Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 36
St. Mathias in Natrona gets 2nd life from father and son with passion for old buildings
Growing up in Lower Burrell, Tom Bertus often visited family in Natrona and can recall the harmonies of the carillon chimes that rang from the bell tower at St. Mathias. “It was the most beautiful sound,” said Bertus, who with his son, Peter, purchased the 118-year-old vacant building on Pond...
Highlands Region 3 race decided in spring, but voters in regions 1 and 2 have multiple options
Highlands School District voters will have an array of options in the upcoming election, with eight candidates seeking five positions on the board. In Region 3, the race was all but decided in the spring when 18-year-old Democrat Eli Majocha and Democratic incumbent Kristie Babinsack won the top two nominations...
St. Ladislaus in Natrona gives people chance to claim keepsakes, say goodbye
Rachel Brown doesn’t have the energy for social media. But the Natrona resident has a keen eye for what might go viral. Her interest in the architectural salvage of St. Ladislaus Church, shuttered in 2022, has drawn people from across the country to Spruce Street to rescue items before the...
Write-in winner Gary Hines challenges incumbent Eric Bengel for Harrison commissioner
Voters in Harrison’s 3rd Ward will get a repeat of a heated commissioners race between incumbent Eric Bengel and newcomer Gary Hines. The Democrats competed in the spring for a four-year seat, with Bengel edging Hines by seven votes. Hines won the write-in nomination on the Republican ticket for the...
Allegheny Township man spent 5 months in Ukraine, ‘helping the people who need it most’
The train ride from Krakow, Poland, into Ukraine was dark and cold. When the engine pulled into the Ternopil station, Allegheny Township truck driver Mark McLure immediately felt the terror of a war-torn territory. “The military gets on the train and they are armed with assault weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs,”...
Sharpsburg voters will choose between 2 newcomers for 2-year term
Sharpsburg voters will choose between two newcomers on Nov. 7 for election to a two-year term on council. Democrat Corey Ochai and Republican Diana Oliver will compete for the position. Other races in the borough are uncontested. Here are the answers given by Ochai and Oliver to questions posed by...
Fox Chapel, O’Hara eyeing comprehensive plan to improve quality of life
Fox Chapel and O’Hara leaders are teaming up to address the effects of climate change, ease traffic congestion and boost active transportation opportunities as a way to improve the quality of life. A joint comprehensive plan has been underway for about two years. Officials recently got a boost, in the...
Dadowski, Smith seeking election to ward seats in Tarentum but also vying for at-large position
Two people are vying for three open seats on Tarentum Council — but there’s still a race at hand. Council President Scott Dadowski, a Democrat, is running unopposed for a four-year 2nd Ward seat. Republican newcomer Maggie Smith is seeking a four-year term in the 3rd Ward. They also are...
Members of Tarentum, Brackenridge churches deliver ‘seeds of friendship’ on mission trip to Ghana
Members of two local churches are on a mission nearly 5,400 miles across the globe to deliver “seeds of friendship” in the form of eyeglasses, jump ropes and produce. A group of eight congregants from Abundant Joy Fellowship in Tarentum and Generations House of Worship in Brackenridge recently traveled to...
Tarentum Boo Festival brings hayrides, balloon art and an obstacle course
A sidewalk chalk contest, inflatable obstacle course and caricature artist will fill Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park for the annual Boo Festival. Sponsored by the borough’s recreation board, the event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 28. “It’s a wonderful event,” said Carol McPherson, a longtime volunteer. “It’s so...
Hands-on fire safety demonstration excites Highlands students
Highlands first grader Isabella Young didn’t seem fazed that the Eureka Fire-Rescue engine she was admiring at school this week cost more than $1 million. She only wanted to know what all the buttons were for. “Where do the firetrucks come from?” she asked. “How do you put out the...
Harrison police go pink for October, Breast Cancer Month
Harrison police are sporting a new hue for October. Bright-pink uniform patches are intended to raise awareness for the battle against breast cancer, Chief Brian Turack said. “People are already talking about it, so it’s working,” he said. The department is participating in the Pink Patch Project, founded in 2013...
Tarentum eyes ways to salvage ‘unsustainable’ water plant system
Tarentum has experienced eight water main breaks in the past two months. Ninety percent of the pipes at the water distribution plant are 100 years old. “Our system is failing,” Manager Dwight Boddorf said. “Anytime we go to replace something, there’s a high chance of collapse.” Officials are trying to...
Open house at Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services in Sharpsburg, Aspinwall aims to draw interest of all ages
Members of the Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services are hoping to shine a light on fire safety and prevention – and hopefully attract new members — during an upcoming open house. A scavenger hunt and an obstacle course will be part of the draw for all ages. “Our goal is...
4 seeking 3 seats on Fox Chapel Council
Four candidates are vying for three open seats on Fox Chapel Council. Incumbent Betsy Monroe is on the Democratic ticket. Candidate Michael Pohl is running as a Republican. Incumbent Fred Leech and candidate Jonathan Colton earned enough votes in the spring primary to be placed on both the Democratic and...
Walk for Hunger in Harrison to benefit local food bank efforts
A tradition more than four decades old is going strong to help the A-K Valley’s most needy. A Walk for Hunger, set for Sunday in Harrison, aims to raise money to buy boxed meals, peanut butter, pasta and other shelf-stable items for local food pantries. The walk is sponsored by...
2nd electronic billboard approved in Tarentum
A second mega-sized electronic billboard is expected to go up in Tarentum by the end of the year. Council on Tuesday approved a request by Weleski Transfer, a longtime business on West Fourth Avenue, for a billboard 14 feet tall by 48 feet wide — similar to the one that...
Building the Valley: Becky’s Closet keeps Freeport native’s memory alive, helps Harrison community thrive
When Freeport resident Pat McCurdy’s daughter passed away from cancer in 2022, McCurdy couldn’t bear to part with her daughter’s belongings. “Becky had lots of clothes and lots of shoes, and I didn’t want to just throw everything away,” said McCurdy, a longtime member of Faith Lutheran Church in Harrison....
Brackenridge ghost tour to bring A-K Valley history to life
A Ziegfeld Follies girl, a descendant of a U.S. founding father and U.S. Congressman Henry Marie Brackenridge will come to life during the annual Ghost Tour at Prospect Cemetery. They are among 13 “spirits” who will tell their stories during the event, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday....
Unsustainable funding model, shrinking workforce leave ambulance services in critical condition
Emergency medical services across Western Pennsylvania have found themselves on life support, despite being in the business of saving lives. Minimal state and municipal funding, combined with sluggish private donations, has leaders scraping by and some services on the brink of folding. “It costs us $150 an hour to operate...
Shopping choices grow for Fawn residents as Dollar General opening nears
Fawn and Harrison residents who live near the intersection of Route 908 and Saxonburg Boulevard will have a new place to shop within the next week. The Dollar General under construction since early summer at 1250 Route 908 is expected to open its doors in the coming days, store officials...
Penn Hills artist helps increase visibility of Tarentum-based animal rescue, Paws Across Pittsburgh
For three years, nonprofit Paws Across Pittsburgh has been saving thousands of animals from high-kill shelters and other tragic situations, all with little fanfare in a nondescript Tarentum building. Enter Penn Hills artist Sean Coffey, who is helping to jazz up the facility’s exterior and draw some much-needed attention from...
Haunted Guyasuta back with frights, frills
Family fun or fright of your life — participants of Haunted Guyasuta can decide their fate. The seasonal event, now in its 14th year, will offer a spooky-good time for all ages. It will be 3 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21 at Camp Guyasuta, which is accessed off 23rd Street...
3 candidates vying for 2 seats on O’Hara Council
O’Hara residents will choose from among three candidates for two at-large positions on O’Hara Council. Shamus Petrucelli, of Frick Road and Rob Strohm Jr., of Dorseyville Road are the Republican candidates. Petrucelli also won enough write-in votes in the May primary to appear on the ballot as a Democrat, along...
No injuries reported when vehicle goes over hillside in Harrison
Harrison police are investigating after a Ford Escape went over a hillside late Wednesday. No one was reported injured. Chief Brian Turack said officers were called about 9:20 p.m. to the 1700 block of Pleasantville Road for a vehicle over an embankment. The driver was a 56-year-old woman from Fawn....
