Valley News Dispatch category, Page 143
The Stroller, July 28, 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. Bike run planned Aug. 24 by Ashley’s Eternal Angels Ashley’s Eternal...
Inaugural Community Day event celebrates Lower Burrell
The inaugural Lower Burrell Community Day event was a hit with residents Saturday at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park. The event, from 1 p.m. to dusk, benefits the Lower Burrell City Parks. More than 45 vendors lined the shaded park as attendees enjoyed live music, food trucks, artisans, a...
South Buffalo police stronger than ever, officials say as they eye new station
About five years ago, the South Buffalo Township Police Department comprised two officers and a lone civilian SUV that was converted for police use. On July 15, the township hired its fourth full-time police officer, at $23 an hour, who, unlike some of his predecessors, will patrol in a purpose-built...
The Stroller, July 27, 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. Evening of fun planned for children experiencing grief Good Samaritan Hospice,...
Tido’s Corner in New Kensington to feature local musical, comedic talents
Every hurdle, every obstacle and every challenge only drove Toriano Wilson to keep going. After many delays and more time than he thought, Wilson, who goes by “Tido,” is just about ready to open Tido’s Corner, an entertainment venue, in his hometown of New Kensington. Located in the former Kafa...
Leechburg Area officials plan lawsuit against Westmoreland County over tax assessments
Leechburg Area School Board members say they intend to file a lawsuit against Westmoreland County and possibly one against the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The lawsuits would be aimed at bringing about a solution to demands from West Leechburg residents to fix what they say is an inequity in the...
Oklahoma Borough looking for new mayor, council member
Elected officials come and go in small towns, where most serve in an unpaid and part-time capacity, but it’s not often that a mayor steps down and leaves council to appoint a replacement. Oklahoma Borough Council will be doing just that following the departure of two-and-a-half-term Mayor Don Emerick. His...
Allegheny Valley School District retains Rajgopal as finance, business operations director
With numerous capital projects in the works, Allegheny Valley School District has retained its director of finance and business operations. Board members Wednesday approved a new contract for Hamsini Rajgopal. The contract becomes effective July 1, 2025, and expires June 30, 2030, but board President Nino Pollino said there was...
Plum School District settles discrimination claim with job applicant for $5K
The Plum School District will revise its application process as part of an agreement settling a discrimination allegation. The district agreed to pay Eile Demkee $5,000 to resolve Demkee’s claims. That amount, inclusive of attorney’s fees and costs, will be paid by the district and/or its insurance carrier. The district...
West Deer man arrested in connection to Frazer shooting
An argument at a Frazer auto salvage yard led to a shot fired and a West Deer man arrested, according to Allegheny County Police. Jonathan Nealer, 40, is charged with felony aggravated assault in connection with the shooting of a man in his leg last week at Hloznik Auto Salvage...
New Kensington-Arnold officials promise repairs to dilapidated veterans memorial
As they’ve gotten older, Michele Eckman and her husband, Richard, don’t travel back to the Alle-Kiski Valley from their home outside of Dallas as often as they used to. So when they came to the area in June, they made a point of stopping by Valley High School in Richard’s...
Sharpsburg awarded $10 million for waterfront housing, recreation project
Sharpsburg officials are hoping a growing chest of state and federal money will bring them something the borough hasn’t had since the 1800s — a direct connection to much of its riverfront property. On the heels of a $25 million federal award in June, Sharpsburg got a state award this...
Allegheny Valley looks into cellphone restrictions for students during classroom time
Is there a reason why the Allegheny Valley School District isn’t restricting students’ access to their cellphones during instructional time in the classroom? That’s the question school board directors asked administrators Wednesday to look into. Board member Larry Pollick suggested the district implement a policy restricting cellphone use in the...
Leechburg Area hires new business manager
Leechburg Area School Board members hired a new business manager at a special voting meeting Thursday night. Gregory Cessna was hired in a 7-0 vote. Board members Anthony Townsend and Andrew Pallus were absent from the meeting. The hiring comes after the district’s previous manager, Teresa Edinger, resigned in May...
Bidding process underway for demolition of Colfax Elementary School in Springdale
Plans continue for the eventual demolition of Colfax Elementary School in Springdale. The Allegheny Valley School Board on Wednesday authorized district administrators to seek contract bids for the demolition of the Colfax building, which sits along Colfax Street. The building is 99 years old. It closed in 2018 and has...
Alle-Kiski High School Reunion News – July 26, 2024
Publicize your class’s high school reunion announcement. Send information as soon as possible to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. • Ken Hi Class of 1959 will have a reunion at 4 p.m. Aug. 15 at Hill Crest Country Club,...
The Stroller, July 26, 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. Summer festival on tap at Concordia Lutheran Ministries The 143rd annual...
Rural Ridge Tunnel in Indiana Township to close for 5 weeks
A deteriorating Indiana Township railroad bridge with cracked concrete and water damage is scheduled to close for five weeks for restoration. The Rural Ridge Tunnel along Little Deer Creek Valley Road is nearly 130 years old and signs of its age are apparent, police Chief Steve Colucci said. “The repair...
Sharpsburg Council fills vacancy with former member
A familiar face has returned to Sharpsburg Council to serve a familiar role. David Breingan was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Kayla Portis, who served as its vice president and was named the borough’s new mayor earlier this month. Council voted 6-0 on July 25 to accept Portis’...
Australian team soaks up baseball, American culture while in town for Freeport International
Kye Hodges loves baseball and loves to be on the field with his teammates. It’s that simple formula that has the 15-year-old Central Coast, Australia, resident — nicknamed Big Sexy by his hometown friends — excited to be in Freeport this week with a group of baseball players from Down...
Big ideas in store for Tarentum and Cheswick riverfronts, but planning is slow-moving
Planning for the Tarentum/Cheswick riverfront project is moving more slowly than officials would like. Cheswick Council Vice President Shawna Almes said she is “eager for things to get started” on designs for fishing and boating access and other recreation. “As soon as we get word that we can start, I...
Texas sculptor honors Corey Comperatore with statue at Buffalo Township fire hall
When retired Texas firefighter Nyal Stromberg made his latest sculpture, a process that took a month of molding and melting, he didn’t know Corey Comperatore’s name. Few people did outside of the Alle-Kiski Valley before July 13, when Comperatore was gunned down at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald...
George McBriar, longtime Blawnox fire chief beloved by many area firefighters, community members, dies
A longtime Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company chief and pioneer of swift-water rescue has answered his last call. George McBriar, also a former councilman and businessman, died Tuesday evening while surrounded by friends and family. He was 70. “It was a shock,” said Jeff Stephens, the current fire chief who served...
2 men arrested in connection with card-skimming devices in Lower Burrell, other communities
Lower Burrell police were called to the Community Supermarket on Leechburg Road on June 28 after reports of an attempted card skimming incident. George Sears, Community Market general manager, said an employee noticed the skimmer just 15 minutes after the device was planted, before anyone’s information could be compromised. Sears...
The Stroller, July 25, 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. Free community picnic planned Saturday Fun and Freedom will host a...
