Western PA Local News category, Page 2034
Kennywood Park opens for the season
Kennywood Park kicked off its 123rd season Saturday — two months earlier than last year’s delayed opening because of the covid-19 pandemic. Some rides and attractions, including Noah’s Ark, Skycoaster and the 4D Theater, still remain closed as the West Mifflin park follows safety protocols recommended by the Center for...
Westmoreland Ballet celebrates spring with outdoor performance
The Westmoreland Ballet performed Saturday at the Robertshaw Amphitheather at St. Clair Park in Greensburg. The company’s Spring Performance 2021 featured the “Precious Jewels” excerpt from “The Sleeping Beauty.”...
Apollo May Daze raised over $1,000 for new police car radios, computers
Given Apollo’s tight budget, borough officials and the Apollo Events Committee are raising money to buy new police radios and computers for several borough police cars. The committee fronted about $850 from fees collected from Wheel Good Wednesday food truck events in the borough to buy T-shirts to kick off...
Family affair: McDonald’s more than a fast food chain for mother and daughter
The recognizable golden arches have always been more than a place to get a hamburger, french fries and a Coke for this mother and daughter duo. McDonald’s is a part of the family. Michele Rice-Kirkwood owns and operates eight McDonald’s in Western Pennsylvania, one where her daughter, Brittany Neal, is...
Highlands Meals on Wheels serving community for 50 yearsVideo
Volunteering for Highlands Meals on Wheels for 30 years has gone by faster for Dick Potter than the 34 years he worked for Allegheny Ludlum, today’s Allegheny Technologies. “It’s unbelievable how I look forward to going there three times a week,” said Potter, 91, of Lower Burrell. “It’s better than...
Pandemic worries cancel Vandergrift’s Festa Italiana for 2nd straight year
Hold the sauce. Festa Italiana di Vandergrift, or, just Festa, the popular Italian-themed summer festival in Vandergrift, has been canceled for a second straight season. The pandemic led to organizers canceling Festa again this year. It’s always held in August. Organizers were hopeful that they would welcome back the celebratory...
Student news: Cum Laude awards, technology honors, essay winners and more
Shady Side Academy Cum Laude Awards Twenty-three Shady Side Academy seniors were recognized for academic excellence by being inducted into the SSA Chapter of the Cum Laude Society on May 3. They are Ishika Arora, Gabriella Bernier, Luke Brennan, Joshua Castro, Caesar Curran-Blakely, Annabel Everett, Caroline Green, Tyler Hart, Gabriela...
Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa., breaks ground on Welcome and Education Center
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa., has been a destination for trolley fans for decades. But now, the museum is embarking on construction of an imaginative expansion project for which over $14 million has been raised. Ground broke Thursday for the building of a new 21,000-square-foot Welcome and Education...
Pool operators wait for state guidelines, look forward to ‘normal’ season
After some community swimming pools closed last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic, operators continue waiting this year for the state to offer guidance on how they can open. “It’s a very frustrating situation. It’s going to be a very fluid season,” said Janet Shork, who oversees Crabapple Park &...
Incorrect ballots mailed to some Mt. Pleasant voters, Westmoreland County says
Westmoreland County officials acknowledged that more than 190 incorrect mail-in ballots were issued to voters in Mt. Pleasant Township. Ballots issued to voters in four precincts — Ridgeview, Mammoth, United and Westmoreland Homestead — erroneously omitted the race for district judge to replace Michael Mahady, who will retire at the...
Bethel Park student news for the week of May 8, 2021
BP native and ROTC cadet recognized Twenty-six cadets from Slippery Rock University’s U.S. Army ROTC program became commissioned officers during an April 30 ceremony in the university’s Smith Student Center Ballroom. Among them was Dillon Pusateri, a junior political science major from Bethel Park. Pusateri also received the American Legion...
The top stories from across the Lower Valley from the week of May 2, 2021Video
Here are the top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of May 2, 2021: • Sharpsburg church closes after 134 years First English Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg hosted its last service on Easter Sunday. The church first opened its doors in 1887 but faced a dwindling congregation....
Letter to the editor: Thank you to volunteers for another successful Jack Sedlak Memorial Clean Up Day
Although we are still in the grip of the covid pandemic, we need to thank the 452 volunteers who donated their time to clean Monroeville’s roadways and parks for the 26th Annual Jack Sedlak Memorial Clean Up Day. The volunteers picked up more than 1,000 bags of litter, 40 tires,...
Honor society inductions, nursing pinnings and more for Sewickley area students
QVMS students win writing competition Quaker Valley Middle School students were encouraged to participate in the Waldmann International Arts and Writing Competition this year. This competition allowed students to expand on the themes of the QVMS seventh-grade social studies curriculum, utilize primary source documents, practice online researching skills and respond...
Greensburg’s Summer Sounds concert series may resume in late summer
Summer Sounds, the popular Greensburg concert series, could make a return to St. Clair Park, the founder said. The nonprofit Summer Sounds board of directors may decide within the next two weeks on resuming the Friday night concerts, said Gene James, the founder and board president. “The city is OK...
New Kensington-Arnold yet to decide on property tax increase in 2021-22 budget
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board will decide in June if there will be any property tax increase for next school year. The school board approved a $40.05 million proposed budget Tuesday that currently carries no tax increase. The district’s millage rate is 88.27 mills. With revenue of $39.62 million, the...
3 Republicans in contention for 2 Fawn supervisor seats in primary election
Three Republicans are facing off in the May 18 primary for two seats on Fawn’s board of supervisors. The seats up for election this year are held by the current chairman, Republican David Montanari, and Democrat David Norris. No candidates will appear on the Democratic ballot. Norris withdrew from the...
The Stroller, May 8, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
If your organization or community is planning a Memorial Day event, please send the information in as soon as possible to: Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084; e-mail cpinto-smith@triblive.com or fax 724-226-4677. Auditions next week at Freeport Theatre Festival The Freeport Theatre Festival will hold...
Pittsburgh Parking Authority adds apps for payment convenience in the city
With more people using mobile apps to pay for parking, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority says it wants to make parking in the city more convenient. The Flowbird mobile app and the Meter Feeder app are being added to the Go Mobile PGH app as payment options for a total of...
4 challengers face 3 incumbents in Greater Latrobe School Board primary
Seven cross-filed candidates are vying for four seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board. Among those seeking nominations in the May 18 primary are incumbents Bill Palmer, Heidi Kozar and Cathy Sarraf. Steven LoCascio is not pursuing a second term. The field of challengers includes Ryan Scarton, Andrew Repko, Tom...
Pine-Richland superintendent issues letter, district moving on with new coaches
Pine-Richland Superintendent Brian Miller has informed district families that they will be moving on with new football coaches despite weeks of public outcry over the firing of head coach Eric Kasperowicz and his staff. Miller did so in the form of a letter to families Friday. The school board recently...
Residents, pets escape blaze at Adamsburg apartment building, but 8 people left homeless
A fire investigator is looking into the cause of a Friday evening fire that extensively damaged an Adamsburg house containing three apartments. An outdoor grill may have been involved, as flames spread from a rear porch into the two-story house, according to Adamsburg Fire Chief Donald Thoma. Thoma said the...
Pittsburgh police: 11-year-old struck by bullet in Upper Hill neighborhood
An 11-year-old boy was struck by a bullet in Pittsburgh’s Upper Hill neighborhood Friday, Public Safety officials reported. Officers were dispatched around 5:45 p.m. to the 700 block of Anaheim Street for calls of shots fired in the area. Authorities said bullet shells were recovered, but no victim was located....
Pittsburgh Youth Chorus creates original piece, ‘Under One Sky,’ to wrap up year of virtual singingVideo
It’s been over a year of challenges for anyone who spends time singing in public. The Pittsburgh Youth Chorus is no exception, but its members are finishing 12 months of virtual rehearsals with an original song. The nonprofit PYC premiered its newest virtual choir video, “Under One Sky,” composed by...
Nearly 120K OK’ed to vote by mail, absentee in Allegheny County; Tuesday marks deadline to apply
Allegheny County elections officials on Friday urged voters who want to vote by mail in the May 18 primary to do so as soon as possible so their applications can be received and processed by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. The county has approved 118,195 applications from voters seeking early ballots...
