Joyce Hanz stories, Page 19

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, July 31: Man shot in foot in Beltzhoover Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting Sunday night in the city Beltzhoover’s neighborhood. Officers responded around 11:15 p.m. to reports of 24 rounds fired in the 200 block of Industry...

Pittsburgh police are investigating the death of a 17-year-old boy Sunday night in Mt. Oliver. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Andrew Lavaughn Smith of Pittsburgh. Police responded to a report of shots being fired in the 400 block of Brownsville Road around 9:15 p.m. Pittsburgh...

Tommy Scanga got serious with his spuds Sunday in anticipation of feeding hundreds of hungry festivalgoers in Vandergift. Scanga, owner of Del Vecchio’s Sausage & Fries, had 1,000 pounds of potatoes at the ready in his food truck to make his specialty fresh-cut fries for the 16th annual Vandergrift Artfest,...

Chasing a pesky bat inside a residence Thursday led a Leechburg homeowner to discover a piece of American history. “I was in ‘dad mode,’ trying to get a bat out of the house — up in the attic,” said Shawn McGonagle, a father of four. “I realized there was an...

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? More than 1,000 students in three of the six schools in the Kiski Area School District will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2023-24 school year. The meals are being provided to all students at Kiski Area Intermediate School...

A community concert wowed hundreds Saturday evening in South Buffalo. In an effort to provide new and more contemporary entertaining fellowship options, St. Mary Mother of God Church hosted its inaugural Community Day and Music Festival inside a filled fellowship hall. “I was a little nervous but excited to perform,”...

Two Pittsburgh-area high schools have been recognized by Gov. Josh Shapiro for excellence in civics education. Presented by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award celebrates the efforts of high school students to engage, educate and inform their fellow students about involvement in the voting process. Leechburg...

Karen Shoop of Springdale has fond childhood memories of visiting Vandergrift with her grandfather. “We went there all the time to visit my aunt and uncle,” said Shoop, a Realtor and amateur painter. Shoop is prepping to follow the yellow brick road back to Vandergrift to attend the upcoming “Wizard...

A Vandergrift woman is using her green thumb and the power of flowers to brighten the lives of strangers. Last year, Katie Vance, 33, transformed her front lawn, once a rocky, barely there lawn with two small trees, into a floral oasis, complete with native perennials and annual flowers. Each...

The Apollo Memorial Library has started a new chapter in its leadership. After the sudden departure of former library director Jennifer Ramsey on May 9, members of the library’s board of trustees began their search for a replacement. They found it in Spring Church resident Beth Moore. Moore, 56, said...

A STEM-themed summer day camp offered more than robotics at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall. From racing crickets to chemical reactions, digital design to egg-drop parachutes, students enrolled in grades 1-5 from various schools spent more than five hours daily from July 10-14 exploring the world of...

Bargain shoppers will have two new shopping options in the coming months in Allegheny Township. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Dollar Tree are the newest tenants confirmed by Pittsburgh-area developer Jeff Paul to open in Hyde Park Plaza, the former home to a Big Kmart. Paul is the man behind the...

A familiar face in law enforcement has returned to his roots in Gilpin. After 28 years in uniform, former Parks Township Chief John Arce reported for his first shift with the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department on July 3. Arce resigned in June, after 17 years as a full-time officer...

A beloved pet is the inspiration behind a new business venture in Vandergrift. Vandergrift native and business owner Stephanie Crooks, 40, designed the logo for her ice cream shop, Scoops on Jackson, using the likeness of her late pup, Brody, who loved to eat ice cream. “I made the logo...

Police are investigating two separate incidents of theft and trespassing at the shuttered ATI plant in Gilpin. Southern Armstrong Regional Police Lt. John Arce said Thursday that police were notified by ATI security around 9:45 p.m. Sunday of three people entering the locked Bagdad plant. According to police, the three...

It’s time to feed the Vandergrift parking meters again. At least some of them. After several months with unenforceable meters, borough officials are making progress in their efforts to repair and certify 330 meters in Vandergrift to make them operational again. Police began enforcement of the parking meters Monday along...

Two young actresses with Fox Chapel Area High School connections have landed plum roles in an iconic musical based on a true story. FCAHS Class of ‘22 graduate Maddie Dick and Fox Chapel Area senior Emily Harajda are portraying sisters Leisl von Trapp and Louisa von Trapp, respectively, in Pittsburgh’s...

A somewhat reluctant recipient was honored Monday for her tireless dedication and service to her community. Joyce Spillers of Oklahoma Borough was recognized at the monthly council meeting with a few surprises to honor her 45 years serving as the borough’s tax collector. “I didn’t know this was going to...

A Leechburg resident is using music to bring folks together and help raise funds for breast cancer research. Sherry Price, a breast cancer survivor and organizer of Pink Day, one of the largest festivals in Western Pennsylvania dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research, is organizing Notes for Hope...

Amber Fouse of Gilpin is still reeling from the news that her beloved cat was killed by gunfire. Linus, a 5-year-old tuxedo (black-and-white) cat, was shot and killed June 21, according to the results of a recent necropsy report. Fouse, 27, said she went to the Southern Armstrong Regional Police...

PennDOT announced upcoming pipe repair work will shut down a portion of Route 66 (River Road) in Parks Township beginning July 24. River Road will be closed, weather permitting, between Industrial Park Road and Montgomery Lane. The closure is expected to remain in effect until July 28 as maintenance crews...

A new nonprofit aims to boost the arts scene in Armstrong County. The Armstrong County Arts Council formed in May and held its first meeting in June. The organization is dedicated to advancing the arts in Armstrong County, and its leaders are hoping to recruit more artists from the county...

Poolside recreation is still out of reach for patrons of the Vandergrift Pool in Allegheny Township. The Vandergrift Pool, officially named the Joseph A. Petrarca Memorial Pool, remains closed because of repairs required around its perimeter. Borough Secretary Steve DelleDonne said Friday the pool committee is hopeful the repairs will...

An uptick in rat sightings in a concentrated section of Leechburg has caught the attention of some residents — and borough officials. Leechburg Mayor Anthony “Tony” Roppolo addressed recent resident reports and complaints of rats at June’s council meeting. Referencing two blighted and abandoned buildings and one occupied home as...

“The Red Coats are coming!” That’s the cry heard loud and clear in a historical drama set to hit the stage Friday as Freeport Theatre Festival presents “Spirit of the Revolution” on July 7-9, 14-16 and 21-23. The performance kicks off the theater’s 34th summer season and revolves around the...