New Kensington-Arnold students gifted supplies at yearly Adopt-A-School program
Sixth grader Landon Fernandez said he might use new school supplies gifted to him to draw, study and help with his homework. Bags of school supplies, including notebooks, colored pencils, glue and more were given to all 600 students at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in Arnold on Friday. It...
Arnold police to wear body cameras
Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci said getting body-worn cameras for police officers was one of her top priorities coming into office. Now that the department has them, she hopes they’ll help to protect those officers and the community. “(It will be beneficial) if there are any questions of legal disputes on...
New business workshop coming to Lower Burrell
For potential entrepreneurs looking to get in on Lower Burrell’s business district, an upcoming informational session may be a great first step, said Councilwoman Carley Logan. On April 16 the Lower Burrell New Business Workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Fisher Hall at Burrell Lake Park. Logan, who...
Tarentum Night Market may avoid being canceled
The lights may be back on this summer for the Tarentum Night Market. Late Tuesday, market officials announced on Facebook it would be canceled for the 2026 season. It was later found the market could not afford required liability insurance, and it would not be awarded a permit by Tarentum...
Lower Burrell walking club takes steps to boost community connections
Lower Burrell’s new walking club will foster community connection, nature appreciation and health benefits, according to walking host Lindsay Taylor. In early April, Lower Burrell’s Nature Neighbor Walking Club will hold its first meeting at Burrell Lake Park. An official date will be announced on the Lower Burrell Parks and...
Kotecki Dog Park closed as safety precaution
High winds over the weekend caused a pole at the Kotecki Dog Park in Lower Burrell to lean far enough that officials decided to close the park Monday and Tuesday out of “an abundance of caution.” Mayor Chris Fabry said it doesn’t look like the pole will fall, but the...
New Kensington Restaurant Ramble returns with new options
A night of crab rangoon, pizza, baked goods and various other treats is on the horizon in downtown New Kensington. The city’s fifth annual Restaurant Ramble will return March 28, with three new participating eateries: Ash Taphouse, Begonia Bistro and Lucky Duck Candy Co. For $35 a ticket, participants can...
New Kensington, Arnold water lines getting upgrade
The New Kensington Municipal Water Authority is replacing lead lines in New Ken and Arnold to comply with federal regulations. The project to replace 115 service lines, which started at the beginning of the year, will wrap up in a few weeks, said the authority’s Distribution Superintendent Ed Saliba Jr....
New Kensington man charged in 2023 murder
An inmate at the Westmoreland County jail has been charged in connection to a 2023 murder in New Kensington. Raijon Deqae Wilson, 30, of New Kensington is charged with homicide in the shooting death of Troy Vickers Jr. On Oct. 19, 2023, Vickers was found shot in the head on...
Women entrepreneurs find unity, success in New Kensington
Part of Leah Delaney’s inspiration as a small-business owner is showing her young daughters what feminine success looks like. “I feel that women are so strong in so many ways,” Delaney said. “Tap into that feminine energy and radiate who we are.” Delaney’s studio, AngelWing Yoga and Wellness, opened five...
Arnold, Vandergrift, East Vandergrift to leave Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council
Three municipalities are leaving the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council, citing membership costs and internal administrative changes. Arnold Council voted Tuesday to leave, citing lack of recent progress as a deciding factor. Councilman Aaron Moore said the council is well-intentioned, but the only deliverable it has produced was a 2025 blight plan....
Lower Burrell votes to donate land for Stewart Elementary housing project
Lower Burrell didn’t donate the pickleball courts behind city hall to Burrell School District as part of the deal to redevelop the Stewart Elementary School property because the city never really owned the courts. The city mistakenly built them on land owned by the school district. City council this week...
Upper Burrell teen to display Holocaust education project at Tri-City Historical Society
When Burrell High School senior Lily Sassani wanted to bring light to little-known stories about Girl Scouts’ role in society during the Holocaust, she turned to history books. After two years of research, writing and interviews, she shaped her findings into a Holocaust education patch that troops across the world...
Police: New Kensington woman accused of stealing from an elderly man
An arrest warrant has been issued for Tasha Tierra Williams after she was accused of stealing from an elderly New Kensington man she was supposed to be helping. Williams, 44, of New Kensington faces five felony charges, including financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person. Williams met the...
Upper Burrell residents uneasy over coming data center
Upper Burrell residents hadn’t expressed many concerns about an incoming data center — until this week. At Wednesday’s township supervisors meeting, they asked for assurances on health, noise and environmental concerns. The only assurance they got was news the township is writing an ordinance for the project — a process...
Former Valley News Dispatch reporter returns to her roots in new contemporary, romantic fiction
When former Valley News Dispatch reporter and editor Patricia Vido started writing her debut novel “For Love of Billie” 10 years ago, she was sure of one detail: its setting in the Alle-Kiski Valley. “That’s the most important piece of a story,” Vido said. “The Alle-Kiski Valley is where I...
