Year in review: A look back at some of the top stories that shaped Penn Hills in 2020

Penn Hills, like just about every other town in the world, was touched by one of the largest and most impactful stories in 2020 — the covid-19 pandemic. But that wasn’t all that happened in the municipality over the past year.

Here’s a look back at some of the top stories in Penn Hills that shaped the year 2020.

The covid-19 pandemic

The virus didn’t ignore Penn Hills. The municipality remains one of the most infected within Allegheny County. As of Dec. 30, there had been 1,705 positive cases and 36 deaths reported since March, according to the county’s covid-19 tracker.

Early on, municipal officials responded by closing buildings, furloughing staff and launching an emergency operations center to track the disease within Penn Hills and offer resources to residents. Council continues to meet virtually — it’s first-ever virtual meeting was held in April because of the pandemic’s restrictions.

The school district held a drive-thru commencement ceremony at three different times spread over two days. The event, typically held in the high school’s stadium, was rescheduled twice before district officials landed on the drive-thru compromise in order to curb the spread of the disease.

A favorite Penn Hills eatery – Green Forest Brazilian Restaurant – was forced to close its doors permanently after a nearly 20-year run.

But the news surrounding the pandemic hasn’t all been bad. Heroes emerged, such as those featured in a piece chronicling the lives of EMS workers through the pandemic. Penn Hills responders have transported several people infected with coronavirus. And the pandemic forced people to get creative on how to keep connections and relationships thriving, such as the municipality’s drive-thru Christmas lights display.

Oh, and who can forget the Bee Lady? Darlene Kuszyk, 68, brought smiles to faces when she decided to suit up as a bumblebee and simply share a friendly wave to drivers as they zoomed past. She held a sign that read “Bee Safe.”

A tragic death

Officials found the body of Christian Moore-Rouse of Verona back in March.

Police have said Moore-Rouse, 22, was killed by Adam Rosenberg, who at the time lived with his parents in a Fox Chapel house along Settlers Ridge Road. Officials found Moore-Rouse half-dressed in the same outfit they believe he wore when he rode in an Uber to Rosenberg’s house on Dec. 21, 2019 — the last day he was seen publicly.

Rosenberg pleaded not guilty in November to charges related to Moore-Rouse’s death. Rosenberg, 22, also faces charges in the death of Jeremy Dentel, a 28-year-old from Baldwin.

The illegal dumping saga

The municipality’s fight against illegal dumping continued this year when officials caught on camera a Verona man dumping a mattress on the side of the road.

Harry Paul Tabor, 53, became the municipality’s fifth person charged for the act. Officials launched an aggressive program in 2019 aimed at catching the litterers in the act and slapping them with hefty fines.

A Wilkinsburg man was the first person fined in August 2019. The man appealed the decision but died before a date for the appeal was heard.

To date, the municipality has not received any restitution, according to court records.

The old municipal building

The year also brought uncertainty to the old Penn Hills Municipal Building along Frankstown Road. Before the pandemic foiled them, plans involved a commercial revamp and investment of up to $2 million.

When those plans fell through, the property sold to Narinder Singh and Kulwant Kaur for $175,000 under a cash deal. Plans for the property remain a mystery as neither owner has made them public.

Business developments

Penn Hills opened its doors to some new businesses this year.

• A new Goodwill store and donation center opened up in November. It’s located in a 15,000 square-foot space next to Planet Fitness in the Penn Hills Shopping Center. Its initial inventory was pulled from other stores.

A contact-free donation dropoff point was made behind the neighboring Giant Eagle. The main doors for the store face the shopping center parking lot. The development created around 30 jobs.

• Frankstown Road will see a new Bank of America branch open soon. The site, where a Bottom Dollar grocery store sat vacant for five years, is currently under construction.

Once finished, the Penn Hills site will be the state’s 57th location. Regionally, there are nine branches. The developer, 12012 Frankstown Associates LLC, purchased the site for $1.3 million in January.

Penn Hills School District

The school district was placed in financial recovery status in 2019. It’s about $170 million in debt largely due to construction loans for the high school and elementary school.

The road to recovery will be a little more expensive for Penn Hills residents in 2021. The school board passed an $87 million budget and raised real estate taxes by 3.6 percent back in June in order to achieve balance.

In other district news, the board voted 5-3 to hire an Oakmont company, SitelogIQ, to replace failing boiler systems for $1.3 million. The move went against a recommendation from the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials to hire a different company, McClure Co., that offered a solution for less money and greater savings over time.

State-appointed financial recovery officer Dan Matsook said PASBO recommended SitelogIQ last fall for a short-term fix to help the district get through the winter.

The state experts recommended McClure after the district requested proposals for a long-term fix of its boilers.

The board also approved the members of a committee aimed at discussing the future of the district’s Indian mascot.

The board’s former vice president, Kristopher Wiegand, resigned in October to “put family first.” A month later, board member Yusef Thompson Sr. resigned without an explanation.

Marisa Jamison of Penn Hills took over Wiegand’s seat in October. Thompson’s seat was also filled. Joseph Capozoli edged out Jane Lee for the appointment on Dec. 15.

A dairy farm turns 90

Turner Dairy Farms, along Jefferson Road, turned 90 years old in April. The pandemic was the second its owners have lived through. Through the years, the farm has milked cows, sold pork sausage, milk, dairy products and other beverages.

Today, the facility manages to process a little more than 200,000 gallons of milk and tea every week — the company began producing its iconic iced tea products in the summer of 1972. They source the milk from 36 dairy farms within 70 miles of their Penn Hills facility.

The company’s successful stature, even through the pandemic, served as an inspiration to keep on keeping on as we fight for normalcy.