Valley News Dispatch category
Construction continues on New Kensington industrial park
The view from the New Kensington Bridge will look a bit different come year’s end. Since the Regional Industrial Development Corp. and the Westmoreland County Industrial Corp. bought the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park along the Allegheny River, the site, known for its brick buildings with missing windows, has been...
Here are the planned stops for immigrant rights activist’s 8-day walk to ICE detention center
Jaime Martinez’s eight-day walk from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Pittsburgh’s South Side to the agency’s detention center in Clearfield County will take him through Monroeville, Apollo and Indiana. The march envisioned by Martinez, executive director of immigrant advocacy group Frontline Dignity, will start about 8 a.m....
Easter Bunny, and a real bunny, make appearances at egg hunt in Upper Burrell’s Lincoln Beach neighborhood
Residents made a day of an Easter egg hunt in Upper Burrell’s Lincoln Beach neighborhood on Saturday. Festivities were organized by Community Revitalization Mission of Service, a nonprofit serving the Lincoln Beach community. Treasurer Julianne Vilca said it had been years since there was an Easter egg hunt in the...
Freeport Kiwanis Easter egg hunt draws hundreds of children to Freeport Community Park
It didn’t take long for hundreds of kids to pick up thousands of plastic eggs scattered around Freeport Community Park on Saturday morning. The Freeport Kiwanis Club held its annual Easter egg hunt, with the help of the Key Club at Freeport High School. Children carrying baskets and bags were...
New Kensington couple, dog rescued from fire after neighbor sees smoke, wakes them
Two New Kensington residents and an Arnold firefighter were hurt in a fire that did severe damage to a home in the city’s Valley Heights section Sunday morning. The fire at 791 Kennedy Ave. was reported about 8:30 a.m., New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba said. According to Saliba, an...
ICE says 13 arrested at PennDOT drivers’ license center in Armstrong County
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 13 people Friday at a PennDOT driver’s license center near Kittanning, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Jason Koontz, a DHS spokesman, said ICE was called by East Franklin police after “concerned citizens reported an abnormally large amount of individuals” outside the...
The Stroller, April 5, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. NK Art Center to...
Auto pioneer Gary Bowser dies at 81
Family members recalled Gary Bowser as an automotive titan who never forgot his humble beginnings. Bowser of Murrysville died peacefully surrounded by family March 28 after a brief illness. He was 81. “He was originally from Kittanning, and he never forgot where he came from,” said Bowser’s son, Gary. “He...
Almost 100 communities need new road salt supplier after vendor ends contract with council of governments
A lot of Allegheny County communities need a new road salt supplier. The South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG), which runs a purchasing alliance for road salt, learned this month its salt vendor will not renew its contract with SHACOG for the coming winter. According to an April 1...
Pittsburgh Brewing creates beer made with DNA from Immaculate Reception football
Ever wanted to drink in some football history? Some folks will be able to do just that — literally — in light of the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh this month. Partnering with Pittsburgh Brewing Co., Nemacolin Resort is offering a special pilsner, The Divinity Draft, which will be available...
Work to restore historic Massy Harbison cabin in New Kensington to continue despite funding setback
Renovations to the Massy Harbison cabin in New Kensington are moving along, but repairs originally meant to be finished this summer may become a multiyear process. The Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, which serves the Alle-Kiski Valley, has been restoring the cabin that found its...
First United Methodist Church of Leechburg observes Good Friday with its annual outdoor service
As part of its Holy Week services, The First United Methodist Church of Leechburg held its annual Good Friday Crosswalk on Friday. The Rev. James Arter led a procession from the front of the church on Main Street pulling a wagon carrying small wooden crosses through town. The crosses were...
Officer-involved shooting in Lower Burrell deemed justified
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli deemed the use of force justified in a February officer-involved shooting at a home in Lower Burrell. The gunfire exchange between officers and Jordan Lindner happened on Feb. 14 after, police say, he shot into a home on Rodgers Drive and then at officers...
The Stroller, April 3, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Entries welcome for Tarentum...
Alle-Kiski Senior Citizen News: March 28, 2026
Armstrong County Senior Centers Apollo Thursday: 10 a.m., Jimmy Swogger puppet show; Easter celebration. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Tuesday: blood pressure health program. The center is at 102 Fifth...
Respect the chair: April Fools’ Day prank targeting parking chairs in New Kensington draws ire, smiles
Don’t worry, New Kensington isn’t declaring war on the Western Pennsylvania “parking chair.” A Facebook post, masquerading as a city announcement and posted on April 1, was exactly what is was meant to be: an April Fools’ Day prank. The post surfaced in a Facebook group simply titled “New Kensington,”...
Shopping experience lauded at Sharpsburg’s Harvest on Main market
Harvest on Main Community Market in Sharpsburg’s business district just logged its first month since opening its doors, and operations are going smoothly, according to volunteers. The only hiccup thus far is an apparent delay in being able to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Bonnie DeMotte, executive director of...
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,...
The Stroller, April 2, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Community Good Friday service...
2 Pagans motorcycle gang members held in jail on bail after preliminary hearing
Two Lower Burrell men who police say are members of the Pagans motorcycle gang are being held in the Westmoreland County jail on $300,000 bond following a January assault at Mogie’s Irish Pub. Robert Browne, 27, and Devin Colucci, 25, face charges of assault, robbery, theft, harassment, disorderly conduct and...
The Stroller, April 4, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. ‘The Secret Garden’ to...
New Kensington man pleads guilty for baseball bat assault
A New Kensington man was ordered to serve at least four years in prison for the assault of a house guest with a baseball bat. Brian Mikesell, 51, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault in connection with an incident at his home on March 12, 2025 that...
Former Freeport Council president accused of assaulting man after traffic collision
Former Freeport Council President — and current tax collector — Richard Fennell is facing an assault charge after, police say, he punched a man during a traffic incident. Fennell, 57, had served on council since 2024 before resigning in January to take up the borough’s vacant tax collector position. On...
Oakmont’s Riverside Park playground to close for accessibility upgrades
May won’t just be bringing flowers in Oakmont this year. It will also bring a refurbished children’s playground in Riverside Park. The park’s playground closed last week to undergo significant refurbishment, according to a post from borough officials. “Anticipated to reopen by the end of May, the new design will...
Las Hachas in New Kensington to close, but maybe not for long
New Kensington axe throwing spot Las Hachas will close this weekend, but the venue’s future could still include targets and blades. The storefront owners, Brian Mangone and Brian Heidenreich, along with building owner Olde Towne Overhaul, are looking for a new tenant who wants to keep it an entertainment destination....
