Valley News Dispatch category, Page 15
Residents get glimpse of proposed ambulance service authority in Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge
A consultant for the proposed Alle-Kiski Emergency Service Authority said the tentative cost for property owners would be comparable to a monthly Netflix subscription or two cups of Dunkin coffee. The plan to create a paid authority by merging Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum and Citizens Hose EMS in Harrison...
Ex-NBA player shares story of drug addiction, recovery to Westmoreland County high school students
As a McDonald’s All-American basketball player, Chris Herren remembers blowing off assemblies in high school about drug and alcohol abuse, thinking that negative impact would never happen to him. But years down the line, Herren’s professional basketball career — which included stints with the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics —...
Springdale tax rate to remain flat; sewage fees to increase in proposed budget
Editor’s note: This story was changed to reflect that garbage rates in the borough are not going up as was previously reported. Springdale residents may soon see an increase to their sewer bills, but property taxes are set to remain unchanged in the borough’s proposed budget. Sewer rates would go...
Upper Burrell to offer notification system for residents
A text notification app of Upper Burrell happenings and events will launch in the township sometime next year. Supervisors Chairman Ross G. Walker III said Upper Burrell plans to use the Savvy Citizen program, a mobile app designed to allow governments to communicate with residents. The app can be downloaded...
Oakmont considers new requirements for police officer hires
Oakmont is considering changes to regulations that would make the hiring process quicker and more accessible for prospective borough police officers. During Tuesday night’s council meeting, David Decker of the borough’s civil service commission proposed changes to the borough’s regulations for officer hires. “We want to look at the rules...
Leechburg Bridge remains dark, work progressing
Drivers are still being kept in the dark on Leechburg Veterans Memorial Bridge. Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal said borough leadership has been working with PennDOT for more than a year to try to get lights on the bridge working again. “They didn’t all go out at once,” Smeal said. There...
3 new directors take seats on Allegheny Valley School Board
The Allegheny Valley School Board welcomed three new members to its ranks Tuesday. Fred Derringer, Rebecca Mundok and Colleen Crumb took the seats they won in November’s general election. Nino Pollino, a longtime board member, retained his seat. The four were sworn in by District Judge Michael Girardi before immediately...
The Stroller, Dec. 4, 2025: 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. Christmas concerts planned by...
Inmate relieved of freedom for holding-cell assault
An Arnold man pleaded guilty to charges that he urinated on another inmate while in a holding cell earlier this year at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Tahnook Sewell, 23, was charged in connection to an incident on July 21 that police said was recorded on security cameras recorded video a...
Highlands School Board, teachers union could ratify 5-year deal in January
An early-bird contract that would shore up Highlands School District teachers’ salaries and other benefits through 2030 will be on the school board’s agenda in January. The board was hoping to vote during its meeting Tuesday, but the move was delayed. A tentative five-year contract previously was approved by the...
Fawn considers ordinance for placement of wind turbines, data centers and more
Fawn residents can weigh in on proposed changes to the township’s zoning ordinance during an upcoming public hearing. The meeting will focus on regulations for the location of wind turbines, data centers and nuclear reactor facilities. A proposed amendment provides for conditional uses for all three in the Industrial and...
Ballistic gear in the works for Tarentum police dog
Like their human counterparts, police dogs need specialized equipment to protect them during violent encounters. In Tarentum, K-9 Officer Jeremy Belusar is doing what he can to keep the borough’s police dog, Kilo, safe. The department was awarded a bullet- and stab-protective vest through the nonprofit Vested Interest in K-9s....
Verona proposed budget shows 9% tax increase
Verona property owners would be looking at a 9% tax increase if the borough’s proposed 2026 budget is passed. Jason Dailey, the borough’s interim manager, presented a budget Nov. 25 that includes a 1-mill tax hike. Revenues are predicted to fall a little over $2.5 million. Expenditures are projected to...
The Stroller, Dec. 3, 2025: 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. Harrison Christmas party open...
Sharpsburg VFW Post 709 to host benefit breakfast, flea market
Food and flea markets go together like military veterans and community service. That is what officials at the Sharpsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 709 and resident Chas Smith Jr. believe as they prepare for the second annual benefit breakfast and holiday flea market set for Dec. 14. The bingo...
Woman taken to hospital for evaluation after crashing into Washington Township business
A woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation after driving her vehicle into the Pittsburgh Technologies building in Washington Township. Township police Sgt. Vincent Surace said officers responded to a report of a vehicle into a building shortly after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday along the 1000 block of Hunt Valley...
Man arrested in Springdale Township sting on scam charges escapes custody
A Chinese national charged in connection with a large-scale scam in Springdale Township walked away from an alternative housing facility last month after being released there from jail. Zhudi Chen, 40, whom police have accused of stealing more than $100,000, left the facility in Pittsburgh using a fourth-floor fire escape,...
New Kensington man held on charges in 2 fentanyl deaths
Four men who were incarcerated at the time of a drug overdose death at the Westmoreland County Prison had varying degrees of memories from that time in September 2023. Two of the men testified Tuesday they were treated for drug overdoses before learning Terry L. Brumley Jr., 33, was found...
New Kensington enters brownfield revitalization partnership
New Kensington officials hope a collaborative program with Westmoreland County will assist in the remediation and revitalization of its brownfield former industrial sites. The city entered into a Brownfield Revitalization Partnership with the county’s redevelopment authority, Monessen, Jeannette and Trafford, said City Clerk John Zavadak. “(This) will allow each of...
Police search for suspects accused of trying to steal ATM machine from the Cheswick Sheetz
Allegheny Valley Regional Police are searching for several people accused of trying to steal an ATM on Monday evening from the Sheetz in Cheswick. Four people, who police believe are juveniles, used a dolly to wheel the PNC bank machine from the gas station to a waiting pickup truck outside,...
After boiler fails, Central Presbyterian’s free holiday concert moves to Brackenridge
An annual holiday concert hosted by Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum has been moved because the building is without heat. Church administrator Dave Rankin said the steam boiler at the church along Allegheny Street is awaiting repairs. Instead, “Ave Maria,” featuring soprano Katy Williams, will be performed Sunday, Dec. 14,...
The Stroller, Dec. 2, 2025: 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. Gift program benefits victims...
No tax increase for property owners in Leechburg; skills game tax climbs for operators
Leechburg’s 2026 budget calls for no real estate tax increase. The budget includes more than $1.46 million in expenditures with just over $1.34 million in revenue. The gap will be filled by using a portion of a $145,000 surplus from this year’s budget. Councilman and finance chair D.J. Zelczak said...
Shapiro visits Verona to tout $25M in funding for child care workers
Gov. Josh Shapiro visited a Verona day care Monday to tout $25 million in new state-funded bonuses for industry workers, which he says will help attract and retain staff. The initiative, part of the state budget passed last month after a lengthy legislative impasse, gives about $450 annually per employee...
Property taxes expected to hold steady for Harrison residents but small fire tax to be added
Harrison residents likely won’t see a property tax increase in 2026, but they might pay a slight fee for a dedicated fire fund. The township commissioners approved a proposed $5.85 million budget that maintains the property tax rate of 5.6 mills. The owner of a home assessed at the median...
