Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 39
Highlands kicks off school year with new hires, promotions
A slew of adminstrative changes will greet Highlands School District students when they return for the first day of class Aug. 31. The school board on Monday approved several promotions and new hires, setting in place new administrative teams at the high school and middle school. They include: • Kaitlyn...
Founder of clothing mission for disadvantaged women to speak at Aspinwall meeting of AAUW
The founder of a clothing mission for women in crisis and transition will be the guest speaker at September’s meeting of the Fox Chapel Area American Association of University Women. Sally Power, executive director of Treasure House Fashions, will share with audience members how her agency has grown its reach...
Dwindling interest slashes cross country, girls soccer at Highlands
When Highlands cross country coaches Rich Bogaty and Kevin Deasy retired in the spring, it appears most of the team hung up their running shoes as well. The district won’t field a cross country team this year for lack of interest, according to athletic director Katie Jo Stobert. The same...
Large crowd voices opposition as Highlands renews superintendent’s contract
An overflow crowd turned out Monday to hear the Highlands School Board consider a contract renewal for Superintendent Monique Mawhinney, seven months before her term is set to expire. Close to 100 people crammed into the high school library, with several asking the board to consider the district’s economics, test...
Busy Fox Chapel intersection gets $205,000 in state grant to upgrade traffic signals
A traffic signal more than 50 years old that controls vehicles at a major Fox Chapel intersection will be modernized in the coming years. The borough was named Aug. 11 as part of PennDOT’s Green Light-Go program, designed to improve efficiency and operation of traffic signals across the state. Gov....
Highlands grad heading to Dominican Republic with Peace Corps
Highlands alum Madalyn Heinle is about to set off on the adventure of her life. The 22-year-old will jet off to the Dominican Republic as a member of the Peace Corps, a federal program that deploys volunteers to provide help in 60 developing countries. “I’m very nervous, but the excitement...
Portion of Sixth Avenue in Tarentum closed for gas line work
Portions of Sixth Avenue in Tarentum were shut down Monday for work by Peoples natural gas company crews. Spokesman Nick Paradise said crews were closing off a gas line in the area. The road is closed from near the Marathon gas station and Gatto’s to the intersection at Lock Street....
Harrison juveniles charged with using stolen pistol to fire shots near Heights Plaza
Two boys from Harrison are facing charges after shots were fired early Friday near Heights Plaza. Police responded just before 2 a.m. after several reports of suspicious activity near Community Supermarket, off Freeport Road. They found two children, 11 and 14, fleeing the area and running toward the Sheldon Park...
Highlands pool undergoing $2 million renovation but won’t open until spring
Construction continues on the long-closed pool at Highlands High School, but the facility likely won’t be open until spring. That means, for the third consecutive year, the high school swim team will practice and host meets away from the building. Last year, the team used facilities at Valley High School....
Operation Christmas Child seeking partner in Deer Lakes area to house thousands of gift-filled shoe boxes
Donations keep flowing in for Operation Christmas Child, but organizers need somewhere to pack them — specifically in the Deer Lakes area. “We are prayerfully and earnestly in search of a church partner that would like to participate in this mission,” said volunteer Stefani Allegretti of East Deer. Operation Christmas...
Organizers encourage back-to-school shoppers to include Operation Christmas Child
While temperatures still hover in the 80s, volunteers at Harvest Baptist Church in Harrison already are thinking about Christmas. The church off the Millerstown exit of Route 28 serves as a drop-off site for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse, an international outreach that sends thousands of stuffed shoe boxes...
Sparrow’s Nest clothes and household pantry in Harrison helps stretch dollars, save environment
Dakota Kuniak browsed the clothes racks and artwork at the new Sparrow’s Nest pantry in Harrison, commenting on the mounds of items available for free. “This is so great for people who need help,” said the teen, an eighth grader at Mary Queen of Apostles in New Kensington. “It’s also...
6th annual Officer Brian Shaw Memorial Scholarship Ride to draw 800-plus bikers
A charity motorcycle ride in memory of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw has grown into the largest of its kind in Western Pennsylvania. The event, scheduled to pull out of the Shrine Center in Harmar at 10 a.m. Saturday, is expected to draw more than 800 riders, organizers said....
Funnel Cake Friday by Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary makes a sweet return
Sharpsburg residents who live near Kennedy Park are in for a sweet surprise. The aroma of fried dough with powdered sugar will be wafting from the concession stand on Aug. 25 during an encore Funnel Cake Friday, hosted by the Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary Club. The event is part of “Music in...
Eureka Hose, Unity and Holiday Park firefighters score $430K for new air packs
Unity Volunteer Fire Department in Plum is still repaying a loan it took out in 2008 to buy breathing packs for its 25 members. “Can we afford it? No,” Chief P.J. Mudar said. “Is it something we have to do? Yes.” The worst part is that before they’re even paid...
Tarentum kicks off junior council program, seeks Highlands student
High school juniors and seniors who live in Tarentum will have a chance to see firsthand how local governments operate through a new program starting this fall. The borough is implementing a “junior councilperson” program through which teens with an interest in politics can engage in local lawmaking and develop...
Fox Chapel Rotary golf outing to benefit Foxwall EMS
Hitting the links for the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area’s Charity Golf Classic could be a lifesaving proposition this year, members said. Proceeds benefit Foxwall Emergency Medical Services, which responds to more than 1,000 calls a year in Aspinwall, Fox Chapel and the surrounding communities. Registration is open for...
Tarentum Council to decide fate of proposed Weleski electronic billboard
After an initial denial by Tarentum, longtime business Weleski Transfer will get another crack at an appeal in its effort to erect an electronic billboard along West Fourth Avenue. The borough’s zoning board on Monday had a public hearing and decided to refer the issue to council to consider it...
Harrison paving project to include busy Broadview Boulevard
Ten Harrison roads will be paved this month, including the busy section of Broadview Boulevard in front of the Heights Plaza Shopping Center. The nearly $312,000 project is scheduled to begin Aug. 14. Commissioners approved the bid in February from Shields Paving. Members said they were pleased to see the...
Tarentum boaters have until Oct. 31 to remove items from boat docks
A decision by Tarentum Council to eliminate boat docks at Riverview Memorial Park has enraged longtime users who feel they are scapegoats for what they called the borough’s swankier aspirations. Boaters have until Oct. 31 to dismantle sheds, roofs and other amenities because of concerns over a lack of state...
Marching Foxes hit the field in preparation for 2023-24 season
The Marching Foxes are in full swing preparing for the upcoming season. The 2023-24 Fox Chapel Area marching band began band camp Aug. 7, with members learning the ropes before the group’s annual performance at Kennywood. That presentation will be during the Kennywood Fall Fantasy Parade on Aug. 20. The...
Boat dock leases terminated in Tarentum
Boaters demanded answers from Tarentum Council on Tuesday night regarding future leases at the riverfront, but most people didn’t like what they heard. Council voted to terminate dock leases on Oct. 31 due to aged utilities, safety issues and legal concerns. The move infuriated longtime boaters who said they’ve poured...
Breakfast program impacts student health, participation in school, leaders say
Gov. Josh Shapiro spent his lunch hour Tuesday at Penn Hills Elementary School talking about breakfast. The recently approved state budget includes a $46.5 million increase for the Universal Free Breakfast Program, resulting in morning meals for the state’s 1.7 million public school students. Funding will level the playing field...
Paving to impact parking at several Highlands buildings
Parking at several Highlands school buildings will be impacted this week and next as crews pave the lots in preparation for the start of classes Aug. 31. Work is part of $25 million in construction upgrades that will include new sidewalks and paved lots at the high school, elementary and...
Woods Family Band to rock Natrona with free concert
Blues musician Tim Woods will light up Natrona Community Park on Thursday with soulful sounds from his newest album, “For You,” currently charting in the Top 10 on the National Blues Rock radio list. The Greensburg resident will belt out classics with his five-piece Woods Family Band, which includes his...
