Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 56

A vacant pizza shop along Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington is expected to become the city’s second medical marijuana dispensary this year. City officials confirmed Zen Leaf, headquartered in Nevada, is set to take over the space formerly leased by Papa John’s across from Giant Eagle and adjacent to...

Tarentum and Brackenridge officials will team up to consider sharing certain municipal services to save tax dollars. It’s an idea Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser said makes sense because of the proximity of the two boroughs. “Given the geography, maybe we can, hopefully, look at merging some of our services,” Fraser...

Growing up in a suburban neighborhood of Harrison, Emily Rankin’s favorite TV show was “Green Acres.” It was a comedy from the 1960s about a fancy New York couple who moves to a country farm. To this day, she relishes the foibles of Lisa and Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eva Gabor...

Tarentum is eyeing more than $3 million in water line infrastructure upgrades, with council hoping to land most of the money from the state. Council voted Tuesday to apply for about $2.5 million from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, an agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development. Three projects...

A musical comedy about relationships and marriage foibles, which some consider to be composer Stephen Sondheim’s best work, will be staged two weekends in March along the Allegheny River in Aspinwall. “Company” will be presented by Riverfront Theater Company on March 17-19 and March 24-26 at Allegheny RiverTrail Park off...

Dogs will soon have a space to run leash free at Harrison Hills Park, and some local pet owners found the announcement by Allegheny County worthy of a tail-wag. “I’m thrilled,” said Bev Bogan of Harrison. “We have been wanting this for 10 years.” Bogan and others won’t have to...

Teachers in the New Kensington-Arnold School District authorized a strike if a new contract isn’t reached in the near future. The New Kensington-Arnold Education Association represents 151 teachers and professional staff who have been working without a contract for nearly eight months. Ashley Pujol, union president, did not provide an...

Librarian Susan Wilson held up a colorfully illustrated book about a fire-breathing dragon that eats tacos as she announced to the second grade class at Highlands Elementary School that it was time to “Bite into Books.” “Oh my gosh, I thought you really meant we had to eat that book!”...

Harrison residents will have a chance to weigh in on a proposal by grocery giant Aldi, whose company officials are eyeing a site along Freeport Road. J.R. Perry, Aldi’s Saxonburg Division vice president, confirmed last month that plans are in the works for a store in the Natrona Heights section...

A new quality-of-life ordinance approved by Tarentum Council is expected to keep residents accountable for their properties, council members said during a meeting Tuesday night. Council enacted new guidelines aimed at keeping properties tidy and safe. The ordinance outlines health and safety requirements that target high grass, junk vehicles and...

Motorists who use the Highland Park Bridge ramps to connect to Sharpsburg and Aspinwall will need to allow extra time after the ramps were closed Tuesday for a long-term project. Northbound and southbound off-ramps from Route 28 to Freeport Road are scheduled to be closed through May, PennDOT announced. Crews...

A new program to record the family histories of patrons at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel is meant to build a sense of community and camaraderie. The library along Fox Chapel Road earned a $10,000 federal humanities grant to pay for the initiative, through which oral histories will be...

The owner of a Harrison dog training business said she’ll try one last time to seek township approval to operate a pet day care and boarding service at her Freeport Road location. Kim Ringer, owner of Ringer’s Pet Dog Training, will present her case to the township’s planning commission Monday....

O’Hara and Fox Chapel are set to launch the compilation of a joint comprehensive plan, part of which will include the renaming of Squaw Run. A tributary of the Allegheny River, the stream runs through O’Hara, Fox Chapel and Indiana Township. While local municipalities voted to rename parks and roads...

One of the first Black families to settle in Sharpsburg in the early 1920s is being honored with an exhibit at the Community Library along Main Street. “Breaking Barriers: 4 Generations of a Black Sharpsburg Family” is a collaborative effort of the borough’s historical commission, the library and Kayla Portis,...

After its inaugural program sold out, Blawnox has relaunched the sale of Hometown Hero banners to salute residents who served in the military. Anyone interested in honoring a loved one with an 18-by-38-inch banner can apply on the borough’s website. Cost is $110. “We have people asking for them all...

Motorists who travel along the Pennsylvania Turnpike can expect to be detoured by a six-hour lane closure this weekend. The shutdown is required so crews can remove a disabled tractor trailer in the westbound lanes. Work will impact motorists between the Butler Valley and Cranberry exits. Lanes will be closed...

Summit Hose firefighters will be equipped with new portable radios thanks to a state grant awarded this month. Chief Josh Fox said his department is expected to receive $15,000 through the state fire commissioner’s office. “We’ll use it to cover several new radios to replace ones that are now old...

One of the first Black families to settle in Sharpsburg in the early 1920’s is being honored with an exhibit at the Community Library along Main Street. “Breaking Barriers: 4 Generations of a Black Sharpsburg Family” is a collaborative effort of the borough’s historical commission, the library and Kayla Portis,...

Diane Raible’s newest foster is an 8-month-old pit bull mix who was shot through his thigh at close range. “His name is Axel, and he’s such a good boy,” said Raible, co-vice president of the Tarentum-based Paws Across Pittsburgh. Axel underwent three blood transfusions and an amputation, but is expected...

Harrison commissioners are seeking a new manager for the township after Rich Hill resigned Monday. Hill, part-time manager for about three years, submitted a letter to the board in which he cited the pursuit of new opportunities. Hill could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His resignation is effective March...

Slow flow meditation and gentle yoga are keys to holistic wellness offered by Amy Feldbusch at her Sincerely Yoga and Massage studio in Tarentum. “People need stress relief for their health,” said Feldbusch, a licensed therapist from Vandergrift who has operated from a cozy space along West Ninth Avenue for...

The Rev. Phil Beck is looking for a few hungry people to eat roughly a few hundred pancakes, all for free. His church, First United Presbyterian in Tarentum, is hosting a pancake dinner to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the night before the start of Lent. It is co-hosted by Cub Scout...

Highlands families with children who will be enrolling in school this fall can get acquainted with the district’s Early Childhood Center during a two-day event this week. The Early Childhood Fair, an annual tradition to welcome the district’s youngest learners, will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday....

Ardent volunteer Ann Casile is being recalled by friends as a true champion of her Blawnox community. Casile died Feb. 17 at age 87. A founding member of Aspinwall Meals on Wheels, which operates from St. Edward Church in Blawnox, Casile left her mark as a woman who was born...