Valley News Dispatch category, Page 24
Victims in fatal Buffalo Township crash identified
Local authorities have identified the two people who died in a Buffalo Township crash on Saturday. Bonnie Grove, 78, died at the scene of the accident at the intersection of South Pike (Route 356) and Younkins roads. Douglas Frosch, 72, died several hours later after being airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian...
Effects of SNAP cuts are wide-reaching
Madison Shtur lined the shelves of her pay-what-you-can thrift store in Jeannette on Thursday, Oct. 30 with the latest shipment of groceries from the Westmoreland Food Bank. It wasn’t enough. A shipment from the food bank typically lasts about three weeks on Shtur’s shelves. But last week’s shipment lasted just...
Deer Lakes Lancer Foundation founders plan next steps in effort to augment funding
Deer Lakes School District has a brand new toddler. At least that’s how school board members Jeremy Love and Eric Bieniek see the new Deer Lakes Lancer Foundation. Love began researching how to start the foundation in March, when the board was holding budget discussions. “We were just trying to...
Road work on Route 28, Route 910 to force restrictions
Travelers along Route 28 will see single-lane restrictions Wednesday and Thursday near O’Hara. PennDOT said crews will be repairing digital signs on northbound lanes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Work will be done near O’Hara and Sharpsburg, weather permitting. On Wednesday, motorists will be affected in the areas from...
The Stroller, Nov. 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. Sponsors needed for holiday...
Plum students plan to thank vets, educate community with Veterans Day events
At Plum School District’s upcoming Veterans Day celebrations, Kailey Burton hopes not only to thank current and former service members but impart some history to her peers. Burton is the group commander of Plum High School’s Air Force JROTC program. She and dozens of her fellow cadets have been planning...
Washington Township fire department’s auto parts swap meet offers place to find the needed and rare
If you’re looking for a cassette deck for a 1985 El Camino, you can’t just go to Walmart. That’s what Cal Younker’s son, Danny, was hoping to find when they went to the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company’s fall auto parts swap meet Sunday. It was the first time they...
The Stroller, Nov. 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. Used paperback books needed...
Grind Hard Conditioning empowers kids to grow on and off the field
When a spontaneous pick-up game of flag football in Brackenridge attracted 80 kids, Julius Johnson and Jonathan Butter were excited to imagine it growing into something more. “We enjoy working with the kids, showing them what hard work can do,” said Johnson, of Brackenridge. “We thought, ‘What more can we...
Concerns over Springdale data center proposal bring protesters out for 2nd time this week
For the second time in a week, residents of Springdale and beyond took to Pittsburgh Street to protest plans for the construction of a data center where a coal-fired power plant once stood. Around two dozen people carried signs and expressed thanks to drivers who honked their horns as they...
2 killed, 2 hurt in 3-vehicle crash on Route 356 in Buffalo Township
Two people died and two others were hurt Saturday afternoon in a three-vehicle crash in Buffalo Township, police Chief Tim Derringer said. The crash at South Pike (Route 356) and Younkins roads was reported about 2:50 p.m. The road was still closed as of 6:30 p.m. and was expected to...
Plum-based Knights of Columbus offers dozens of winter coats to local students
Plum’s local council of the Knights of Columbus has kept up its annual tradition of donating dozens of winter coats to local schools. This year, local K of C Treasurer Len Manganello said the organization offered 48 coats to Plum and Riverview schools as well as Holy Family Catholic School,...
Philips Respironics to lay off nearly 200 workers from Westmoreland locations
Dutch health technology giant Philips Respironics has notified state officials it plans to lay off nearly 200 people at three Westmoreland County locations beginning in early 2026. Philips issued a WARN notice to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, part of a move the company initially announced in June...
The Stroller, Nov. 1, 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. Nonprofit requesting donations for...
H.D. Berkey students help their peers, families through ‘Change War’
Generosity — and some friendly competition — led to H.D. Berkey Elementary students in Arnold collecting spare change to help families in need as the holiday season approaches. During the month of October, students raised more than $1,000 toward needy families in a “Change War,” an initiative organized by second...
Lower Burrell manager Greg Primm recognized by international organization
More than 8,000 municipal managers attended the International City/County Management Association this week in Tampa, Fla., but only about a dozen were recognized for longtime service to the profession. One of them was Lower Burrell City Manager Greg Primm, who is coming up on 35 years as a municipal manager...
AT&T to erect 93-foot antenna at Highlands football field to improve cellphone service in Harrison
AT&T will erect a new light standard with a cellular antenna attached on property owned by Highlands School District. The Harrison Township commissioners voted 4-0 at its October meeting to approve a conditional use for the project following a public hearing. Commissioner Eric Bengel voted “present.” No one from the...
Name of new Harrison restaurant at former Anchor Inn is nod to township’s history
A new Harrison restaurant will pay homage to the township’s past. Owners Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson on Thursday revealed the name of the eatery — Salt and Steel – a nod to industrial giants Penn Salt and Allegheny Ludlum (now ATI). Both manufacturers were pivotal in the township’s growth,...
The Stroller, Oct. 31, 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. Happy Halloween! Many municipalities...
Human trafficking and how to help will be the subject of Fox Chapel presentation
It was a conversation with an Indian missionary that prompted the launch of Living in Liberty, a North Hills nonprofit dedicated to helping heal victims of human trafficking. Elizabeth Echevarria, CEO, founded the group in 2012 after hearing about conditions in Calcutta and subsequently learning that the U.S. leads the...
Pittsburgh homicide suspect arrested in New Kensington
A man accused of an August homicide in Pittsburgh was arrested Wednesday in New Kensington’s Parnassus neighborhood. Terrance George, 36, of Pittsburgh, is charged with criminal homicide, illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license in connection to an Aug. 26 homicide in Pittsburgh’s East Hills...
Enrollment drops at Penn State’s closing branch campuses in Western Pennsylvania
While overall enrollment at Penn State’s main campus remains steady, universitywide enrollment this fall decreased by 1.6% over last year, and dropped 5.7% overall at branch campuses. According to Penn State data released this week, 386 students are enrolled at Penn State New Kensington this fall. That’s a 10.6% decrease...
Firefighters respond to reports of smoke at Verona Municipal Building
Emergency responders from Verona and Oakmont reported to the Verona municipal building early Thursday morning after receiving reports of smoke in the building. According to interim Verona Manager Jason Dailey, a smoke alarm in the building went off a little before 7 a.m. Responders discovered one of the building’s four...
Harrison man arrested in FBI raid accused of threatening judge, others through voicemails
A man arrested Tuesday in a raid on a Harrison home by federal authorities is charged with two counts of making interstate threats and accused of leaving multiple menacing voicemails. Federal prosecutors say Thomas Dorn called an unidentified victim earlier this month, threatening to kill them and others — including...
Townhouse plans changed, approved for former Aspinwall church site
Plans have changed for proposed townhouses at the former Community United Methodist Church in Aspinwall. Planning commissioners unanimously voted on Oct. 22 to approve a new proposal from Amena Properties founder Tony Pompeo Jr. to create four single-family homes at the corner of Center Avenue and Fourth Street. The Aspinwall...
