Valley News Dispatch category, Page 28
Man who led police on hours-long chase up frozen Allegheny River remains jailed
Police say a Pittsburgh man who shouted to them that he wasn’t “going back to jail” as he led officers on a slow, 5-mile foot pursuit on the frozen Allegheny River on Wednesday is, in fact, back in jail. Gary Cawley, 47, is facing felony charges of burglary and criminal...
Public input sought for Parks Township dump cleanup plans
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a five-year review of the project to clean up the former NUMEC nuclear waste dump off Route 66 and Kiskimere Road, formally known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area. It’s the second such review, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleanup...
The Stroller, Jan. 29, 2026: 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. Benefit concert to aid...
Communities call in the heavy machinery for snow removalVideo
Some towns are trading in their snowplows for front loaders and dump trucks to deal with the remnants of Sunday’s snowstorm. With bitter cold expected to keep the snow piles around for at least a week, communities have nowhere to push the snow, so they plan to pick it up...
O’Hara resident at the helm of 2 marinas in Allegheny County
Jim Scott of O’Hara doesn’t have a boat. Yet. But as the new owner of two established Allegheny County marinas — Fox Chapel Yacht Club and South Side Marina—Scott’s interest in a boat is ramping up. “I feel like you can’t own a marina without a boat,” said Scott during...
Volunteers face cold, snow to help local food banks
Cory Nulph and Jacob Ritchie didn’t hesitate when they were asked to clear snow from Leechburg’s First Methodist Church parking lot Monday evening. The men had spent most of the day plowing and shoveling their own driveways in Gilpin and those of their neighbors. Monday evening, when borough Mayor Doreen...
Westmoreland County, Allegheny Township sued over 2024 fatal motorcycle crash
The family of a Butler County man killed in a 2024 motorcycle crash filed a lawsuit Wednesday, alleging that poorly marked curves and a history of “roadway departures” at a local intersection led to his death. Roger Davis Jr., 25, died from injuries suffered in a Sept. 15, 2024, crash...
Man trying to flee police walks several miles up the frozen Allegheny River, authorities say
A man is in stable condition and facing criminal charges after a three-hour police chase Wednesday over a frozen Allegheny River — from Highland Park to Harmar. Pittsburgh police say they were dispatched at 1 p.m. to the 7100 block of Highland Drive for a report of a person trespassing...
Police investigate child’s death in Harrison following ‘medical incident’
Police are investigating the death of a child Wednesday in Harrison. Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said township officers responded to Pine Street for a medical incident involving a 3-year-old child inside of a residence. He said Allegheny County Police were subsequently requested to the scene to handle the investigation....
Former Highlands teacher gets house arrest while awaiting trial on sex assault charges
Former Highlands School District teacher Sean Dicer can stay at his Brackenridge home while awaiting trial on charges he sexually assaulted former students. Dicer has been in Allegheny County Jail since Dec. 4, when county police arrested him on charges that include involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, unlawful...
Slopes to shovels: Valley High ski club clears snow for safe bus stopsVideo
Na’Zere Johnson knew when he joined Valley Jr.-Sr. High School’s ski club earlier this year that he’d be expected to brave wintry weather. But this week, Johnson and his peers traded the slopes and skis for hills and shovels. A group of ski club members has spent afternoons this week...
1 dead after West Deer fire
One person is dead following a fire Wednesday morning in West Deer. Emergency crews responded at about 11 a.m. to the 100 block of Trump Road for a fully involved house fire. Kasey Reigner, public information officer for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services, confirmed the fire involved a...
Audubon closes 2 nature stores, expands programs at Buffalo Creek, Succop, Beechwood Farms
The new executive director at Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is making changes to connect more people with the outdoors. Chris Bason said that reconfigurations at Buffalo Creek and Succop nature parks will create more opportunity for birding, a passion shared by more than one-third of U.S. adults, according to...
Iron City Distilling to host whiskey encore with online release
Whiskey lovers who missed the first release of Iron City Distilling’s Bessemer Rye Whiskey are getting a second chance at the limited spirit sooner than expected. Following what the East Deer distiller is calling a “rapid sellout” of the first round, a second sale of the single-barrel rye will be...
The Stroller, Jan. 28, 2026: 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. Drive-thru dinner to aid...
Lower Burrell man charged in Mogie’s shooting declared competent to stand trial
The man charged in the murder of a popular Lower Burrell bar owner is competent to stand trial. The decision by a Westmoreland County judge ends nearly 16 months of uncertainty regarding the prosecution of the case. Prosecutors contend Nathan Salem, 47, of Lower Burrell shot and killed David “Mogie”...
Highlands goes to remote learning for the week; other districts take it day-by-day
Highlands School District students will stay home the remainder of the week. Frigid temperatures, combined with the aftermath of Sunday’s monster snowfall, prompted the decision for remote learning for the rest of the week, administrators said. “Conducting remote learning all week was not expected,” Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said. “The safety...
Fox Chapel’s Cooper-Siegel library opens $2.5M expansion, ‘a space where ideas can flourish’
Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel has started a new chapter, one that bolsters its mission of cultivating a community of lifelong learners. On Jan. 23, the library opened its $2.5 million expansion of the facility’s lower level, complete with a Makerspace, small group study rooms, common area with tables...
Freeport Area educator appointed to Burrell School Board
A Lower Burrell man who is a Freeport Area School District educator is the newest member of the Burrell School Board. Robert W. Harris was appointed by the board to fill a vacancy, Superintendent Shannon Wagner said. “I have committed my life to public education, as it is something that...
West Deer Cub Scouts use snowfall to raise money for church roof
While many people stayed inside snuggled up and warm during the snow Sunday and Monday, Scouts from Cub Scouts Pack 965 got to work. The Scouts worked for most of the day Sunday shoveling driveways throughout the West Deer area in exchange for donations to help East Union Community Center...
Scott Blasey to headline benefit concert for Highland Hose in Tarentum
Highland Hose Volunteer Fire Company in Tarentum is getting some big-name fundraising support next month. Pittsburgh rocker Scott Blasey, lead singer of The Clarks, is lending his voice to help raise money for the fire company at an event at the Brackenridge American Legion on Feb. 7. Blasey and the...
The Stroller, Jan. 27, 2026: 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. Hold the Phone! Dinner...
Lower Burrell’s new training proves crucial in snowstorm
Lower Burrell officials were more prepared for Sunday’s snowstorm than any other event in the past 12 years, according to Mayor Chris Fabry. The preparedness can be attributed to city officials’ participation in a community risk reduction course in late November, he said. The course saw city officials from public...
Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services lands $242,700 federal boost for turnout gear
Members of the Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services will now be easily identified as a cohesive department with new turnout gear emblazoned with their call number — 102. The protective gear will replace outdated items and also reflect the merged department, comprised of Aspinwall and Sharpsburg, Chief Mike Daniher said....
Snow storm transforms Winter Field Day from practice to real-life for ham radio operators
Most people would happily have skipped having the past weekend’s winter storm, but for amateur or “ham” radio operators, it was perfect timing. Saturday and Sunday already were scheduled as a nationwide Winter Field Day for the radio operators, which is an event aimed at practicing using their skills during...
