Allegheny Valley looks to boost mental health support for students
The Allegheny Valley School District soon will be able to provide behavioral and mental health support to students in a quicker way. The district is adding a part-time school psychologist and a behavioral specialist to its support team, said Melissa Holler, director of pupil services. “They would be working together...
The Stroller, March 24, 2024: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Wall of flags to be placed on Kittanning amphitheater The John...
Divers to inspect Tarentum Water Plant for algae, corrosion
Divers will make their way through the Tarentum water treatment plant in the coming weeks, vacuuming sediment and other debris from well walls and floors. Crews will inspect for algae and corrosion in the clear well, which is part of the drinking water purification system. “It’s a small chamber, and...
Springdale officer promoted to detective after thorough work solving burglaries
A Springdale police officer was recognized — and promoted — thanks to his work solving burglaries in the borough. Officer Jon Koprivnikar was recognized by council during its meeting Tuesday, March 19. Council also promoted Koprivnikar to detective. “We had a rash of business burglaries within town,” police Chief Derek...
Remember When: 1st plane crash in Alle-Kiski Valley took place in 1920
On Nov. 16, 1920, a Curtiss biplane crash-landed in the Allegheny River near the Brackenridge intake plant at River Avenue and Morgan Street. This was the first airplane crash to occur in the Alle-Kiski Valley. The plane was piloted by Lt. J.P. Morris, 24, a former Army aviator from Pittsburgh....
Hotter, quicker, more toxic: Varied construction methods, modern materials change the rules of firefighting
Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Bell can remember watching an informational film early in his training that emphasized the importance of escaping a fire in the first five minutes. Now, he says, people have closer to three minutes to get out of a burning home safely. “It’s a new...
4 Westmoreland athletes will represent U.S. at junior world kickboxing championship in Hungary
Xander Eddy’s friends at Norwin High School don’tbelieve him when he talks about the eight national and world kickboxing titles he holds. Eddy, 15, a sophomore at Norwin, started kickboxing when he was 4 years old. He dedicates 15 to 20 hours per week to training with his teammates, conditioning...
Pitt-Greensburg math professor wins national award for algebra textbook
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg math professor Kayla Heffernan won a national award for creating a college algebra textbook that uses a teaching method called guided inquiry. But Heffernan, 33, of Hunker, finds more value in the impact her work has had on students. The POGIL Project is a nonprofit...
Former Greensburg Salem high school principal honored by Pa. House of Representatives
Recently retired former Greensburg Salem Principal David Zilli was surprised with an honor from the state House of Representatives. State Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville, presented Zilli with a citation commemorating his 35 years in education and 15 years as principal of Greensburg Salem High School at this month’s school board...
Pysanky crafters’ colorful eggs help preserve Eastern European tradition
They’re not your ordinary dyed Easter eggs. About a dozen crafters, many of them novices, came to Greensburg on Saturday to try their hands at turning white eggshells into intricately designed, multi-colored orbs of art by practicing the Eastern European tradition of pysanky. “For me, it’s a way of connecting...
Man killed in Monroeville crash
A Monroeville man died early Saturday after crashing into construction equipment on William Penn Highway. Michael M. Berkley, 37, died at Forbes Hospital just before 1 a.m. According to Allegheny County officials, witnesses said Berkley was driving at a high rate of speed in the 4200 block of William Penn...
Alle-Kiski Realtors, Carnegie Mellon students volunteer to rehab 4 New Kensington houses for Habitat for Humanity
Wielding a pry bar, Nicole Tascarella knocked down the remains of the second-floor plaster wall. Shannon Doerr steered the mini circular saw through some foam board. And Sylvia Maxwell climbed a ladder to measure the wall for its insulation. The women, all part of the Greater Allegheny-Kiski Area Board of...
IUP says social media report of stabbing false as IUPatty’s begins
Officials at Indiana University of Pennsylvania issued an email to students and employees early Saturday indicating that reports on social media of violence involving students were false. Officials said they sent the email to counteract a comment that “some student got stabbed” that was part of a spike in traffic...
Police say man high on meth led troopers on high-speed chase in Indiana Borough
A Florida man who police said was high on meth and hadn’t slept for five days led state troopers on a brief chase Friday night in Indiana County. Brandon Michael Rosenberger, 34, of St. Petersburg, Fla., is charged with fleeing, evading arrest, and driving under the influence of a controlled...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: March 23, 2024
Here’s a new feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. On Sunday, Duquesne won the Atlantic 10 Championship to make it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977. Who did the Dukes play 47 years ago? A/ The Citadel B/ William & Mary C/ Virginia Military...
Primary ballots to be mailed out starting next week
Voters can start using mail-in ballots next week, Westmoreland County election officials said. Pennsylvania primary is April 23, but mail-in ballots will be available at the courthouse starting Monday, March 25. Voters who already requested mail-in ballots could see them arrive in their mail boxes starting the following Monday, April...
Tarentum Council eyes tech upgrades for Brackenridge police cruisers
Brackenridge police cruisers soon could be equipped with technology for e-ticketing,
bringing the vehicles in line with the Tarentum fleet. Officers are part of a consolidated force that began last August. The technology is important for uniformity and public perception, said Tarentum Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf. “Having the same technology ensures...
Green thumbs are part of hands-on curriculum at new Harvest Baptist Academy greenhouse
Harvest Baptist Academy sixth grader Kate Blakeslee is feeling a summer vibe despite the lingering chill outside her Harrison school. The 12-year-old has spent recent class time plotting a garden with crops of oregano, cucumbers and tomatoes well on their way. “We got to put seeds in the pots, and...
Historic church bell tower restored in Leechburg, set to ring again on Easter Sunday
Church bells will ring out over Leechburg again this Easter. After more than a year and $30,000 in fundraising, the bells of First Evangelical Lutheran Church are fixed and set to ring again for the first time to welcome worshipers to Easter Sunday services. In addition, the church is planning...
New Kensington traffic stop results in recovery of stolen handgun, police say
New Kensington police say officers found a stolen handgun and drugs during a traffic stop early Friday. Jacquet Rusher Woods, 46, of Arnold is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property, prohibited possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license. He also is charged with felony...
Religion Digest – March 23, 2024
Holy Week services Apollo • Grace Assembly of God, 609 First St. Ext., will present a free screening of the movie, “His Only Son,” from 6 to 8:15 p.m. Good Friday at the church. The film is rated
PG-13 and centers on the account of the Lord telling Abraham to...
The Stroller, March 23, 2024: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Red Cross to honor local heroes The Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of...
Police chiefs tell state agency that DA found cops ‘justified’ in killing Upper St. Clair man
Three South Hills police chiefs whose officers fatally shot a mentally ill Upper St. Clair man in January have told a state agency that the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office determined their use of force was justified. District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has made no public statements about the...
Slippery Rock University board seeks $98 million for building renovations
Trustees at Slippery Rock University voted Friday to pursue $98 million for renovations to three prominent but aging campus buildings, including the Morrow Field House, built in 1959. They also approved student fee increases totaling about $270 for the 2024-25 academic year. Both actions were among those taken as the...
State police: Woman shot in ‘road rage incident’ on Parkway East
A woman was shot in the hand in a road rage incident on Parkway East on Friday evening, according to state police. The woman pulled her vehicle onto the side of the parkway, near Greensburg Pike, and called 911. State and local police dispatched to the scene, said state Trooper...
