Valley News Dispatch category, Page 397
Natrona Heights Presbyterian earns grant for roof repairs
A nearly century-old church situated prominently along Broadview Boulevard in Harrison was among 17 religious sites to earn a recent grant from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church, built in 1928, will receive $5,000 to repair its slate roof. Church Elder Chad Gourley said the roof...
Franklin Regional approves sporting clays student club sport
Tony Bucciero was at a sporting clay fundraiser when his shooting foursome included the coach of a youth clay-shooting team. “He was telling me they had 80 kids, more than the football team, and that they had to cut it off at 80,” the Murrysville resident said. Over at the...
The Stroller, March 27, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Help needed at New Kensington Salvation Army The New Kensington Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to help out at the center,...
Freeport EMS fires whistleblower
Freeport EMS fired the executive director who found financial irregularities revealing an almost $100,000 misappropriation tied to a former EMS treasurer. The EMS board fired Chris O’Leath earlier this month, Mayor Jim Swartz confirmed. O’Leath, who also serves as a firefighter in Arnold, was given access to the EMS’s finances...
Good eats in downtown New Kensington showcased by Restaurant Ramble
Donna Hare of Upper Burrell hadn’t visited New Kensington in more than 20 years. But a new food and commerce-themed event held there Saturday changed that. Hare and five of her friends attended the 2022 Restaurant Ramble & Spring Fling. The group said they all were happy to support local...
Girl Scouts drive cookie sales with drive-thru option in Brackenridge
A drive-thru sale Saturday in Brackenridge offered motorists a convenient way to score their favorite Girl Scout cookie. Girl Scout Troop 28807 leader Jessica DePascale said the troop introduced the drive-thru option for purchasing cookies last year because of the pandemic. The 11-member troop braved snow showers and freezing temps...
Cast of ‘Shrek the Musical’ at Kiski Area High School holds breakfast fundraiser in full costume
Kiski Area High School drama students rolled out a swampy green welcome mat for a “Character Breakfast” fundraiser Saturday morning at the high school cafeteria. Guests were able to interact with numerous lead characters — in full costume — from the upcoming spring musical production of “Shrek the Musical.” More...
West Leechburg’s Kasanicky’s Country Traditions to close after 17 years
The owners of Kasanicky’s Country Traditions in West Leechburg have decided to retire and close the store after 17 years selling handcrafted furniture and home accessories. John and Margriet Kasanicky, the couple who own the store, posted a statement on Facebook Wednesday: “Due to the rising costs of lumber and...
State audit finds unauthorized spending by Arnold’s fire relief association, other concerns
The relief association for Arnold’s two volunteer fire companies improperly paid nearly $5,000 in death benefits for members who had not died, a state audit found. The unauthorized expenditures, meant to help members who encountered financial difficulties, were repaid. The expenditures were among five concerns the state Auditor General’s Office...
The Stroller, March 26, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Help needed at Vandergrift Meals On Wheels Vandergrift Meals On Wheels is seeking regular and substitute volunteers to help with food packing,...
New Kensington-Arnold negotiators ‘still stuck’ on health care as teacher contract talks continue
A new contract continues to elude the New Kensington-Arnold School District and its teachers union. Negotiators for the school district and the New Kensington-Arnold Education Association met for four and a half hours Thursday night, said school board member Terry Schrock, the district’s lead negotiator and spokesman. While reporting “some...
‘Save Ukraine’ T-shirts sold at Sprankle’s to raise funds for war-torn nation
Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market launched a T-shirt fundraiser Tuesday to help the people of Ukraine as they suffer under a Russian military invasion. The Sprankle’s chain, with locations in Leechburg, Saxonburg and Kittanning, hope to raise $5,000 for the Red Cross by selling the shirts. Co-owner Ryan Sprankle said an employee...
Kiski Area High School students to get experience at credit union office
Students at Kiski Area Senior High School will get a chance to gain real world financial experience next year. The school board approved locating a branch office of the Pheple Federal Credit Union at the high school starting in the fall. “The credit union is actually training our kids and...
Burrell finds success with more behavioral help on site
Burrell School District’s Pupil Services program, which the district started last year, has treated about 100 students for social-emotional behavior issues this school year. Many of the students and some staff are treated for anxiety, said Greg Egnor, director of student services. As the district’s mission is education, it tries...
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosts free program on the importance of colon cancer screenings
A free workshop on the dangers of colon cancer, and the benefits of early screening, will be hosted at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Surgeon Steven Gribar will present the free seminar April 21 to discuss the second deadliest form of cancer in the United States. “Colorectal cancer is a...
Fire marshal: Stove may have caused fatal New Kensington fire
A stove being used to heat a New Kensington home may have caused a fire in which a woman died this month, a state police fire marshal said Thursday. Angel A. Gray, 49, died in the March 6 fire in a duplex at 554 Fourth Ave. Her husband, Bob Gray,...
The Stroller, March 25, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Food items needed for Leechburg weekend distribution The Leechburg Food Bank and Leechburg School District sponsor the Providing Alternatives to Hunger “PATH”...
Wilkinsburg man charged in theft of SUV from New Kensington Sheetz
A Wilkinsburg resident was one of two men involved in stealing an SUV from a Sheetz parking lot in New Kensington last week, city police allege. Police charged Markhi Deondre Hunter, 19, of South Avenue with theft and receiving stolen property. In a criminal complaint against Hunter, police said a...
Actor Trevor Donovan returns to Deer Lakes, jump-starts Upstanders program to promote kindness, anti-bullying
Actor Trevor Donovan wanted Deer Lakes Middle School students to leave with one thing in mind Thursday morning. “No one deserves to be bullied. All you deserve to be safe,” he said. “If you see someone being bullied, say something.” His words of advice were a part of an anti-bullying...
Pittsburgh man found guilty of 3rd-degree murder of man in Arnold
A Westmoreland County jury spared a Pittsburgh man from a mandatory life sentence Thursday by acquitting him of first-degree murder in a 2019 fatal shooting in Arnold. Jurors found Shawden L. Ross, 35, guilty of third-degree murder in the killing of Lamont Simmons, 27, of Arnold on April 5, 2019,...
Police acting on tip nab 2 stolen guns, drugs in Tarentum; suspect jailed
Police said they charged a Tarentum man with multiple felonies after officers got a tip he was illegally buying and selling guns. Jarrell Miller, 36, of the 200 block of Conroy Way, faces felony charges that include two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, two counts of receiving stolen...
Springdale tops Riverview in Souper Bowl as schools continue friendly competition while giving back
The “Souper Bowl” trophy made its way back across the Allegheny River, as Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School came out on top over Riverview Jr.-Sr. in their annual food drive competition. The Souper Bowl, an homage to the NFL’s Super Bowl, kicked off in February. Springdale collected 1,600 items and Riverview...
North Hills charity expands service to Alle-Kiski Valley with free monthly mobile food distribution
Editors note: The original version of this article contained incorrect times and dates for when the food distribution will take place. A charitable organization that has provided a range of social services to residents in the North Hills for the past 35 years is expanding its footprint to help needy...
New Kensington preparing to tackle cost of replacing fire department’s aging aerial ladder truck
The New Kensington fire department hoped to have its aerial ladder truck back in service by the end of last week, fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said Wednesday. After that, the job became figuring out how the city will pay the anticipated $1.5 million to replace the 24-year-old vehicle. “We...
The Stroller, March 24, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Spaghetti dinner to benefit Tarentum fire victims A spaghetti dinner to benefit the two families who lost their homes in the Feb....
