Joyce Hanz stories, Page 46
New assistant principal at Kiski Area Upper Elementary brings homegrown passion to role
A familiar face has a new leadership role at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School in Washington Township. Maggie Nicholas, a longtime teacher at the school, became assistant principal at KAUE on Jan. 3. She replaced Dan Smith, who moved to a new position as the district’s technology integration specialist. For...
Pair of longtime teachers reflect on meaningful aspects of their jobs at Kiski Area East Primary School
Two Kiski Area elementary teachers have “ruled the school” for a combined 67 years. Sharon Komandt and Mary Emanuelson are the district’s most tenured educators. Both teach at Kiski Area East Primary School in Vandergrift. Komandt, a reading specialist, has been a teacher for 32 years with deep roots in...
After renovation, Lake’s Roadhouse reopens with new look as Kiski River Lodge
It’s out with the old at Lake’s Roadhouse and in with the new — starting with a new name: Kiski River Lodge. When the pandemic forced a prolonged closure of their business, co-owners Wanda and Rick Lake of Loyalhanna Township rolled up their sleeves and got busy renovating their motel,...
Morning Sun Senior Lofts housing project in East Vandergrift delayed
A $13 million revitalization project involving the redevelopment of the former East Vandergrift Elementary School is on hold. East Vandergrift officials said Morning Sun Senior Lofts, a proposed loft-style affordable senior-living residence on McKinley Avenue, was denied about $12 million in tax credits last November from the Pennsylvania Finance Housing...
After 38 years with Parks Township police, Chief Ciuca to retire in February
In his 38 years patrolling Parks Township, Chief Douglas Ciuca has just about seen it all. Tasked with helping to keep law and order in the township’s 14 square miles, Ciuca has responded to calls ranging from quirky to tragic. His most difficult moment? “Finding an infant, alive and unharmed,...
Aspinwall Neighbors winter soup program connects with neighbors
A free soup delivery program in Aspinwall has maintained operations, despite ongoing covid conditions. The Aspinwall Neighbors soup program started more than a decade ago, connecting residents and others with fellow Aspinwall neighbors by providing a free quart of homemade soup each month, personally delivered to homes by volunteers. Last...
Vandergrift Public Library to hold escape room fundraisers with live actors
The Vandergrift Public Library wants you out the door — for a good cause. As a fundraiser, the library will hold two escape room events, on Feb. 11 and 25, in its historic building in downtown Vandergrift. People are invited to register in teams of four to six to compete...
Key Club Talent Show back at Kiski Area schools
Live theater is back with an annual talent show returning to the Kiski Area School District. The Kiski Area annual Key Club Talent Show will showcase the talent of students with a variety show on Friday. All proceeds from the event, which is sponsored by the Key Club, will be...
Lenny Calderone remembered as beloved ‘ambassador’ of Vandergrift
Leonard Rocco “Lenny” Calderone, a Vandergrift native known for intense pride in his hometown, died on Sunday. His sister, Elizabeth Calderone, said he died suddenly at home from a heart attack. He was 78. While Calderone never held a position in local government, he was widely considered the unofficial ambassador...
Kiski Area student leads team trying to raise $100K for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
A Kiski Area High School student is hoping to raise big money for a charity close to her heart. Junior Allison Thompson of Washington Township formed Team WISH (Warriors of Invincible Strength and Hope) on a mission to raise $100,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For her efforts, Thompson...
Eligible preschoolers in Vandergrift can now get a Head Start
There’s a new preschool in Vandergrift. Westmoreland Community Action has opened a Head Start classroom in the lower level of The Center on Franklin Avenue, in the former Trinity United Presbyterian Church. Teacher Abby Wilcox of Kiski Township welcomed new students Monday. Head Start prepares children ages 3 to 5...
Feline fans needed: 2 Alle-Kiski cat rescue groups seeking volunteers
Calling all cat lovers. Two local groups dedicated to helping homeless and feral felines are in need of additional helpers. Cat Crusaders of Leechburg and Homeless Cat Management Team of Tarentum both work to feed, house and tend to cats in need — with a primary focus on providing low-cost,...
N Stuff Music in Blawnox expands with Next Door Cafe and Little Lesson House
The beat goes on for the Sarra family. Bob Sarra and his two sons, Jason and Justin, are co-owners of N Stuff Music, a music instrument store at 468 Freeport Rd. in Blawnox. The business recently expanded to the two buildings on either side of it, which were remodeled into...
‘Family-friendly’ businesses slated for retail plaza across from Kiski Area High School
A local businessman is hoping to fill two Allegheny Township storefronts with family-friendly businesses after purchasing the spots in the high-traffic area in September. Keith Fetterman bought two commercially zoned buildings at 181 and 183 Hyde Park Road, situated across from Kiski Area High School. Fetterman, who lives in Allegheny...
Allegheny Township officer retires after 35 years in law enforcement
A generous high school graduation gift has served Todd Veselicky well. Veselicky, 53, graduated from Kiski Area High School in 1986 and was pondering his next move. “I was not college material,” said Veselicky, a lifelong resident of East Vandergrift. Veselicky was friends with numerous police officers and first responders...
PennDOT, Alle-Kiski municipalities treat roads differently when the snow starts to fall
The first significant snow of the season blanketed the Alle-Kiski Valley on Thursday evening leaving motorists with a mixed bag of road conditions for their Friday morning commute. Almost 2 inches of snow fell in New Kensington, and Westmoreland County saw a snowfall of between 2 and 5 inches in...
Kiski Area bus driver shortage could force district into remote learning
A shortage of school bus drivers continues to wreak havoc on transportation routes in the Kiski Area School District. In a post Wednesday to the district’s Facebook page, officials described the problem as “extreme.” The driver deficit has resulted in frequent morning and afternoon bus route pickup cancellations and delays....
Fox Chapel Area schools break fundraising record for charity
The Fox Chapel Area School District has set an all-time annual fundraising record for a local charity. Students helped raise more than $107,000 during a monthlong districtwide campaign that culminated in a livestreamed telethon Dec. 23. Over the past 32 years, the district has raised more than $1 million for...
Taco Bell to open this year in Allegheny Plaza, but target date not announced
Construction on a new fast-food dining option is progressing in Allegheny Township. A new Taco Bell restaurant is expected to open as early as next month at 500 Hyde Park Road in Allegheny Plaza, but project officials are keeping mum on an opening date. On Tuesday, a spokesman from PBI...
Del Vecchio’s owner runs business in the same Vandergrift house where he grew up
From an early age, Tommy Scanga felt at home in a kitchen. “I cook. That’s what I do,” said Scanga, 62, a lifelong Vandergrift resident. Cooking alongside his mother, Mary Ann Scanga, Tommy Scanga learned at an early age how to make Italian staples such as homemade sauce with meatballs,...
New Year’s Day dodgeball tournament draws small, but enthusiastic turnout in first year
The Dodgefathers arrived dressed to impress. The five-member dodgeball team, made up of middle school-age boys from Wheeling, W.Va., journeyed Saturday to West Deer to compete in the inaugural New Year Smash Em Dodgeball Tournament. Sporting matching custom T-shirts with a sporty play on the classic Italian mafia film, the...
Vandergrift’s Meals On Wheels in dire need of volunteers
These days, Vandergrift Area Meals on Wheels is rolling along with fewer volunteers. The independent nonprofit with a mission of providing fresh and wholesome meals to older folks in Vandergrift and Allegheny Township is in “great need” of volunteers, according to food service director Buster Burnham. Burnham, a one-man chef...
National Weather Service says meteors are likely to blame for New Year’s Day boom in Pittsburgh
The National Weather Service said the loud boom and shaking ground reported Saturday by people across a large swath of suburban Pittsburgh likely was caused by an exploding meteor. Shannon Hefferan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township, said a flash was reported on satellite data about...
Powerball jackpot climbing at $441M, but not nearly a record
Lora Trenney of Kiski Township is feeling lucky. The 40-year-old bartender at Cicero’s Bar and Grill in Leechburg bought a Powerball ticket Tuesday during her work shift. The lottery jackpot swelled to an estimated $441 million with a cash option of $317.5 million for the Wednesday drawing, according to the...
Allegheny Township female police officer set to retire after 31 years
A longtime public servant in the Alle-Kiski Valley is retiring. Police Officer Anita King will wrap up her law enforcement career of 31 years on Jan. 3, her last day of active duty with the Allegheny Township Police Department. King has, who has served with the department since 1990, was promoted...
