Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 28
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins rally for Summer Lee in Pittsburgh
Left-wing firebrand U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the arsenal of high-profile politicians who rallied Sunday for Congressional Democratic incumbent Summer Lee, whose 12th District primary against Bhavini Patel has become a hot-button race. Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who represents parts of New York City, joined Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny...
Guaranteed doe licenses in most hunting areas expected to thwart repeat of 2023 system shutdown
Luke Wasilowski isn’t looking forward to June — when state hunting licenses go on sale. At least, he isn’t looking forward to a repeat of last year, when the state’s computer system ground to a halt on the first day of sales, leaving hunters waiting in lines, sometimes for hours....
Evolution Grille in Buffalo Township set to close
A Buffalo Township restaurant known for its farm-fresh entrees and bold flavors has announced plans to close. Evolution Grille along Route 356 posted to social media Friday, saying it is extending heartfelt gratitude to diners who have showered the restaurant with love. “Life, my friends, is a fickle sous-chef,” the...
Pittsburgh police seek help finding 12-year-old boy last seen at Westinghouse Academy
A 12-year-old boy last seen Friday at Westinghouse Academy in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood has not returned home, authorities said. Pittsburgh Police are seeking help to find Taeshawn Battles, who is considered at risk because of his age. Taeshawn is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with...
Missing 12-year-old girl near the city’s East End was found
Pittsburgh police said they have located a 12-year-old girl who went missing on Friday. Akiyah Willie went missing about 11 a.m. after an argument with her mom, police said. “Thank you to everyone who shared the information,” police said in the update. She is known to frequent the area near...
Police investigate 2 shootings within minutes in Sharpsburg, Etna
Allegheny County Police are investigating two shootings that occurred within 15 minutes Friday in Sharpsburg and Etna, communities that sit less than a mile apart. Police were called at 11:45 p.m. to the 300 block of Linden Avenue in Sharpsburg after a woman was shot in the leg. She was...
Coroner reports driver in Fayette crash that killed 5 had cocaine in his system
The driver involved in a three-vehicle crash in late March that killed himself and four others, including an infant, had cocaine in his system at the time of the collision, the Fayette County coroner reported Saturday. All five people killed in the March 26 crash on Route 40 were from...
Former Pittsburgh radio host Larry O’Brien, known via ‘O’Brien & Garry’ show, dies at 81
Pittsburgh radio host Larry O’Brien, who comprised half of the popular morning duo “O’Brien & Garry” for 20 years, has died. “He was a funny, bright man, and he kept up on Pittsburgh sports until the very end,” his wife, Winkie O’Brien, said from their home in Hilton Head, S.C....
Washington & Jefferson freshman Grace Vensel provides personal hygiene stations at Highlands
Highlands parent Liz Myers was beside herself when she learned that the efforts of an out-of-town teen will help protect the privacy of her teenage daughter at the middle school. Washington & Jefferson freshman Grace Vensel will provide Menstruation Stations at the district’s middle and high schools through her nonprofit...
Highlands parents urge district to ‘correct discrimination’ as civic groups offer to help district
Parent Pauline McKnight said she had to pull her teenage daughters from in-person classes at Highlands High School to protect them from being bullied and targeted because they are Black. “My daughter was called a monkey and they both have been harassed by a male member of administration,” said McKnight,...
Run For the Hill of It to benefit Foxwall EMS, Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services
O’Hara resident Adam Janosko feels the burn at the same point every year. An avid runner, Janosko is a repeat participant in the Run For the Hill of It fundraiser in Aspinwall and said it’s just at about Eighth Street when it really sets in. The race, although only 1...
Army reservists will use Tarentum site to train for battle
A vacant hillside overlooking Tarentum will transform into a makeshift battlefield several times next year. Army soldiers in tactical gear will temporarily inhabit the land off Bakerstown Road to practice blank shooting and nighttime strategies. Members of the 307th Military Police Co., a reserve station at 2450 Leechburg Road in...
Man rescued from East Deer blaze when passerby springs into action
Danny Simone was driving to work through East Deer early Friday when he noticed a ball of white smoke billowing above a row of homes. “I thought it was from the mill stack. That’s how high it was,” said Simone, an employee at Habitat for Humanity in New Kensington. As...
New Vandergrift ATI line secures jobs, future for company
The son of a steelworker, Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini grew up in a house overlooking ATI’s Vandergrift plant. Back then, it was owned by U.S. Steel and was a major employer for the borough and surrounding area. Now, it continues to be a big piece of the borough’s economy and...
2-month road closure coming to East Deer near New Kensington Bridge
Another round of road closures is scheduled to begin Monday in East Deer near the New Kensington Bridge. The northbound lane of Freeport Road will be shut down at 9 a.m. so crews can continue painting and replacing fences. The road is expected to be closed through late June. The...
Job demand, good pay spur growth in nursing programs
Chelsey Strickland grew up watching her single mom work long shifts as a nurse at UPMC St. Margaret hospital to provide for her family. That’s what led the Tarentum resident to enroll in nursing school at 25, despite, two years earlier, having earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the...
Slain Brackenridge police chief, McKeesport officer to be included on Washington, D.C., memorial
Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire will be memorialized this month in Washington, D.C., with a bittersweet honor for fallen officers. “We remember him and carry him in our hearts every day,” Mayor Lindsay Fraser said. “We memorialize Chief McIntire in how we can and do treat each other and in...
Fox Chapel Area School Board seeking member after Kimberly Andrews resigns
Fox Chapel Area School Board member Kimberly Andrews said she’ll take away nothing but pride from her nearly three years spent serving the district. The Aspinwall resident resigned Monday after announcing she would be returning to her native North Carolina. “I have been honored to sit on the board and...
Women’s Board hosts Safari Sunset to help underserved children
Sail into the Safari Sunset, all for a good cause, when the Women’s Board of Pittsburgh hosts its annual benefit to support children. “This exciting annual fundraiser, always a sold-out event, has enabled the Women’s Board to give more than $1.4 million to area nonprofits that support underserved children in...
Park for small dogs coming to off-leash area at Hartwood Acres
A daily walk through Hartwood Acres was Allison Burgan’s therapy during covid — for herself and her doodle puppy, Scruffy. The Indiana Township resident noticed a slew of walkers on the trails, many of whom were not making use of the park’s large off-leash space. “Scruffy and I started recognizing...
Former TribLive sales manager Gus Naccarato recalled for friendship, loyalty
Longtime TribLive Advertising Sales Manager Gus Naccarato is being recalled as a humble people-person and loyal friend who loved good conversation. Naccarato, 68, of Lower Burrell died Monday after a brief illness. A cause of death was not immediately available. “Working at the Valley News was a great job for...
Wrong-way detectors to be installed at 20 ramps to Route 28
After multiple wrong-way crashes along Route 28 in recent years, PennDOT is set to install large flashing signs to alert drivers who enter a ramp in the wrong direction. Detectors will be placed on 20 ramps, with work starting this summer and ending next year. The signs will be installed...
Stormwater upgrades at Kennedy Park in Sharpsburg expected to keep flooding at bay
Kennedy Park in Sharpsburg will undergo an overhaul that is expected to keep the popular recreation area from being swampy after a heavy storm. Borough officials said the stormwater management plan will transform the spot along North Canal Street. “This project is a game-changer,” Manager Christine DeRunk said. “It will...
2 teens killed in North Huntingdon dirt bike crash
Two teens were killed Sunday in a motor bike crash in North Huntingdon, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The victims were Adam J. Bilinsky, 19, of Coulterville Road, North Huntingdon, and a 16-year-old boy whose name has not been released, Coroner Tim Carson said. The wreck happened just...
Demolition starts on Century III Mall
Century III Mall is coming down. Demolition has officially begun on the site which was closed in 2019, according to TribLive news partners WTAE. The mall has since been the target of vandals and others sneaking into the property. It was condemned by West Mifflin Council in 2023. In January,...
