Con Alma seeks donations to keep the doors open and the jazz playing
Please don’t stop the music. That’s the plea from owners of a popular live jazz restaurant venue with the launch last week of a GoFundMe campaign. They have a fundraising goal of $150,000 to pay off mounting business-related bills. Con Alma is the only jazz bar and restaurant in Downtown...
Police department social worker dedicated to helping residents in need in Sharpsburg
Mary Bauer isn’t a police officer, but you’ll find her office inside the Sharpsburg Police Department. The McCandless resident is a full-time police social worker at the ready to assist Sharpsburg police officers with any social-related needs for police interactions. “I grew up in a family of helpers and my...
Amid rising questions about pet vaccines, veterinarians say risks remain rare
Jennifer Sybol keeps a cherished urn with her beloved dog Jasmine’s ashes on display in the dog room of her Penn Hills home. Sybol said Jasmine developed health complications after receiving too many vaccines when she was 5. Her white blood cell count “went way up” and began working against...
Retired contractor completes years-long build of high-tech home in O’Hara
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a state-of-the-art custom home on the market in O’Hara. Retired homeowner, civil engineer and general contractor Lou Marsico originally kicked off construction on the more than 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom residence in 2022. At that time, the house was intended for Marsico’s adult...
Splurge Boutique delivers warm welcome, unique finds in O’Hara
The welcome is always warm for shoppers visiting Splurge in Fox Chapel Plaza. Owner Kym Pelcher of Fox Chapel greets every customer with the same upbeat energy. “I always try to be real positive and I have a sign that says ‘No Drama Please’ and we greet every customer. I...
Aspinwall’s Presents from Police toy drive recipient of hefty donation from Blue Knights
Aspinwall police leadership is thrilled with the recent news of a $1,000 donation to their annual Presents from Police holiday charity outreach. Aspinwall Police Chief David Nemec and Deputy Chief Michael Vith received a donation check on Wednesday from representatives of the Blue Knights Pa VII Pittsburgh chapter to benefit...
Fox Chapel sparkles during annual Light Up event
Santa ditched the flying reindeer and sleigh for a cool, vintage VW bug emblazoned with a Fox Chapel Police logo to mark his arrival at Fox Chapel’s third annual Light Up event held Dec. 3 at the borough building. Fox Chapel Mayor Alex Scott III kicked off the Light Up...
Sharpsburg, Rankin mayors attend Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism
Sharpsburg Mayor Kayla Portis visited New Orleans for the first time with a heavy heart. Portis attended the 2025 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism held Dec. 2-4 in New Orleans. “The Tree of Life shooting is a tragedy that continues to weigh heavily on our region,” said Portis, invited...
Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired property listed for $1.5M in Upper St. Clair
Dr. Allen Axelson is preparing to bid farewell to his beloved, nature-infused home, which he designed himself in the 1970s in Upper St. Clair. Axelson drew from his lifelong admiration of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to build a contemporary home on seven acres for his growing family. “I’m a...
Snow much fun in Fox Chapel area
Fox Chapel Area School District residents woke up to a winter wonderland on Dec. 2 as the district held a virtual instruction day for its students. It was the first snow event for the area and more than three inches of snow fell in the Fox Chapel area. The wet,...
Poland native-turned Pittsburgher credits tennis for his professional and personal success
His moves on the court led a Poland native to a new life in Aspinwall. Filip Rams was 18 and living in Katowice, Poland, when he was offered a very generous tennis scholarship from Temple University in Philadelphia. Rams grew up playing tennis, competing globally, with aspirations of playing professional...
Brick & Barrel serves up hearty fare with a side of history in Indiana Township
Brick & Barrel co-owner Jeff Brungo wants customers to enjoy more than just a meal when they visit his eatery and bar in the historic Cross Keys Inn in Indiana Township. “There’s history here. We have original bricks from 1850,” Brungo said of the former hotel and stagecoach stop. The...
Restoration labor of love for Aspinwall couple residing in Sauer Buildings Historic District
Newlyweds Chris and Heather Smith are in love with something besides each other — their new “old” house in Aspinwall. The couple bought a historic stone home in the Sauer Buildings Historic District on Center Avenue in the borough. The Smiths were so enthralled with their residence, they chose the...
Eco-conscious resident finds ‘off-the-grid’ solar success in Aspinwall
Aspinwall resident Steve Paff hasn’t had an electric bill in six years. He followed his keen interest in solar energy and made the decision to install a large, 20-panel solar unit in his backyard in 2019. The ground-mount solar panels were installed in a fixed position and cost around $27,000,...
Jingle all the way to these Pittsburgh-area holiday pop-up bars
’Tis the season to celebrate with a festive drink at one of the region’s Christmas-themed pop-up bars. Check out these Pittsburgh-area pop-up bars offering festive fa-la-la fun. Atomic Tinsel Cocktail Club The Industrialist Hotel, 405 Wood St., Downtown Pittsburgh Nostalgia mixes with a winter wonderland at The Industrialist’s...
O’Hara couple set to open new ‘elevated’ dining experience in Aspinwall’s business district
Two restaurateurs from O’Hara are the husband-and-wife team behind a new, casually chic restaurant and bar opening soon in Aspinwall. Adam and Diana Kucenic are co-owners of Foxhole Tavern, located in the former Tavern in the Wall, known as Sam’s Tavern to locals, at 211 Commercial Ave. Sam’s Tavern operated...
Sharpsburg’s 1st elected Black mayor talks about her deep roots and future plans
A fourth-generation Sharpsburg resident has made political history. Kayla Portis, 40, is the first elected Black mayor to serve the borough nestled along the Allegheny River in Allegheny County. “I feel like it’s long overdue,” she said. “Representation matters.” Portis’s ancestors, former slaves, fled rural South Carolina after the Civil...
O’Hara native travels the country collecting baseball-themed bobbleheads
Tom Iurlano was 5 when his late aunt Margaret Tomko treated him to a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at Forbes Field in Oakland. He came home with a souvenir he still holds dear and keeps on display in his O’Hara home. “She bought me a L.A. Dodgers bobblehead,” said Iurlano...
Historic Hotel Saxonburg set for sheriff’s sale
The fate of the once thriving and longest continually operating restaurant, bar and hotel in Saxonburg remains unclear. Hotel Saxonburg closed abruptly after the owners posted the news in a social media post March 5. An online sheriff’s sale for the property is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 16, according...
Garbarino Bros. Italian market opens in Verona
A new Italian market is serving up a taste of Italy in Verona. Garbarino Bros. Market opened Tuesday at 737 Allegheny River Blvd. Co-owner and chef Andrew Garbarino of Verona is continuing the Italian legacy begun by three generations of Garbarinos of New York. He named the market to honor...
Fairview Elementary Daisy Troop donates books, food in Sharpsburg
Members of Daisy Troop 58111 rolled up their sleeves for an afternoon of giving back to the Sharpsburg community with a two-part food and book donation event held on Nov. 6. Participating Daisies, all first-graders at Fairview Elementary in the Fox Chapel Area School District, donated hundreds of canned goods,...
Sharpsburg Family Dollar has inconsistent hours
The reason behind the irregular operating hours at the Family Dollar store in Sharpsburg remains a bit of a commerce conundrum. The discount store located at 909 Main St. closes on random, unannounced days when, according to online hours of operation, it should be open from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily....
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream teams up with Daugherty Orchards of Murrysville
Chad Townsend of Fox Chapel grew up eating frozen Ho Ho cakes, courtesy of his late grandmother, Mildred Trau. That love of noshing on frozen treats would later inspire Townsend to hone his ice cream-making skills and later open Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, based in Pittsburgh. Mildred, or “Millie” was...
Dorseyville Middle School student author embraces fantasy fiction
A pint-sized student author continues to develop her creative writing skills as she transitions from Kerr Elementary School to Dorseyville Middle School in the Fox Chapel Area School District. Bella Gao, 11, lives in O’Hara and is a sixth-grader with a zest for writing fantasy fiction. While enrolled for four...
Dancing Gnome reopens original taproom as 925 in Sharpsburg
There’s more room to roam for customers at Dancing Gnome Brewery with the expansion of a new specialty cocktail bar located a block away from the well-established brewery in Sharpsburg. 925 opened on Oct. 17 in the original Dancing Gnome location at 925 Main St., serving Pennsylvania-produced wines, liquors, Dancing...
