Indiana Township supervisors vote down Cove Run Road housing development
Indiana Township supervisors unanimously voted down a proposed 172-unit housing plan off Cove Run Road. There was a round of applause from more than a dozen residents that stuck around for the near 2 1/2 hour meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12. It was in appreciation for the five-member board’s actions...
Wheelchair-friendly sidewalk to be expanded through Emmerling Park in Indiana Township
A third phase of accessibility upgrades at Emmerling Park in Indiana Township will expand access to the site’s 120 acres of beauty, officials said. A project to extend a sidewalk to support visitors with disablities from the pedestrian bridge to the pavilion will “allow access to enjoy the most picturesque...
Cooper-Siegel Community Library workers unionize with help from USW
Workers at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel and its Sharpsburg branch voted to unionize with the United Steelworkers union last month. A vote took place July 29 with 16 out of 21 eligible voters participating, according to National Labor Relations Board records. The vote was 13-3 in favor...
In brief: Happenings from across the Fox Chapel Herald area
To have your news or event listed in our briefs section, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com. Seeking neighbor nods The Fox Chapel Herald welcomes reader nominations for its weekly Neighbor Spotlight profile, which features residents of communities within the Fox Chapel Area School District. To nominate a neighbor, email...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 9, 2026
Aspinwall Patrick O’Connor sold property at 406 Center Ave. to Michael and Alexandra Tegler for $655,000. Blawnox Norman Skonieczny trustee sold property at 156 Second St. to Meade Douglass and Nikole Neptune for $279,900. Dean Lusk sold property at 937 Center Ave. to James Gerard Towle and Meryl Grace Warshadsky...
Courtyard renovations progress at Sharpsburg Community Library; mural next up for project
New fencing has been installed, a tree removed, pavers put in place and hardscape redone. What remains for a major courtyard renovation at the Sharpsburg Community Library is a mural and furniture installation. The former being the most extensive work, which will include community input and collaboration for the artwork...
O’Hara hires former UPMC police officer, resident as new township patrolman
O’Hara Township Police Department recently welcomed its newest full-time patrolman. Police Superintendent Jay Davis swore in Syed Pirzada to the force July 14. A job posting was made in March. Pirzada, 50, of O’Hara was selected out of eight candidates. “He scored very well on the written and very well...
Youth football push starting to pay off for Fox Chapel
Growth in a high school football program isn’t realized by pulling students out of the hallway. Fox Chapel varsity coach Dave Leasure appreciates the effort being made in the community to build from the ground up. The Foxes have seen the results of having the Fox Chapel Little Foxes football...
Coldwell Banker Realty Fox Chapel channels charity to help those in need
Giving back is part of the job culture at a longstanding real estate office in Aspinwall. Coldwell Banker Realty Fox Chapel along Brilliant Avenue hosted its second backpack drive July 29. Realtors and staff from the office stuffed 48 backpacks with school supplies. The bags will be distributed to local...
Sharpsburg’s Donna Bishop is a volunteer extraordinaire
Donna Bishop has no ego when it comes to community volunteerism. The 71-year-old is a fifth-generation Sharpsburg resident, all of whom gave back to the small river town community over the years. “I just want to see stuff happen,” said Bishop, a founding member of the borough’s parks and recreation...
Dorseyville teacher Scott Vensel named Holocaust Center’s Educator of the Year for ‘sowing seeds of hope’
Kaleidoscopes of colorful butterflies are hard to miss at Dorseyville Middle School. Some are wooden, some painted. Others are crafted from clay. The displays, collectively, are purposeful. Literacy teacher Scott Vensel installed the poignant reminders across the school campus in Indiana Township to provoke curiosity from students, staff and visitors...
Fox Chapel Area seeks to create Blue Zone through community connections
The Fox Chapel Area School District is going blue. The district isn’t shifting its school colors, but leaders are exploring what it would take to become a Blue Zone — regions across the globe where people live longer, happier and healthier. “In our community, we have many groups who do...
In brief: Happenings from across the Fox Chapel Herald area
To have your news or event listed in our briefs section, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com. Seeking neighbor nods The Fox Chapel Herald welcomes reader nominations for its weekly Neighbor Spotlight profile, which features residents of communities within the Fox Chapel Area School District. To nominate a neighbor, email...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 2, 2026
O’Hara Emerson Process Management Power & Water sold property at 150 Beta Drive to BRH Custom LLC for $10 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $1,500,000). Daniel Spitznagel sold property at 438 Valley View Drive to Ruth Jean Kirk for $475,000. Real Estate Transactions are provided by RealSTATs....
Fox Chapel boy, 6, scores high enough to qualify for Mensa
A pint-sized 6-year-old is making Mensa news in Fox Chapel. Eli Kotys was in kindergarten and 5 when he scored a 147 on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary School Intelligence Fourth Edition test in February. That score proved to be quite the accomplishment and earned him admittance as a young...
Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara welcomes its 1st female executive director
She’s a gutsy go-getter eager to embrace a new leadership role at a nonprofit in O’Hara. Heidi Ward, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, was named the first female director of the Lauri Ann West Community Center. Ward, who replaces Mark Rothert, was hired from about 50 applicants. She started July 13....
Proposed PRT route changes target service ‘where it would have greatest impact’
Big changes are on board for public transportation in the Lower Valley. Pittsburgh Regional Transit earlier this year rolled out its Bus Line Refresh initiative, working to revamp its network to “match how people travel today,” said Jake Stockman, PRT senior planner. Ridership has dropped 40% since covid, he said....
Sharpsburg Council posts vacancy as member steps down to move closer to new job
Sharpsburg Council has a vacancy. Council unanimously voted to accept Amber Lapp’s resignation July 23. Lapp, an administrative coordinator and a former employee resource group leader for a nonprofit public policy research institution, was appointed to council April 23. She took over for Corey Ochai, who resigned in March. Family...
Golf fits this winning Fox Chapel couple to a tee
A sporty couple are celebrating another golf victory together in Fox Chapel. Married golf duo Meredith Ward Ley and Mike Ley of Fox Chapel recently won 2026 Loving Cup golf tournament for the second year in a row. The Loving Cup is an annual mixed married-couples golf club championship hosted...
At the library: Here are some upcoming events at Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg libraries
Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages. To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location. Registration is required for most programs as space...
Aspinwall resident Bob McCarthy marks over 3 decades advocating for UPMC St. Margaret Foundation
Aspinwall resident Bob McCarthy’s relationship with UPMC St. Margaret began in 1968, long before the hospital was situated on its Freeport Road campus so close to his home. While playing high school football at Shady Side Academy, McCarthy took a hard hit that left him with a concussion. He was...
In brief: Happenings from across the Fox Chapel Herald area
To have your news or event listed in our briefs section, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com. Seeking neighbor nods The Fox Chapel Herald welcomes reader nominations for its weekly Neighbor Spotlight profile, which features residents of communities within the Fox Chapel Area School District. To nominate a neighbor, email...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of July 26, 2026
Aspinwall Jennifer Wiley sold property at 407 Center Ave. to Erick Maclean and Sarah Miller for $445,000. Fox Chapel Estate of William Aiken Jr. sold property at 114 Marvelwood Place to Eric Wallis for $50,726. First National Trust Co. Tr sold property at 621 Twin Pine Road to George Marsico...
Fox Chapel ace Lexi Stabile excited for challenging summer softball schedule
Lexi Stabile wants to be comfortable being uncomfortable. The Fox Chapel sophomore chose to play up in age group with the Carolina Elite Fusetti National 16U softball team. That meant seeing some older players and mistakes would be punished. It’s not a situation she feels the need to shy away...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Shady Side field hockey standout wins national tournament
Shady Side Academy sophomore Jemma Kimball-Ruttenberg went to Virginia Beach hoping to pick up more skills to stand out to college field hockey coaches. Kimball-Ruttenberg wound up helping to lead China to a U-18 girls division title at the Junior Nexus Championship. The tournament had 18 teams which were all...
