Joyce Hanz stories, Page 51
Allegheny County Jail inmate who tested positive for covid-19 dies
A covid-19-positive inmate in the Allegheny County Jail died Sunday, Warden Orlando Harper said. It’s the first covid-related death for the facility. The name of the inmate wasn’t released, but he was a 48-year-old man who had been hospitalized since late August. He died Sunday at a local hospital. He...
The Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Harmar hosts tribute to first responders on 9/11 anniversary
The Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Harmar hosted a tribute to first responders Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the events of 9/11. Organizer and Shriner Robert Addleman began the ceremony introducing The Rev. John Piper from Castle Shannon, who let the crowd underneath the outdoor Shrine Pavilion in prayer, calling...
Cheswick Community Day returns to offer food, fellowship, music and fun
Cheswick Community Day has returned. The free daylong festival welcomed visitors to Rachel Carson Park after being on hiatus since 2014. Strawberry Days replaced it for years, but that event was canceled the past two years over covid-19 pandemic concerns. The ever-changing covid-related restrictions didn’t sway organizers this year, who...
Leechburg holds parade, remembrance of 9/11 attacks, salute to first responders
Leechburg area Rev. Gary Lyon spent Saturday morning carefully crafting his words for a 9/11 dedication ceremony held later that day in Leechburg. Rev. Lyon serves as co-pastor alongside his wife, Lisa, at Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church in Leechburg. He serves as a longtime volunteer firefighter with the Leechburg...
Another festival in New Kensington, another packed downtown: this time, it’s the wine & beer fest
Downtown New Kensington was packed Saturday as thousands enjoyed the third annual New Kensington Wine and Beer Festival. Back bigger than ever after being canceled in 2020 because of the covid-related pandemic, an Alle Kiski Strong Chamber of Commerce official said attendance swelled to between 5,000 and 7,000 people. “This...
Mask protests continue for 3rd day in Kiski Area School DistrictVideo
Protesting of the state’s school mask mandate continued for a third day in the Kiski Area School District, with a group of 10 people stationed outside the high school and administrative offices on Thursday morning. The protesters, including parents and students, declined to comment when approached by a Tribune-Review reporter....
Vandergrift resident uses her tech skills to produce council meetings online
A Vandergrift resident is volunteering her services in an effort to increase public participation during monthly borough council meetings. Melissa Milanak, 50, is a business and technology teacher at River Valley High School, formerly the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District. She said she realized the benefits of virtual meetings when they became...
West Leechburg’s Ruth Sulava, 98, has no plans to stop volunteering at her church
Ruth Sulava of West Leechburg is on a roll. Nut roll, that is. Sulava — 98 — volunteers coordinating annual bake sales for Christ the King Parish in Gilpin. As keeper of the top-secret nut roll recipe, Sulava and her team of about 40 volunteers raise about $30,000 annually for...
3 Alle-Kiski Valley girls crowned Little Miss Italy in respective age groups
Three Alle-Kiski Valley girls with no previous pageant experience recently swept the Little Miss Italy competition in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. Hadassah Cardaro, 10, of New Kensington; Mariah Kaiser, 13, of Lower Burrell; and Rosalie Casper, 5, of Allegheny Township were crowned Little Miss Italy in their respective age divisions during...
Vandergrift walking tour aimed at boosting business
A new tour encouraging folks to explore and support local businesses at the same time is coming to Vandergrift. The Tour of Vandergrift, organized by the Vandergrift Business Association, a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to promoting business growth and unity in the borough and surrounding areas, is co-sponsored by First...
Labor United Celebration draws thousands for sun-drenched second dayVideo
Blue skies and the smell of cheesy fries and other festival food staples greeted thousands of people who flocked to the second day of this year’s Labor United Celebration at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township. The two-day festival, celebrating the tradition of organized labor in Western Pennsylvania, was canceled last...
Fire destroys Guy’s Tavern building in Avonmore
Lisa Sturiale fought back tears Friday morning as she stood steps away from crews battling a fire that destroyed her family’s commercial building in Avonmore. Guy’s Tavern on Westmoreland Avenue erupted in flames around 2 a.m. Sturiale, who lives in Pittsburgh’s North Side, said the building was originally owned by...
Flooding closes portion of Route 356 in Allegheny Township
Authorities closed a portion of Route 356 in Allegheny Township late Wednesday morning because of flash flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The closure began around 11:30 a.m. between LaBelle Vue Road and Park Road, by Northmoreland Park. PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said he expected to road to remain...
Young hairstylist turns dream into reality with her own salon in Vandergrift
Lydia Zacharias has turned a lifelong interest into a reality. “I used to cut my Barbie doll’s hair when I was a toddler,” said Zacharias, 24, of Vandergrift. She’s owner of Lydia Leighs Salon located at 180 Columbia Ave. in Vandergrift. Zacharias said she was unsure of her career path...
Another extended road closure planned along Route 356 in Allegheny Township
Motorists in Allegheny Township will face another extended closure of a portion of Route 356 starting Wednesday. PennDOT said Route 356 will be closed between Pleasant Hill and Piper roads. The section, used by about 10,000 motorists a day, is scheduled to reopen Sept. 30. Signs will be posted to...
Some businesses are hiring 14- and 15-year-olds to address staffing shortages
Businesses that have grappled with labor shortages during the covid-19 pandemic are hiring younger workers than ever before. The businesses have lowered their minimum hiring age from 16 to 14 in an effort to meet staffing needs and keep their businesses afloat. “I wouldn’t be open without my teen employees,”...
Kiski Area begins school year with dual focus on academics, building relationships
Kiski Area High School math teacher Zach Jankowski said teachers took a different approach Thursday on the district’s first day of classes. “We did not talk about math, English and science. We worked on building relationships with our students to make them feel loved and welcomed back into the building,”...
Signature Dishes: Hefty fish sandwiches a staple at Snyder’s Bonfire in Allegheny TownshipVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com. It’s a fish dish that keeps the customers coming back to Snyder’s Bonfire Restaurant and Lounge in Allegheny Township. Cod is...
Leechburg Area opens school year, masks optional, with all but a handful of students attending classes in person
Leechburg Area High School Superintendent Tiffany Nix stood outside on campus Wednesday morning, greeting students on the first day of school. “It’s so exciting,” Nix said. “Our students need to be face-to-face, and our teachers need to be with our students.” The district enrolls about 750 students. Nix said only...
Newly crowned Miss Little Italy, Rosalie Casper of Allegheny Township, a pageant natural
Allegheny Township’s Rosalie Casper spent a few weeks working on her stage presence before her debut pageant appearance Sunday at Little Italy Days in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. That’s all the preparation the 5-year-old needed. Rosalie was named Miss Little Italy in the 4-to-6-year-old division at the region’s largest annual festival...
Vandergrift’s Casino Theatre receives Westmoreland Cultural Trust art installation
Volunteers installed a wing-themed art installation on the grounds of Vandergrift’s Casino Theatre on Saturday as part of the Wings Across Westmoreland initiative. Vandergrift was the eighth location included in Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s countywide art initiative featuring metal wings inspired by places in various locations in Westmoreland County. “The Casino...
Labor United celebration is back at Northmoreland Park
The 2021 Labor United Celebration in Northmoreland Park is back. “It’s a go,” said Brandon Simpson, the county’s parks and recreation director. Simpson said covid-19 restrictions are not expected to impact the event as they did last year, when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the festival that draws about...
East Vandergrift looking for person to fill council seat through December
A vacancy on East Vandergrift Council remains unfilled. Councilwoman Bonita “Bonnie” (Zalenski) Bober died unexpectedly from health complications July 9. Bober had served on council since 2018. She was hired as borough secretary in 2016. Current Borough Secretary Kristen Sarno said the news of Bober’s unexpected death was a shock....
Apollo man charged with sexually assaulting underage girl
Apollo police Tuesday charged a borough man who they said sexually assaulted an underage girl, according to court records. Nathan Stripling, 18, was arraigned Wednesday on felony charges that include aggravated indecent assault without consent of a minor under the age of 16, unlawful contact and corruption of minor. He’s...
Vandergrift man reported missing by family has been found
A Vandergrift man who was reported missing by family members has been found, according to police. An Allegheny Township police officer saw Robert W. Horner, 85, at the Fuel Land gas station on South Leechburg Hill Road around 9 p.m. Thursday. Family members said they had not seen him since...
