Valley News Dispatch category, Page 12
New turf coming to Highlands Golden Rams Stadium
New turf will be installed this summer at Golden Rams Stadium in the Highlands School District, but leaders said the project is about more than football. “It is about maximizing a shared space that creates Rams pride,” Athletic Director Katie Jo Stobert said. “It will continue to build a stronger...
2 New Kensington families healing and accepting community aid after house fire
A day after a Sunday morning fire tore through half of a duplex in New Kensington, residents are recovering from injuries and accepting community donations. Firefighters were alerted just before 8 a.m. Sunday. When crews arrived, flames, which gutted the McCargo Street side of the house, extended into the attic...
The Stroller, March 31, 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. Peoples Library to host...
Leechburg natives, locals work to find town’s modern identity
Lou Phillips was born and raised in Leechburg. He attended Leechburg Area High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football. He sang in the chorus, dabbled as a thespian in the school’s theater program and participated in countless clubs the school had to offer. “You get to try everything...
Donut Connection in New Kensington to close
Donut Connection along Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington will close its doors Tuesday, according to the owner of the franchise. Rakesh Patel said he is looking for a location in the Alle-Kiski Valley to open a new franchise. He said he’s eyeing New Kensington or Lower Burrell. Patel purchased...
Fisher House at O’Hara VA’s Heinz campus will be 2nd in area to offer free lodging for military families
When Linda Pezzino’s husband, Joe, was treated for lung cancer at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, she found comfort in staying at a “home-away-from-home” on the shared hospital campus. The Fisher House, a short-term accommodation for military families, provided Pezzino with a quiet environment, a...
Plum teen’s flawless NCAA bracket journey concludes after 48 correct picks
The last remaining perfect March Madness bracket is no more. Otto Schellhammer’s predictions held until the first game of the NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 on Friday, when Notre Dame defeated Vanderbilt, 67-64. “I’m not too sad about it,” Otto said Tuesday. “It would have been cool to have gone further.”...
Pivik Elementary students — with help from donation — raise more than $27K for heart association
Plum’s Pivik Elementary School sat high on a leaderboard of state schools after students helped to raise more than $27,000 for an annual drive benefiting the American Heart Association. The school ranked fifth in Pennsylvania and the highest in the region by far for the association’s Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser....
Area students reflect on good citizenship for annual Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest
Elin Bash was among the first cohort of girls to start at The Kiski School in 2024. She remembers how big of a change it was, as she transferred at the start of her junior year. At times, she said, she had to fight for her space in student-run clubs....
Tarentum leaders earn state and national recognition
Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski shared a word of advice for anyone wading into local government: Take it day by day. “If you would have told me eight years ago I would be the council president of Tarentum, I would have never believed you,” he said. “I would not change...
The Stroller, March 30, 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. Project Lifesaver available to...
Fire at New Kensington duplex injures 6
Six people were injured in a fire that caused extensive damage to one side of a brick duplex in New Kensington early Sunday morning. New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba said a husband and wife and their three young children, who were sleeping when the fire started, escaped out of...
The Stroller, March 29, 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 to benefit...
Utilities, health care costs top Westmoreland County residents’ affordability concerns, survey finds
Utilities and health care are the two expenses Westmoreland County residents worry about the most, a nonprofit community organization’s recent survey on affordability found. With those results in hand, Voice of Westmoreland is organizing residents to appear before the county commissioners in April and share their stories, in hopes of...
Pysanky, a Ukrainian Easter egg decorating tradition, passed on in Oakmont
Marilan Hovanec Caito, a Pysanky art and instructor for more than 50 years, demonstrated the painting of a Ukrainian egg at the Oakmont Carnegie Library in Oakmont on Saturday. During the demonstration, she completed one egg, from start to finish, while lecturing on the tools, techniques and history of the...
After the flames: Financial, personal hurdles challenge owners reopening a local eatery
The dining room is still a maze of unassembled furniture and the deck is on the back burner, but for the first time since September 2024, the ovens are hot at Ianni’s Pizzeria in Delmont. “We’re so happy to be back!” employee Sarah Barral, 46, of Delmont said as she...
Alle-Kiski Senior Citizen News: March 28, 2026
Armstrong County Senior Centers All centers are closed Friday for Good Friday. Apollo Wednesday: 10 a.m., dime bingo; noon, Site Council meeting. 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 and Thursday:...
Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Treatment Plant’s odor problem persists despite efforts
With warm weather fast approaching, officials are trying to tackle the long notorious odor emanating from the Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Authority treatment plant. Half a mile across the Allegheny River from the treatment plant in Harmar, Oakmont residents have long griped about the smell wafting from the plant. State...
The Stroller, March 28, 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. Bingo Fiesta planned by...
Local governments step up to tax skill games in absence of state regulations
The lack of state taxes on so-called “skill games” is leaving regulation of the devices, and any tax revenue they could provide, up to municipalities. Pennsylvania currently provides no regulation on the games, even as they proliferate across the state in gas stations, convenience stores, bars and even grocery stores....
Newly formed Alle-Kiski Emergency Service Authority could become model for failing system
Pioneer Hose Chief Rick Jones believes that a newly formed paid EMS authority in Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum will be a game changer. Jones, of Brackenridge, was named to the board of the Alle-Kiski Emergency Service Authority, approved Wednesday by the three municipalities. Under the agreement, property owners will pay...
Digital gold rush: With data center boom heading to Western Pa., Virginia offers roadmap — and warnings
This is the first in an ongoing series on data center development in Western Pennsylvania and the impact it has on surrounding businesses and residents. Western Pennsylvania appears poised for what could be its biggest infrastructure boom since the end of the steel era. A new industry, one forged in...
Multibillion-dollar Nvidia deal brings quiet Saxonburg-based manufacturer Coherent into the spotlight
Coherent executive Steve Rummel offered a peek under the hood Friday at the Saxonburg-based manufacturer’s multibillion-dollar deal with Nvidia, a stock market darling and driving force behind much of the artificial intelligence industry. The agreement was announced March 2 and continues some 20 years of collaboration between the companies. Over...
Allegheny Valley superintendent proposes administration realignments, more student programs
Allegheny Valley Superintendent Patrick Graczyk is proposing the district add two new administrative roles and expand programs in an effort to bolster support for students. Graczyk presented the plan to the Allegheny Valley School Board this month, though any official changes are likely months away, board President Paula Moretti said....
Friendship Donut Co. opens in Leechburg, fostering community spirit
Virginia Lindsay and Karen Heilman have been business partners for a long time. From gardening and antiquing to two successful local coffee shops, the women have long mastered the balance of friendship and business. “I always say, ‘Women in business: You either support each other or fail,’ ” said Heilman,...
