Valley News Dispatch category, Page 305
Brackenridge resident spearheads effort to rename borough street for Chief McIntire
The Brackenridge street where fallen police Chief Justin McIntire was killed could be renamed in his honor if a longtime resident has her way. Family friend Debbie Beale is spearheading the effort to rename Third Avenue, where the 46-year-old chief grew up and also where he was killed during a...
Leechburg Area third graders take a walk on the historic side to celebrate 100th day of school
The third grade hallway inside David Leech Elementary School was transformed Friday into a historical photo display project to celebrate the 100th day of school. The inaugural 100 Day Museum Walk, created by third grade teacher Michelle Grooms, is a black-and-white photo display containing 32 photos taken in various locations...
The Stroller, Jan. 28, 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. Lenten fish fry listings wanted Ash Wednesday is Feb. 22 and...
Shawn Marcellino benefit concert set for The Oaks theater
Shawn Marcellino died doing what he loved — competing on an athletic field. He also died young, just 40 years old when he collapsed while playing catcher for Living Word of Plum in a church league softball game at a field off Elicker Road. At the time of his death...
Concerts planned for New Kensington hotel ballroom
A Gilpin couple is working to turn a New Kensington hotel’s ballroom into the area’s newest concert venue. Daniel and Brenda Leo, through their businesses, Leo’s Productions and Strobe Lighting & Sound, are planning to host monthly concerts in the grand ballroom of the Quality Inn off Tarentum Bridge Road,...
Arnold police arrest man on charges he beat, strangled woman during argument
Arnold police arrested a Pittsburgh man after a woman told them he beat and strangled her during an argument. Naron Shamal Davis, 31, of Kenwood Avenue in the Perry South neighborhood faces a felony count of strangulation along with a count of simple assault. Davis was being detained in the...
Harrison man accused by state agents of distributing child porn on Snapchat faces 21 felony counts
A Harrison man faces nearly two dozen felony child pornography charges after, investigators said, numerous photographs and videos were found in his possession showing children as young as 7 engaged in sexual activity. Matthew J. Morrow, 25, of the 1000 block of Carlisle Street was charged by an agent with...
New Harrison Manager Amy Rockwell eager to build for township’s future
Harrison’s new manager, Amy Rockwell, has hit the ground running. She began her stint Jan. 16 after the township went three months without an administrative head. John Pallone resigned his post in September after six months on the job. Rockwell is a resident of Lower Burrell, where she most recently...
The Stroller, Jan. 27, 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. Fun and Freedom Youth Sports to host designer purse bash A...
DA investigating 2nd person of interest in Chief McIntire’s ambush
The degree to which a second person was complicit in the shooting death of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire or whether the person was involved in other local criminal activity is expected to be determined in the coming weeks. Police are investigating a man who was spotted multiple times with...
Police: Wanted man arrested after pulling stolen gun on couple arguing outside Harmar motel room
Harmar police accused a convicted felon who is not allowed to possess a gun with pulling a stolen pistol on a couple who were arguing outside their motel room at 2 a.m. Police said the gun had been altered to fire like a machine gun. Vincent Johnson III, 22, of...
New Kensington police arrest wanted man found sleeping in car with loaded pistol on seat
New Kensington police arrested a man on a felony charge after an officer said he found him sleeping in a running car with a loaded pistol on the seat. Jermaine Landell Jett, 23, of Harrison was charged with a felony count of carrying a firearm without a license along with...
Vandergrift residents organizing inaugural Pride event
A new, inclusive event is coming to Vandergrift. Pride Picnic at the Park is tentatively scheduled for June 24 at Kennedy Park. Pride — an acronym for professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence — was adopted 16 years ago by the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. “We’re organizing...
Highlands Middle School launches Golden Bean Coffee Shop run by Life Skills students
The halls are buzzing at Highlands Middle School since the launch of a new student-run initiative: The Golden Bean Coffee Shop. Twice a day, apron-clad teens scurry between classrooms to deliver coffee, tea and hot chocolate to thirsty teachers, many of whom have become loyal customers. “It’s kind of cool...
Dunkin’ in Lower Burrell to open in March; Youngwood location eyed for summer
The former First National Bank in Burrell Plaza in Lower Burrell is getting a much-needed facelift with a colorful Dunkin’ façade previewing the opening of the popular coffee, doughnut and snack shop. The Lower Burrell Dunkin’ likely will open in March, said Chelsea Halker, marketing manager of Heartland Restaurant Group,...
The Stroller, Jan. 26, 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. Food drive planned Saturday in Lower Burrell The annual Fallen Officers...
O’Hara police sergeant honored as ‘Top Gun’ DUI expert
Ben Wolfson doesn’t claim to be a maverick, nor is he nicknamed Ice Man. But he is a Top Gun. The O’Hara police sergeant is a two-time Pennsylvania DUI Association Top Gun Award winner for his efforts as a drug recognition expert. Officers are nominated for outstanding contributions or for...
Kiski Area School District welcomes deaf therapy dog
The latest addition to the Kiski Area School District staff is of the four-legged variety. Roo, a 5-month-old mixed-breed deaf rescue dog, is the district’s first full-time therapy dog. Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic said she noticed a need for a therapy dog while hearing feedback from students and staff...
Man who body-slammed girl at mall accused of harassing district judge late at night
An East Vandergrift man has been accused of harassing Allegheny Township District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec with late-night phone calls. Tyler Drew Zidek, 25, of East Vandergrift faces several misdemeanor charges of harassment by a communication device. Zidek has a criminal record, including a guilty plea for body-slamming a teenage...
The Stroller, Jan. 25, 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. Drive-thru Valentine meal to benefit Peoples Library Peoples Library will sponsor...
District judge not at fault for crash that injured 13-year-old girl in Butler County
Authorities in Butler County said a district judge who struck a teen crossing Route 228 near Mars Middle School on Nov. 30 has been cleared of wrongdoing. Saxonburg District Judge Sue Haggerty was behind the wheel when a 13-year-old girl walked into the path of her vehicle about 5:30 p.m.,...
Charity party kicks off annual Pink Day fundraising
Pink Day’s first fundraiser of the year is here. The Marconi Club Pink Day Extravaganza 2023 is scheduled for Saturday in downtown Leechburg. All proceeds benefit Leechburg’s Pink Day, a daylong festival dedicated to supporting breast cancer research and held every September on Market Street. Pink Day events have raised...
Brackenridge officers return to duty; borough needs assistance from state police to cover shifts
Brackenridge police returned to the job Sunday, nearly three weeks after Chief Justin McIntire was shot and killed during a pursuit. In the days following his death, police from across the region volunteered to cover patrols so borough officers could grieve. Limited manpower in the borough will require continued assistance...
District judge sides with former Kiski Township sergeant accused of roughing up resident
An Armstrong County magistrate sided with a former Kiski Township police sergeant who was sued by a resident he arrested while responding to a medical emergency at the resident’s township home in 2021. District Judge Kevin Lee McCausland on Jan. 25 issued his ruling on the Jan. 23 hearing for...
New Kensington man appeals conviction for 2020 Arnold fatal shooting
The lawyer for a New Kensington man sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 fatal shooting of a man in Arnold claims trial evidence supports his client’s claim of self-defense. In an appeal filed Monday, Assistant Public Defender John Sweeney argued convictions of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder,...
