Protesters call for state gift ban and end to Pittsburgh rodeo at Sen. Joe Pittman’s New Kensington office
In Pennsylvania, legislative officials are allowed to accept gifts from lobbyists so long as they disclose amounts greater than $250 and any travel, meals or lodging over $650 to the state Ethics Commission. Sally Simpson, a member of March On Harrisburg, which has advocated for a gift ban for the...
New Kensington shelter dogs benefit from increased volunteerism — in part, thanks to MiaVideo
A year after New Kensington’s Animal Protectors of the Allegheny Valley adopted out a shelter dog named Mia, who went viral online for her three-year stay there, the organization has seen a residual boost in volunteerism. Animal Protectors took to social media with Mia’s story, and it caught widespread attention....
New Kensington veteran has kept Memorial Park in bloom for more than 2 decades
While many see Memorial Day weekend as a time for tending to the graves of service members, one veteran can be found tending to a different kind of plot. For more than 20 years, retired Army veteran Jeanne Smith, 75, has tended the gardens at New Kensington’s Memorial Park —...
Late-season freeze puts chill on fruit harvests across the region
Those looking forward to the annual ritual of picking fruits and berries are likely to be disappointed this year. Blame Mother Nature. A late-April frost wreaked havoc with crops, killing many of the buds that would have produced fruit. Perennial crops such as apples, pears, peaches, strawberries and cherries bloom...
Manufacturing workforce program launches at Westmoreland County Community College New Ken campusVideo
The production of composite materials is a growing industry with an array of job opportunities, which led to the new Composite Manufacturing Technician Program at Westmoreland County Community College Composite materials are made of two or more different materials. The finished product is used in aerospace, defense and other industrial...
Charges against alleged Pagans member waived to court
Charges against a Tarentum man, who police say is affiliated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club, were waived to court Tuesday at his preliminary hearing. Joshua Drum, 31, is charged with felony and misdemeanor charges of retaliation against a witness or victim and intimidating a witness or victim. He also faces...
Building the Valley: Harrison auto shop keeps old-school customer service aliveVideo
In 2008, Kody Schuster went to a hiring event at a Firestone Complete Auto Care in Monroeville. It was a tough time to find a job, he said, even in the trades. He had always worked on cars he owned, so he gave it a try. Automotive work stuck with...
Upper Burrell puts temporary pause on new data center developments
Upper Burrell has passed a 180-day moratorium on data center developments while it drafts an ordinance outlining conduct for future projects. It will not apply to existing work that data center developer TECfusions has been doing to a building at the former Alcoa/Arconic technology center to fit its AI computing...
Chipotle, urgent care center get greenlights in New Kensington
In one of its main business hubs off Tarentum Bridge Road, New Kensington is slated for two new destinations: a Rural Urgent Care and a Chipotle. “We’re getting a lot of nice improvements in the Tarentum Bridge corridor there, and the city’s always happy to see new developments,” city engineer...
Burrell school bus rear-ended by pickup truck
A pickup truck rear-ended a Burrell School District bus carrying Huston Middle School students while it was stopped at a stop sign around 8 a.m. Thursday. District Superintendent Shannon Wagner said the children aboard were assessed by an ambulance crew on scene and again by the school nurse. She said...
New Kensington-Arnold School District proposes tax hike for next school year
New Kensington-Arnold School District property owners are looking at a nearly 2% property tax hike in the district’s proposed budget for 2026-27. The move would bring in about $220,000 more for the district. Expenditures for next school year are estimated at nearly $50.4 million. “The proposed budget does include the...
Authentic Mexican restaurant opens in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell’s food scene has some new tastes, from table-side guacamole to fajitas, plus an array of popular flavors of the Central American beverage agua fresca. Gio’s Mexican Food celebrated its grand opening Friday at its Leechburg Road location, across from Burrell Plaza at Adamchik Street. Lower Burrell already has...
Vandergrift couple closes Hancock Inn after 53 years
When Jean and Denny Silvis opened the Hancock Inn as newlyweds in 1973, it was a bit of a leap of faith for the couple. At the time, Jean wasn’t even old enough to bartend at the Vandergrift pub. After a run of more than five decades, the couple decided...
Police charge Pagans member with intimidating Lower Burrell assault victim
Lower Burrell police filed charges Wednesday against a Tarentum man they say is a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, accusing him of intimidating a man two other Pagans are charged with assaulting in January. Joshua Drum, 31, faces felony and misdemeanor charges of retaliation against a witness or victim...
Parks Township residents told more details about nuclear dump cleanup
From her kitchen window, Parks Township resident Candy Johnson, 71, can see buildings on a nuclear waste dump that has sat nearby since the 1970s. Johnson, who has lived in the township for a decade, came Wednesday night to voice her concerns about the $500 million cleanup at the site,...
Upper Burrell residents seek answers at data center town hall
Upper Burrell residents asked questions regarding environmental impacts, noise pollution, energy usage and health concerns about an incoming data center at a public meeting Tuesday and were told by the developer and township officials the project would not pose risks. TECfusions is in the process of building the data center...
Independent coffee shops: A community and economic driverVideo
Seeking a sense of community is what got April Zeolla, owner and operator of Novo Café in Arnold, into the coffee business. And a community is what she found. “I’ve always loved just any way to gather people in a room,” Zeolla said. “This is the best way to gather...
Local school districts join statewide push for increased public school funding from the state
As public school districts across the state face increased expenses and stagnant revenue, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association has introduced a resolution asking for increased state funding. PSBA is a Harrisburg-based organization that brings issues that affect districts across the state to the attention of state policymakers and the Legislature....
Man charged with attempted homicide, arson for fire that tore through a New Kensington duplex
Police are searching for a Pittsburgh man charged in connection to a March duplex fire in New Kensington that displaced two families. Anthony Mohamed, 37, faces felony charges for six counts of attempted criminal homicide, three counts of arson, burglary, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief. He also faces nine misdemeanor...
Lower Burrell welcomes air conditioning and heating business to former Hillcrest Volkswagen building
Mark Williamson is in the business of heating and cooling, but he says his company’s ethos is a bit more than that. MW Mechanical Services, which Williamson founded in New Kensington in 2022, installs and repairs residential and commercial air conditioning and heating systems across Soutwestern Pennsylvania. It also services...
Local historians discovering origin of New Kensington’s Little Girl Scout House
Millie Pipman wanted to track the origins of New Kensington’s Little Girl Scout House off Oates Boulevard, but her search was coming up short, so she tapped a local history buff for help. Bill Englert was able to uncover archival newspaper articles, including from the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, about the city...
New Kensington Spring Fest to focus on artisansVideo
New Kensington will host a new art festival, Spring Fest, on May 9. Michelle Thom, Voodoo Brewing manager and Olde Towne Overhaul operations manager, said the new festival will be similar to Fridays on Fifth, but instead of being food-focused, the purpose is to engage with local art and creatives....
Preserving Vinyl rebrands its 2nd New Ken shop as a bargain outlet, opens Dormont record storeVideo
Preserving Record Shop owner AJ Rassau has been waiting years for CDs to hit the mainstream again, so when the opportunity to buy 250,000 from an online collector and retailer presented itself, he took the chance. The CDs are now on sale at Preserving Vinyl bargain outlet on Fifth Avenue...
Faces of the Valley: Valley High student-athlete embodies leadership and positive ethos
For Valley High School Advanced Placement English teacher Rachael Link, students like Emmi Diehm give her hope for the future. “She’s the definition of the passion that we all have in this profession,” Link said. “As a member of the human race, knowing that Emmi is quickly exiting her junior...
Chipotle proposed at former Donut Connection site in New Kensington
New Kensington might be getting a Chipotle at the former Donut Connection location along Tarentum Bridge Road. City Engineer Anthony Males said New Kensington received a site development application for a Chipotle from Madison Acquisitions, parent company to 100 Riverview LP, which own parts of Riverview Plaza, where the former...
