Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 5

People who can’t tune in live to the Deer Lakes School Board meetings are out of luck, according to new board member Leonard Verdetto. The board meets the second and third Tuesdays of each month in the high school library. Meetings are available live on Zoom, through which people can...

Books are still the star of the show at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel, but the space draws a growing number of people for classes, programs and lending of nontraditional items. “Although the library offers a place for people and small groups to work or study in quiet, patrons...

Allegheny County Police describe a shooting Monday in Harrison’s Sheldon Park plan as a botched drug deal. According to court documents, Albert Pittman, 15, of Harrison approached a 33-year-old man at the housing complex and “asked for bud,” meaning marijuana. As the pair walked around one of the apartment units,...

Ten graduating seniors from Fox Chapel Area were honored by the Rotary Club for their leadership, academics and selfless attitude. “We are most impressed each year by the caliber of students chosen,” said Bob Trimble, the club’s president. “These are smart, likeable kids who will make a terrific contribution to...

Lou Koprivnikar launched his career at ATI 36 years ago when everything was hands-on. Employees would load 43-ton metal coils by crane and affix labels on specialty metals fresh out of a 2,250-degree furnace. Today, operations are fully automated inside the Hot Rolling and Processing Facility (HRPF), a $1.2 billion...

Butler native Nicole Glasgow was regaled as a child by tales of life at the Burtner House in Harrison — a three-story stone farmhouse that is among the oldest homes in Allegheny County and which was built by her ancestors. But it wasn’t until Glasgow completed college that she fell...

Sometimes, being a minister doesn’t mean preaching from the pulpit. “On Tuesdays, at our church, it means giving food away,” said John Ganze, an Oklahoma native who leads The Church at Tarentum on East Eighth Avenue. “Other days, it means fixing the church up or throwing new mulch down.” Ganze...

Yinz better come hungry to Tarentum’s newest eatery. The black-and-gold themed diner, Yinz Kitchen, features all-American cuisine with a ’Burgh flair: pierogies and gyros fill the menu, alongside breakfast platters, fried chicken sandwiches and “to die for wings,” said owners Dante Allen Pope of Brackenridge and Derek Hassim Jr. of...

Eureka Community Ambulance Service in Tarentum is placing its own call to 911. Leaders said Thursday the 88-year-old emergency response service likely will close or significantly curtail operations by January, barring crucial and consistent funding from local, state and federal sources. “When we provide a $900 ambulance service and get...

Community pride is a big deal to lifelong Brackenridge resident Dino Lopreiato. As president of the Brackenridge Improvement Group (BIG), the owner of Vibo’s Bakery often is spotted around town planting trees, pruning park flowers or spearheading fundraisers. He’s not alone. Lopreiato is backed by a core group of 15...

A longtime mechanic’s garage in Tarentum has been transformed with different sorts of machinery. Jackie Danielle Rearick replaced the car lift and other tools at the former Wally’s Garage with a Computer Numerical Control machine and laser engraver to open her custom craft store, dubbed JD CNC, along East Seventh...

A new public works facility will be taking shape in Brackenridge now that a $1.1 million contract has been awarded. Brackenridge officials expect the new building to be a significant upgrade and provide modern working conditions for its road crew that currently works at a building that dates to 1900....

Boaters can hit the water in Sharpsburg on Saturday with the official season opening of Kayak Pittsburgh. The launch at James Sharp Landing will be open on weekends to offer kayak and canoe rentals. Individual passes, group bookings and classes are available. “We are eager to welcome the community back...

By this time next year, people might be able to find digital resources and do their laundry all in one Tarentum storefront. Wheels are in motion — after a three-year delay — to transform an East Fifth Avenue building into a gathering and training space. The Depot is a former...

If 9-year-old Jaelyn Gordon had her way, East Deer Memorial Park would have a spray park. The Deer Lakes third grader spends plenty of summer days at the playground and said it can get “burnin’ hot.” “My favorite thing is the swings, but we need some sprinklers to cool us...

Al Colelli grew up in a big Italian family, watching at his mother’s knee while she whipped up favorites such as meatballs and marinara. The Arnold resident picked up a thing or two. “I’ve been cooking for awhile, and I love to do it,” said Colelli, 52. “Call me crazy,...

Deer Lakes School District residents likely will see a tax increase after the board approved a tentative $43.8 million budget. The plan calls for a 6.9% increase in property taxes, setting the rate at 24.25 mills, up from 22.69. It was approved Tuesday by a vote of 7-2, with board...

Indiana Township resident Michael Quinn is frustrated by thoughts of more fracking in his community. His home along Eisele Road sits not far from a gas well constructed in the past several years. “The noise is constant — a din — and the truck traffic is ridiculous,” Quinn said in...

Everyone needs a minute once in awhile. Just ask Ana Drum, a Deer Lakes fifth grader learning about mindfulness through a school initiative sponsored by the Allegheny Health Network and Pirates Charities. The Chill Project, launched in 2019, aims to teach evidence-based coping techniques to students of all grade levels....

Highlands library specialist Kristen Gettens is ready for summer fun — but it’s not because the longtime teacher is counting down the days to vacation. She’ll be motoring the district’s Ram Van through Fawn, Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum to promote reading and prevent learning loss. “We are very excited about...

Sixteen-year-old Mira Owens pays a lot of attention to what’s around her. The self-taught artist from Indiana Township is an ardent observer, which provides all the inspiration she needs to develop her passion for art. “I have a sketchbook or drawing utensil with me everywhere I go, as well as...

Dave Torrence vividly remembers his first fire call in 1974 with the Highland Hose Volunteer Fire Company — it was the night he joined the Tarentum department. “I got in bed and the whistle blew,” said Torrence, 72, a lifelong borough resident. “I just thought, ‘Here we go.’ ” Fellow...

The Highlands School District is offering a unique summer internship for students who want to test the tech waters. Students in grades 8 to 11 have an opportunity to shadow the district’s technology department during two separate sessions that last about 10 days each. Positions are unpaid but Superintendent Monique...

Nathaniel Serkov credits his success in the Navy to his upbringing in the Lower Valley. A 2020 Fox Chapel Area High School graduate, Serkov is serving at the Atsugi Naval Air facility in Tokyo. “Humility and accountability have helped me,” said Serkov, a petty officer third class and helicopter aircrewman....

Firetrucks, police officers and a special guest, Midas the K-9, all were a big hit with students at Curtisville Primary during the school’s annual Safety Day on Thursday. Youngsters in kindergarten through second grade were excited to learn about the first responders who serve the Deer Lakes communities. On hand...