Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 34

Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser is one of four public officials in Western Pennsylvania to sign the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge to work to save butterflies and other pollinators. Offered through the National Wildlife Federation, the program enlists municipal leaders to steward monarch butterflies, whose populations have declined by 90% in recent...

Anyone who has ever watched a game at the Natrona Heights Baseball Softball Association complex will likely enjoy the experience even more next year. Volunteers from the youth league in Harrison joined the township tree committee and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to plant more than a dozen Zelkova trees on...

A visit to Cheswick by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro on Wednesday highlighted the significance of the 33rd District to flipping the state House, many audience members said. “Having the potential governor spend time and resources in our area shows how important our voices are,” Brackenridge Councilman Dino Lopreiato said....

A busy Route 356 intersection in Allegheny Township will get a complete overhaul next year that is expected to increase traffic flow and safety. The public can weigh in on PennDOT’s plans to build a roundabout at Route 356 and La Belle Vue Road, where nearly 11,000 vehicles travel each...

The Walmart in The Waterworks shopping center will close its doors in early November, before Black Friday and the official holiday shopping rush, company officials confirmed. Felicia McCranie, Walmart communications director for the North and East United States, cited underperforming sales at the store. It is scheduled to close by...

Harrison commissioners are considering bringing back agenda meetings to have a forum where they can hash out ideas and issues before regular business meetings. Municipalities typically use the sessions to have informal discussions and iron out concerns. In the past, agenda sessions were scheduled the Thursday before the regular Monday...

A popular local road race has been postponed until summer. The Red Kettle Race 5K, sponsored by the Brackenridge Salvation Army, was scheduled for November but now is pushed back, likely until June. Dave Bender, captain of the center along Brackenridge Avenue, cited logistics and scheduling issues but said the...

GQT Movies at the Pittsburgh Mills is offering an alternative for people who might be overwhelmed sitting in a dark, loud theater. Sensory friendly movies will be offered the last Wednesday of the month through April in an effort to give everyone a chance to enjoy the theater. “If you’ve...

Sheldon Park hosted a Pink Out celebration Thursday at the Lloyd D. Hayden Center, where people packed the facility to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Residents Council President Sydney Hayden said fundraising efforts brought in nearly $500 to be donated to Highlands High School’s Change for Cancer...

Some Tarentum voters will visit new sites in November to cast their election ballots. The Allegheny County Department of Elections announced changes Friday to two polling locations in the borough. Residents of Ward 1 will vote at First United Presbyterian Church, 913 Lock St. People who live in Ward 3...

Tricks and treats will abound for people of all ages at Tarentum Recreation Board’s annual Boo Fest. A magic show and pumpkin carving will take center stage while festivalgoers can mill around the park to enjoy crafts, games and hayrides. Organizers expect hundreds of participants after a successful turnout last...

A new eatery could be coming to the Pittsburgh Mills complex. Developers are seeking to bring a Chipotle Mexican Grill to a spot near the Lowe’s store along Village Center Drive. Plans are still in the initial stages. Cardinal Realty applied for subdivision and land development approvals from Frazer supervisors....

The northbound Route 28 off-ramp to The Waterworks near Fox Chapel will close Monday for as long as a month. Motorists looking to access the shopping plaza along Freeport Road still can use the exit, but they will be forced to turn left and navigate several traffic lights back to...

Hartwood Acres is one of the most sought-after wedding destinations in Allegheny County, but, starting next year, revelers will need to comply with scaled-back noise and time guidelines. “The township has received complaints of excessive noise from events at the mansion,” Indiana Township Manager Dan Anderson said. The 629-acre park...

There will be ‘Music Along the Trail’ Oct. 23 in Aspinwall. Fox Chapel Area senior Nathan Moore, in pursuit of his Eagle Scout rank, has organized a free community concert at Allegheny RiverTrail Park. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. It is free for all ages and will feature...

Patients at the H.J. Heinz III campus of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System are defying physical limitations to study the mysteries of the skies thanks to the opening of an observatory at the O’Hara campus. The Sky Shed Observatory is the first of its kind in VA systems across the...

The Harrison commissioners might seek outside help to hire the township’s next manager. Chairman Gary Meanor said the board is discussing the need for a consultant to guide the process. “We have a job description but would like an outside agency to help with reviewing it along with recommendations on...

Youth baseball and softball fields on Highlands School District property are being spruced up with more than a dozen trees this month through a project with the Western PA Conservancy. The planting project in Harrison also includes five trees on Broadview Boulevard and six along Federal Street in the township’s...

When the village of Hoboken — current-day Blawnox — was first laid out in the late 1860s, it was created to support the contractors, and later the employees, of the now-gone Allegheny County Workhouse in neighboring O’Hara. “When Hoboken was first laid out, it was just another land deal,” historian...

Tarentum and Harmar were among 33 Allegheny County communities last week to be awarded a total of $2.1 million in grants to address blight. Money was made available through the Act 152 Demolition Fund, now in its second year. Tarentum will receive $35,000 to raze three structures; Harmar will get...

Bailey Linza likened high school musical theater to finding the golden ticket. She and two classmates at St. Joseph High School in Harrison reaped such joy from their production experiences that they have offered to head up a fall show for students at Mary Queen of Apostles School in New...

The popular playground at Brackenridge Memorial Park will get a surface makeover to boost safety and cut maintenance costs. In a recent round of state funding, the borough received word that it will get about $95,400 from the Greenway, Trails and Recreation Program. “It will be used for safety improvements,”...

Some Harmar residents will have a new polling site beginning in November. Residents of District 3, who previously voted at the old public works garage along Russellton Road, will now cast their ballots at Pittsburgh’s Syria Shriners center. “In August, the township finalized the sale of 841 Russellton Road,” Manager...

Two brothers from Tarentum have been charged with attempted homicide, as they are accused of shooting at people in a Sheldon Park apartment early Thursday in Harrison. Troy Vickers, 30, and Brian Vickers, 19, are each also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and firearms violations in what Allegheny...

Tarentum resident David Kengor’s life changed forever just by hanging out with friends at a pizza shop across from the Summit Hose fire hall. “We were all young teenagers, and some of the firefighters came over and said they were starting a junior department — the first one in the...