Valley News Dispatch category, Page 244
Remembering devoted mom who died in Plum explosion: Heather Oravitz was ‘a special wife’
Lindsay and Fran Sciullo thought so highly of Heather and Paul Oravitz that they entrusted to the Oravitzes’ daughter what was most precious to them — their two sons. Taylor Oravitz would babysit the Sciullo boys, Maddox and Brady, when Lindsay and her husband, Fran — educators in the Plum...
‘Notorious Pittsburgh’: Book tells tales from city’s seedy underbelly
A man of questionable business practices fishes in his pocket for the key to his Cadillac, which is parked in a dark alley. He probably hears the sound of approaching shoes as he attempts to enter the car. Soon, he is mortally wounded by four gunshots to the chest, shoulder...
Felony charge reduced against teen accused by Tarentum police of having gun; trial ordered
Tarentum police say a 19-year-old passenger in a vehicle pulled over for a traffic violation at the boat launch under the Tarentum Bridge was arrested after a loaded gun was found in his backpack. Frederick Xa Dorsey-Hua, 19, of the 7500 block of Ormond Street in Swissvale was charged with...
Longtime Trib employee Janet Beresik remembered for friendliness, dedication to family
Janet Beresik never went searching for the next career opportunity once she started working in sales and marketing for her hometown newspaper. “My sister had wonderful people skills, so when she started working at the Valley News Dispatch (now the Tribune-Review), it really was the perfect job for her,” said...
Natural gas leaks found in Plum’s Regency Park neighborhood following fatal Rustic Ridge blast
Following a fatal explosion that investigators say may have been fueled by natural gas in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood, two natural gas leaks have been found in another borough neighborhood. Leaks were reported in the area of Crestview and Mower drives, and on Kathy Lynn Drive in Plum’s Regency Park...
Police: Man cornered in yard after fleeing when officer spots gun on Tarentum boat dock
A Tarentum man was charged with carrying a gun without a permit after police accused him of running from a boat launch when an officer spotted the weapon on a dock. Ryan Allen Berry, 21, of the 900 block of East Sixth Avenue faces a felony charge in connection with...
Hot water tank a focus of investigation into Plum house explosion; victims’ remains released to families
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed it is investigating the possibility that complications with a hot water tank contributed to a house explosion in Plum over the weekend. That was the first public confirmation from officials about a possible origin of the blast Saturday morning that killed five people,...
Burrell administrators shift for upcoming school year
New initiatives and administrative staffing changes are planned as the Burrell School District prepares for the upcoming school year. Brian Ferra, formerly the principal at Charles Huston Middle School, will be the principal at Stewart Elementary. Travis Welch, Huston’s assistant principal, will be the building’s new principal, and Krista Pisano...
West Deer police accuse Springdale contractor of taking money for work he never did
A Springdale man was accused of contractor fraud after a West Deer homeowner told police that he paid the contractor up front to do some remodeling in a bathroom but that he never showed up to do the work. Police charged Delos J. Hough, 42, of the 700 block of...
The Stroller, Aug. 15, 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. Mutts, Meows and Margaritas event to benefit HOPE Center The Alle-Kiski...
‘Fishing for Keegan and Casey’ fundraiser to benefit family of Plum explosion victims
A Washington Township couple is hoping to help victims of Saturday’s house explosion in Plum by honoring one family’s love of fishing. Angela and Mike Blasko created a fundraiser in which one winner will land an all-expenses paid, full-day offshore fishing trip on Lake Erie on the Blasko’s charter fishing...
2 Plum officials among house explosion deaths, all 5 now identified
Plum Borough Manager Michael Thomas and Community Development Director Heather Oravitz were among the five people killed in a house explosion Saturday, Mayor Harry Schlegel confirmed Monday. Thomas was 57. Oravitz was 51. The other victims, all identified through their families, were Casey Clontz, 38, and his son, Keegan, 12,...
With his home in ruins, Plum’s high school soccer coach committed to tryouts
Rafal Kolankowski was determined to forge ahead, the chaos engulfing his neighborhood — his life — be damned. Soccer tryouts loomed Monday night, the first of three days of tryouts, and the Plum High School boys coach wasn’t about to let the kids down. “Unfortunately, I have to make cuts,”...
Remembering family man who died in Plum explosion: Kevin Sebunia ‘had a heart of gold’
Above all else, Kevin Sebunia was a dedicated family man — a devoted father and doting husband who willingly gave his time to others. His wife, Kelly, and daughters, Emily and Abigail, were the most important people in Sebunia’s life, longtime friend Joe Pulcini said. “His family came before anything,”...
Community gathers for vigil honoring house explosion victims in Plum
The power of prayer united strangers and friends Monday during a daylong candlelight vigil to honor the victims of the house explosion Saturday in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood. Holy Family Parish’s St. Januarius Church on Renton Road in Plum hosted the vigil from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We just...
Plum family recalls neighbor’s cry for help after blast
Beth Napoleon felt the force of the blast that obliterated her neighbor’s home directly across the street from hers in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood on Saturday. Worse, she heard her neighbor’s cry for help. “I was in-between things. I was just relaxing on the couch with one of my dogs...
Allegheny Valley School District to offer new learning, technology for upcoming school year
It has been a busy summer of planning in the Allegheny Valley School District. When students return Aug. 21, there will be several new programs in place, including a reading series for elementary students, a math intervention pilot program for first and third graders and technology upgrades districtwide. Superintendent Pat Graczyk...
‘Just heartwarming’: Alle-Kiski Inclusion Games to be held in September in Lower Burrell
Courtney Kobelenske recalls seeing a sea of purple shirts, signaling they were volunteers for the inaugural Alle-Kiski Inclusion Games, last fall at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park in Lower Burrell to set up for the day’s activities. Then came the blue shirts — representing the event’s participants — to...
East Deer’s summer celebration set for Memorial Field
Food, games and live music are just some of the attractions available when East Deer celebrates summer on Saturday, Aug. 19. The township’s summer celebration will hit East Deer Memorial Field from noon to 8 p.m. “It’s grown into a very good festival for our community,” said township Commissioner Tony...
Eureka Hose, Unity and Holiday Park firefighters score $430K for new air packs
Unity Volunteer Fire Department in Plum is still repaying a loan it took out in 2008 to buy breathing packs for its 25 members. “Can we afford it? No,” Chief P.J. Mudar said. “Is it something we have to do? Yes.” The worst part is that before they’re even paid...
The Stroller, Aug. 14, 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. Free acoustic concert scheduled in Harrison Hills Park Jimbo Jackson will...
‘A humbling responsibility’: Rustic Ridge’s Greg Renko leads neighbors through tragedyVideo
Greg Renko bounced from one house to the next on Sunday, one neighbor to the next, one phone call to the next. He consoled them. Answered their questions. Offered whatever insight he could provide, both as Rustic Ridge Estates Home Owners Association president and as an Allegheny County Police officer...
‘We’re so lucky’: Family forced from home after Plum explosion grateful to be aliveVideo
Jeremy Rogers arrived back in his Rustic Ridge Estates neighborhood Sunday morning, unsure what he would find. When he left Saturday, his neighbor’s house was still smoldering, having been consumed hours earlier by a fire that quickly spread when a neighboring home exploded. The Rogers family home, at 145 Rustic...
Rustic Ridge explosion sends different kind of shock wave through Plum’s Holiday Park section
A lot on Hialeah Drive in Plum’s Holiday Park neighborhood where a house exploded and burned in April 2022 is just a grassy space between two other homes today. Since the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office released the scene, it’s been cleaned up and sold, with a new house expected...
Cause of Plum house explosion could take months or years to find, authorities say
Five people, four adults and one child, died in a massive house explosion in Plum on Saturday, borough police Chief Lanny Conley said at a news conference Sunday. None of the victims from the incident that destroyed three houses and damaged scores of others on Rustic Ridge Drive have yet...
