Joyce Hanz stories, Page 60
West Leechburg Mayor Jim Gallucci figures 40 years of public service is enough
A West Leechburg resident is retiring from public office after serving the borough for 40 years. Jim Gallucci, 72, has served as mayor for 36 years. Prior to being elected, he served on council four years. Long ago, a friend urged him to run for mayor after leading a successful...
Gilpin to install signs along roads where ATVs are allowed to ride
Motorists in Gilpin soon will share the road with ATV riders. Township supervisors voted 4-0 in July to pass an ordinance allowing ATVs on most local roads. The board voted down a similar proposal in 2019. “There were around 25 residents in attendance, most for, a few against,” Supervisor Charles...
Leechburg Recycling Center could use more volunteers for eco-friendly programVideo
Calling all volunteers. The Leechburg Recycling Center, near the high school football field on Logan Avenue Extension, depends on a dedicated core group of about 10 volunteers for its operations. But more volunteers are needed, said Nancy Bono, Leechburg councilwoman and recycling chairwoman. “I’m tired,” said Bono, 84, the oldest...
Freeport native Alex Isenberg making all the right moves
Freeport native Alex Isenberg had been dancing his way through life, landing professional gigs with celebrities such as Madonna and Liza Minnelli and performing around the world. Then the pandemic brought much of the entertainment industry to a halt. “No live shows, no filming, no in-person auditions, nothing,” said Isenberg,...
Former Gilpin man extradited from Texas to face child sex charges
A former Gilpin man accused of sex crimes against a young girl has been extradited from Texas to face the charges. Michael Henry Brucker, 31, of Montgomery, Texas was brought back from Texas early this month, according to Gilpin police. Gilpin police Chief Chris Fabec said police began an investigation...
Leechburg mayor hopes former bank drive-thru location gets a new owner
A historic former bank building in Leechburg is for sale. The former drive-thru location of First Commonwealth Bank, at 200 Market St., was listed for $55,000 several months ago. Two First Commonwealth bank locations in Leechburg closed in December, the result of an increase in online banking and continuing challenges...
Police: DUI suspect from Kiski Township had 2 children in back seat of car
A Kiski Township man is accused of driving under the influence of drugs with two children in the back seat of his car. Kiski Township police charged Kevin William Zetler, 34, with DUI, child endangerment and traffic violations in a traffic stop at North Second and North 11th streets about...
Gabby Barrett welcomes baby girl
Pittsburgh’s celebrity songstress is a new mom. “American Idol” alum and Munhall native Gabby Barrett and husband Cade Foehner welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Baylah May, on Jan. 18. Barrett, 20, updated her fans with the big news in various social media posts including a Twitter post...
Leechburg mansion once home to steel, tin industrialist now great digs for family of 11
A historic residence in Leechburg has new owners. The three-story mansion at 701 First St. was purchased by Ashley and Quinto Martin in August. According to Armstrong County records, the property was sold for $210,000. Money doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. It was built in 1866 —...
Sunday marks return to in-person service for Leechburg churches
Two churches in Leechburg are offering in-person worship. One is returning to church, while the other never stopped in-person services during the pandemic. In a letter to the congregation Thursday, the Rev. Beverly Spore of First United Methodist Church announced a return to face-to-face worship, meetings and small groups is...
West Leechburg program to honor veterans with Main Street banners
Excitement over an anticipated homecoming reunion turned to horror for West Leechburg’s Natalie Schmidt when she received life-changing news in 2012. Her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Schmidt, was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan five days before their 3-year-old son Aiden’s birthday. Jonathan Schmidt, then 28, had been...
Reconstruction of Third Street wall in Leechburg expected to start in April or May
A new wall reconstruction project on Third Street in Leechburg is underway. Borough engineer Shane Michael said portions of the wall on Third Street are collapsing in some places. “It’s 260 feet long, and we’re replacing about 150 feet of the wall,” Michael said. Council opened six contract bids Tuesday....
Lower Burrell American Legion to hold Mexican dinner fundraiser next Saturday
Lucy Peters of West Leechburg is sharing her love of authentic Mexican cooking with another love — service. Peters, 38, an Army veteran and member of American Legion Post 868 in Lower Burrell, will serve as chef, cooking hundreds of flautas and tamales for a Mexican-themed fundraiser hosted by the...
2 Leechburg Area students test positive for covid
Two students in grades 6-12 at Leechburg Area High School have tested positive for covid-19. Students and staff returned to face-to-face instruction Monday, Jan. 11. In an email to district families Friday, Superintendent Tiffany Nix outlined the latest covid-19 updates for all students in grades K-12. Nix said because the...
Gilpin Township seeks volunteer for its water and sewer authority
Gilpin Township has a vacancy on its water and sewer authority board. Supervisors chairman Charlie Stull confirmed Friday that Joel Knepshield stepped down from the municipal authority last month. Stull said Knepshield cited work obligations in his resignation letter. The township is looking to find a replacement as soon as...
After years of refurbishing, owners of the Addison House in Leechburg intend to open this year
The historic Addison House in Leechburg is set to reopen to the public after a five-year closure. The once-popular First Street eatery shut its doors in 2012 amid financial woes after the tragic death of co-owner Laura Stettmier in an October 2011 plane crash in West Virginia. John and Devra...
8 Kings restaurant locations in Western Pa. are on the market
Eight Kings Family Restaurant locations in Western Pennsylvania are on the market. Offered as a master lease portfolio in an April 2020 commercial listing on Loopnet.com, the locations are in Allegheny Township, Kittanning, Monroeville, Monaca, Canonsburg, Somerset, Franklin and Meadville. Six of the businesses are within a 45-mile radius of...
Reservations required: In its 10th year, Leechburg church serves free meals
A Leechburg church congregation is continuing their love of helping others. A free Pot Love Dinner, offered to the public each month, has entered its tenth year at Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church. The meal is normally served inside the church, but due to covid-19 restrictions, the meals are currently...
Some remnants of Leechburg’s trolley system buried under landslide debrisVideo
Leechburg’s trolley days are long gone, but memories and physical reminders remain more than eight decades after the last trolleys stopped running. Larry Boehm, president of the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society, invited the Tribune-Review to explore structures that remain from the old trolley system, including remnants of the...
Leechburg property taxes to go up by less than 1% this year
Homeowners in Leechburg will pay a slight increase in their property tax this year. Leechburg Council passed a $1.2 million budget for 2021 that includes a property tax hike of less than 1%. The new tax rate is 22.5 mills, which is a slight increase from last year’s rate of...
Women Leading Women wants to improve personal, professional growth
Can we talk? That’s what two friends from Fox Chapel are encouraging with Women Leading Women, a nonprofit co-founded in 2019 by Fox Chapel residents Dana Hanna and Dr. Jenny Yu. Hanna, 46, and Yu, 43, met at a social event, bonded quickly and set their sights on creating a...
Rather than putting on the ‘quarantine 15,’ 4 Alle-Kiski Valley residents used 2020 to lose weightVideo
Losing never felt so good. Meet four residents of the Alle-Kiski Valley who lost more than 225 pounds combined last year during the covid-19 restrictions. After lockdowns forced people nationwide to endure changes in lifestyles and eating habits, the term “Quarantine 15” was coined — referring to the accompanying trend...
Leechburg Area appoints new board member, prepares for return to in-person classes
Leechburg Area School District has a new school board member. Teresa Edinger, 51, of Leechburg, was appointed during a virtual Zoom meeting Monday night. She replaces Lisa Gregory, who resigned Dec. 9 with one year remaining on her term. Edinger previously was employed by the district as business office manager...
Emergency grants available to Armstrong County businesses forced to close in December
Armstrong County businesses that were forced to close last month because of restrictions imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf could be eligible for emergency grant money under a program announced Tuesday. Armstrong County Commissioners said $250,000 is available through the county’s Covid-19 Emergency Business Grant Program. Eligible businesses can receive a...
Independent chefs say pandemic has aided businessVideo
What’s for dinner? During covid times, that question became challenging for many as restrictions, lockdowns and mandated restaurant closures occurred more than once. Meet three Pittsburgh-area chefs — not affiliated with restaurants — providing home-cooked meals delivered to your door. JSMenusPGH Jake Stewart works out of a kitchen in Springdale...
