Valley News Dispatch category, Page 242
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Sept. 14-20, 2023
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, the Tribune-Review’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate,...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit eyeing additional service for Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison
Critical mobility needs in Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison are being targeted through a proposal from Pittsburgh Regional Transit. The agency is seeking funding for the creation of two microtransit zones in Allegheny County. One would be in McKeesport, and the other could serve people in the three Alle-Kiski Valley towns....
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell’s Abby Koscianski sets example in firefighting, leadership
Firefighting is in Abby Koscianski’s blood. When she was little, Abby and her brother, Joey, would play and pretend to go on calls as a firefighters with Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3. Their parents, Femo and Lisa Ficca, met while volunteering for the company. When Koscianski was 14,...
Faces of the Valley: Leechburg resident Matthew Hooks helps Civil War history live on
Matthew Hooks’ passion for the past can’t be contained. A self-described history nerd, Hooks helps generate interest for countless others through his Civil War reenactment group. As co-founder of the 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Company F, the Leechburg resident is eager to share his hobby in hopes of educating and...
Dragon boat racing team of breast cancer survivors readies for annual festival
It’s not just that Lynn Jablonowski didn’t have any boating experience. She was also actually afraid of the water. But she’d overcome breast cancer, and with help from members of the Hearts of Steel dragon boat racing team, she overcame her fear of water, too. Everyone on the Hearts of...
Plum School District pays $30K to settle teacher grievances over use of paid leave during sabbaticals
The Plum School District agreed to pay just over $30,000 to settle grievances over sick leave days involving three teachers. The school board approved the settlement with the Plum Borough Education Association, the district’s teachers union, on Sept. 12 . After a representative initially said the agreement would not be...
New Kensington accepts bid for road paving, approves more alley murals
Two blocks of a downtown New Kensington street are expected to be resurfaced by the end of the year. City council accepted an $86,300 bid from Tresco Paving to resurface Third Avenue between Ninth and 11th streets. Tresco submitted the lowest of six bids, the highest of which was $127,400,...
6 Alle-Kiski Valley communities working on joint plan to combat blight
Six Alle-Kiski Valley communities will be taking part in a regional property conditions assessment and blight mitigation plan. The municipalities — Arnold, New Kensington, Allegheny Township, East Vandergrift, Vandergrift and West Leechburg — are among the eight members of the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council, formed in 2021 and through which they...
The Stroller, Sept. 24, 2023: 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. Open house event planned at Vandergrift Public Library Vandergrift Public Library...
Arnold firefighters help make sure residents have smoke detectors
Nannette Banichar of Arnold is like a lot of people. She had no working smoke detectors in her home — that is, before Saturday. Tessie Amaranto, executive director of the American Red Cross, Chestnut Ridge Chapter, said that’s the case more often than not. The Red Cross teamed up with...
Highlands Area Rotary Club hosts its first food truck festival in Harrison with a little help from their friends
Good food, good music and only a little rain on Saturday made the first food truck festival hosted by the Highlands Area Rotary Club a hit. Hot Ash Pizza, Wok on Wheels, Los Gallitos, Knapp-Kins and Del Vecchio’s food trucks lined the lawn of Guardian Angels Parish-Most Blessed Sacrament in...
Plum School District investigating bullet found on school bus
The Plum School District is investigating a recent incident in which a bullet was found on one of its school buses. The district said it’s working closely with law enforcement agencies to gather information. It said there was no immediate threat to any students or staff members. In a letter...
Brackenridge man awaiting hearing charged with threatening borough worker with BB gun
A Brackenridge man arrested in August on charges he used an ax to break through a door because he was angry that his housemates weren’t chipping in enough to pay the bills has been arrested again. David Hood Monroe, 64, of the 1100 block of Roup Avenue is accused of...
New pickleball courts debut in Freeport; grand opening celebration set
Pickleball enthusiasts in the Freeport area no longer have to travel very far when they want to hit the courts for a few volleys. Six pickleball courts opened in Freeport Community Park in late August, and a grand opening celebration is scheduled for Oct. 7. The courts were established by...
The Stroller, Sept. 23, 2023: 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. Poker run to raise money for Rustic Ridge families The Ride...
Water woes continue in Leechburg; 5 breaks fixed so far
Aging waterlines are thought to be the cause of ongoing water woes for some residents in Leechburg. More than five water main breaks have occurred in the past two weeks, according to Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Foster. Foster said Friday the majority of waterlines in the borough are...
Springdale implosion decision looms as residents, health official testify about dust from earlier smokestack event
On the morning of June 2, Joe Kern took to his Duquesne Court home’s roof and decided to film Springdale history, waiting for the two towering smokestacks at the former coal-fired power plant across the street to be imploded. But when the towers fell, a cloud of brown dust absorbed...
Country music star Bob Corbin and his wife, Edana, leave a legacy through their writings
Bob and Edana Corbin will live on through their words. Bob Corbin, 74, a songwriter and singer, and Edana Corbin, 77, an author, who died days apart, have left a legacy through what they’ve written. People will still be able to sing the songs he wrote for the country band...
Misunderstanding leads to large search for 2 missing boys in Harrison
A large search for two missing boys in Harrison and surrounding areas Friday afternoon was started by a misunderstanding of what day of the week it was. Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said his department responded to Argonne Drive shortly before 2 p.m. for a report of two missing children....
Questions surround firing of Arnold city manager as council prepares to interview replacement
Questions surround the firing of Arnold City Manager Mario Bellavia, which happened only about a week after residents publicly applauded him for his work on behalf of the city. Details surrounding Bellavia’s termination, including how it happened, when and why, were unclear Friday. Bellavia did not return phone calls. An...
Freeport Road underpass reopens at New Kensington Bridge, PennDOT announces
Northbound Freeport Road under the New Kensington Bridge in East Deer has reopened to traffic, PennDOT announced Friday. The single lane traveling under the bridge closed July 17 to allow crews to work on the bridge. While the underpass was closed, traffic flow was reconfigured to have vehicles heading toward...
Feds hold Allegheny Valley School District responsible for harassment, assault of disabled student
The Allegheny Valley School District failed to protect a disabled student whose classmates harassed and physically attacked him, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department’s Office for Civil Rights has announced that it had resolved a disability harassment investigation of the district. The agreement includes requiring the district...
Gilpin seeks applicants to fill supervisor seat
An opportunity is knocking for Gilpin residents interested in public service. Supervisor Linda Alworth submitted a letter of resignation Tuesday, leaving a vacancy on the five-member board. Alworth left the post because she moved out of the township. “We haven’t received any submissions yet, but we’re hoping to see a...
Owner says Sharpsburg distillery is an old-soul watering hole where Love reigns
Katie Sirianni escaped a relationship a few years back and wrote a love letter to herself. She is sharing it with the world in the form of a new watering hole, a black-and-white themed lounge dripping with white roses, crystal chandeliers and a speakeasy vibe. “Love has become so complicated,”...
The Stroller, Sept. 22, 2023: 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. Gateway Clipper cruises to sail from Freeport park Experience Armstrong Inc....
