Valley News Dispatch category, Page 4
All 3 Smokey Bones restaurants in Southwestern Pa. close
Three local locations of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill abruptly closed Tuesday. Employees from the barbecue chain’s restaurants in Hempfield, Cranberry and Frazer (within the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex) told TribLive they were informed of the closures without notice Tuesday morning. The chain’s official website also shows the locations...
‘Together for a Cure’ seeking donations for blood cancer awareness event in Harrison
A Harrison committee is seeking donations for a summer event that benefits people suffering from leukemia and lymphoma. The “Together For a Cure” fundraiser is scheduled June 11 as a free family-friendly event with games, entertainment and food. “We want to raise awareness and bring together the Upper Allegheny Valley...
Highlands Middle School students join effort toward inclusion, kindness
Highlands Middle School students are learning about kindness and diversity through a young girl they never met. The district joined an Allentown-based initiative, “Mikayla’s Voice,” to help create a culture of inclusion, Principal Becky Bragan said. “We want to educate the kids about diversity, not just through one-offs,” Bragan said....
Verona offers pet food pantry, pet chip scanner for public use
A resource for animals is now available in the Verona Municipal Building. Kelli Rodriguez, borough councilwoman and founder of 412 Animal Rescue, opened a pet food pantry for animal owners in need, in partnership with Etta’s Blvd Doggie Daycare. She also donated a chip scanner for the pantry to help...
The Stroller, April 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. Tickets on sale for...
Faces of the Valley: Valley High student-athlete embodies leadership and positive ethos
For Valley High School Advanced Placement English teacher Rachael Link, students like Emmi Diehm give her hope for the future. “She’s the definition of the passion that we all have in this profession,” Link said. “As a member of the human race, knowing that Emmi is quickly exiting her junior...
Vandergrift man charged after, police say, he killed 1, shot 3 others at Parks Township bar
A Vandergrift man is facing homicide charges after state police say he shot four people — killing one — outside a bar in Parks Township early Sunday morning. David James Dunmire, 36, is charged with one count of homicide, three counts of attempted homicide as well as aggravated assault and...
Police: Man on probation for 2024 New Ken gun store burglary arrested for fleeing traffic stop
One of two men convicted of burglarizing a New Kensington gun store in 2024 has been arrested again. Arnold police arrested Steyn Sarduy, 20, of Springdale after he fled from a traffic stop April 19, police Chief Rob Haus said. Sarduy took a plea deal in December 2024 for his...
Springdale Police charge resident for incident at ICE protest, accuse him of threatening officials
More than two months after a brief altercation erupted at a protest against Springdale Police Department’s pact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, police have charged a man for his involvement in the incident and later threatening police and borough officials. Police say Ian Patrick Hill, 40, threatened a motorist...
Chipotle proposed at former Donut Connection site in New Kensington
New Kensington might be getting a Chipotle at the former Donut Connection location along Tarentum Bridge Road. City Engineer Anthony Males said New Kensington received a site development application for a Chipotle from Madison Acquisitions, parent company to 100 Riverview LP, which own parts of Riverview Plaza, where the former...
Man injured after his e-bike collides with vehicle in Harrison
A man was taken to a hospital after his e-bike collided with a vehicle in Harrison on Sunday, authorities said. Emergency crews responded to a crash just before 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of 10th Avenue and Argonne Drive. The bicyclist was conscious and alert, police Chief Brian Turack said....
Oakmont Council to consider data center regulations
Oakmont is the latest Alle-Kiski Valley community looking to prepare proactive data center regulations. Council will hold a public hearing June 16 regarding a proposed ordinance that would regulate data centers in the borough. “We don’t really have any place we think would be a data center, but (the planning...
Theatre Factory to move to New Kensington arts hub; volunteers aim to fill gap in TraffordVideo
After 30 years providing theater opportunities to local actors, the Theatre Factory in Trafford will move into a New Kensington-based arts hub at the end of the summer. Theatre Factory leadership decided last fall it would accept an offer to become the resident theater company for Aluminum City Arts —...
The Stroller, April 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. May 9 luncheon to...
4 people shot, 1 fatally, at Parks Township bar
Four people were shot, one fatally, at a bar in Armstrong County early Sunday morning, according to state police. Police responded to the shooting at Niki’s Quick Six in Parks Township shortly after 1 a.m. According to state police, Jessica Lynn Hilliard, 34, of Apollo was found dead at the...
Highlands students selected to script animated film for mental health awareness
Highlands students were among a limited number of teens selected to help script and score an upcoming animated film that focuses on mental health issues and delivers a message of inclusion and resilience. “Finding Alice in Wonderland” is produced by educational animation company Wonder Media and supported by The Grable...
The Stroller, April 26, 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. Free meal to be...
Upper Burrell residents remain unclear about data center’s project scope
As Pennsylvania’s artificial intelligence industry starts to take off, Upper Burrell residents say they still feel left in the dark about a data center coming to the township. While officials work toward an ordinance that would impose zoning and permitting guidelines for any potential data center development, progress continues on...
Man charged in connection to Westmoreland jail overdoses granted bail
A New Kensington man awaiting trial on charges that he sold a fatal dose drugs to a Westmoreland County Prison inmate can be released from jail on an unsecured bond, a judge ruled Friday. Davi Javier Roman, 30, was charged last September following a county grand jury investigation into alleged...
Runners give Dorseyville Middle School a boost as part of its annual 5K fundraiser
Runners of 5Ks, marathons and the like understand how a boost coming down the stretch can really make a difference. It may come from seeing the finish line get closer, the rain letting up after a muggy start or someone in the crowd holding a fun sign and cheering people...
Building the Valley: Autism support group, Powered by Love, promotes acceptance
Heather Vaughan is often asked why she started her nonprofit, Powered by Love. “The answer is simple,” the South Buffalo resident said. “It’s for my son, RJ.” Vaughan said she dreamed of becoming a mom, but things didn’t turn out exactly the way she imagined. When her son was diagnosed...
The Stroller, April 25, 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. Bowling fundraiser planned May...
Tarentum aligns license plate reader technology with Allegheny County’s
Tarentum will be getting new license plate reader technology to assist police with surveillance. Council voted to pay about $2,700 a year to VIPR LLC, a company that specializes in plate recognition technology for law enforcement. The move replaces the existing PlateSmart system and aligns the borough with the Allegheny...
‘Underutilized’ Agan Park could see improvements as community gathers
Agan Park and its surrounding woods may soon see some changes after community members gathered in Springdale on Thursday to discuss the future of the 100-acre plot. The meeting saw Carla Lukehart, a landscape architect with Pittsburgh-based Environmental Planning and Design, present the results of a monthslong study of potential...
Tarentum Business Crawl aims to highlight specialty stores, services
Joyce McElwain said the first-ever Tarentum Business Crawl last year filled her store with new customers. “It got my name out there to so many people who didn’t even know I was here,” said McElwain, from her Yesterday’s Kidz storefront on East Sixth Avenue. The borough recreation board is bringing...
