Ember Duke stories, Page 3
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...
New Kensington’s St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl returns for 5th run
Downtown New Kensington will be a one-stop shop Saturday for green beer, “leprechaun sangria” and small Irish-inspired plates during the fifth annual St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl. Participating business owners, who lauded the event’s success, said it’s a great opportunity to expand customers’ dining horizons. Johanna Walters and David Atkinson,...
New Kensington council awards money for block of road repair
The New Kensington City Council voted Monday night to award $33,000 for road paving on Fourth Avenue between Ninth and 10th Street. The council voted to contract Plum Contracting Inc. for the construction. City Engineer Anthony Males said the amount was approximately $500 under what was budgeted. The motion passed...
Martin Elementary celebrates Read Across America with games, visiting students
Kindergarteners at the game station run by Valley High School junior Roman D’Argan rushed to find rhyming words on signs sprawled across the floor Monday at Martin Elementary School. D’Argan remembers looking up to older students when he was in elementary school and hoped to encourage the kids to learn....
Holy fish fries: Fish consumption skyrockets during Lent
Lent becomes a feeding frenzy when it comes to fish fries. Tons of breaded or beer-battered cod and haddock are consumed in Southwestern Pennsylvania during the 40-day holiday period in which Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays leading to Easter. Imperial-based wholesaler Nappies Food Service exports to churches and restaurants...
Valley and Deer Lakes high schools host suicide prevention speaker
Months after PJ Shell lost his stepson Maverick to suicide, he helped a distraught mother pay for her child’s equipment at a sporting goods store. The moment, Shell said in a speech at Valley High School, caused the first shared smile between him and his wife in months because it...
