Joyce Hanz stories, Page 34
Damage from wayward taxi forces Tailspin Hobbies in Washington Township to close for now
Car crash woes continue to wreak havoc at a local hobby shop in Washington Township. Tailspin Hobbies, a full-service hobby shop at 4498 Route 66, was severely damaged about 10 p.m. Tuesday when a taxi, owned by CCC&P Transportation, careened into the business and left a gaping hole. It’s the...
‘Snoopy!!! The Musical’ fundraiser set at Leechburg Area High School
Snoopy and the “Peanuts” gang are set to grace the stage this weekend at the Leechburg Area High School auditorium as the district’s drama department presents “Snoopy!!! The Musical.” The fall musical serves as the primary fundraiser for the spring production, which will be “Chicago: Teen Edition,” said drama club...
Annual tree plantings take root in Aspinwall
The green scene continues to grow in Aspinwall. Members and volunteers with The Aspinwall Shade Tree Commission planted 31 trees during a daylong event Oct. 29. Aspinwall Shade Tree Commission Chairman Bruce Columbus said about 30 volunteers participated during the six hour planting mission. The commission was formed in 2009...
River Forest Country Club under new ownership
Longtime friends have partnered as co-owners of the country club in Allegheny Township. River Forest Country Club’s new faces are David Rice and Eric Meyhofer, joining co-owners Andi and Steve Irwin. The new general manager is Gary Miller of Gilpin. Previous co-owners Jamy and Robert Rankin recently sold their interest...
Fox Chapel Area School District partners with 6 districts to offer new STEM initiative
Fox Chapel Area School District has partnered with six school districts to lead a STEM advancement effort for students and educators in Western Pennsylvania. The district announced in September it was awarded a $480,000 PAsmart Advancing Grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The grant will help to support educational...
Daycation: Smicksburg offers a rural retreat 60 miles from Pittsburgh
Unplug and unwind with a rural road trip retreat to Amish country in Indiana County. A daycation to Smicksburg offers a glimpse into a large Amish population living a simpler, agricultural lifestyle rich in their religious beliefs. More than 300 Amish families reside in the Smicksburg area, co-existing among those...
Indiana Township Police Department to host free class on the dangers of child sextortion
The Indiana Township Police Department is hosting a free class Nov. 15 about child and internet safety, and topics covered will include the dangers and methods involved with online child sextortion threats. Indiana Township Sgt. Marc Myers said the department is committed to offering educational seminars about relevant criminal topics...
Airfare takes off this holiday season — priciest in recent years
Airline ticket prices are set to soar this holiday travel season. Domestic airfare for Thanksgiving is expected to increase by more than 17% per round-trip ticket, according to travel booking group Hopper lead economist Hayley Berg. International fares have increased 30% compared with last year, with a round-trip ticket this...
Indiana Township Police Department to host free class on the dangers of child sextortion
The Indiana Township Police Department is hosting a free class Nov. 15 about child and internet safety, and topics covered will include the dangers and methods involved with online child sextortion threats. Indiana Township Sgt. Marc Myers said the department is committed to offering educational seminars about relevant criminal topics...
Bakers sought for bakeoff fundraiser to benefit Leechburg library
Calling all bakers. Organizers from the Leechburg Public Library are seeking bakers of all ages and skill levels for the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Bakeoff fundraiser on Saturday. The dine-in dinner will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. in Marconi Club’s Mirror Ballroom in Leechburg. Spaghetti, salad and bread...
Building the Valley: Specialty drink business set to open in Allegheny Township
An Allegheny Township couple is ready to mix it up with their first business. Bobby and Jennifer Bucci are co-owners of Mixed Nutrition, a specialty nutrition-based drink shop set to sell smoothies, juices, loaded teas, meal-replacement shakes, iced coffees, children’s drinks and more when it opens before Christmas. Weight management...
Kiski Area drama students to stage ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’
A play promising plenty of laughs and mishaps is on tap at Kiski Area High School. The school’s drama students will present “The Play That Goes Wrong” Thursday through Saturday in the high school auditorium. The cast has nine thespians and 32 crew members. Junior Garrett Seymour described his role...
Fox Chapel Area High School grads awarded William C. and Susan A. DeLaney Scholarships
Two former student executive board members at Fox Chapel Area High School have earned 2022 William and Susan DeLaney Scholarships. Anthony Miles and Gabrielle Uku were each awarded $1,000. They each served on the Fox Chapel Area High School Black Student Union during their senior year. Both graduated in 2022....
Alle-Kiski students get an early start on Halloween festivities
Halloween kicked off early for many youngsters throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. Preschoolers were on parade Monday morning during a Halloween trick-or-treat outing in Allegheny Township. More than 75 students from the PreK Counts program at Appleseed Learning Center lined up to show off their costumes and receive treats from various...
Homeowners brace for higher heating costs this winter
Miranda McDermott is dreading winter. With home heating costs forecast to reach their highest levels in more than 10 years, McDermott of Allegheny Township said her family can’t afford to pay monthly heating bills in full. “Our average heating bill is $800,” McDermott said. “We have wood chopped and ready...
Celebrity tribute artist channels his inner ElvisVideo
Don’t step on his blue suede shoes. He needs them. Professional Elvis tribute artist Kelly Hylton’s fancy footwork often wears out the heels of his shoes. “I go through dress shoes like crazy. I blow the soles off dancing too much,” Hylton said. Hylton, 51, lives in Rural Valley, Armstrong...
Gilpin woman transforms home — inside and out — into haunted Halloween hotel
Terri Smith of Gilpin embraces the Halloween scene at her home in rural Gilpin. Smith, 61, works as an X-ray technician, but Halloween is her favorite “job.” Each September she dons her favorite Halloween costume, a mad maid, and begins decorating, transforming home into the fictitious, but festive, “Smith’s Dead...
102-year-old former bank building on market in Verona
In the market for a building with serious pillar presence? A former bank in downtown Verona that towers above its neighboring buildings along Allegheny River Boulevard is listed for sale at $424,900. The property was previously a PNC bank and most recently the Verona Variety Store. It originally listed for...
Leechburg’s Pink Day festival sets attendance and fundraising record
Attendance at the 2022 Pink Day fundraiser for breast cancer research in Leechburg reached an all-time high. And so did the monetary donations. The annual daylong celebration and festival, held Sept. 17 on Market Street in downtown Leechburg, welcomed more than 10,000 attendees and raised more than $41,000, according to...
Student-run cafe reopens, expands at Leechburg Area School District
A new mobile food and beverage program is on a roll in the Leechburg Area School District. Students enrolled in the district’s learning support program introduced the Creation Cafe Coffee Cart in August, selling hot and cold beverages and snacks to teachers in the elementary school. The mobile cart is...
Kiski Area marching band set to return to national competition after PIMBA championship
The Kiski Area High School marching band once again has qualified to compete in a national band competition. The band earned its second consecutive Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band (PIMBA) crown Saturday during the 2022 PIMBA Championships at Norwin High School in Irwin. Kiski placed first in Class AAAA in the...
Chef-driven Local Provisions Market & Cafe opens in Fox Chapel PlazaVideo
Shoppers looking to mix socializing with shopping can check both boxes with a new specialty market and cafe in O’Hara. Local Provisions Market & Cafe opened last week in Fox Chapel Plaza along Freeport Road. The business combines casual dining with specialty groceries, seasonal produce, fresh to-go meals and a...
Vandergrift Lions Club member’s volunteer efforts help those in need of medical supplies
A West Leechburg man has gone above and beyond in his volunteer efforts to help people when their health circumstances make mobility difficult. Robb Yasczak, 46, has been a member of the Vandergrift Lions Club for almost 20 years. He is a co-organizer of the Lions’ gently used hospital supplies...
Indiana Township fourth grader motivated by math
A fourth grader at Hartwood Elementary School District channeled her inner “mathlete” to earn a near-perfect score in a nationwide math competition. Charlene “Cici” Xu recently scored in the top 1% of all 26,524 students who competed in the online national Sumdog math competition in September. Cici, 9, answered 978...
Aspinwall business blooming: Fox and the Fleur opens on Brilliant Avenue
Fox and the Fleur, a new artisan flower and gift shop, has opened at 105 Brilliant Avenue. Owner Anne Dickson is a custom florist specializing in weddings, special events, holiday decorating and more. She opened her business in 2016, working out of her Fox Chapel garage. In 2021, Dickson became...
