Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 109
La Roche prepares to open for fall semester
La Roche University announced the health and safety plan for reopening its McCandless campus this fall, with officials guaranteeing a reduced number of students in classrooms and daily temperature checks for all. Despite covid-19 and its challenges, the university is prepared for the 2020-21 academic year, La Roche President Sister...
Shaler residents can register for yard waste collection
Shaler residents must register by 3 p.m. Wednesday for the township’s yard waste collection on July 25. According to the township website, items that can be picked up include leaves, garden residue, shrubs without dirt, tree limbs and trimmings, and similar items. Items have to be placed inside a biodegradable...
Fox Chapel Area families running out of time to complete back-to-school survey
Today is the last day for Fox Chapel Area families to complete a survey regarding the district’s back-to-school offerings for fall. Families were sent a link to the survey to provide input on in-person and online instruction, both of which the district will offer for the 2020-21 school year, Jill...
O’Hara applies for grants to help alleviate stormwater issues
O’Hara is seeking nearly $750,000 in grants to ease stormwater issues across the township. Council is applying for three separate grants from the state’s Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund to address problems along Gamma Drive, Powers Run Road and Epsilon Drive. If approved, the money would be funneled through...
Little Free Library coming to Blawnox in August
Anyone with a love of literacy can check out Blawnox’s new Little Free Library under construction in the heart of town near the Veteran’s Memorial along Freeport Road. The box is roughly 2 feet by 2 feet and will be painted in the borough’s colors of blue and gold. It...
O’Hara council applies for ALCOSAN grant
O’Hara is eyeing a grant that would refund nearly $300,000 spent on sanitary sewer work along Powers Run Road. Council is applying to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) for reimbursement for work done over the past four years. The total amount of the application is $289,894. “It’s for sanitary...
O’Hara creates Community Liaison Officer program to strengthen police relations
At least two O’Hara police officers will take on new roles as minority liaisons in an effort to boost trust and communication. Council on July 14 approved the creation of a Police Community Liaison Officer program with the specific goal of engaging ethnic and culturally specific residents to better relations....
Shaler students, alumni demand action to address alleged racism in schools
Shaler Area School Board on Wednesday heard a barrage of stories from students and alumni who detailed racism in district schools. Nearly 100 people attended a remote meeting to share their experiences, with organizers using discomfort as a springboard to seek social justice and demand actions to create inclusivity. “You...
Kayak Pittsburgh set to open Friday at Aspinwall Riverfront Park
Kayakers will be able to get out on the water in Aspinwall this weekend, Venture Outdoors announced Thursday. After a stalled start to the season amid covid-19 concerns, the group said it will open its Kayak Pittsburgh site at the Aspinwall Riverfront Park on Friday for members. Access will be...
O’Hara awards smaller-than-usual road paving project because of covid-19 impacts
O’Hara residents will see about $275,000 in road paving but it won’t be until fall, council said during its meeting July 14. Council approved the 2020 road improvement contract to Tresco Paving, with township Manager Julie Jakubec saying it is a scaled back program because of covid-19 impacts. “There’s no...
Residents file opposing petitions for potential name change of Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara
Dueling petitions to keep or change the name of Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara are heating up online and will likely be debated during the township’s parks and recreation committee meeting on July 22. Council heard Tuesday night from several people advocating for a name change to the 31-acre park...
The Herald-area student news for July 14
Shady Side Academy graduate Aliyah Roberts was among 32 area high school student-athletes honored at the 2020 Western Pennsylvania Positive Athlete Awards. One student-athlete was honored from each sport, and Roberts was the winner for girls track & field. The 2020 winners were announced July 6 on YouTube. Positive Athlete...
Shaler school task force to consider reopening scenarios
Shaler Area School District’s back-to-school task force will be finalizing recommendations this week on a plan for reopening. Whether classes will be held in-person or online has yet to be decided. One scenario would be for school to begin in person with restrictions in place, another would be a hybrid...
Fox Chapel Area graduate relishes experience as junior councilperson in Blawnox
Recent Fox Chapel Area graduate Hannah Drum is eyeing a career as a genetics researcher but a high school stint with Blawnox Council stirred unknown political passions. “Wherever I live, I’ll definitely join local government,” the teen said after wrapping a two-year term as Blawnox junior councilperson. “It opened my...
Aspinwall’s Big Night Out community event canceled because of coronavirus concerns
An Aspinwall fundraiser that brought in more than $20,000 in 2019 is canceled this year amid covid-19 concerns. The Big Night Out, scheduled for Aug. 4, is hosted annually by the Aspinwall Neighborhood Watch (ANW) and pegged as the borough’s largest community event. Last year, it saw 1,200 visitors converge...
Fox Chapel’s Faith United Methodist Church returns to Zoom worship as covid-19 cases rise
After a brief reopening of in-person services at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel, leaders have decided to take a pause until covid-19 cases start to decline. Services resumed at the West Chapel Ridge Road site on June 28 for one week, just before Allegheny County started to see...
$5.2M renovation offers numerous upgrades for Sharpsburg Towers senior residents
A $5.2 million renovation to the senior citizen high-rise in Sharpsburg included new bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets in a project targeted at preserving affordable local housing. Work also included heating and cooling upgrades for its residents, building owner National Church Residences announced. Sharpsburg Towers, which opened in 1980, saw...
Kayak Pittsburgh delays opening of Aspinwall location amid rise in Allegheny County covid-19 cases
The opening of Kayak Pittsburgh in Aspinwall has been delayed after a rise in covid-19 cases in Allegheny County, officials said. The group had eyed a Friday opening at the Aspinwall Riverfront Park facility, just off Freeport Road. “We want to be able to open everything up, but we want...
News briefs: Officials remind residents of mask rules in Aspinwall parks
Aspinwall officials are reminding park visitors that masks are required per the new mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf in cases when it is not possible to socially distance. Manager Melissa Lang O’Malley said masks are only required if visitors cannot keep the required 6 feet from the next person. “Our...
Fox Chapel Area School District weighing in-person, online learning scenarios
Fox Chapel Area students could start the new school year from home, learning online with instruction from district teachers. Or, students could return to the six campuses and be mandated to wear masks in the classroom and socially distance from others in the buildings. Officials this week announced several scenarios...
Indiana Township to consider application for Hartwood Meadows expansion plan
Indiana Township Supervisors will consider an application for the expansion of a planned residential development near Hartwood Acres. A public hearing regarding Hartwood Meadows will be at 6:30 p.m. July 14 in the township building, 3710 Saxonburg Blvd. Supervisors are expected to vote during their regular meeting immediately following. Developers...
Group led by Fox Chapel students distributes meals to children in Sharpsburg, Blawnox, Millvale
The Summer Youth Café is open in three Lower Valley communities to offer free lunches to local children. Aimed at providing healthy meals to anyone 18 or younger, the program is run by the Youth Empowerment Project in Sharpsburg. “We have a group of kids from Fox Chapel Area’s high...
Bayernhof Museum in O’Hara closes for 2nd time amid rise in Allegheny County covid-19 cases
One of the Lower Valley’s most unique attractions has shut down for the second time after a rise in covid-19 cases in Allegheny County. Bayernhof Museum in O’Hara posted Monday on its Facebook page that the eclectic facility will be closed temporarily. “We will open back up but for now...
Shaler road to close for bridge repair
Motorists who travel along Wetzel Road in Shaler should allow extra time as a portion of the road is expected to be closed for up to four months. A bridge that crosses Little Pine Creek is being replaced, PennDOT officials announced. Project cost is $1.4 million and will include drainage...
Fox Chapel Area School Board approves budget with program cuts, 1.5% tax hike
Covid-19 and its unknown long-term impact have taken a toll on the Fox Chapel Area School District 2020-21 budget, with program cuts that include the elimination of two school resource officers and a pause on the elementary Spanish Immersion program. “Because of the unknown impact on projected revenues and expenditures,...
