Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 67
Volunteers sought for Tarentum cleanup day
Tarentum Councilwoman Carrie Fox is hoping to see at least 500 pounds of trash piled up in the borough on Saturday, April 23. That’s the day when volunteers can participate in the Great American Cleanup, a national effort to spruce up streets, parks and public spaces. “Everyone deserves a clean...
Tarentum Council eyes tighter ordinance for abandoned vehicles
Tarentum council will consider beefing up the borough’s ability to get abandoned vehicles off the street. Mayor Bob Lang is proposing that council tighten an ordinance that currently gives owners 10 days to remove an uninspected or unregistered vehicle from the road. Police are able to tag an illegal vehicle...
Kiski Area student found with bullets on school bus
Kiski Area School District officials and police are investigating after an elementary student was found with bullets on a morning bus route. Superintendent Misty Slavic alerted families in a letter, saying the student had two bullets but an initial investigation showed “no evidence to suggest malicious intent” and no evidence...
Glass recycling bin available at Harrison Hills Park through Thursday
A dumpster to collect glass for recycling is available at Harrison Hills Park through sundown Thursday. Allegheny County is partnering for the second consecutive year with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to offer the Traveling Glass Recycling Bin program in parks throughout the region on a rotating schedule. Up next, collections...
Blawnox egg hunt makes return after 2 years of pandemic cancellations
After two years in a covid-related hiatus, the Blawnox Easter Egg Hunt will return Sunday April 10 with cookie decorating, crafts and hundreds of candy-filled plastic eggs hidden in Community Park. Hosted by the nonprofit Best of Blawnox, the event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. at the park...
Flag-raising ceremony honors organ donation awareness at Allegheny Valley Hospital
A small crowd gathered Monday in the courtyard at Allegheny Valley Hospital to raise awareness about the gift of life. A flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. honored those who have donated organs and called attention to the need for more people to register, organizers said. The event was outside the...
Ground breaks on Harrison Community Garden
A small crowd that gathered for the groundbreaking of the Harrison Community Garden was “excited to get growing,” organizers said. The project from the Highlands Partnership Network and Citizens Hose Fire-EMS-Rescue will see a one-acre public garden near the firehouse off of Burtner Road. “HPN is really excited to get...
Spring planting day on tap at Tarentum community garden
The Rev. Phil Beck likened the Tarentum community garden to a mini-farm that provides fresh, free produce to anyone. But farms need lots of labor to yield healthy crops. Beck encourages people to get their hands dirty and turn out for spring prep day, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
Sharpsburg library’s little pantry in need of donations
Sharpsburg Community Library leaders are seeking donations, not of books but of food. The Little Free Pantry that sits outside the library entrance on Main Street has been a much-needed complement to the site’s existing services. “If I put something in today, it’s gone by tomorrow,” library Assistant Jamie Cozza...
Valley High grad sells illustrations of St. Vladimir church to assist with church reconstruction
Graphic designer Shane Henderson long has admired the intricate architecture of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold. Even as a child growing up in New Kensington, before developing an eye for art, he recognized the church’s artistry. “I always thought St. Vlad’s was such a cool-looking building and so...
Glassware, furniture and art: Tarentum’s new Vintage Owl has a bit of everything
With every inch of its narrow aisles packed with milk glass, Victorian dolls and embroidered doilies, a new store along West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum is a picker’s dream. The frog-shaped cookie jar and the Hummel figurines, like most of the items at The Vintage Owl, come with a story...
Natrona Heights Presbyterian earns grant for roof repairs
A nearly century-old church situated prominently along Broadview Boulevard in Harrison was among 17 religious sites to earn a recent grant from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church, built in 1928, will receive $5,000 to repair its slate roof. Church Elder Chad Gourley said the roof...
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosts free program on the importance of colon cancer screenings
A free workshop on the dangers of colon cancer, and the benefits of early screening, will be hosted at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Surgeon Steven Gribar will present the free seminar April 21 to discuss the second deadliest form of cancer in the United States. “Colorectal cancer is a...
Parents-to-be offered ‘Birthday’ shower in Tarentum
Editor’s Note: This event has been canceled. First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum is getting decked out for a baby shower where several moms-to-be will be feted but none of the guests will be acquainted. The church at 913 Lock St. is hosting the community event to provide baby items...
Sharpsburg library exhibit shines light on Pennsylvania’s women trailblazers
Journalist Nelly Bly, union organizer Mother Jones and artist Mary Cassatt are among the female trailblazers showcased at the Sharpsburg Community Library for Women’s History Month. “We wanted to highlight sung and unsung women of Pennsylvania and educate people on their contributions,” library Director Sara Mariacher said. The Trailblazing Pennsylvania...
‘High School Musical 2’ will have audience singing, dancing in seats at Highlands
What time is it? Come Friday, it’ll be time for Highlands students to dazzle audiences by dancing across the stage to catchy, up-tempo songs made popular in Disney’s “High School Musical 2: On Stage!” “Being on stage always feels exhilarating, akin to playing sports in a huge stadium in front...
Harrison 2nd Ward commissioner hosting informal get-togethers to identify vision for future
Harrison residents in the 2nd Ward have a chance to build up their neighborhood through a series of small group get-togethers hosted by Commissioner Jamie Nee. Nee was elected to represent the 2nd Ward in November. “I wanted to find out what’s important to them, what will make us strong,”...
Faces of the Valley: Raine Siegel helped shape Highlands musical theater program
Former Highlands Theater Director Raine Siegel finds it miraculous that high schools are able to stage a Broadway musical with just a few months of rehearsal time. As department head from 1992 until her retirement 10 years later, Siegel said it always was wonderful to watch the students discover the...
Highlands eyes $3.2 million in safety upgrades
The Highlands School Board on Monday will consider $3.2 million in safety upgrades that would impact all four campuses. Dan Engen, from DRAW Collective architectural firm, presented design options to the board during its agenda meeting Tuesday night. Work ranges from HVAC to paving to new water coolers. “There is...
First Baptist Church in Tarentum eager to rebuild after covid shutdown
The Rev. Felicia Brock moved to the Alle-Kiski Valley in late 2019 to start a new life as pastor of First Baptist Church in Tarentum. Then covid-19 shut everything down. “When you have a calling from God, you follow it,” said Brock, who relocated from Detroit. “God didn’t tell me...
Community gardens planned near Citizens Hose in Harrison’s Birdville neighborhood
A community garden in the Birdville section of Harrison is expected to be producing crops by summer. The groundbreaking for the one-acre plot adjacent to Citzens Hose Fire-EMS-Rescue is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, March 24. The public is invited. “We are so excited to move forward with this and...
Highlands students benefit from trauma notice program
Harrison police Chief Mike Klein welcomed the chance to partner with the Highlands Family Center on a program to comfort children suffering from trauma. The Handle with Care initiative, established in November by the Tarentum-based family center, bridges the gap between the Highlands School District and local police by notifying...
Run, walk or swim the St. Margaret Foundation virtual 5k
Runners, dancers, swimmers — even pickleball players — can track their miles to participate in the virtual St. Margaret Foundation 5K in May. The Brian Demchak Hope Challenge, formerly a one-day event in Aspinwall, will take place May 15-21 to raise money for underserved patients at UPMC St. Margaret. Registration...
Medical marijuana dispensary coming to New Kensington
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...
