Jul 11, 2025 3 min read

MISS: A wayward black bear has been spotted roaming around Canonsburg neighborhoods this week, prompting borough police to take to social media to urge people to use caution if they encounter the wild animal. As an addendum to that message, we urge those who feel compelled to take a selfie with the bear to consider their safety. The bear is not interested in mugging for a photo but rather locating its next meal and, if it’s a mama bear, keeping watch over her offspring. Far too many instances of people attempting to capture pictures with a wild animal have ended badly, some resulting in serious injury and death. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers this advice for bear encounters: Make your presence known by yelling, waving your arms, and slowly backing away. Give the bear an escape route and avoid sudden movements. Yell, clap, or use an air horn to scare a bear away. And never approach or corner a bear.

Hit: The region is fortunate to count Always B Smiling among the recreational amenities available to special needs individuals of all ages. Located at 106 Valleybrook Road along the Montour Trail, the growing campus will be offering tours of its new sensory garden at its Miles for Smiles fundraising event on July 20. Kristen and Dean Huibregtse created the nonprofit five years ago after the loss of both of their children to autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, with the goal of helping individuals with special needs family members. Shortly before son Bennett died at the age of 16, his parents ordered an adaptive Duet bike from Norway. Always B Smiling now has six of the bikes available for special needs riders. Among those whose lives have been impacted by the nonprofit is Liz Smolka of Mt. Lebanon, who brings son Benjamin, 7, who is nonverbal and blind, to Always B Smiling for outings. “There are very few places that have things that are inclusive for kids who may be different, so it’s allowed us to have special time and allowed him to do things he loves that I can also enjoy with him, because sometimes you get robbed of that. You don’t get to do a lot of the things that you envision with your kids.” Go to www.alwaysbsmiling.org to register for Miles for Smiles or to become a volunteer.

Hit: Tiny Garards Fort post office – the smallest standalone post office in the state – may be hitting the big time. The historic post office building is one of three finalists being considered for inclusion in the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature Railroad and Village in Pittsburgh. Located at the science center since 1992, the railroad and village specializes in recreating historic scenes from Western Pennsylvania from roughly the 1880s to the 1930s. Trinity Crist, postmaster relief at Garards Fort, told the newspaper, “I’d love for the post office to be a part of history. The people that have lived here, the locals that have lived here for years, have always had good things to say about the post office, and they’re worried it’ll eventually be removed because we don’t get a lot of customers or bring in a lot of money.” Also in the running are the Bethel Township High School building in Bethel Park and the Andrew Bayne Memorial Library in Bellevue. People can cast one vote per day through July 31. Last year’s winner was Pittsburgh’s Chinatown Inn. To vote and read about the three finalists, visit www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/mrrv-poll-2026.