Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 24
Allegheny Valley Hospital exposes students to health care profession during Career Academy
Deer Lakes junior Cori Baughman has known for years she plans to pursue a job in the medical field. A hands-on career academy Monday at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison solidified it. “Since I was a kid, I’ve been interested,” said Baughman, 16. She already is enrolled in the nursing...
Verizon outages restored in Harrison, now impacting New Kensington and Plum
Verizon outages that plagued Harrison and Tarentum over the weekend have been restored, but now are being felt in New Kensington and Plum. Andy Choi, head of communications, said Verizon experienced fiber cuts on Monday that are causing additional disruptions. The network was impacted late Friday, causing limits on data,...
Cleanup ongoing after house partially collapses in North Braddock
Demolition crews were dispatched to North Braddock’s Stokes Street on Sunday after a house partially collapsed there. The incident happened early Sunday, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Neighbors told the news station they heard a boom before the house partially fell to the sidewalk. Neighbors were evacuated late Saturday...
Rollover crash closes portion of West Liberty Avenue in Dormont
Emergency crews responded Sunday afternoon to a crash involving multiple vehicles in Dormont. The borough’s fire department posted on social media that West Liberty Avenue was closed between Pioneer and LaSalle avenues. Motorists were advised to avoid the area. Police from several departments, firefighters and medics responded, according to TribLive...
Lower Burrell event promotes rescuing animals, showcases pets looking for homes
New Kensington’s Rick Ellis spent part of his Sunday afternoon sprawled out in Kotecki Memorial Park, lavishing love on adoptable dogs from Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley. Ellis, a volunteer at the New Kensington shelter, tussled with an Australian Cattle Dog-Beagle mix named Mogie and talked up the benefits of...
Alle-Kiski Valley senior citizens reap benefits of Sunny’s Community Garden in Indiana Township
Sandi Lando Welch has spent her career nourishing people’s souls. Now, the retired nonprofit leader is feeding people’s bellies, too. Welch launched Sunny’s Community Garden this spring in Indiana Township. It’s her third such initiative, following parcels in Pittsburgh’s Hill District and Manchester neighborhoods, with the goal of growing and...
Verizon wireless users have longer wait than expected for outages to be resolved in Harrison, Tarentum and beyond
A widespread cell phone outage for Verizon customers in parts of the Alle-Kiski Valley is now expected to take three times as long to resolve. According to the company’s website, Verizon is aware of the issue and crews are working on a solution. On Saturday, the expected wait time was...
Zion Methodist Community Church in Buffalo hosts Fun Fest for special needs families
The rain on Saturday afternoon fit right into the four seasons theme of a Fun Fest for special needs families at Zion Methodist Community Church in Buffalo Township. “We’ll have some sunshine too,” said organizer Becky Ross. “It’s all about making these families smile.” Among the foam machine and bouncy...
Safety Day in Harrison gives kids chance to mingle with emergency services
Citizens Hose volunteer Catherine Erb was giving six-year-year old Andrew Klein a deluxe tour of a fire engine during a children’s Safety Day event on Saturday when the youngster told her she had to stop. “If I hear any more good stuff my brain is gonna melt,” Andrew said. The...
Friends of the Riverfront seeks volunteers to clean the Tarentum waterfront by kayak
Anyone curious about the types of trash submerged in the Allegheny River can volunteer to pluck gas cans, soccer balls and other items from the Tarentum waterfront during a special event this month. Hosted by Friends of the Riverfront, the cleanup is part of a pilot program to target water-based...
Route 28 access limited near Baileys Run Road in East Deer
Motorists who’ve been dealing with a long-term closure along Baileys Run Road in East Deer might have been relieved to see the road reopen Wednesday. But they’ll have to be patient a bit longer. Another section of the road, between the Route 28 ramp and Freeport Road, closed at the...
Allegheny Land Trust seeks public help to buy and preserve 280 acres in Indiana Township
An expansive piece of land in the heart of rapidly developing Indiana Township could stay green if the Allegheny Land Trust secures pledges of $2.5 million by December. The nonprofit is eyeing 280 acres in the Deer Creek Watershed, where wildlife, trails and streams abound. Some of the property abuts...
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Harrison crash
A 19-year-old motorcyclist from Brackenridge was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday in Harrison, police said. Officers responded at about 3:45 p.m. to Dallas Avenue and Freeport Road, near Eat’n Park, to find the man’s motorcycle had collided with the passenger side of a Chevy sedan, Chief Brian Turack...
Volunteers collect ‘depressing volume’ of roadside trash across the state
For Aspinwall resident Kevin Kerr, the worst part of cleaning litter from Freeport Road is the sheer number of cigarette butts. “We get the food wrappers and pop cans, but the most frustrating and plentiful is definitely the butts,” said Kerr, who volunteers twice a year for the state’s Adopt-A-Highway...
Sharpsburg awarded $10 million for waterfront housing, recreation project
Sharpsburg officials are hoping a growing chest of state and federal money will bring them something the borough hasn’t had since the 1800s — a direct connection to much of its riverfront property. On the heels of a $25 million federal award in June, Sharpsburg got a state award this...
Rural Ridge Tunnel in Indiana Township to close for 5 weeks
A deteriorating Indiana Township railroad bridge with cracked concrete and water damage is scheduled to close for five weeks for restoration. The Rural Ridge Tunnel along Little Deer Creek Valley Road is nearly 130 years old and signs of its age are apparent, police Chief Steve Colucci said. “The repair...
Big ideas in store for Tarentum and Cheswick riverfronts, but planning is slow-moving
Planning for the Tarentum/Cheswick riverfront project is moving more slowly than officials would like. Cheswick Council Vice President Shawna Almes said she is “eager for things to get started” on designs for fishing and boating access and other recreation. “As soon as we get word that we can start, I...
Hillis-Carnes engineering firm eyes expansion with move to O’Hara
A South Fayette engineering firm is making the move to O’Hara in an effort to grow its business in the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond. Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates signed a 52-month lease for about 5,000 square feet at 534-536 Alpha Drive in the RIDC Park. “We made the switch because our...
New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park gets $6 million from state to help attract new business
The $6 million in state money announced Tuesday for the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park is expected to draw jobs to the 70-acre facility along the Allegheny River in New Kensington and Arnold. “This is a strategic location for economic development in our region,” said RIDC Senior Vice President Timothy...
Goats get to work clearing Natrona riverfront
A donkey named Hobo and 12 hungry goats set up shop Monday along the Natrona riverfront in Harrison, munching their way through the overgrown shoreline. Hard at work is a herd of Nubian, Nigerian dwarf and Alpine goats, eating the invasive knotweed and honeysuckle that has overtaken the stretch. They...
Murder of Arnold’s Stephanie Coyle remains cold case 31 years later; son pins hopes on technological advances
Dan Coyle is pinning his hopes on advances in technology and DNA testing to help solve the murder of his mother, Stephanie, who was brutally stabbed 31 years ago this week at her home in Arnold. “For years, we were begging the Westmoreland County DA’s office to send the DNA...
Shady Side Academy grad Porter Markel named ice hockey captain at Naval Academy
A Shady Side Academy graduate was named captain of the U.S. Naval Academy’s ice hockey team for the 2024-25 season. Porter Markel, a 2021 alum, served as captain of the ice hockey and baseball teams during his senior year in high school. The Fox Chapel resident is a defenseman on...
Ollie’s on schedule for September opening at Pittsburgh Mills
Bargain hunters like Tammy Wilson will have a new place to shop come fall. An avid fan of discount stores, Wilson nearly shrieked when she heard the news that Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is scheduled to open by late September at the Village at Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. “It will definitely...
Peoples Gas service lines not responsible for Plum explosion, PUC finds
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said Tuesday there is no link between Peoples Gas service lines and the August 2023 house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood that killed six people. “Our investigators have concluded their work and they did not find anything on the utility side that was the...
How to talk to children about the Trump shooting
Exposure to the images of former President Donald Trump with a bloodied face after the Saturday rally in Butler County can be disturbing for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for children, health experts say. “If parents are able to limit exposure to what happened, that’s beneficial,” said AHN...
