Valley News Dispatch category, Page 206
The Stroller, Feb. 9, 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. Annual bird count event planned in Harrison Hills Park Friends of...
2024 fish fries in the Alle-Kiski Valley
To have your nonprofit’s fish fry added to this listing, send information as soon as possible to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. All menus are subject to change and availability. Events begin either Ash Wednesday or Friday, Feb. 16. Allegheny Township Markle Volunteer Fire Department, 470 Joyce St., 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays through...
Potholes at Pittsburgh Mills are mall owners’ responsibility, not Frazer’s
Grant Becker had just left work at the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex in Frazer when he heard a giant crunch. Becker’s car hit a pothole on Pittsburgh Mills Boulevard that he said was more like the size of a crater. “It was humongous,” said Becker of Springdale Township. “It had...
Lower Burrell looks to revamp old tax office into community space
Courtney Kobelenske is excited about the possibilities a new community center in Lower Burrell can provide. “I think it would work well for people that need it. We could use it, other individuals could use it,” said Kobelenske, who organizes the AK Inclusion Games and helps to coordinate work opportunities...
Vandergrift man convicted in sexual assaults of 2 children
A Westmoreland County jury deliberated more than five hours before returning guilty verdicts against a Vandergrift man for the sexual assaults of two children. Following a three-day trial that ended Wednesday night, Timothy Robert Johnson, 38, was found guilty of nine felony counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, conspiracy, indecent...
New Kensington officer injured, suspect Tased twice in warrant arrest
Police had to twice use a Taser on an Arnold man as officers struggled to arrest him in December, according to court records released this week. At least one police officer was injured. The incident began after New Kensington Officer Tyler Balla saw Anthony Marsalis Howell, 36, of Arnold walking...
New Sheetz expected to open on Plum’s Golden Mile Highway in May
A new Sheetz under construction in Plum is tentatively scheduled to open in May, a spokesman for the Altoona-based convenience store chain said. When the new convenience store and gas station on Golden Mile Highway at Presque Isle Drive opens, the existing smaller store nearby at Pine Valley Drive will...
Donations to Plum school lunch debt take small bites out of a big problem
An anonymous member of the Plum School District community recently gave the district $500 to cover student lunch debt at Holiday Park Intermediate School. While generous and appreciated, the donation took only a small bite out of what is routinely a big problem. The district is carrying more than $45,000...
Co-teaching program at Acmetonia boosts learning, test scores
The lesson in Scott Andrews’ fifth grade English Language Arts class Wednesday was about sentence structure. But as students worked through their assignments, it wasn’t just Andrews teaching. Chelsea Brody, a special education teacher, was working in tandem with Andrews and the students as part of a co-teaching program at...
The Stroller, Feb. 8, 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. Bowl-A-Thon to raise funds for Burrell Education Foundation The annual Burrell...
O’Hara, Blawnox officials in early talks about merging police departments
Preliminary discussions between O’Hara and Blawnox officials about merging police departments have begun. The plan so far is to have Blawnox officers become township police and serve under Superintendent Jay Davis, O’Hara Manager Julie Jakubec announced at a workshop meeting Feb. 6. She repeatedly stressed talks are in the very...
Sharpsburg library’s chili cook-off returns in new location, same spirit
A spicy way to honor a Sharpsburg man and support his hometown will take place later this month. The Robert “Snakeguy” Habegger Chili Cook-off is planned for Friday, Feb. 23, at the borough building, 1611 Main St. The event takes place the day after National Chili Day and is designed...
Highlands varsity band boosters fear online scammer stealing craft show fees
Members of Highlands varsity band boosters fear that someone is running an online scam to collect craft show registration fees and defraud the group from its profits. “I’ve had a couple people call to let me know they’ve received emails to pay with PayPal,” said Desirae Dunmire, the boosters’ vice...
Harbor Freight, Starbucks approved as latest additions to booming New Kensington corridor
Plans for more development along New Kensington’s Tarentum Bridge Road commercial district have been approved. City council on Monday unanimously approved three resolutions related to the construction of a Harbor Freight tools store and a Starbucks cafe in Riverview Plaza. Their construction follows a new Aldi grocery store, which opened...
The Stroller, Feb. 7, 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. Grants available to Westmoreland County performing arts groups The Westmoreland County...
Indiana Township officials consider livestreaming meetings
People who attend Indiana Township supervisor meetings, particularly ones involving proposed development, know seating can be a problem. There soon might be a way to watch the local government in action without having to travel to the town hall. Supervisors are expected to decide whether to livestream their meetings. Their...
Aspinwall teen’s passion for conservation earns him spot on Junior Achievement’s 18 Under Eighteen list
Fox Chapel Area sophomore Theo Tedesco is a self-described steward of the Earth, passionate about bringing science and exploration to underserved children. He has spent three summers volunteering at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, helping youngsters discover the 134-acre sanctuary that is Audubon Society’s headquarters in Fox Chapel. The 16-year-old also...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting officer in city holding cell
A New Kensington police officer had to threaten to use a Taser on a man who fought with officers inside a city cell, police said in court records. The incident happened after officers went to a Fifth Avenue business Friday night in response to a report of an intoxicated man...
Sharpsburg enacts ordinance protecting tenants seeking safe housing conditions from landlord retaliation
Sharpsburg officials want renters to feel safe and confident while living in the borough. One way they plan to accomplish that goal is through a recently enacted ordinance. The law is designed to protect tenants from retaliation for engaging in individual or collective action to secure healthy and safe housing...
The Stroller, Feb. 6, 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. Murder mystery theater production set in Oakmont Oakmont United Methodist Church,...
Cheswick teen’s passion for giving back earns Junior Achievement’s 18 Under Eighteen distinction
Emma Winkler’s goal is to make the world a better place, and she’s starting in her own backyard to make that happen. Winkler, 16, of Cheswick has led a senior prom and winter formal dance at Longwood at Oakmont in Plum, where she also works as a part-time server. She...
Elementary principal named acting superintendent at Leechburg Area
Leechburg Area School Board members Monday appointed David Leech Elementary School Principal David Keibler as the district’s acting superintendent. The move was made after former acting superintendent Peter Emery D’Arcangelo abruptly resigned last week, citing “an erosion of trust” among himself and school board members. D’Arcangelo was set to start...
Plum’s combined water-sewer bills increase about $14 per month
Monthly bills increased about $14 for Plum residents with municipal water and sewage service, starting in February. Residents were informed about the 17% increase on their January bills. It’s the latest bill to increase for borough residents. Council in December approved a nearly 40% increase in property taxes with the...
Brackenridge man who led high-speed chase into Beaver County was in Ohio to solicit sex from a minor, AG says
A Brackenridge man who led authorities on a high-speed chase from Ohio into Beaver County last week originally crossed state lines to allegedly have sex with a minor, according to authorities. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday that Adam Hileman, 43, has been charged with compelling prostitution, attempted sexual...
Arnold teen charged with fatal New Kensington shooting pleads guilty to lesser charge
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Monday dismissed homicide charges against an Arnold man in the fatal shooting of a man at a New Kensington apartment building in July 2022. Jonathan Felder, 19, pleaded guilty to one lesser count of conspiracy to commit robbery. He was one of seven youths charged in...
