety bill with visit to Tarentum
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is hoping he can persuade President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress to support his renewed push for railroad safety. Deluzio, of Fox Chapel, is reintroducing his Railway Safety Act, a trio of bills aimed at improving federal oversight of railways. It’s an issue he...
Plans underway for transformation of 19th Street in Sharpsburg
A thriving community is possible only through engagement, according to Sharpsburg councilman Corey Ochai. He is urging residents to participate in a recently launched survey to help shape portions of the Main Street streetscape and access to the riverfront. “Community engagement is the best solution for us to find a...
Roundup: Missing Pitt med student found dead
A missing 30-year-old University of Pittsburgh medical student has been found dead. The body of Luis Espinoza, who had been missing since Monday, was found Friday around 8:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Sterling Street in the city’s South Side Slopes section. Espinoza was last seen around 10:30 a.m....
Then and Now: From farm stand to beer distributor to holistic health center, Aspinwall spot thrives
As mom and pop stores began to populate across the country in the early 1900s, Clover Farms made its name. By 1932, there were more than 150 Clover Farms stores in the Greater Pittsburgh area — with one situated along Commercial Avenue in Aspinwall. Samuel DiGregory and his daughter, Pauline,...
Morning Roundup: Car crashes into home in Ross; water main break in Shaler
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 23: Car smashes into Ross home No one was reported injured after a vehicle crashed into a Ross home on Wednesday. Emergency crews were called to Jacks Run Road at about 3:30 p.m. The Seville Volunteer Fire...
Cash 5 lottery winning ticket sold in Crafton
A lottery player is $75,000 richer after buying a ticket Sunday in Crafton. The winning ticket was sold at the Giant Eagle along Walsh Road, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. It was a Cash 5 ticket with Quick Cash that matched all five winning numbers — 7, 8, 19, 31...
Woman found shot dead in Pittsburgh’s Perry South
A woman was fatally shot Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood, city police said. Officers said they were called at about 12:30 p.m. to the 100 block of Hawkins Avenue. At the scene, officers found a woman inside a home with a gunshot wound to the head, according to public...
Morning Roundup: Water line break creates icy road in South Side Slopes; fire in Beechview
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 22: Water line break in South Side A water main break in Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes neighborhood has left one street an icy mess. Crews were called to Mission Street near South 21st Street early Wednesday, according...
Frigid now, but forecasters say coldest temps still to come
More than 300 schools and community centers closed down Tuesday as the region battled subzero wind chills and blustery conditions. But we haven’t even felt the worst of it yet, forecasters said. “The coldest night will be tonight, and we should be looking at -8 or -9 tomorrow morning,” said...
Morning Roundup: Firefighters battle blazes in Leetsdale and South Greensburg
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 21: Fire in Leetsdale Crews battled a fire in Leetsdale early Tuesday morning. The Leetsdale Volunteer Fire Department responded after 3 a.m. to a home along First Street. Fire officials posted to Facebook that crews were getting...
Sharpsburg’s Second Harvest helps refugees settle in to new lives
Settling into a new life can be scary, especially in a foreign land. Second Harvest Community Thrift Store in Sharpsburg is making the transition easier. Through a partnership with Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Hello Neighbor, refugee families are getting a lift creating a new home in the Lower Valley. “With Second Harvest,...
Contamination threatens recycling programs with Harrison Hills and Westmoreland Cleanways
Audrey Bensy of Fox Chapel unloaded a trunk full of flattened cardboard boxes on Friday and stacked them neatly into the public recycling bins at Harrison Hills Park. She is among a drove of people who drop off plastics, aluminum, glass and paper at the blue bins near the park’s...
Highlands students get up-close glimpse of medical careers at UPMC St. Margaret
With one arm in a sling, Highlands seventh grader Emily Svorcek struggled to put her socks on using only her other hand. “I was pretending I had a stroke,” said Emily, 12, of Harrison. “It makes the difficulty pretty real.” The demonstration was part of a career expo hosted Friday...
Highlands community mourns No. 1 fan Eddie Teorsky
He was known as The Mayor, Mr. P.R. and Highlands’ No. 1 fan. Harrison native Eddie Teorsky was best known as a supporter of the Highlands community — but it was just as much of a fan of him. “He was at every practice and on every sideline of every...
As wind chills plummet below zero, officials undeterred: ‘It’s winter’ in Western Pa.
Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner makes a flurry of decisions before 5:30 each morning, especially this time of year. On Monday, when temperatures are expected to nosedive below zero for the first time since 2022, Wagner will be up at 4:45 a.m. to review road conditions with Upper Burrell and Lower...
