Valley News Dispatch category
Upper Burrell residents remain unclear about data center’s project scope
As Pennsylvania’s artificial intelligence industry starts to take off, Upper Burrell residents say they still feel left in the dark about a data center coming to the township. While officials work toward an ordinance that would impose zoning and permitting guidelines for any potential data center development, progress continues on...
1 dead, 3 injured in shooting in Parks Township
A shooting early this morning in Armstrong County has left one person dead and three injured. Around 1 a.m. Sunday, police were called to the shooting scene at Niki’s Quick Six in Parks Township, reports TribLive news partner WTAE. A state police spokeswoman said a suspect was in custody. Police...
Man charged in connection to Westmoreland jail overdoses granted bail
A New Kensington man awaiting trial on charges that he sold a fatal dose drugs to a Westmoreland County Prison inmate can be released from jail on an unsecured bond, a judge ruled Friday. Davi Javier Roman, 30, was charged last September following a county grand jury investigation into alleged...
Highlands students selected to script animated film for mental health awareness
Highlands students were among a limited number of teens selected to help script and score an upcoming animated film that focuses on mental health issues and delivers a message of inclusion and resilience. “Finding Alice in Wonderland” is produced by educational animation company Wonder Media and supported by The Grable...
The Stroller, April 26, 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. Free meal to be...
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...
Runners give Dorseyville Middle School a boost as part of its annual 5K fundraiser
Runners of 5Ks, marathons and the like understand how a boost coming down the stretch can really make a difference. It may come from seeing the finish line get closer, the rain letting up after a muggy start or someone in the crowd holding a fun sign and cheering people...
‘Underutilized’ Agan Park could see improvements as community gathers
Agan Park and its surrounding woods may soon see some changes after community members gathered in Springdale on Thursday to discuss the future of the 100-acre plot. The meeting saw Carla Lukehart, a landscape architect with Pittsburgh-based Environmental Planning and Design, present the results of a monthslong study of potential...
Tarentum aligns license plate reader technology with Allegheny County’s
Tarentum will be getting new license plate reader technology to assist police with surveillance. Council voted to pay about $2,700 a year to VIPR, LLC, a company that specializes in plate recognition technology for law enforcement. The move replaces the existing PlateSmart system and aligns the borough with the Allegheny...
The Stroller, April 25, 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. Bowling fundraiser planned May...
Gilpin approves $350 skill games tax
After a couple of revisions, Gilpin supervisors voted to enact an annual skill games tax in the township. Under the new tax, owners of skill game machines are required to pay a $350 annual tax per machine they have operating in the township. Township officials had previously discussed a $100...
Tarentum Business Crawl aims to highlight specialty stores, services
Joyce McElwain said the first-ever Tarentum Business Crawl last year filled her store with new customers. “It got my name out there to so many people who didn’t even know I was here,” said McElwain, from her Yesterday’s Kidz storefront on East Sixth Avenue. The borough recreation board is bringing...
Springdale says videos of arrest during council meeting ‘do not provide the full context’
Springdale officials say the police response during the chaotic arrest of a resident at Tuesday’s borough council meeting was a “professional and controlled effort” and that videos of the incident do not offer “proper context.” The incident saw the arrest of William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, a frequent critic of...
Jury rejects reluctant victim’s call to drop case, convicts New Kensington man of assault and strangulation
A New Kensington man was convicted Thursday of leaving a convenience store customer unconscious and for an assault of a city police officer as authorities sought to take him into custody months later. A Westmoreland County jury convicted Luther Boyd, 44, of one felony count of aggravated assault of a...
Westmoreland Envirothon: All winners in learning about the environment
Southmoreland senior Alexis Piovesan wrapped special tape around a large tree at Twin Lakes Park on Thursday — a yellow tape that measures diameter rather than circumference. “I’ve also learned to use a Biltmore stick to measure the lumber in a tree. I’ve identified different species of plants,” Piovesan said...
Gilpin supervisors pass data center regulations
The Gilpin supervisors are getting ahead of the data center curve. After months of work, supervisors unanimously approved regulations this week that stipulate where data centers can be located and how far they must be from homes, in addition to other guidelines. “Personally, I definitely feel more comfortable with the...
Tarentum awarded for improved water, electric system monitoring
Tarentum is being lauded for its efforts to improve efficiency across borough electric and water monitoring systems. It was among recipients of the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence, announced Wednesday. The recognition is for information technology, specifically, the borough’s integrated smart utility and infrastructure monitoring system. Highlights of the...
Free pre-K class coming to Lower Burrell via nonprofit program
Westmoreland Community Action is taking enrollment for a new pre-K program in Lower Burrell. The nonprofit’s program is free to families and funded through state Pre-K Counts and federal Head Start grants. Enrollment for the 2026-27 class is filling fast, but applications are still open, said Tammy Dietrich, program manager...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from April 16-22, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Plum School Board votes to replace sections of leaky high school roof
Repairs on Plum High School’s leaky roof will start in a little more than a week, after the district’s school board voted to approve the emergency $250,000 bill Tuesday. Plum Director of Facilities and Grounds Shelley Shaffer previously told TribLive repairs would begin May 1 and last about three weeks....
The Stroller, April 24, 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. Super bingo to raise...
Allegheny Valley School Board opts to leave cellphone policy as is
The Allegheny Valley School Board won’t disconnect students from their cellphones, but state legislators still could. The board voted — after the first reading of a proposed electronic device policy — not to change its current policy, according to board President Paula Jean Moretti. The proposed policy would have further...
New Kensington man pleads guilty to sex assault of preteen girl
A New Kensington man has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a pre-teen girl. Police said Thomas L. Burruss, 50, plied his victim with candy to convince her to keep quiet about the sexual activity that started in 2022 and continued for about five months. Burruss pleaded guilty to...
Second Vandergrift fire department back in service after insurance lapse
Vandergrift No. 2 fire department resumed normal operations Tuesday evening after being out of service since April 10. Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Scott Stepanovich said Vandergrift No. 2 was out of service from April 10-21, an additional five days after Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini had said the borough’s departments...
The Stroller, April 23, 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, Arnold cleanup set...
