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Explore Every IN Community Magazine Story
Discover all of our IN Community Magazines articles — local stories, community highlights, and features that keep you connected and informed.


Be a Lifeline for Animals!
You can help save the life of animals by supporting Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh. Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh in Homestead provides care for at-risk and homeless pets, including a lifesaving transport program for animals in need. It is a nonprofit supported by a 100% volunteer staff, which assures that every dollar donated goes directly to the needs of the animals. Some of the care Animal Lifeline provides includes emergency medical care, dental care, spaying and neutering, and
Mar 52 min read


Reimagining Mt. Alvernia: A Landmark Campus Poised for Renewal
Within the past year, the Shaler Township Board of Commissioners granted a zoning change to the Mt. Alvernia campus located in the First Ward. Vacant since 2018, the Mt. Alvernia campus spans approximately 24 acres across both Shaler and Millvale. It features more than 200,000 square feet of historic buildings anchored by the magnificent Motherhouse constructed in 1897. Q Development seeks to revitalize the property and reintegrate it into the surrounding community, all while
Mar 52 min read


Yard Food Pantry Goes Viral
The world of AJ Owen suddenly got a whole lot bigger when he reached out to the community with compassion. EARLY DAYS OF THE FOOD PANTRY In November 2025, AJ Owen explained to his children that people were going to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and they might go hungry. “My two children are 7 and 9 years old, and I’ve always wanted them to be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world around them.” Kids often see things pretty sim
Mar 52 min read


Carlynton National Honor Society Students Lead through Service & Commitment
Students strike a pose prior to the Induction Ceremony in November. The National Honor Society (NHS) chapter at Carlynton Junior Senior High School continues to show the organization’s values of scholarship, leadership, service, and character through its involvement in both school and community service. During the first semester, Carlynton NHS students completed over 1,000 hours of volunteer service, showing their dedication not only to academics but also to helping others. T
Mar 33 min read


Leap of Faith
A grandfather’s music, a grandson’s vision and a cast of young performers came together to produce and perform an original musical rooted in faith and collaboration. Jude Glover (center) portrays Jesus with Sylvia Youshack (right) as Mary and Leo Pietroforte as Lazarus. “Another Miracle” premiered in February at Carnegie Stage in downtown Carnegie, marking the first time the original musical had ever been fully produced and staged. The invitation-only performances were not th
Mar 33 min read


Lightning Lacrosse
Lacrosse is known as the “fastest game on two feet.” With a ball that zings across the field at 75 miles per hour, it’s an exciting game to watch and play. Lacrosse has grown in popularity across the country, and Millcreek has also seen a growing interest in the sport. Josh Bischof, president of the McDowell Trojan Lacrosse Booster Club, has been involved in the sport for years. His oldest daughter, Adelaide, began playing in fourth grade and fell in love with it. His younge
Mar 32 min read


Old School Meets New Cool!
Baxter’s R•Cade in Southpointe brings play and nostalgia to the South Hills. In a region known for its growing entertainment scene, Baxter’s R•Cade has quickly carved out a space as a go-to destination for play, food, connection—wrapped in a bit of nostalgia. Located in Southpointe Town Center in Canonsburg, Baxter’s blends classic arcade fun with an elevated restaurant and bar experience, offering something refreshingly different for the South Hills. The idea came from Dan
Feb 202 min read


Woodland Hills Performing Arts Presents 2026 Junior Musical
The Woodland Hills Performing Arts Department presented “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” as this year’s junior musical, with four performances in mid-January at the Thomas G. Crone Auditorium. The full-scale production starred students in grades 7–9 and brought the humor and heart of the Broadway classic to the junior stage. Directed by Robert Carr, the show featured a large student cast and crew, highlighting the talent across the district’s middle grades. The production was praised as
Feb 161 min read


Going to the Mat
At just 9 years old, Upper St. Clair’s Maya Bhandari is finding success on the mat as part of the fastest-growing high school sport in the country—girls wrestling. On wrestling mats across Pennsylvania and beyond, Maya Claire Bhandari is making her presence known—not just with wins, but with more confidence than the average elementary school student. A fourth grader at Streams Elementary School in the Upper St. Clair School District, Maya is only 9 years old, but she already
Feb 163 min read


The Heart of the Community
The Fuller Hose Volunteer Fire Department has been answering the call to care on cold, dark nights for over 140 years. After the town of North East burned to the ground multiple times, the citizens saw an obvious need for fire protection. In 1885, a fire company was launched with 26 members. Ezra N. Fuller donated $100 toward the purchase of a hand-drawn hose cart, and the members paid homage by naming the company in his honor. According to legend, years later when Fuller Ho
Feb 163 min read


Miles That Matter
The Sewickley Runners Club has built a community one Tuesday at a time. On any given Tuesday evening in Sewickley, a familiar scene unfolds at the corner of Beaver and Broad streets—sneakers laced up, friendly greetings are exchanged, and runners of all ages and paces gather with a shared purpose. This scene is the meeting of the Sewickley Runners Club (SRC)—a weekly tradition that has grown from a small idea into a thriving community built on consistency and connection. The
Feb 163 min read


Blissful Escapes—Erie
From exfoliating scrubs to restorative massages, treat yourself to a spring spa treatment designed to renew skin, relax muscles, and welcome the warmer months. Cold days and heavy layers can leave both body and mind feeling dull. Spring is nature’s reminder that renewal is possible. With brightening facials, restorative massages, and revitalizing body treatments, spas offer an ideal way to refresh after months of winter hibernation. Here’s a list of local spas and salons wher
Feb 135 min read


Petal Pushers—Erie
A guide to a few of the local garden nurseries where the season comes alive with colorful annuals, native perennials, flowering trees and more. Elk Creek Lawn and Garden Address: 4984 North Creek Road, Girard Contact: facebook.com/elkcreeklgp, 814.774.0700 Find what you need to make your garden grow at this family-owned garden center. Be sure to check out the pet supplies and great selection of garden statues and decor as well. Gordon L. Luke’s Greenhouse Address: 77 Grahamvi
Feb 132 min read


Sweet Dreams!
Peggy Gray Candies of North Springfield has been a special treat for over 100 years, for kids from 1 to 92. In 1922 Marguerite (Peggy) Holliday was a physical education teacher. She began losing her hearing however, which made it impossible to continue as a teacher. Though many people might have decided to just stay home, Peggy never missed a beat. She quickly shifted gears, and looked for a new career to help her family. She had always enjoyed making candy as a hobby, and
Feb 133 min read


Plum Celebrates Unified Sports Honor with Polar Plunge Fundraiser
On January 21st, Plum Senior High School hosted an end-of-day assembly celebrating PSHS’s designation as a National Banner Unified Champion School. The CEO of the Special Olympics spoke at the event, honoring PSHS students, staff, and alumni who helped earn this award. This includes PSHS’s participation in Partner model programs like Best Buddies and Unified Sports®, where students with and without disabilities train and play together on the same team, creating shared opportu
Feb 132 min read


Suds-sational
Gibsonia resident Laura Bogacz blends creativity and science to create vibrant, small-batch soaps that turn an everyday ritual into something special. For Laura Bogacz, soap is more than a necessity—it’s a canvas. The founder and maker behind Pittsburgh Artisanal Soap Co., LLC, Bogacz lives in Gibsonia with her husband, Michael, and brings a lifelong love of creativity to every bar she makes. A former teacher and stay-at-home mom, she found an unexpected artistic outlet in so
Feb 102 min read


No Limits
Bethel Park martial arts instructor and world champion Alicia Tavani joins hundreds of players vying for victory in a high-stakes Netflix reality series. When Alicia Tavani stepped off a plane in London to film “Squid Game: The Challenge,” she knew exactly what she was walking into—and what she was leaving behind. No phone. No schedule. No certainty. For most people, that kind of isolation would be unsettling. For Tavani, a 13-time world champion martial artist and owner of N
Feb 103 min read


Petal Pushers
A guide to a few of the local garden nurseries where the season comes alive with colorful annuals, native perennials, flowering trees and more. East Beall’s Nursery Address: 9334 Saltsburg Road, Plum Contact: beallslandscaping.com, 412.793.6147 Beall’s is your go-to destination for all your gardening needs. The 7-acre nursery is home to hundreds of trees, shrubs and perennials. Stroll through a climate-controlled greenhouse to choose from countless varieties of flowering annu
Feb 106 min read


Woven Together
Ross Township’s Dyed In The Wool has offered inspiration and education for more than two decades. For more than 20 years, Dyed In The Wool on Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township has been a vibrant part of Pittsburgh’s fiber arts community—an inviting space filled with color, texture and connection. At the heart of it all is owner Carol Briggs Dragos, whose lifelong love of yarn has shaped not only a business, but a welcoming creative home for knitters, spinners, weavers and cr
Feb 42 min read


Exploring the Old Allegheny County Jail
If you’re looking for an unusual place to visit downtown, you just might land in jail. Most people spend their time trying to stay out of jail, but the Old Allegheny County Jail is one that you might want to visit—temporarily anyway. The building dates to 1886 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as architecturally significant. It was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson of Boston. It is actually the third courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh. The first was c
Feb 42 min read
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