Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 40
Elderly man rescued from hillside fall in Harrison Hills Park
An elderly man suffered minor injuries after falling over a hillside Saturday in Harrison Hills Park, according to emergency crews. “He must’ve tripped and fell because when we got to him he was laying on the hill with his arms stuck under some branches,” Citizens Hose EMS Chief Jim Erb...
Faces of the Valley: Guardian Angels parishioner Joan Cupec ‘born into’ church volunteerism
As the Guardian Angels Parish Summer Festival draws hundreds to its carnival for four straight days, an army of volunteers is sweating in the basement kitchen, drumming up hot sausage sandwiches and French fries. Among the workers is Joan Cupec of Creighton, buzzing between stations to slice fruit or whip...
After much-hyped billboard goes up in Tarentum, longtime business seeks approval to raise one
The billboard wars might be heating up again in Tarentum. On the heels of a yearslong legal battle from Oliver Outdoor and the eventual erection of an electronic billboard on Fourth Avenue, another company is seeking to raise a billboard in town. Weleski Transfer, a longtime moving company with offices...
Fate of Tarentum docks to be debated
Boaters who lease dock space in Tarentum could find themselves without a home on the water next spring. Council is debating whether to renew the borough’s 34 slips while it addresses aged electric codes and other safety violations. “It’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer,” said longtime boater Ray Fortuna, a...
‘The Center Shines On’ 40 years later; O’Hara facility serves 10,000 people a month
Inside the kitchen of a home in the Falconhurst neighborhood in the early 1980s, friends Sue Golier and Gretchen Montgomery plotted the beginning of something magnificent. They just didn’t know it yet. The pair discussed the need for a community center in the Fox Chapel Area, and at the same...
Trib Total Media partners with Citizens to support clean energy efforts by nonprofits
Local nonprofits with a commitment to clean energy/utility efficiency can win $50,000 and media coverage through a new program from Citizens Financial Group and Trib Total Media. Applications are open for the Champions in Action program in the category of energy efficiency/renewable energy at citizensbank.com/champions. The deadline is Aug. 18....
Tarentum residents will pay $10 monthly fee for extra trash cans
Tarentum residents who require an extra trash can will pay an additional $10 a month for the service. The borough on July 1 changed from unlimited collection to a new “cart service” contract through Waste Management, which allotted each property one 96-gallon can. The $10 monthly fee is a switch...
Newly consolidated Tarentum/Brackenridge police force begins patrols
The Brackenridge Police Department has officially disbanded, but its officers will still be patrolling the borough. A newly minted Tarentum police force, which absorbed the three Brackenridge officers, begins Tuesday. Both councils voted Friday for shared police services for a five-year trial period. Schedules, pensions and administrative issues will be...
Grocery store eyed for West Tarentum
It’s been several decades since Tarentum residents had a full-fledged grocery store to shop for anything but chips, pop and frozen foods. Councilwoman Carrie Fox recalled browsing the A&P grocery aisles as a child, saying her parents shopped at the Fourth Avenue store and, later, at the Town and Country...
Dredging estimates at Tarentum pump house nearly double; work likely delayed
Dredging at the Tarentum pump house likely will be postponed after bids came in nearly double what was expected. The work helps make sure that the facility operates efficiently and reduces the amount of particulates to be filtered out at the water treatment plant. Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said council...
Tarentum to foot the bill for new roof at Summit Hose
Summit Hose Company, one of Tarentum’s three fire departments, could be getting a new roof courtesy of the borough. Or, more accurately, half of a roof. Council on Friday voted 5-0 to spend up to $22,499 to replace the shingled part of the station’s roof at 321 W. Seventh Ave....
Fawn No. 2 Volunteer Fire Company proposes new cell tower on its property
A communications tower might be erected in Fawn to help boost cellphone coverage. The Fawn Zoning Hearing Board will consider a variance request from the Fawn Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 to build a cell tower at its property. The fire company is at 182 Fawn Drive, off Ridge Road....
Public pitches in during exotic pet fundraiser in Sharpsburg
Mila the iguana soaked up the sun, and lots of attention, during an animal-themed fundraiser at Kennedy Park in Sharpsburg on July 22. Nanners, the albino ball python rescued in Ross after being released by its owner, was also a hit with people at the Sharpsburg event. “It was a...
Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation paying for 2 of 6 new public pickleball courts in Freeport
People passionate about pickleball soon will have new courts to play on in Freeport. The sport that’s sweeping the nation will be available for free at Freeport Community Park, thanks in part to the Harrison-based Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation. Construction of six pickleball courts is underway, with two of the spaces...
Former Tarentum church up for sale, could become 24-hour gym
Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum could once again draw crowds of people, albeit not for prayer. The 51-year-old building at 344 W. Ninth Ave. is up for sale, with the potential owner hoping to replace pews and altars with treadmills and a basketball court. The site is being sought by...
Formal arraignment postponed for Harrison nurse accused of killing 2 patients
The formal arraignment for a Harrison nurse accused of killing two patients by insulin overdose was continued Tuesday. Heather Pressdee, 40, was scheduled for a hearing at the Butler County Courthouse, but her case will be heard at a later unscheduled date, according to the Clerk of Courts Office. Pressdee...
‘Not your grandmother’s center’: Seniors centers evolve with Pilates, pickleball and pub burgers
Strong coffee and bingo are enough to draw Betty Delaney to the Highlands Area Senior Center every day. But her “partner in crime,” Christine Drane, said there’s a spicier reason to check out the Tarentum facility. “The meatballs are exceptionally good,” said Drane of Natrona Heights. “The lunches can’t be...
Program to honor Korean War soldiers on 70th anniversary of its end
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge will host a program Thursday honoring local veterans who fought the three-year battle in Eastern Asia. “We have sent so many soldiers from the Valley to all the wars,” said Bob Sauro, vice president of the...
$25 million in upgrades underway at Highlands schools
With the start of school just over a month away, Highlands is readying its buildings with safety upgrades such as lighting and new sidewalks in time for the first class bell. Projects are underway at all four campuses as well as the community center. The cost is about $25 million....
Tarentum targets 3 abandoned properties with holes, mold and rodents
Three abandoned Tarentum homes that officials say double as raccoon and rat refuges could come down as early as next month. “All three are in severe disrepair. They have holes, mold and are a nuisance to their neighborhoods,” code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said. Work could start by late August...
St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold helps children orphaned by war
With help from the Catholic community in Arnold and beyond, Ukrainian children orphaned by war now have day camps and new friends to look forward to. A campaign by the Rev. Yaroslav Koval at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church sought donations to assist a youth group in his native country....
Plans being drafted for public works facility in Brackenridge
Brackenridge officials are eyeing a new public works building to replace one that dates to 1900 and has floors that are caving in. The construction is expected to cost about $750,000, all of which will be covered by grants awarded to the borough. Officials hope to move forward in the...
Art enthusiasts and sleuths can conspire for The Great Heinz Caper in Sharpsburg
A Sharpsburg scavenger hunt has the potential to be a really big ‘dill.’ The Great Heinz Caper – a live, Clue-like game on borough streets – is scheduled Sept. 9. It combines the punch of live gaming with the perk of learning about the borough’s most famous son, ketchup magnate...
Highlands hopes to name 3 new administrators in August
Highlands could have three new administrators when school starts in August. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said the district is finalizing interviews for the high school assistant principal, the athletic director/transportation director and the elementary associate principal. “Hopefully, we will have the candidates to recommend for approval at the August board meeting,”...
Westmoreland 250: 10 unique things in Vandergrift, East Vandergrift
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
