Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 72

Sewer work along Clay Street in Sharpsburg will extend longer than expected. The $566,000 sewer separation was expected to wrap up by early January but will carry on until spring, ALCOSAN Director of Communications Joseph Vallarian said. He did not offer specifics on what caused the delay. The project shut...

It started with 13 rowers, no equipment and a self-described inexperienced coach. Fox Chapel Crew, founded in 1995 by Mark Bellinger, has grown from a meager program into a thriving sport beloved and respected in the local rowing community. “My first boat was a used piece of junk but now...

It seemed like a good year for Aquinas Academy theater students to take on “The Addams Family” given that unusual pandemic regulations required the show to be presented online for the first time. High school students made the foray into the creepy world of TV’s favorite goth family for a...

Kittanning Street in Etna is closed between Greismere and Snyder streets. Work to relocate storm sewer lines is expected to take at least one month. Detours are posted. Blood drive in the works Millvale Community Center will have a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 29....

Sharpsburg residents will pay the same real estate taxes to the borough in 2021, despite the lingering pandemic and its economic impacts. Council approved the borough’s $2. 5 million budget, holding the property tax rate steady at 7.5 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay...

A glittering field of more than 500 lanterns sent a simple but solid message by the new Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy trying to raise awareness of the borough’s vast green space. “These are the community’s parks,” Councilwoman and Conservancy co-founder Mandy Steele said of the Jan. 8 event at McCahill...

Fox Chapel Area School District officials said a decision to increase in-person class time for middle and high school students could come in early February. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said there’s been no alternate guidance from the state regarding older students, despite last week’s recommendation by health and education experts...

A long-vacant grocery store in Fox Chapel Plaza is making waves since the arrival of construction crews earlier this month. When the former Community Market spot reopens at the corner of Freeport and Fox Chapel Roads, long gone will be aisles of produce and paper products. In its place will...

Shaler commissioners have extended the township’s tax relief program for fire volunteers. Property tax relief is now available for firefighters who don’t meet the criteria for the township’s typical earned income tax (EIT) assistance. Eligible fire volunteers can receive up to a $300 credit on their township property taxes through...

People will be able to do their banking at a stand-alone ATM machine soon to be under construction along Shaler’s Butler Street business corridor. Commissioners approved a site development plan from OptiVia LLC to build a drive-thru banking machine near the Shop’n Save grocery store. It will sit at 917...

Free grab-and-go meals will be available in Blawnox each Tuesday through Feb. 2 for Fox Chapel Area School District families. Sponsored by Backpack for Hunger and Fox Families Care, the meals will be served at the Blawnox firehall, 376 Freeport Road. “This is for anyone,” volunteer Lisa Bowden said. “There...

Programs and projects at the Sharpsburg Community Library funded by the Fox Chapel Area student telethon will continue for years to come, library officials said. The event brought in more than $16,400 for the library at 1212 Main St. “We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the...

With its tree-lined streets and walkable neighborhood, Aspinwall could benefit from a community center that offers game nights, book-borrowing, gardening and a café. That’s according to residents Amy and Christian Lima who are spearheading a nonprofit effort to open the Aspinwall Library — the name of which belies the variety...

Shaler Area School District has again extended its remote learning period, this time through Jan. 15. Superintendent Sean Aiken alerted families through a letter that students will return to the classroom for hybrid instruction beginning Jan. 19 for Cohort A and Jan. 21 for Cohort B. January 18 is a...

The Fox Chapel-based women’s choir, Belle Voci, is using the covid-19 pandemic to fuel camaraderie and strengthen spirits. In many ways, the group is connecting more deeply than when their time was focused strictly on rehearsing, Pamela Bruchwalski, marketing director, said. “We may not be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, but...

Etna residents interested in serving local government can apply to fill a council vacancy. Interested residents must apply by Jan. 12. Bill O’Dell, who represents the 3rd Ward, resigned Dec. 31. He was not immediately able to be reached for comment. The 3rd Ward consists of the neighborhood left of...

Two local restaurant chains have chosen to remain temporarily closed despite the state lifting its most recent covid-19 restrictions. Management at Atria’s and Juniper Grill said they cannot be profitable at half-capacity, as mandated by Gov. Tom Wolf’s virus-related guidelines. “We cannot and will not make it as a business...

A winter lantern festival in Fox Chapel first delayed by rain is rescheduled for sundown Friday. The event will launch the borough’s new parks conservancy by installing a sea of flickering lanterns across the field at McCahill Park along Squaw Run Road. From 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., people can enjoy...

Aspinwall officials are crediting a strong housing market for helping to maintain the property tax rate in 2021, despite increased spending and pandemic impacts. Aspinwall Council approved the borough’s $2.8 million budget, which holds the real estate tax rate at 6.86 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000...

An annual food collection at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church will help local food banks bridge the gap between the holidays and spring time drives, pantry leaders said. The Fill-a-Truck event in early February, split between the Bread of Life in Etna, St. Vincent de Paul in Sharpsburg and Council of...

A former Shaler Area elementary school will be converted for community use after its purchase by the township is complete. The vacant Jeffery Primary building along Wetzel Road was offered for sale by the district to Shaler for $120,000. The 31,500 square-foot school sits directly across from the municipal building...

Chartiers Valley School District will continue remote learning this week, with students returning to the classrooms Jan. 11. Superintendent Johannah Vanatta alerted families through a pre-holiday letter that the district hoped to capitalize on extended remote learning to mitigate the spread of covid-19. “The district found it quite beneficial to...

A visit to McCahill Park in Fox Chapel on Jan. 1 will be nothing short of magical as the site transforms into a glistening field of lights at sundown. The effort is to promote the newly created Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy, founded to emphasize the community’s passion for its expansive...