Valley News Dispatch category, Page 288

The Democrats handily won in all three state House special elections Tuesday night, which will give them a majority in the House for the first time since 2010. The margin of representation would be 102 Democrats to 101 Republicans. According to unofficial returns from the Allegheny County Elections Division, the...

Springdale Council President Mitchell Karaica has announced his candidacy for Lower Valley district judge. “Having lived in the magisterial district for 48 of my 50 years, I have a personal stake in the safety and well-being of all five communities and strongly relate to the needs and concerns of the...

Plans to extend the Three Rivers Heritage Trail through Cheswick are inching closer to reality. The public can weigh in on potential designs during an open house Wednesday at the Cheswick Volunteer Fire Department. Friends of the Riverfront, the nonprofit that oversees the Heritage Trail, is seeking input on construction...

While Lower Burrell boasts five parks with facilities, organized outdoor activities are lacking, Councilwoman Rosina Albanese said. The city is revamping its Parks & Recreation Commission, armed with a new parks study and a desire to regroup after a long pandemic hiatus. The commission will hold a meeting for residents...

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 photography workshops offered The New Kensington Camera Club and Focus...

As a sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder, Army veteran Debbie Richey left her house only rarely. That changed with some constant canine companionship. “I finally started to be able to go out in public. At first, I was a little afraid. I wasn’t sure. I never had a dog before,”...

Dollar General has withdrawn its application for a variance related to parking spaces for a proposed new store along Saltsburg Road in Plum, according to a notice from the borough. The borough’s zoning hearing board was scheduled to hold a hearing on the request at its meeting Wednesday, after the...

Fox Chapel Area High School students are collecting supplies for a Pittsburgh homeless shelter. The effort is organized by the student government’s community outreach committee. The drive began late January and runs through Feb. 17. People can make donations Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the...

The installation of new fire hydrants in West Deer continues to be delayed, but township officials insist the holdup is not because of inaction on their part. Township Manager Daniel Mator said the township has budgeted $140,000 this year for 10 hydrants in the area as fire officials express concerns...

Highlands Middle School students were dismissed early Friday after a threat was made to the school, district leaders said Monday. Details of the incident and the nature of the threat were not released by the district. A statement from Superintendent Monique Mawhinney did not disclose who made the threat or...

A library is offering more than just books in Apollo. The Apollo Memorial Library opened the Fresh and Free Community Pantry last week, offering perishable foods such as eggs, vegetables and fruit to the public. In its first three days of operation, more than 260 people visited the library seeking...

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. Night at the races to aid police dog medical fund A...

For those who didn’t know, white sheets of paper taped Sunday to a glass front door told the story. “Attention Guests: Thank you for the opportunity to serve this community over the years,” one read. “Unfortunately, this location is now permanently closed.” Judging by surprised and annoyed customers arriving about...

Zach Blume and Rebekka Schmid thought their VFW post in Tarentum should do something to express support for fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire, wounded Tarentum police Officer Jordan Schrecengost and their families. So when the idea of holding a spaghetti fundraiser Sunday was settled on, they approached area businesses...

Ongoing upgrades to the UPMC St. Margaret hospital campus near Aspinwall will boost safety for patients, staff and visitors, hospital leaders said. A switch to LED lights in the parking areas is a key component of the project. Work cost about $50,000 for 96 new lights in the parking and...

A barbecue pitmaster from Leechburg uses his grill skills for charity. Joe “Big Joe” Felschow organizes barbecue benefits for anyone experiencing hardship in the Leechburg area. “It’s something I started and have a passion for. I love helping others in this crazy world we live in, even if it’s just...

Before 1910, there was a large island in the Allegheny River between Lower Burrell and Tarentum. It ran from the Braeburn area downriver to the site of the present Tarentum Bridge. The island was named Hairs Island on early maps and was sometimes referred to as Tarentum Island in old...

Plum Council has voted to tear down two houses the borough’s engineer has declared dangerous, while giving the owner of a third home more time to repair it. During hearings Monday, council voted to tear down houses at 7906 Saltsburg Road and 488 New Texas Road. Council voted to give...

A popular summertime festival is returning to Allegheny Township. Community Days — last organized in 1997 — is set to return June 24. The township recently approved the formation of a Community Days Committee, spearheaded by Supervisor James Morabito. “We have no records indicating why the event ceased 26 years...

A woman accused of repeatedly punching a family member in the face when he polished off the last shot of cognac during a night of heavy drinking faces felony charges after Lower Burrell police said she attacked officers and medics who responded to her home. Tia Anastasia Collins, 24, of...

Harmar police accused two men of using another person’s credit card to make more than $2,500 in purchases from a Home Depot store in Pittsburgh. Police charged Franklin Grant Rose, 45, of Brackenridge with felony counts of access device fraud and conspiracy to commit access device fraud along with counts...

A longtime educator and former Valley Points Family YMCA employee is opening a new preschool program after a drama-­filled departure from her previous teaching post at the West Vandergrift Early Learning Center in Vandergrift. Andrea Bennett was a YMCA employee for 35 years before cleaning out her classroom at the...

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. Armstrong Conservation group to have tree seedling sale Armstrong Conservation District...

Seven Westmoreland County communities from Greensburg to New Kensington to Monessen are getting a unique opportunity — the ability to re-create neighborhoods and business districts free of blight. Using $10.4 million in federal money, the project calls for identifying as many as 500 properties for demolition, although some might end...

Brackenridge officials find themselves overwhelmed by the public support continuing to flow into the borough after police Chief Justin McIntire’s death. A case in point is the dinner being planned to benefit the family of McIntire, who was shot and killed in the line of duty Jan. 2. Councilman Dino...