Joyce Hanz stories, Page 44
Lower Burrell holds St. Patrick’s Day parade for local folks in spite of bitter cold
Ellie Ogurchock of Upper Burrell was the first youngster to arrive along the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade route Saturday along Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell. “I’m here for the good candy,” said Ogurchock, 5, who attended with her mother. Dozens of parade-goers braved overnight snowfall, temperatures in the low...
Leechburg’s fire company doesn’t let pandemic-related supply chain issues stop Lenten fish fries
While many fire department and volunteer groups have canceled their Lenten fish fries this year thanks to skyrocketing costs, the fish fry tradition continues at the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company. Customers filed inside the firehall at a steady pace Friday evening as more than 10 volunteers kept busy cooking, preparing...
Former state representative from Apollo stumps for lieutenant governor
Old friends reunited at a meet-and-greet for Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jeff Coleman on Tuesday at Ryan’s Creek House near Ford City. A former state representative and Apollo councilman, Coleman is campaigning across the state with a focus on bipartisanship and civility at a time when politics are facing division...
Taco Bell in Allegheny Township on schedule to open this month
Construction continues on a Taco Bell in Allegheny Township, expected to open this month at intersection of Hyde Park Road at Route 56. Kevin Kupniewsk, senior director of operations for Charter Foods/Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silvers and Pizza Hut, confirmed this week that the project is on schedule. An...
Vandergrift resident pours creativity into new candle and craft business
Stuck at home for long stretches during the pandemic, Shannon Gourley picked up the craft of making candles. “It gave me something to focus on,” said Gourley, a Vandergrift resident and the mother of four. Now, she has turned that creative accomplishment into a business, selling candles and promoting other...
Leechburg student creates website ‘How to Support Ukraine’ with roster of charities
A Leechburg Area High School honors student with Ukrainian heritage has created a website to showcase charities benefiting Ukrainians and encourage people to contribute. Jasa Oliver, a junior from Gilpin, grew up hearing stories about her great-grandfather Dimetro Buriak’s journey from Ukraine to America. When the invasion by Russian forces...
Gilpin family’s farm home to multitude of animals
The farm life is alive and strong at the Karpinski Farm in Gilpin. Myriad farm animals reside on the 11-acre farm, owned by the Karpinskis, a family of six who are dedicated to creating a self-sustaining farm. The family farm has numerous chickens, cattle, turkey, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and...
Expert gardening tips and more on tap at Seed Swap in Vandergrift
A new garden-themed event is sprouting up in Vandergrift. Gardeners are invited to gather for a free Community Seed Swap from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Vandergrift Public Library. Seed swaps are events in which participants can bring veggie or flower seeds to exchange and learn gardening tips...
A little luxury at Lent: Lobster roll returns to Del Vecchio’s in Vandergrift — for a price
At Del Vecchio’s Market in Vandergrift, a seafood special is back on the menu for the Lenten season that begins Wednesday, but it’s not typical Southwestern Pennsylvania fare. Lobster roll — a mainstay of New England popular cuisine — is returning to Del Vecchio’s, alongside the classic fried and baked...
Alle-Kiski Valley art students encouraged to submit work to VFW Auxiliary contest
A national contest with a patriotic theme is seeking original art submissions from high school students. The 2022 VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest is accepting entries until March 31. The annual contest recognizes budding artists and encourages patriotism among youth. Vandergrift VFW Post 566 Commander Carl Trusiak...
Apollo-Ridge students set to perform ‘Hello, Dolly’
Apollo-Ridge musical director Bethany Greenlee and orchestra director Andrew Jones have fond memories of performing “Hello, Dolly” together when they were in high school. That’s one of the reasons Apollo-Ridge High School drama students have been gearing up to present the musical, set in New York City at the turn...
Shady Side Academy Middle School presented ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’
Shady Side Academy Middle School performed their winter student musical, “Mary Poppins Jr.” on Feb. 24 at the middle school. A cast of 19 students from grades 6-8 entertained the audience with classic songs “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Practically Perfect” and “Spoonful of Sugar.” Mary Poppins, played by seventh-grader Ozge Uzman, was...
Flood advisory extended to include Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Allegheny, Westmoreland and several surrounding counties have been placed under a flood advisory until 10 a.m. Friday. Other affected counties are Armstrong, Beaver, Indiana and Washington. Several roads around the region were affected by flooding issues, with closures Friday morning along Thompson Run Road between Rodi and McCulley roads in...
John Mayer postpones PPG Paints concert
John Mayer fans will have wait a few more months to see him in concert in Pittsburgh. The John Mayer SOB ROCK Tour 2022 performance scheduled for Friday night at PPG Paints Arena has been rescheduled for May 5. Mayer shared on social media Thursday that he and other band...
Triple shooting in Homestead leaves 2 dead, 1 injured
Two people were killed and one other was injured in a triple shooting late Thursday in Homestead, Allegheny County Police said. Jason Chavis, 25, of Monroeville, and Amari Mitchell, 18, of Braddock died in the shooting, according the the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. A Homestead officer on patrol heard...
Vandergrift officer once suspended over alleged racial incident retires
A Vandergrift police officer suspended last year for his conduct on the job involving a patron at a local restaurant is no longer on the force. Officer William Moore submitted his retirement to council Feb. 7. “Council accepted it (retirement) at the last meeting. I have no details,” Vandergrift Mayor...
Police say 1 wounded in shooting in Pittsburgh’s Crawford Roberts
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting early Thursday morning in the city’s Crawford Roberts neighborhood. Police confirmed one victim was transported to an area hospital after being shot around 3 a.m. near the intersection of Vine and Colwell streets. The victim’s condition is unknown and the shooting is under investigation,...
Ice storm warning issued in parts of Westmoreland, Fayette
The National Weather Service has issued multiple winter weather advisories for several counties in Western Pennsylvania. Jenna Lake, a NWS meteorologist in the Moon office, said a “mature and dynamic” weather system moving in from the plains/midwest section of the country will usher in a mixed bag of will rain,...
Pittsburgh police respond to 3 armed robberies overnight
Pittsburgh Police are investigating three armed robberies that happened over about three hours Tuesday night. Police said the robberies appear to be related. The first reported robbery happened around 9 p.m. at the Family Dollar store on Lincoln Avenue in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV....
Lanes of Beaver Valley Expressway open, overturned tractor trailer cleared
An overturned tractor trailer along the Beaver Valley Expressway closed lanes between the Center and Alquippa exits for a time on Wednesday morning, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s news partner WPXI. All Eastbound lanes of the Beaver Valley Expressway are now open. FINAL UPDATE : All Eastbound lanes of the Beaver...
Garbage truck strikes school bus in Ross, no injuries reported
A school bus in the North Hills School District was struck by a garbage truck Tuesday morning on Roseland Avenue in Ross. In an email to district parents, school officials said Highcliff Elementary students on Bus No. 696 were onboard when the truck backed into the school bus around 8:30...
Pittsburgh police say gun found in Hill District domestic incident
Pittsburgh police’s SWAT team responded to a domestic incident Tuesday morning at an apartment building at Bedford Avenue and Chauncey Street in the city’s Hill District. Police said someone jumped from a window and fled the building. According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, police recovered a firearm in the incident. Authorities...
Missing Jefferson Hills woman found near Baltimore
A woman reported to be missing since Monday has been located. Jefferson Hills Borough Police reported Tuesday that Joan Brady, 78, of Jefferson Hills was found just outside of Baltimore. Police had been asking for help in locating her, saying earlier Tuesday morning that Brady had left her home around...
Flood watch issued for several counties in Western Pennsylvania
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Tuesday through Wednesday morning for portions of the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, including Allegheny, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. Rich Redmond, a NWS meteorologist in the Moon office, said the area may see up to an inch of rain today, with afternoon wind gusts...
Resident twin felines earn their keep at garden center in Allegheny Township
Two cats are earning their keep in Allegheny Township. Mary-Kate and Ashley are 15-year-old twins living permanently at the Kiski Garden Center. The cats originally were brought to a former New Kensington store, Arnold Feed and Garden, by store manager Linda Ban when they were 6 weeks old. Ban brought...

