Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 20

Highlands could have three new administrators when school starts in August. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said the district is finalizing interviews for the high school assistant principal, the athletic director/transportation director and the elementary associate principal. “Hopefully, we will have the candidates to recommend for approval at the August board meeting,”...

(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...

The Harrison Hills Volunteer Fire Company should see improved response times, if only slightly, thanks to a new floor at its garage on Freeport Road. Installation of a concrete floor began last week because the old one was crumbling under the weight of the engines, Chief Jim Bartolovich said. “Our...

A statewide code orange air quality alert has been issued for Monday. That means young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems should limit outdoor activities for risk of exposure to elevated air pollution. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to...

Bethel Park police are seeking the public’s help to find a 15-year-old girl last seen Saturday. Armor Wilson is described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 150 pounds. She has short faded red hair. When she left home Saturday morning, Wilson was wearing pajama pants and a black hoodie...

Part-time Parks Township police Officer Kyle Lewis will be announced as chief of the department on Monday. Supervisor Chairman Greg Artman said Lewis will take over for recently departed John Arce, who left June 30 for the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department. “Kyle’s a good kid,” Artman said. “I think...

Two Pittsburgh medical facilities are in the running for “America’s Most Beautiful Hospitals” contest. The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, both situated along Penn Avenue, are among 50 hospitals nominated nationwide. Sponsored by healthcare staffing firm Soliant, the contest runs through July 27. Soliant plans...

A 16-year-old boy was shot to death Saturday in Uniontown and police are charging a teenage girl with the crime, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE-TV. Police responded to the incident at about 3:15 p.m. on Wilson Avenue. The name of the victim has not yet been released. Uniontown Lt....

The wait was worth it for Brackenridge officials. Council last month dismissed a bid of more than $200,000 for safety improvements at Memorial Park and were able to green-light the work for half the price. The project includes removing trees and installing a new rubber surface at the fenced-in park,...

Everyone at a Saturday yoga fundraiser in Frazer agreed their favorite position was downward-facing hog. The exercise event, hosted by the nonprofit Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue at its 25-acre farm, featured sweet-natured sows and well-behaved boars that ambled among the participants. Dubbed “Swine and Unwind,” proceeds help feed the 11 resident...

Harrison police are issuing an alert to residents to be on the lookout for phone scammers. Chief Brian Turack said his officers are investigating a high-dollar fraud in which a resident was duped out of thousands. He said he could not release specific information because the case is active. “We...

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd was honored at a Fox Chapel luncheon for her work in promoting equity for women and girls. The Fox Chapel Area branch of the American Association of University Women honored Todd with its Gateway to Equity Award at a May ceremony at Fox Chapel...

Succop Nature Park, a prime trail-walking and bird-watching spot spread over 50 acres near Butler, will become even more eco-friendly as it transitions away from fossil fuels this year. The Audubon Society-owned property along West Airport Road in Penn Township, Butler County, will use solar panels to produce 100% of...

The idea to consolidate police forces in Brackenridge and Tarentum continues to inch forward. More than 7,500 residents in the two boroughs could be served by a combined department by the end of the month if the move is approved during specially scheduled meetings July 28. Both councils will meet,...

A group of residents outside the Harrison Hi-Rise on Monday afternoon believe gunmen were sending a message when at least seven bullets whizzed into the building just before 5 a.m. the previous day. “If it’s kids shooting, I don’t think they’d use sniper bullets that go through concrete,” said one...

The newest business in Brackenridge targets dirty clothes and muddy paws all in one spot. Horizon Wash Spa, the area’s first “laundromutt,” is set to open this summer at 1132 Brackenridge Ave. The self-serve facility offers laundry service for humans and dog-washing for four-legged friends. It will open by August...

The dog days of summer are looking good for area pooches. They will be the guests of honor at Allegheny County-sponsored events in Harrison, Indiana Township and Monroeville. The county’s Special Events Department is hosting a free, roving party for four-legged friends at Harrison Hills, Hartwood Acres and Boyce Park....

Talk about a bad break. While temperatures soar, the Tarentum Spray Park remains closed for repairs. The coolest spot in Riverview Memorial Park has been off-limits for 11 days. The borough posted on June 26 that emergency repairs were being made after a waterline break. The following day, officials said...

“Springtime in Paris,” the 2023 fundraiser of the Women’s Board of Pittsburgh, will benefit four children’s charities this year — the most ever in one year for the Fox Chapel-based group. The April event brought in more than $83,000, according to the nonprofit. Grant recipients include Earthen Vessels Outreach, Foster...

Organizers of a new festival at the historic Burtner House in Harrison are hoping it creates a buzz. The Honey Bee Festival is scheduled for July 29 at the homestead, just off Route 28 at Exit 15. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. “There’s a lot of interest...

A former junk store standing vacant on a prime Tarentum corner will soon show signs of life. The old Grant Building, at Corbet Street and Fourth Avenue, will be the canvas for a giant mural depicting life in the borough. The painting will be about 10 feet tall and up...

Ten Shady Side Academy students were honored by the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area for embodying ideals of good citizenship and service to others, as well as for academics. Rotary members honored the graduating seniors during an end-of-school luncheon at the Indiana Township municipal building. Students were chosen by...

Fourth-degree black belt Bob Makowski doesn’t mind scaring students in his self-defense classes. The harder he grabs their attention, he said, the better chance they learn tools that can thwart danger. “About 65% of assaults occur with someone you know and also happen indoors,” said Makowski, owner of a martial...

It’s hard to miss the new and improved Diamond Antiques building in Tarentum. Painted bright white, the formerly drab brown building sticks out along the Sixth Avenue business district. The storefront is appointed with a stark black-and-white striped awning “There’s been so many comments, and everyone seems to love it,”...

Tarentum residents will say goodbye to their garbage collectors on July 1, when Waste Management rolls out its automated collection system, all but eliminating any personal service that previously was part of the contract. The biggest difference for residents: no more unlimited trash pickup and only one garbage can per...