the almanac M A R C H 9, 2025
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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‘UNSEEN HANDS’
MIKE JONES/OBSERVER-REPORTER
Jennifer Pardini of Peters Township, who was brutally attacked with a hammer in July 2023, speaks to the media Feb. 27 outside the Washington County Courthouse after her ex-boyfriend, William Oberschelp, pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and was sentenced to prison.
Strong survivor Ex-boyfriend pleads guilty to brutal hammer attack that nearly killed McMurray woman By Mike Jones Staff writer
A display of the photos surrounds the main picture at the Memorial Wall near Grant Street in Pittsburgh.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MATTHEW RAFFAELE
PT couple’s photo project raises awareness for homelessness By Paul Paterra Staff writer
ppaterra@observer-reporter.com
Matthew Raffaele and his wife, Emily Powell, were sitting on the back porch of their Peters Township home when a thought occurred to them. “We always sit on our back decks and think, how can we save the world,” Raffaele said. “We both work with the homeless, so we came up with the idea of doing a project called ‘Unseen Hands.’” Not only did the project bring awareness to the plight of the homeless, but it also captured a photography award in a contest
sponsored by the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Along with his job at Greenbriar Treatment Center, Raffaele is an amateur photographer. Powell is a nurse at a clinic embedded in a low barrier shelter and in Street Medicine at Pitt. Raffaele accompanied Powell on Street Medicine rounds and from there, “Unseen Hands” was born. “We both felt that hands displayed the struggles in life that could otherwise be hidden,” Powell explained in a contest submission
Matthew Raffaele and Emily Powell sit on the back deck of their Peters SEE UNSEEN PAGE A2 Township home, where the idea for “Unseen Hands” was hatched.
mjones@observer-reporter.com
With large photographs showing her bloodied and battered face displayed in the courtroom, Jennifer Pardini spoke about her recovery from the brutal hammer attack by her ex-boyfriend that nearly killed her two years ago. “I am strong. I am brave. And I will persevere,” Pardini said. “This has changed my life forever. But I have the rest of my life ahead of me.” She recounted how William McCann Oberschelp came to her parents’ Peters Township home July 8, 2023, wielding a knife and lured her into the garage, where he found a hammer and bludgeoned her before leaving her for dead. Her father, Ron, found her on the garage floor surrounded in her own blood, and her mother, Greta, called 911 to get her life-saving medical care. The assault fractured Pardini’s skull, injured her brain and left her with double vision and numerous traumatic wounds that she continues to recover from and rehabilitate. But she took the stand during Oberschelp’s plea hearing Feb. 27 to thank SEE ATTACK PAGE A2
March madness The WPIAL held its version of March Madness when it hosted its basketball championships at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Six area teams participated with four claiming titles. The Upper St. Clair boys and girls swept the Class 6A bracket while the Peters Township girls and Chartiers Valley boys dominated the 5A division. For more details on the championship action, turn to page B1.
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
ABOVE: Jayden Davis (1) reacts after scoring two of his 28 points in Chartiers Valley’s win over Peters Township, 73-66. Davis also dished up nine assists and swiped three passes in the victory. FAR LEFT: Tyler Robbins helped the USC boys claim the 6A hardware. In a 65-43 win over New Castle, Robbins scored 12 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked five shots. CENTER TOP: Rylee Kalocay (3) fired in a team-high 13 points and dished up five assists in helping the USC girls hoist the trophy after a 45-40 win against Norwin. CENTER BOTTOM: Natalie Wetzel (14) and Taylor McCullough (24) led Peters Township’s comeback rush to unseat South Fayette as the Class 5A champions.
CHARLEROI Silent film star Olive Thomas remembered in new biography PAGE A2 What’s happening, B3
SPORTS Mt. Lebanon swimmer takes gold in WPIAL championships PAGE B1 Real estate transactions, A6
SIGHTS & SOUNDS Orchid Society annual show displays blooms PAGE B3 Classifieds, B4-6