Joyce Hanz stories, Page 24

A bridge spanning the Kiski River and connecting Vandergrift to Parks Township finally bears the name of a local hometown sports hero. After nearly 10 years of petitioning, the Vandergrift Bridge is now the Rudy Minarcin Memorial Bridge. “I had no idea my dad had such an impact on people,”...

A revamped, fashion-themed fundraiser to benefit an Aspinwall Catholic school is returning from a two-year, covid-induced hiatus. The 2023 Sip & Style Fashion Fundraiser supporting Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy is scheduled for May 7 at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel with the doors opening at 1:30...

New Kensington officials are a step closer to one of their community policing goals: making officers more visible to residents. “People notice when our officers are visible and are out in the community, which we really like them to be,” said Mayor Tom Guzzo. “It’s important for us to get...

Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo is aiming to improve the borough he serves by knocking down more blighted, abandoned buildings. “I’m concerned about the safety of the overall neighborhoods and potential downside and contamination spreading from there to adjacent properties,” Roppolo said. “It’s just an overall positive-­positive across the board getting...

Washington Township supervisors are grateful for state grants that make expensive bridge projects possible for small, rural communities like theirs. The township’s former Poke Run Church Road bridge was torn down this month to make way for a box culvert bridge. The new bridge is being paid for by a...

For anyone who has wondered how to explain something unexplainable, there’s a new group in Vandergrift that might be right up your alley. The 12 O’Clock Society for Paranormal Investigation is a public group for people looking to socialize, explore paranormal topics and conduct paranormal investigations. The group is based...

Some motorists and pedestrians navigating the sidewalks and streets of Vandergrift are asking questions about the recent appearance of bagged parking meters throughout the borough. “I had a customer ask me what was going on,” said Allusion Brewing Co. co-owner Robert Buchanan. “The bags look trashy. That’s the first thing...

Opening night was a hit for Riverview Junior-Senior High School’s drama students, who presented Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” to a nearly sold-out crowd on March 16. More than 100 cast and crew members were involved in the monster-themed production. The show, performed at the Tenth Street Elementary auditorium, transports the...

It was a visual trip down memory lane and a peek into the past Sunday at the Salvation Army in New Kensington. The original contents of a 1924 Salvation Army time capsule were on display for several hours after a worship service led by Maj. Greg Hartshorn of the organization’s...

An O’Hara bakery open for less than two years apparently has closed for good. Hanna Commercial Real Estate is advertising Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe, located at 900 Gamma Drive in the RIDC Industrial Park off Route 28, for rent as a “turnkey” restaurant that is ready for immediate operation. The...

The hundreds of spectators lining Leechburg Road on Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade were treated to a bigger-than-ever green scene. “They do it up,” said Lower Burrell resident Jacquie Springer, who arrived in tow with several youngsters. “It’s a great reason to get the kids out of...

An event celebrating Pittsburgh-area runners who are raising funds for ALS — commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — is scheduled next month at a Blawnox brewery. More than 50 runners with Team Challenge ALS are registered to participate in the 2023 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 1, and a kickoff...

Opening night was a hit for Riverview Junior-Senior High School’s drama students, who presented Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” to a nearly sold-out crowd Thursday. More than 100 cast and crew members are involved in the monster-themed production. The show, performed at the Tenth Street Elementary auditorium, transports the audience to...

Five years ago, Mother Nature pummeled a stone bridge in Bell Township, and it has been closed ever since. The Lantz bridge over Wolford Run, which is more than 60 years old, was severely damaged and partially washed out by high waters during an intense storm that year, said Angela...

Southern Armstrong Regional police are investigating a report of an attempted abduction Wednesday of two juveniles in the 300 block of Route 66 near the Dollar General in Gilpin. Police received a report at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday of an older, white man with long, dark hair driving a tan minivan...

Gilpin officials are seeking volunteers for a new committee aimed at expanding business development in the rural township. Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull announced Wednesday plans to create an Industrial and Economic Development Advisory Committee. “As a local official, I’m always concerned for and looking for ways to bring more development...

Vandergrift police are investigating a shooting late Saturday in East Vandergrift. Officers responded to a report of gunshots fired in the 400 block of Kennedy Avenue about 11:55 p.m., police Chief Joe Caporali confirmed Wednesday. “Police checked the area and no one was seen in the area,” Caporali said. There...

Since its debut in January, the Fresh and Free Community Pantry inside Apollo Memorial Library has been in high demand, with more than $1,000 in food moving off its shelves some days. The effort hit a snag Feb. 3, when Jennifer Ramsey, the new library director, received its last donation...

Apollo-Ridge High School thespians are wrapping up last-minute rehearsals this week as they prepare to perform a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein production. A cast of more than 40 will present “The Sound of Music” on Thursday through Saturday in the high school auditorium. A live student-led pit orchestra overseen by...

Andrew Pallus didn’t let failure deter him as a teenager while vying for a director’s seat on the Leechburg Area School Board. Pallus was 19 and a recent honors graduate of Leechburg Area High School when he ran for the school board in 2021. “I didn’t get it in January,...

A charity ball benefiting childhood cancer research combined dancing with doing good Saturday at The Priory in Pittsburgh. The 2023 Blue White Ball was held at Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at The Priory. Blue White Ball’s Pittsburgh chapter is a nonprofit that raises funds year-round to support Penn State University’s THON...

A busy stretch of state Route 356 in Allegheny Township is closing for more construction — again. The closing is scheduled to begin March 20 and last until the end of November. “This will be the exact same closure as last year with the closure at the 356/56 split and...

It’s out with the old and in with the new at Kiski Area High School. A state-of-the-art fitness facility was unveiled to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The equipment cost just over $202,000. The project was made possible by a hefty donation from the Kiski Area Education Foundation, which...

Some Scouts traded class time for courtroom time Wednesday in Allegheny Township. About 15 co-ed Scouts from Troops 501, 501G, 111 and 121 spent three hours observing civil and criminal hearings conducted in District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec’s courtroom. “This is my first time in a courtroom,” said Eli Booth,...

Taegen Caudle stood at the podium in front of Vandergrift officials during Monday’s council meeting to plead for playtime options in the borough’s still-locked parks. Taegen, 9, was one of about 20 residents in attendance in support of the playgrounds being unlocked April 1. “We really want some time outside...