Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 45

Tarentum Recreation Board has released its summer lineup, with a schedule of events aimed at drawing people to the borough’s riverfront park and beyond. “They have something for everyone,” resident Cathy Fajbik said. “The fact that it’s free helps a lot, but, really, to look out at the boats and...

Brackenridge Council is seeking money from Allegheny County to launch an anti-blight effort. Council last week voted to apply for about $129,000 to raze several vacant or dilapidated structures. Most are residential properties, Borough Secretary Denise Tocco said. “All of them have been vacant a long time,” she said. Borough...

Residents across the Pittsburgh region will be able to rid themselves of unwanted medication Saturday as several communities participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Locations include: • Oakmont: Rite Aid, 109 Allegheny River Blvd. • Aspinwall: Municipal office, 217...

Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man was stabbed Sunday in the city’s Homewood South section. Emergency crews responded to the 700 block of Brushton Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. Responders found a man with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen, according to Public Information Officer Maurice Matthews. The victim...

David Bowser was in his mid-40s before he laced up his first pair of running shoes. The Harrison resident, now 71, hasn’t stopped hitting the pavement, the treadmill or the trails ever since. “Back in 1995, my son went out for cross country at Highlands,” Bowser said. “I started to...

Musical theater students from several Alle-Kiski Valley school districts will converge on stage Wednesday to convey unity and hope during the “One Song” Show Choir Festival at Highlands. Students from the host district, along with those from Freeport Area, Kiski Area and Springdale, will perform. The concert is at 7...

Two retired Highlands teachers are working to promote literacy in young children, albeit in a park instead of a classroom. Jody Shumaker and Deb Turner, longtime district teachers, are spearheading a program through the Tarentum Area Lions Club to offer story walks in Riverview Memorial Park. “Nobody loves a good...

Traffic along Sun Mine Road in Fawn could be affected in coming weeks after the township supervisors approved installation of new guiderails. “We already paved it; this is just putting the finishing touch on certain sections,” Township Secretary Pam Ponsart said. Canonsburg-based Interstate Enterprises was awarded the contract at the...

A nearly 100-year-old former elementary school in a residential Harrison neighborhood is expected to open its doors as senior citizen rental apartments in June. “We’re doing ‘punch out’ work now,” developer Andy Haines said. “There’s lots of cosmetic work and cleaning up. The last month is always challenging to get...

When George Fleming first began a career in social work, he immediately noticed a lack of interest in reading by children. A supervisor for Allegheny Family Network, which has offices in Harrison and Oakland, Fleming was startled to learn that nearly two-thirds of low-income families have no books at home...

Come June, Hampton Community Park will hoppin’ on Wednesdays with the return of its bustling farm market. The parking lot along McCully Road teems with vendors hawking organic honey, fresh-popped kettle corn, a variety of veggies and other prepared foods. “A variety of offerings can attract a greater number of...

Members of the Western PA Unit of the Herb Society of America will be back in action for their annual spring plant sale after a two-year covid-related break. “After two years with no sale, it will be great to see and talk with friends and gardeners once again,” club member...

Foxwall EMS and Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department are encouraging people to Run for the Hill of It. The new fundraiser to benefit both groups will celebrate its inaugural race on Sunday, April 24. “This is the kind of event that we have thought about for a long time,” said Rob...

Harrison Commissioner Jamie Nee already is eyeing larger-than-normal pieces of litter to be collected at the township’s April 23 Earth Day cleanup. Her list includes an inventory of 82 tires, 25 TVs and seven couches that have been tossed in township parks or left on sides of roads as eyesores....

There might still be life in Tarentum’s Cycle Diner, just not as a traditional sit-down eatery. The 1949 diner is owned by Gatto Cycle Shop and attached to its Harley-­Davidson showroom along East Sixth Avenue. In January, it was denied a permit by the Allegheny County Health Department to reopen....

The question of what constitutes gender could be front and center at the next Highlands School Board meeting. On Tuesday, board members will consider approval of an education equity policy that at least two members have voiced concern about. The aim of the proposed policy is to remove educational barriers...

An O’Hara business that specializes in first aid, safety and cleaning supplies is expanding to nearly double its size in the township’s industrial park. Cintas will move operations from a 5,000-square-foot facility along Alpha Drive in RIDC Park to one that’s nearly 10,000 square feet and just a few doors...

A rain garden installed near Highlands Middle School has done its job of helping to eliminate a swampy lawn at the campus in Harrison. But it needs help to remain effective. “We pruned back a lot in the fall, but we need a group to go in there and really...

The lunch menu Thursday at the Brackenridge Salvation Army was far more elaborate than its grab-and-go description. Fresh out of the oven was a nutritious meal of baked tilapia with garlicky lemon butter, mac and cheese, and green beans. It was free and waiting for the first 100 people to...

Fox Chapel Area Adult Education has a perfect class this spring for tech novices who accumulate thousands of emails or for people who yearn to shoot better photos with an iPhone. Private lessons for Apple devices, taught by Plum resident Emily McNeil, are part of the spring offerings that launched...

Allegheny Land Trust is in the final push of a $1 million campaign to purchase a 75-acre property in Sewickley Hills for preservation. The conservation nonprofit needs to raise $100,000 by April 30 in order to acquire the Buerkle Woodlands at the northwest corner of the Mount Nebo Interchange along...

The traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation march by Highlands seniors will continue, albeit slightly modified. At the district school board meeting Monday, Superintendent Monique Mawhinney addressed rumors circulating about potential changes to commencement exercises, scheduled for June 3 at Golden Rams Stadium. Among the rumors: • The district is doing...

A new bar and grill is set to open this spring along East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum. Ales on 6th, housed on the ground level of the Tarentum Hotel, is the venture of five cousins with ties to the Alle-Kiski Valley. “We want to bring something fun and new to...

A Garden and Landscape Symposium hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County will feature topics more far-reaching than the latest trends in horticulture. The workshop on April 30, held at the Hampton Community Center, features three keynote speakers who will focus on pollinators, biodiversity and bird-friendly habitat. The...

A June motorcycle trip by more than 1,200 riders will travel through the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond to benefit homeless veterans. The 15th annual Ride for Homeless Vets is back after a two-year covid-related absence. “I started this little ride just wanting to get 100 people involved,” said Tom Grates,...