Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 9
Back-to-School Bash spaghetti dinner offers ‘great meal, greater cause’
A plate of pasta will go a long way at the first annual Back-to-School Bash spaghetti fundraiser in Brackenridge. Hosted by Highlands School Board member Elijah Majocha, the festival-themed event will serve up food, music, baked goods and more than 60 raffle baskets — all to benefit students and teachers...
After tie vote, Fawn Supervisors schedule special meeting to appoint new board member
A new Fawn supervisor is expected to be appointed Tuesday after a vote earlier this month ended in a tie. Three residents — Carrie White, Shannon Rummel and Bryan Ward — applied to fill a vacancy created in June when Phillipi Smozski resigned. A vote on July 8 ended in...
Highlands School District seeking to fill board vacancy in Region 1
Highlands School Board member Justin Kipp is stepping down. Kipp, a representative in Region 1, cited personal reasons for his resignation, which is effective Aug. 1. “It has nothing to do with anything regarding the district,” said Kipp, who was elected in 2023. He has about two years remaining on...
Tarentum takes steps to resolve DEP water plant violations
Tarentum officials are taking steps to remedy water plant woes after being called out by the state Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year. Crews are installing automatic hydrant flushers over the next two weeks to improve water quality, specifically in areas with limited circulation. The water is safe to...
AT&T seeks cell pole near Highlands baseball field
Harrison Commissioners will have a public hearing where residents can hear a plan by AT&T for a cell tower near Highlands High School. Representatives from the communications company are scheduled to go before the zoning hearing board on July 23 and then before commissioners on July 28. They are seeking...
Walmart mural in Harrison portrays Burtner House, other township highlights
Artist Jenn Hartzler lives nearly three hours from Harrison but her newest mural, displayed at Walmart in the township’s Natrona Heights section, perfectly captures the best parts of the community. The 18-by-11-foot design depicts the Burtner House, Harrison Hills and people enjoying bike trails and waterfalls. “I searched a lot...
More than 4,000 without power in Leechburg/Kiski/Hyde Park
More than 4,000 homes and businesses are without power in the Leechburg/Hyde Park/Kiski area, according to West Penn Power. The cause is under investigation, according to the utility website. Crews are on the way to assess the area. A person who answered the phone at the Leechburg municipal office said...
Heavy storms cause cleanup of clogged drains, culverts in Fawn
Fawn resident Paul Freshwater spent Thursday morning shoveling 2 inches of water from his garage off Metz Road. It was only the second time in 60 years that Freshwater remembers storm runoff causing an issue at his property. “It came down so fast and so hard that you couldn’t see...
Tarentum dog-mauling victim reels from learning what police say about attack
Tarentum resident Michael Shutack was still reeling from a Halloween dog mauling when he learned Tuesday that the man who police said helped him escape the jaws of two pit bulls is the person who set them loose. “As much as I went through my whole life, including being in...
Tarentum’s Dreshar Stadium, rich in sports history, ‘served its time’
Amy Nulph grew up at Dreshar Stadium in Tarentum. “My dad coached there for the Hornets, my brothers played there and now my kids are there with RYFO (Rams Youth Football Organization),” she said. Plans to demolish the 87-year-old sports complex are bittersweet for Nulph and many area families. Work...
Roads closed, wires down after rain pummels Harrison, Fawn
Heavy thunderstorms rolled through the area Wednesday, wreaking havoc in local municipalities, particularly Fawn and Harrison. In Fawn, Bull Creek Road was flooded for a considerable stretch in the vicinity of Iron Bridge Road. There was a report of a house that in that area having 5 feet of water...
Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard, credited for much township revitalization, resigns
Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard hand-delivered his annual newsletter to more than 900 homes in the First Ward on Friday, calling it his grand finale. Dizard plans to resign July 31 after 10 years on the board. “We need some young leadership,” he said. “We need new people coming to the...
Brackenridge officials ask for patience during staff shortage
Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser is asking residents to be patient while the borough administrative staff undergoes transitions to help solve staff shortages. While some people have taken to social media with complaints about their difficulty reaching anyone at the borough building, Fraser said, residents can “expect more efficient and accessible...
Officials eye safety upgrades at Tarentum spray park amid vehicle crashes
Tracy Tressler is a regular at the Tarentum spray park. Most days in the summer, she walks the few blocks from her job at Kiddieland on East Fourth Avenue with her students so they can run around and cool off. Hearing the borough is eyeing safety upgrades at the splash...
AI-powered heart scans transform care at Allegheny Valley Hospital
Cardiovascular analysis that used to take hours can now be done with the click of a button at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. As artificial intelligence seeps into almost every aspect of life, the technology is helping to revolutionize medical care at the Allegheny Health Network community hospital. “When you...
Building the Valley: My Garden Floral in Indiana Township celebrates 25 years
Pamela Vrabel was a teenage Springdale Dynamo when she started working at the now-defunct Peterson’s Greenhouse. The high school job in the early 1970s sparked a passion for plants that has led to a 53-year career in the floral industry. “I think I was born with an eye for design,”...
Brackenridge section of Three Rivers Heritage Trail important for ‘bigger picture’
Small but mighty. That’s what officials are saying about the recently completed half-mile segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Brackenridge. The path along First Avenue provides a significant amenity for the small borough, but it is an even bigger deal for the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront. The...
Planting project in Fox Chapel will support stormwater management
Residents are encouraged to get their hands dirty to help complete the transformation of McCahill Park in Fox Chapel. Borough officials will join the nonprofit Western PA Conservancy to host a planting day at the site off of Hemlock Hollow Road. The event will be 9 a.m. to noon July...
Vote to appoint new Fawn supervisor ends in tie
Fawn is still without a fifth supervisor after a vote to appoint someone on Tuesday ended in a tie. Three residents — Carrie White, Shannon Rummel and Bryan Ward — applied to fill a vacancy created in June when Phillipi Smozski resigned. But the vote ended in a draw, Secretary...
Indiana Township cancer survivor raises $700,000 for research while state senate weighs expanded testing access
Astrid Bitzer was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in 2022 and after 13 biopsies, ultimately decided on a full mastectomy. Though clinically in remission, the Indiana Township woman is hedging her bets to keep the disease at bay. “Cancer is a funny thing,” she said. “What you can be sure...
Blawnox teen wins full-ride Coolidge Scholarship, only 5 in nation awarded
A rising senior at Fox Chapel Area High School just got a major boost on her career path. Ulyana Kubini, of Blawnox, earned the prestigious Coolidge Scholarship — a full presidential scholarship that covers four years of tuition, room, board and expenses. It can be used to pursue undergraduate studies...
Prospect Cemetery to honor Civil War soldiers buried in Brackenridge
Harrison resident Eric Schmitt was well aware of his family’s unique lineage growing up. The 55-year-old is a descendent of two Civil War soldiers: one who fought for the Union and its desire to abolish slavery and one who stood with the Confederate Army and its hope to expand slavery...
West Tarentum’s Summit Hose earns nod from state for commitment to fire training
Summit Hose Company in West Tarentum was named by the state to an elite list for its commitment to training. The Participating Department Recognition Program lauds departments for ongoing education. Of the 2,400 fire departments in the state, about 200 — or 8% — are recognized. There are four state...
16-year-old killed in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill section
A 16-year-old was shot and killed early Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. The victim was identified as Kevin McKinzie of East Hills, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Police were called at about 1 a.m. to the 300 block of Addison Street...
Woman shot in South Oakland
A woman is in critical condition after being shot early Sunday morning in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland section, authorities said. Police were called at about 3:30 a.m. to the intersection of Fifth and Craft avenues where they found a woman with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to Pittsburgh Public...
