Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 22

Organizers of an after-school program for Highlands teens peg it as a home away from home. But The Teen Spot, geared toward students in grades six through 12, is also a learning facility, life skills provider and extended family for many of the 70 participants. “These are my kids,” said...

The basketball court at Tarentum’s “Hoops on Sixth” park was barely usable before a local business owner stepped up to assist. Eric Hashim, owner of Tripak Industries in West Tarentum, donated heavy-duty hoops with steel nets and a new swing set with a toddler space and high-bucket seats. The equipment,...

Ten-year-old Nastya Shytnikova has a short Christmas list. She didn’t ask for an iPhone or a doll. “I’d really like Legos, candies and cookies, and a warm shirt,” Nastya wrote in a note to St. Nicholas. “My biggest dream is for the war to end.” The Ukrainian girl — orphaned...

From its early days as sacred salt-gathering grounds for Native Americans to the manufacturing of the pesticide DDT for war efforts in the 1900s to today’s steel mill, Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood oozes historical contributions to modern industry. Scandalous tales are a close second. Fanny Sellins, the first woman union organizer,...

Few answers have turned up in the year since Tarentum was robbed of nearly $140,000 in an online phishing scam. The investigation by the borough’s insurance carrier is ongoing. Officers determined the person or group responsible for the crime netted a total of between $800,000 and $900,000 from many victims,...

Fox Chapel residents are likely to pay the same in property taxes next year after council approved its tentative $9.2 million budget. The tax rate is expected to remain at 2.95 mills, the same as it’s been since 2019. “It’s the 16th lowest in Allegheny County, and it includes garage...

Residents in the Highlands School District should not expect to see a property tax increase for the 2024-25 school year beyond 7.6%. The school board agreed to keep any tax hike next school within a limit that’s tied to inflation. The tax rate for residents is 25.13 mills. The owner...

A failing water distribution system in Tarentum coupled with an impractical contract for wholesale water costs to East Deer will spur a rate increase this spring for people in both municipalities. Costs will climb by $1.30 per 1,000 gallons — about an 11% increase in Tarentum and about a 29%...

Two years after a raging fire swept through St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold, support has swelled to see the rise of a new $2.2 million sanctuary. The disaster on Dec. 4, 2021, could easily have destroyed the congregation of just 35 members. Instead, it made the parish stronger....

Fox Chapel Area junior Ben Fiedler is an aspiring astrophysicist with an itch to travel the world. He got the chance on a nearly three-week summer visit to Kenya, the East African country nearly 7,700 miles across the globe. Known largely for its safari landscapes and wildlife preserves, Kenya borders...

Harrison property taxes are not expected to increase next year after the township commissioners approved a preliminary $7.8 million budget. The tax rate is expected to remain at 5.1 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would again pay $510. The commissioners will take a final vote Dec....

Scott Walmsley relaxed in a velvet armchair with a hot beverage Wednesday morning during the grand opening of Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates in Heights Plaza in Harrison. He couldn’t have looked more content. “This is exactly what I’d be doing at home,” said Walmsley of Freeport. “It’s a comfortable...

Natrona native Janice Kaufman trekked the 70 miles from her home in Hermitage last weekend to help hang 12 holiday wreaths in Harrison. “It’s just my way of saying ‘thank you’ to all of the people who built our town and served in the military on the home front —...

In her fourth year collecting winter coats for needy children in the Highlands School District, parent Christina Faltot said the effort fell just short of amazing. “We received lots of donations but not enough for the number of kids in need,” Faltot said. The effort, called Winter Ready Rams, brought...

The potential owners of the former Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum are moving forward with their original plan to open a fitness center inside the shuttered facility and build a practice field alongside it. This comes just one week after Legends of Pittsburgh co-owner Stefan Lundberg was told the floor...

A 15-year-old boy will be charged with simple assault after an incident Nov. 10 at Highlands High School. Harrison Police Chief Brian Turack said charges are pending. Officers responded to a call at about 1:15 p.m. and found four boys involved in some type of incident inside the bathroom, Turack...

The Fox Chapel Garden Club is marking its 25th annual Glitter & Glow event by illuminating the need for public gardens and recreation throughout the Pittsburgh region. Participants can enjoy a sip and a nibble in the opulent setting of the Fox Chapel Golf Club, all while perusing fresh arrangements...

Tarentum Council is ramping up donations to its three fire departments, acknowledging the struggle volunteers face with decreased public aid. Direct contributions for each department will increase by $4,500 to $17,000 each for Eureka Fire-Rescue, Highland Hose and Summit Hose. Council approved the amounts in its preliminary $16.4 million budget,...

Plans for the corner lot at Corbet Street and Third Avenue in Tarentum are up in the air again. A gazebo that was expected to serve as a focal point in the business district is off the books, at least for now. Costs climbed higher than expected for the structure,...

Fawn residents are not likely to see a property tax increase — for the 26th consecutive year — after the township supervisors approved the preliminary budget Tuesday. “We’re able to hold the line on everything,” Township Treasurer/Secretary Pam Ponsart said. “We’re frugal about it.” The $1.9 million budget holds the...

The 175-acre Boy Scout-owned campground tucked behind Sharpsburg’s business district was busy transforming into a winter wonderland, even though temperatures were climbing into the high 60s. That didn’t stop Camp Guyasuta Ranger Mike Daniher from prepping the fire pits and readying the horse-drawn carriage for a Nov. 25 seasonal extravaganza....

Taxpayers no longer would foot the bill when the state settles cases in which state lawmakers are accused of sexual misconduct under a legislative package proposed Wednesday by members of the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus. “This will ensure perpetrators don’t get off scot-free,” said state Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa, R-Fayette....

Electric rates in Tarentum are going up in 2024 — and likely for at least the next four years afterward — to combat supply costs that are set to double. Council voted Tuesday night to approve a new rate schedule that will increase the cost from 13 cents to 15.2...

A slight change of plans by the new owners of Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum will see the building used for indoor soccer, rather than to house weights and treadmills. Legends of Pittsburgh fitness center is expected to move from the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer to the 51-year-old church...

Tarentum residents likely won’t see a property tax increase in 2024 after council approved the borough’s preliminary budget Tuesday. But electric and garbage collection bills are expected to rise. Supply costs for the borough’s electrical distribution system are set to nearly double, meaning the price hike will be funneled to...