Valley News Dispatch category, Page 248
Plum EMS to host car seat safety check at Holiday Park VFD
Safety is always top of mind for Plum first responders, which is why they have organized an event to make sure families are taking proper care of their most precious cargo. Plum EMS hosts its annual car seat safety check from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 16 at the...
Separate Oktoberfests brewing in Saxonburg and Vandergrift
Say cheers to beer at two separate Oktoberfest festivals on back-to-back weekends in Saxonburg and Vandergrift. Sprankle’s annual Octoberfest celebrates its fifth anniversary with a three-day celebration Friday through Sunday at the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company fairgrounds in Saxonburg. Oktoberfest in Vandergrift is a one-day celebration Sept. 16 on Grant...
Tarentum boaters say borough deadline to retrieve docks is ‘impossible’
People who have dock space along the Allegheny River in Tarentum are asking for added time to pull their items from the water and shoreline after council eliminated leases until further notice. Council in August said leases will not be approved until the borough has a finalized riverfront development plan,...
Truck gets stuck at railroad intersection in Springdale
A tanker truck got stuck Wednesday morning at the Colfax Street railroad crossing in Springdale. The truck became hung up on the Norfolk Southern tracks, causing railroad traffic to shut down while police and officials worked to remove the tractor-trailer from the tracks. It appeared the truck might have gone...
Canine ‘Cavalier’ Roo celebrates 1st birthday posing for yearbook picture at Kiski Area High School
A Kiski Area School District therapy dog was ready for her closeup Wednesday during picture day in the high school library. Roo, a 1-year-old deaf therapy dog, joined the Kiski Area staff in January after being adopted by Superintendent Misty Slavic. “She’s the sweetest thing when she roams the hall,”...
Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department swears in 8 members
Oakmont Mayor Sophia Facaros swore in eight volunteer firefighters Tuesday at the borough’s monthly work session. Facaros chose to call on each volunteer separately to recite the oath of office. “You all probably don’t get as much recognition as you should for the work that you do for the community,”...
DA: State police justified in fatally shooting Fawn man last October
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Wednesday that state police were justified in fatally shooting a Fawn man who brandished a gun last fall after troopers responded to a domestic disturbance report. Zachary John Cervice, 50, was killed on Shamrock Lane as he got out of a...
Residents invited to discuss social, economic and other issues with officials in Leechburg
“Let’s talk.” That’s the message from Leechburg-area clergy and officials as they prepare to host an inaugural town hall meeting Sept. 27 at the Marconi Club in Leechburg. The meeting is presented by the Leechburg Ministerial Association, which comprises several Leechburg and Gilpin churches. Participants will include government officials, school...
Tarentum could have another digital billboard, this one seen by Route 28 motorists
Another electronic billboard could be coming to Tarentum. Representatives from Weleski Transfer in Tarentum are asking borough council to approve construction of a digital billboard that would rise 70 feet above the company’s West Fourth Avenue offices and, hopefully, catch the attention of drivers along Route 28. Lights would be...
Extended lane closures on Route 28 in Harmar begin Friday
Extended, weekendlong lane closures on Route 28 in Harmar will begin Friday, according to PennDOT. The single-lane restrictions will occur in both directions on Route 28 on two bridges, as crews work on expansion dam replacement and approach road reconstruction. Work on the northbound lanes is set to begin at...
The Stroller, Sept. 6, 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. Volunteers needed at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley Animal Protectors of...
Bring ‘hobby and family together’ at Guy on the Couch in Monroeville
In the early days of serious card collecting, some shops had about enough room for a parent, his son and the clerk. When it comes to capacity and comfort, Guy on the Couch Cards & Gaming in Monroeville offers pretty much the opposite. From a children’s play area near the...
Driver in Tarentum car crash taken to hospital
One person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries sustained in a two-car crash Tuesday afternoon in Tarentum. Eureka Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Brad James said the crash occurred at Ross Street and Ninth Avenue around 4:45 p.m. James said both drivers were evaluated, and only one required medical transportation....
Plum musicians rock for Rustic Ridge
Support for Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood continues with the help of some musically inclined residents. Janet Schoedel, who sings for the rock band Barracuda, and Ken Joy, drummer for MoJo — The Band, live near the site of an Aug. 12 explosion that claimed six lives. Their groups will join...
PUC rules public utility equipment not at fault in 2022 Plum home explosion
A Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruling that an April 2022 home explosion in Plum was not caused by public utility equipment does not eliminate the possibility that natural gas caused the explosion. In a statement released Tuesday, the PUC’s safety division found no evidence that public utility natural gas equipment...
Same Lower Burrell utility pole, power lines down twice in 3 days
The power lines and a utility pole near the Dunkin’ in Lower Burrell can’t seem to catch a break. Crews responded to the intersection of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg roads, where people can turn into the Burrell Plaza parking lot from Wildlife Lodge, for downed power lines Tuesday morning —...
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil appointed president of St. Joseph High School
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil attended St. Joseph High School in the 1980s, when Steve Jobs first introduced the desktop computer to the masses. “We had an Apple IIe at school and that actually launched my passion for technology,” MacNeil said. “It was while at St. Joe’s that I found an enthusiasm...
The Depot Wi-Fi cafe and laundromat in Tarentum still in the works
A community resource center in Tarentum that was expected to open in 2021 is slowly rebounding from what organizers say was a covid-induced stall. The Depot, in the 300 block of Fifth Avenue, was hailed as a first-of-its-kind co-working space with a Wi-Fi cafe and laundromat. Backed by nonprofit Faith...
The Stroller, Sept. 5, 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. Tickets on sale for Boy Scout chicken barbecue Boy Scout Troop...
‘It’s shocking’: Apollo-area residents react after another alligator reportedly spotted in Kiski
Apollo area residents were saying “see ya later, alligator” after a gator some called Chomper was captured last month from the Kiski River. But over the weekend, another alligator, or something thought to be an alligator, was spotted in the same area. It left some river enthusiasts less enthused over...
Revelers enjoy ‘last hurrah of summer’ at Labor United Celebration
The weather wasn’t the only hot thing at the 2023 Labor United Celebration held Sunday and Monday at Northmoreland Park. Hot fresh-cut fries were a hit with toddlers Waylon Smith and Jax Wheeler of Parks Township. The two friends were focused and determined as they shared a large helping of...
The Stroller, Sept. 4, 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. Kiski Watershed Association plans river cleanup on Saturday The Kiski Watershed...
Another alligator sighting in the Kiski River reported to authorities
There appears to be a reptile repeat of sorts along the Kiski River in Kiski Township. After a weeklong search and rescue of an alligator from the river near Apollo in August, a group of six kayakers reported spotting another alligator swimming in the Kiski on Sunday afternoon, about a...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Aug. 24-30, 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,...
Bishop Larry Kulick reconsecrates Catholic church in New Kensington
St. Mary of Czestochowa Church in New Kensington was reconsecrated Aug. 26 by Bishop Larry Kulick of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. The large brick church on Kenneth Avenue suffered $3 million in damages on April 8, 2020, when an EF-1 tornado — with winds of up to 100...
