Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 30
Deer Lakes teacher Mark Vukelich recalled as proud Lancer
Friends are recalling the late Mark Vukelich as a “lifelong Lancer.” A native of West Deer, Vukelich grew up in the Russellton neighborhood. He graduated from Deer Lakes School District in 1989 and went on to teach for 28 years at his alma mater. Vukelich died March 2 at 52....
Riverfront Theater Company opens season with ‘If/Then’
The Riverfront Theater Company opens its 2024 season with a dramatic production that is sure to spur the question, “What if?” The community theater group will present the Pittsburgh premiere of “If/Then,” a stirring and somewhat heart-wrenching show that follows a woman’s two possible life paths. “My character portrays two...
Police investigating after man stabbed in West Deer
Allegheny County Police are investigating after a man was stabbed Tuesday evening in West Deer. The 60-year-old victim was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison with multiple stab wounds. He was being treated in stable condition, according to Jim Madalinsky, county police public information officer. West Deer police were...
Blawnox, Southern Allegheny Valley fire departments upgrade protective gear
Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company is getting a new computer for its engine to aid with dispatch and pinpoint hydrant locations. Chief Jeff Stephens said some of his members also will receive upgraded bunker gear, fittings and adapters, all of which will boost protection at fire scenes. Purchases were assisted by...
New equipment helps Foxwall EMS with lifesaving measures
Foxwall EMS will have better capabilities to care for cardiac patients and people with severe respiratory issues thanks to the purchase of a portable ventilator. Paramedic Jenifer Swab said the equipment allows for precise control of a patient’s respiratory rate and other measurements of ventilation. It is military grade, weight-based...
More lawsuits filed in connection with insulin deaths at Western Pa. nursing homes
Two more wrongful death lawsuits were filed Tuesday against Lower Burrell’s Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in connection with allegations that a Harrison nurse administered fatal doses of insulin to patients there. The latest lawsuits were filed on behalf of the families of former Belair residents Jack Allen Rogers and...
Cursive handwriting makes a comeback in elementary schools
Second grader Evi Thompson’s favorite letter is “S.” “I like how my pencil feels on the paper when I write it,” Evi said from her classroom at Mary Queen of Apostles in New Kensington. “It’s very loopy.” Evi and her classmates are learning the art of cursive writing, the old-school...
Faces of the Valley: Harrison’s Bob Barrage dedicates decades to Scouting
Bob Barrage recalls bringing home a flier in third-grade — nearly six decades ago — seeking students interested in Cub Scouts. “I told my mom I didn’t want to join and then I ended up going anyway,” said Barrage, who grew up in Harrison. “About halfway through the meeting, something...
Building the Valley: Cindy’s Hometown Restaurant finds new home in Brackenridge
Bob Hatajik has a good feeling about closing his Tarentum diner. That’s because in less than two months, Cindy’s Hometown Restaurant will reopen in what Hatajik feels will be its forever home — the former Parkview bar along First Avenue in Brackenridge. “God opened the door and we jumped in,”...
St. Joe’s girls basketball team makes history with trip to the Pete
During a pep rally Friday at St. Joseph High School, students called on a higher power to give the girls basketball team an edge in its history- making trip to the WPIAL championship game. On cue, one of the school’s mascots — Moses — entered the gym to Drake’s “God’s Plan”...
Saxonburg woman faces forgery charges in relation to fraudulent UPMC fax
Police have accused a Saxonburg woman of forging information from a UPMC physician to get out of a scheduled court appearance. Danielle McWilliams, 49, was charged with forgery and identity theft after, police say, she sent a fake fax that she attempted to make look like it came from UPMC...
Multiple emergency crews respond to boiler fire at Harrison church
Emergency crews from Harrison, Tarentum and Freeport responded to an apparent boiler fire Wednesday morning at Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church, just before children were scheduled to arrive for day care. No one was injured but the building was evacuated for safety, Harrison Hills Fire Chief Jules Beer said. Crews were...
Fundraiser for injured Harrison EMT will pay tuition for future emergency responders
EMT certification for 10 people will be paid in full thanks to a fundraiser Sunday in Harrison. A spaghetti dinner hosted for Citizens Hose EMT Kelly Jackson, who was critically injured Jan. 6 while working traffic control at a crash scene, brought in nearly $10,000. Jackson of Tarentum opted to...
West Deer police SUVs stay in service through donation to fire and EMS
West Deer emergency services will have new utility vehicles for errands or to haul extra personnel to scenes, thanks to a township donation of used police SUVs. Township supervisors voted last week to give vehicles no longer used by the police department to West Deer No. 2 and West Deer...
West Deer considering multimunicipal watershed study
West Deer supervisors could join a multimunicipal study of the Deer Creek Watershed to outline ways to improve water sources and residents’ access to them. Spearheaded by the Allegheny County Conservation District, the study would leverage its support from watershed municipalities, which include Harmar and Frazer, to apply for state...
Family Promise House in Brackenridge offers temporary space for homeless families
Expectant mom Bridget Ashby was down on her luck and found herself without a place to live when “God stepped in.” Ashby and her 7-year-old son have a warm bed to sleep in this week with the opening of Family Promise House in Brackenridge. The transitional housing facility, run by...
Fellow sportsmen remember late Chief Justin McIntire with donation to help other officers
Fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire loved to spend his downtime hunting and fishing with friends. As a member of the South Buffalo Township Recreation Association, the avid outdoorsman spent many hours at the clubhouse, lakes and rifle range, fishing for trout and trap shooting. His fellow members are memorializing...
Accordion players enjoy instrument’s resurgence
The Accordion Club of Natrona Heights might need to change its name. These guys and gals aren’t just sitting around playing old-timey polkas — they can really jam. “We like to get together and kind of show off what we can do,” said club founder Gabe Ziccarelli, 77, whose lightning-fast...
Frazer volunteer fire departments get boost for equipment purchase and upkeep
The portable radios inside the vehicles at Frazer Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 are so old, members can’t find parts to repair them when something goes wrong. “They’re one of the first models that Motorola made,” Chief Ryan Sieminski said. “They were in there way before I started, and that...
Gov. Shapiro’s budget calls for deep cuts to cyber charter school funding; public schools in for windfall
A proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro to slash fees for cyber charter students could save public schools about $262 million a year. The move has public school officials singing Shapiro’s praises but leaves cyber school administrators anxious and frustrated. “This narrative that we are overfunded, we don’t agree with that,”...
Highlands to require students to take personal finance, family/consumer sciences courses
Highlands students, beginning with the Class of 2027, will be required to take two classes that are expected to benefit their lives after high school, administrators said. The school board on Monday discussed new guidelines from the state Department of Education for students to enroll in a personal finance course...
Monroeville ‘doodler’ featured at The Manos Gallery in Tarentum
Larry Brandstetter’s passion for art began at the kitchen table. When he was 8, Brandstetter recalls his mother sitting in their Morningside home with an open phone book nearby. “She would draw these ladies in chiffon dresses and heels,” Brandstetter said. Her whimsy sparked his creativity, according to the self-proclaimed...
Project Lifesaver aims to protect cognitively impaired people who are prone to wandering
When Sophie Gass’ grandmother wandered off from a family outing at O’Hara Community Park, every minute was a nightmare. The search, conducted by family, friends and multiple police and fire departments, lasted five hours. When they finally located Alzheimer’s patient Kathy Gass, then 73, she was missing a shoe and...
Eureka Hose volunteer Susan Clark appointed to fill Tarentum Council vacancy
The newest member of Tarentum Council is a familiar face in the borough. Susan Clark, who serves as rescue captain of Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS, was appointed this week to fill a vacancy left after council President Scott Dadowski won two seats in the November election. Dadowski chose to keep his position...
East Deer water rates likely to increase
East Deer residents could be facing a water rate increase but to what extent has not been determined. The township commissioners are expected to discuss the issue March 7, saying they’re up against a wall after Tarentum implemented a 29% increase that is set to start in coming weeks. East...
