Faces of the Valley category

Faces of the Valley: O’Hara chef loves cooking ‘with intention’Video

Chef Blakely Gove was trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and knows a trick or two about creating dishes both delicious and visually stunning. The O’Hara native is pouring her craft into the kitchen of Harvest on Main, dishing up food meant to “nourish people’s souls.”...
Faces of the Valley: New Ken-Arnold wrestling coach builds offseason club for young athletes

Dane Johnson started wrestling when he was 4, but without years of training and development, his passion wouldn’t have led him to where he is today: the boys varsity wrestling coach at Valley High School. Now, his mission is to give kids the opportunity to train year-round for wrestling. Johnson,...
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...
Building the Valley: New owners plan to bring life to the Parkview Bar and Grille in BrackenridgeVideo

A decadeslong watering hole in Brackenridge, closed since covid-19 pandemic restrictions, is making a return under new ownership. This time, the Parkview Bar and Grille will have an actual view of Memorial Park and the Allegheny River just beyond it. “We’re gonna blow the front wall out and put in...
Faces of the Valley: Local counselor starts wellness initiative for mental health education

As a school counselor, David Heavner sees firsthand the mental health issues students deal with, including anxiety and depression, that are part of what he calls a growing mental health crisis. Heavner, 54, of Buffalo Township wrote a book and founded a wellness venture company called Through Service We Grow...
Faces of the Valley: Tarentum’s Robert Jones, 19, is all in at Summit Hose

Robert Jones watched firetrucks race past his Tarentum home two years ago to battle a house fire on West 11th Avenue. He walked into Summit Hose the next day and asked to join. “I knew right then that it was something I wanted to do,” said Jones, 19. Jones didn’t...
Building the Valley: Historic building serves as Vandergrift community gathering center

An almost century-old Vandergrift building that once served youth sports groups has been transformed into a community event space, breathing fresh life into a structure long tied to the borough’s history. Venue at 413, located on Linden Street, opened in January as a two-story rental venue. It already has hosted...
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...
Building the Valley: Autism support group, Powered by Love, promotes acceptance

Heather Vaughan is often asked why she started her nonprofit, Powered by Love. “The answer is simple,” the South Buffalo resident said. “It’s for my son, RJ.” Vaughan said she dreamed of becoming a mom, but things didn’t turn out exactly the way she imagined. When her son was diagnosed...
Faces of the Valley: Arnold outdoorsman takes on caretaker role for Rachel Carson TrailVideo

Levi Wilson is a trailblazer. No, really. Wilson, 40, of Arnold is responsible for maintaining the hundreds of blazes that guide hikers and runners through the rugged 46.2-mile Rachel Carson Trail. And that’s only one of his responsibilities. A floor manager at Aloma Shim and Manufacturing Co. in Penn Hills...
Building the Valley: Owner of Springdale restaurant builds bonds on ‘Calabrian Girl Tours’

Kathy Marsico never thought she’d end up spending half the year in the Italian countryside as a tour guide. The New Kensington resident worked as a hairdresser and eventually a restaurateur at Ladles in Arnold before she moved it to its present Springdale location. Though she grew up speaking Italian...
Building the Valley: New Kensington’s Catoris Candies celebrates 100 years of treats

In the production room at New Kensington’s Catoris Candies, owner John Gentile flipped through a small, yellowed notepad of candy recipes. Most of the scribbled instructions have been followed since the shop’s opening 100 years ago, he said. Still, Gentile often takes creative liberties in developing new sweets, especially variations...
Tarentum Book Club, the 2nd-oldest in the state, marks 125 years

Members of The Tarentum Book Club — the oldest club in the Alle-Kiski Valley — aren’t surprised people are clamoring to join. “Everyone in the club values it,” member Mary Jane Jacques said. “Whatever committee you’re on, we all do our very best.” As the club marks its 125th anniversary,...
Faces of the Valley: New Kensington Arnold School District secures new head of safety

William Leek Jr. has always wanted to help people. He pursued that goal on a professional level through a series of public service and safety roles. That included a stint in the Marine Corps Reserves, as a police officer with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department for two years and later...
New Kensington gift shop sells quirky, handmade 1-of-a-kind itemsVideo

Racks of quirky totes and custom tumblers now fill a small New Kensington storefront — but two years ago, The Bag Lady began with a single handmade Halloween trick-or-treat bag designed in honor of a deceased loved one’s birthday. Now, The Bag Lady owner Heather Naugle, a Penn Hills resident,...
Building the Valley: Veteran duo takes the wheel at Harrison auto shop

A longtime auto repair shop in Harrison has reopened under new management — and a bit of divine intervention, according to the new owners. Ekas Auto Care along Freeport Road was purchased by Ashley and Ryan Stadelmaier of Freeport, both veterans who served as U.S. Army helicopter technicians. “My husband...

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