Valley News Dispatch category, Page 407
New Kensington’s Leslie Reimer retiring from 42-year career as Episcopal priest
When the Rev. Leslie Reimer began the journey of her life, it was toward a destination that was, at the time, unreachable for a woman. After growing up in an Episcopal Church family in New Kensington’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood and graduating from Valley High School in 1970, Reimer went to...
Police: Stolen gun, drugs found when Arnold woman’s home raided by task force agents
An Arnold woman faces felony gun charges after police say they found a stolen gun and evidence of a drug dealing operation when they raided her house. Mariah Relyn Lewis, 25, of the 1600 block of Fourth Avenue, was charged with felony counts of illegal possession of a firearm and...
Vandergrift officer once suspended over alleged racial incident retires
A Vandergrift police officer suspended last year for his conduct on the job involving a patron at a local restaurant is no longer on the force. Officer William Moore submitted his retirement to council Feb. 7. “Council accepted it (retirement) at the last meeting. I have no details,” Vandergrift Mayor...
New Kensington closes downtown parking garage following structural evaluation
Concerns over the condition of New Kensington’s downtown parking garage have prompted the city to close it. The city last year hired a structural engineer to assess the condition of the Kensington Plaza Garage on Fourth Avenue at Seventh Street. Dedicated in December 1979, the garage has seen usage fall...
Police: Fayette County woman arrested in Arnold for trying to trade AK-47 for 2 bricks of heroin
Police say a Fayette County woman tried to trade an AK-47 rifle for heroin after a source tipped off agents from the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force who were conducting a drug sweep in Arnold. Jessica Sue Thorpe, 41, of Clinton Road, Saltlick, was charged with felony counts of illegal...
Motorists stop to assist driver of car that flipped on Route 28 near East Deer
State police are investigating the cause of a crash Thursday morning near the East Deer exit along Route 28, according to authorities. The accident was reported around 10 a.m. in the northbound lanes. Several passing motorists stopped to help the occupant of the vehicle get out before emergency crews responded...
Leechburg Area School Board lifts mask requirement for unvaccinated staff members
Unvaccinated Leechburg Area School District staff members will be able to choose whether to wear a mask in school buildings. The Leechburg Area School Board voted 5-3 Wednesday night to rescind its mask requirement. Members chose between voting yes to lift the requirement or no to hold off on a...
Highlands School District, teachers union agree to 5-year deal
Highlands School District teachers, who have been without a contract for more than seven months, have a five-year deal that runs through June 2026. The district and the Highlands Education Association announced the contract agreement Wednesday after the two sides ratified a plan that includes average annual pay increases of...
Highlands students create colorful community ‘quilt’ for library
Highlands Elementary second grader Stella Thiry slowly studied a box of markers before selecting her favorite colors. Classmate Isabella Malinsky chose ones that reflected bright rainbow hues. In a project aimed at fostering creativity and self-expression, the students collaborated on a colorful “quilt” to be displayed at the Community Library...
The Stroller, Feb. 24, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is compiling a list of fish fries taking place Ash Wednesday and/or Fridays during Lent. To your non-profit’s fish fry listed in the paper and online, send complete information in writing to Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084 or email cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Donations needed...
‘Hamilton’ performer inspires, energizes, educates Valley High drama studentsVideo
Breathing is something most people do without thinking about it. But for a performer on stage, breathing correctly is paramount. Drama students who gathered at Valley High School in New Kensington learned that lesson directly from a professional Wednesday morning. Nikisha Williams, a member of the “Hamilton” touring company now...
Lower Burrell woman gets probation, fine for fiery crash in bridge construction zone
A Lower Burrell woman accused of causing a fiery crash in a work zone while the Tarentum Bridge was closed in June has been sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $1,500 in fines. Allison Plusquellic, 40, was sentenced during a nonjury trial Wednesday, Feb. 23 before...
Possible threats target Highlands middle, high schools
Highlands students were the target of a possible threat Wednesday, district officials said. Families were alerted by a robocall that the district was investigating a threat against certain students at the middle school and high school. It was not clear which students were the subject of any threats. High School...
The Stroller, Feb. 23, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is compiling a list of fish fries taking place Ash Wednesday and/or Fridays during Lent. To your non-profit’s fish fry listed in the paper and online, send complete information in writing to Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084 or email cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Annual Shamrock...
The Boho Ve’ lash studio opens along Corbet Street in Tarentum
New Tarentum business owner Ashly Kish is bringing a mix of boho and beauty to the borough. Her lash boutique, The Boho Ve’, opened Jan. 31 in the Murphy Building along Corbet Street. “I like getting pampered, and I think there’s opportunity in a growing field,” said Kish, 36, a...
Fox Chapel teen, emergency responders and dispatcher honored for saving boy’s life
New Year’s morning began with a crisis for the Stephany family of Fox Chapel. Their youngest member, Max, 11, was found unconscious inside their Riding Trail Lane home. Parents Rob and Molly Stephany tried all they could to wake him up. However, Max did not respond and was not breathing....
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold ordered to prison for failing to register as sex offender
Despite an impassioned plea to serve his sentence on house arrest, former Leechburg police Chief Michael Diebold will spend 18 to 36 months in prison for failing to properly register as a sex offender. Diebold, 44, pleaded guilty in December 2018 to soliciting sex online from a state trooper posing...
Police: 15-year-old girl hurt after running into car on West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum
A 15-year-old girl was flown to a hospital from Tarentum on Monday after police say she ran into the side of a car on West Seventh Avenue. The driver, a man from Tarentum, remained at the scene and is not facing any charges because he did not commit any violation,...
New Kensington Camera Club offers classes on product photography and more
The New Kensington Camera Club is offering four free photography classes at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. Among the offerings is a March 5 workshop called Lightbox Photography for amateur shutterbugs wanting to improve their techniques for lighting and photographing products to sell on Facebook, Craigslist and elsewhere. The...
Seeing double: 2-22-22 is not your ordinary Tuesday
Some dates just stick out. Today is one of those. It’s Feb. 22, 2022, or 2-22-22. People are calling it “Twosday” and it falls on a Tuesday, which makes it even more of an anomaly. Known as a palindrome, which means it reads the same backward and forward, people take...
Retired Lower Burrell electrician sparks interest in lamp figurines via Penn Hills marketplace
When Willard “Bill” Booth decided to retire after being an electrician for 38 years, he decided to use his skills to pursue a fun hobby. The 60-year-old started making industrial-styled pipe lamps out of repurposed electrical parts and miscellaneous objects. His specialized hobby has produced figurines of baseball players, musicians,...
Highland Hose firefighter injured in Tarentum fire expected to recover fully; aid sought for families
A Tarentum volunteer firefighter is expected to make a full recovery after his feet became trapped on an aerial ladder while he and others were battling a fire at a duplex Monday. Richard Schuller, 22, was trapped near the far end of the ladder as it was extended from an...
The Stroller, Feb. 22, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is compiling a list of fish fries taking place Ash Wednesday and/or Fridays during Lent. To your non-profit’s fish fry listed in the paper and online, send complete information in writing to Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084 or email cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Support available...
Resident twin felines earn their keep at garden center in Allegheny Township
Two cats are earning their keep in Allegheny Township. Mary-Kate and Ashley are 15-year-old twins living permanently at the Kiski Garden Center. The cats originally were brought to a former New Kensington store, Arnold Feed and Garden, by store manager Linda Ban when they were 6 weeks old. Ban brought...
STEM event and online registration offered for incoming Kiski Area kindergartners
Kiski Area School District is offering an interactive STEM-based event for incoming kindergartners Feb. 23 at Kiski Area North Primary School. “Family Science Night” serves as the kickoff for multiple kindergarten-themed readiness events hosted by the district before the start of classes next fall. Participating students will convene in the...
