Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 70

Shaler Area students can return to the classroom four days a week, beginning in March, through a phased transition approved Feb. 17 by the school board. Under the plan, the district’s youngest learners would have the option to return first. As proposed, students in kindergarten through third grade can be...

Christians who were unable to get ashes swabbed across their forehead to celebrate the start of Lent shouldn’t despair. Ash Wednesday, with or without the black ashes, kicks off a season inner reflection and repentance, according to the Rev. Jim Gretz, the pastor of St. Matthew Parish. “I have always...

A police training session this week in Sharpsburg is aimed at boosting rapport and trust with the community and increasing confidence in officers, Chief Tom Stelitano said. Developed by IUP Police Academy, the eight-hour class is titled “Principled Criminal Justice and Police Legitimacy.” It will be from 9 a.m. to...

Spring fish fry fundraisers at Aspinwall’s Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy won’t resemble years past, but organizers said the Lenten events will forge on. The school along Brilliant Avenue will host two takeouts, Feb. 26 and March 26. Hungry diners can pick up meals from 11 a.m. to 1...

Fox Chapel Area senior Abby Rickin-Marks has emerged as a change-maker in teen mental health advocacy, winning the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Keystone Pennsylvania Youth Award. Given to youth leaders who shift perceptions and spearhead change in mental health education, the NAMI honor comes with a $500 scholarship....

A stormwater project along Kittanning Street in Etna finally is underway after multiple hiccups delayed the work. The PennDOT project includes gas line relocation and drainage upgrades between Snyder and Greismere streets, and requires a portion of Kittanning Street to be closed around-the-clock to through traffic. Construction is expected to...

A free medical shuttle that transports patients throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley is among services funded by $675,755 in grants recently announced by the St. Margaret Foundation. Money will be distributed with the specific goals of supporting patient access, education and experience, foundation President Mary Lee Gannon said. “This past year...

A winter storm expected to dump several inches of snow across the region is spurring restrictions by PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, speed and vehicle restrictions will be mandated along the PA Turnpike in both directions from Breezewood to the Ohio border, the entire...

Allegheny County Health Department planned to continue dispensing covid-19 vaccinations Monday and Tuesday, despite a winter storm that is expected to drop snow and ice across the region. Clinics are expected to be open Monday in Monroeville and Tuesday in Monroeville and Castle Shannon — although the schedule of appointments...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Aspinwall Riverfront Park got a little more lovely. Colorful, oversized letters that spell love were installed at the park entrance, near the playground’s imposing slide. Two large painted wooden hearts were erected in the western section and near the off-leash dog park, so that...

A man is in critical condition after a stabbing Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights section, authorities said. Police responded to a call just before 3:15 p.m. to the 3800 block of California Avenue. Officers found a man who had been stabbed in the neck. He was taken to the hospital...

An attorney with Allegheny County Child Protection Services (CPS) is seeking to become an Allegheny County judge. Alyssa Cowan, an Allison Park resident and assistant county solicitor for CPS, made the announcement Saturday. “I’ve decided to throw my name in this race, not to chase political fame or boost my...

A Clairton man was killed in a vehicle crash late Friday in Dravosburg, authorities said. The victim was identified as Alex Keith Anthony Brown Jr., 41, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The crash happened along Washington Avenue just before midnight. Brown was transported to a hospital where...

Bethel Park police said a teen they were searching for has been found safe. Police issued an alert on its Facebook page Saturday that sought help looking for Maria Musciano, 16. According to an alert on the police Facebook page, Musciano was located early Sunday....

A Waynesburg man was found dead in his home after a Feb. 12 fire, authorities said. Daniel Ray Lemley, 54, was pronounced dead at about 7:30 a.m. after a fire in his home along South West Street, according to Greene County Coroner Gene Rush. The cause of death is pending,...

O’Hara council on Feb. 9 laid out its summer paving project, saying it is eyeing nine roads for improvements with the possibility of adding six alternates. The township’s $13.9 million budget includes $1.1 million for road work. Residents can expect to see the following roads milled and resurfaced in 2021:...

Etna Volunteer Fire Department is sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt fundraiser but the money won’t pay for turnout gear or new equipment. It will help feed borough neighbors who are struggling during the covid-19 pandemic. Proceeds will benefit Bread of Life Food Pantry, housed in Calvert Memorial Presbyterian Church...

The Bread of Life Food Pantry in Etna has tripled its donation dropoff days in order to meet the climbing demand for help from hungry families. There has been a 33% spike in the number of people seeking food from the site at 94 Locust St., in the basement of...

Fox Chapel Area School Board on Feb. 8 pushed back a full-time return to in-person class for older district students until at least March. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said the administrative team is weighing options for a potential return for students at Dorseyville Middle School and the high school, pending...

Colorful pictures, entertaining text and fresh air will converge to engage Lower Valley families through a year-long series of StoryWalks. Hosted by Sharpsburg Community Library and Cooper-Siegel Community Library, the walks are scheduled to begin later this month and run through November. “Families will be able to walk and read...

The Shady Side Academy Senior School service learning club sponsored a virtual food drive and twice surpassed its fundraising goal, first of $500 and then of $1,000, to raise a total of $2,686 for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Proceeds will provide up to 13,432 meals for those in...

A new little pantry in Sharpsburg will help combat hunger and provide necessities that people might not be able to afford. The free food box will be erected at the Sharpsburg Community Library along Main Street. Filled with canned soup, boxed meals, beverages or basic toiletries, the pantry is expected...

Sharpsburg council has released the list of roads to be targeted in this year’s road paving program. Members are eyeing five streets for improvement, with bids accepted this month. If approved, the project will include 15th Street from Main to South Canal, Church Street from Main to Penn, Short Alley...