Valley News Dispatch category

Glenn Armocida has lived many lives in his 66 years. The Oakmont author started his journey as a writer at a young age while growing up in Plum. Even then, he enjoyed reading and creating his own stories. With support from his parents and teachers, he attended the University of...

A Harrison man was taken away in handcuffs by township police during an FBI operation Tuesday. Authorities reached that evening did not release the name of the suspect or possible charges. Bradford Arick, spokesman for the FBI Pittsburgh office, would only confirm agents were “conducting authorized law enforcement activity” along...

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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Drug take-back box located...

Costumes and candy are about to collide with high school football playoffs on Friday and some communities either playing host or traveling to games have tweaked traditional holiday schedules in response. Halloween last fell on a Friday in 2014 and it won’t do so again until 2031. In Harrison, township...

The brief service had already ended when a small group of Allegheny County detectives and prosecutors gathered in a close circle on the grassy hillside. Standing near Bella Seachrist’s small grave, mounded with fresh dirt and a thick stack of pink and white roses placed by mourners, they listened closely...

Halloween is just a couple of days away, which makes it the perfect time to scour the local history centers and newspaper archives, searching for stories of hauntings, paranormal activities and strange happenings that have occurred over the years across the Alle-Kiski Valley. Here are some of the stories that...

A Zelienople man died after jumping off a Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge into the Allegheny River on Tuesday morning in Harmar, police said. State police identified the man as Timothy Hilster, 57. Police and rescue workers pulled Hilster’s body from the river around 9:30 a.m. following reports of someone jumping from...

Jessica Mauthe, the Armstrong County woman accused of concealing four dead infants in a Cadogan home she rented, is headed to court. District Judge J. Gary DeComo held her bevy of charges for trial after Mauthe appeared for her preliminary hearing in Ford City on Tuesday. Mauthe faces single counts...

Sheetz is once again hosting a concert in Western Pennsylvania, and this time it’s a Halloween-themed party at Pittsburgh Brewing Co. Located at 150 Ferry St. in East Deer, the Friday concert features the following bands:Boys Like Girls, a rock band formed in MassachusettsFeeble Little Horse, an indie rock band...

Before casino floors across Pennsylvania were filled with the clatter of slot machines and the flashing lights of jackpots, supporters of legalized gambling promised the expected revenue would be a sure bet to reduce property taxes. Today, state gambling officials and creators of Act 1, known as the Taxpayer Relief...

An anchor store leaving Hillcrest Shopping Center in Lower Burrell is another blow to the city’s business district, but officials are hopeful something else will be coming to the plaza soon. Rose’s Discount Store is scheduled to close Jan. 10, although the date is tentative, according to a Rose’s customer...

There are six open seats on Cheswick Council, but only four of them will be contested on Tuesday. But there’s a twist that could lead to the next council’s roster still up in the air after election night. Incumbents Frank Stanish and Nicholas Pollino are running for two, two-year terms,...

Springdale Township officials might have to borrow money to finance projects in the next two years. “We are looking at borrowing money in a big way for major projects that we were hoping to get grants for,” said Commissioner Tim Basilone, accounts and finance director. “It looks like most of...

A decision from Springdale’s Planning Commission about a proposed data center in the borough is still weeks away. Initially set to reconvene Monday night, the commission opted for a last-minute delay. The three-member body will now meet on Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. This is the third delay from the...

Trail users will experience a temporary interruption in trail accessibility between the Monroe Road and Bear Creek Road trailheads in Buffalo Township. The nearly 1-mile section of trail will undergo streambank remediation beginning Nov. 17, according to the Butler Freeport Community Trail Council. In post on the trail council’s Facebook...

Brown water, power outages and noise pollution. “The list goes on and on,” said Springdale resident Sharon Spirk, citing reasons she’s against a proposed data center to be built on 47 acres off Porter Street. Spirk was one of about 10 people who rallied Monday in opposition to a plan...

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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Volunteers needed to prepare...

Three men — Chase Balla, Nicholas DiCarolis and Phil Toney — are seeking two seats on the New Kensington Council. Councilmen Todd Mentecki and Corey Pistininzi did not seek reelection. Mayor Tom Guzzo, a Democrat, is running for his seat unopposed. “At 26 years old, I want to give back...

When she decided to open her own business, Danna Kienzl, 57, returned to her hometown. The Freeport Area graduate opened her new cafe, The Coffee Cup, along South Pike Road in her native Buffalo Township late last month. Now a resident of Lower Burrell, Kienzl said she always has aspired...

The Oakmont Community Foundation’s parking lot in the borough’s business district is looking nearly picture perfect. “If a parking lot can be beautiful, this one is,” Oakmont Council president Nancy Ride said. “The plantings and the placement is just very well done.” There are just a few items that need...

As the federal government shutdown lingers, food assistance is in jeopardy for about 2 million people across the state. With the largest anti-hunger program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, on course to shut down Saturday, school districts are ramping up efforts to make sure children continue to be...

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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Purse bingo to aid...

Enrollment at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center is the highest it’s ever been. This year’s enrollment stands at 621 students, which is an increase of more than 30% over the past two years, according to Director Jason Hicks. “We got the word out, and have pressed hard on that...

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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Food distribution set Tuesday...

Some West Deer residents will be given a couple options to choose from when considering their supervisors this November. The 1st Ward and 4th Ward races are both contested by an incumbent and newcomer. The supervisor at-large feature two new faces looking to fill one seat. William Payne will be...