Valley News Dispatch category, Page 439
Citizens Bank closing New Kensington branch as previously announced
Citizens Bank is making good on its previously announced intention to close its branch in downtown New Kensington on Wednesday, a bank spokesman said. Citizens said in August it would close the office at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street on Wednesday. “The branch is still slated to...
Kiski Area sticks with mandatory masking, declines mask-optional policy
Mask-wearing will remain mandatory the remainder of the year for students and staff in the Kiski Area School District. The board voted 7-1 Monday to keep the mandated mask policy requiring all students and staff to wear a face covering on campus and district school buses. Michelle Schmidt was the...
Kiski Township police charge man with squatting in North Apollo house; stolen items recovered
Kiski Township police arrested a man on Monday for squatting in a vacant house where they also found stolen items and evidence of drug use. Officers responding to a call for a suspicious man along Hickory Nut Road in North Apollo shortly after 8:30 p.m. searched the neighborhood and found...
Longtime Arnold hair salon owner opens women’s clothing boutique in New Kensington
A pair of ventilation fans blowing out the aroma of chocolate used to draw people into a storefront on New Kensington’s Fifth Avenue. That’s when Herman’s Nuts and Chocolates was located there. Today, it’s women’s clothing from brands known in Los Angeles and New York that are bringing people through...
South Buffalo supervisors to hold line on taxes in 2022 budget
South Buffalo officials plan to hold the line on taxes with next year’s budget. Supervisors approved a 2022 preliminary spending plan and its public posting Monday night. Its formal adoption is scheduled for Dec. 20. The real estate tax rate is expected to remain at 5.7 mills. There has not...
Former Arnold man guilty of federal drug charges after high speed chase with toddler in car
A former Arnold man arrested in 2019 after leading police on a high-speed chase and crashing with a toddler in his car was convicted of drug violations in federal court. Kevin Watson, 32, was found guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of...
Heights Plaza wreaths a sign of the holidays, nod to the past
Passersby at Heights Plaza in Harrison likely will notice the 28 oversized pine wreaths hung Saturday by Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard and a group of fellow holiday elves. The 4-foot wreaths are illuminated with tiny white lights and appointed with a large red bow. Dizard said the sight might evoke...
The Stroller, Nov. 16, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Toys for Children campaign underway in West Deer West Deer Police Department is sponsoring its 25th annual Toys for Children drive...
Frazer police warn residents to lock cars after multiple thefts in East Deer
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man suspected of committing multiple burglaries in the East Deer and Frazer area Sunday morning. According to Frazer police, the suspect stole multiple items from unlocked vehicles beginning around 4:30 a.m. He started on Bailies Run Road in East Deer...
Self-defense claimed in Arnold fatal shooting
The lawyer for the man charged in the fatal shooting of a man in Arnold last year told a Westmoreland County jury that his client acted in self defense. Devon Askew, 28, of Churchill feared for his life and fired two shots to protect himself, a woman and her young...
Kiski Area grad died in wrong-way collision in Washington Township
A Kiski Area High School graduate studying to become a welder died Sunday in a wrong-way crash in Washington Township. Zeth Reber, 22, of Washington Township died when his 2014 Honda Civic was hit head-on by a 2012 Dodge Caravan traveling the wrong direction on Route 380 in Washington Township....
New Kensington-Arnold School Board candidate ineligible to claim seat over residency issue
One of four candidates who ran unopposed for the New Kensington-Arnold School Board will not be able to take the seat, according to the interim director of Westmoreland County Elections. Peter Nkemakolam ran for a school board seat in the district’s Region 3. However, Nkemakolam lives in Region 2, interim...
Police: Brother tried to get twin to hospital after being shot at Upper Burrell bar
A Vandergrift man died Saturday night as his twin brother was trying to rush him to a hospital after the man was shot at an Upper Burrell bar. According to police, Andy Jenereaux got from Woodpeckers Pub and Grub to near the New Kensington bridge about 5 miles away before...
The Stroller, Nov. 15, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Neil Simon comedy, ‘Fools’ to be performed at Valley High School The Valley High School Drama Club will present the Neil...
3 men arrested, jailed after pursuit, crash in North Buffalo
Three men from York are facing firearms and other charges after their vehicle crashed into another vehicle while fleeing police in Armstrong County last week. Alezea Merguiades Pagan and Yaheem Larenz-Dionico Jones, both 20, and Michael Pagan, 23, are being held in the Armstrong County Jail and are scheduled for...
1 killed, 7 hurt in wrong-way Washington Township crash
A 22-year-old man was killed when his car was hit head-on by a minivan heading the wrong way on Route 380 in Washington Township Sunday, according to township police. Township police said Zeth Reber, of Washington Township, was driving east in the eastbound lane and Abigail Jones, 23, from Carlisle...
Knead Community Cafe works around supply issues in crafting new fall, winter menu
How does a hot turkey sandwich on Texas toast with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce sound? Or maybe a salad with baby spinach, golden raisins, walnuts, goat cheese, red onion, green apples, crushed Ritz crackers and an apple Vidalia onion dressing? If not, how about a porchetta with thin-sliced, grilled...
Turning grief to action, O’Hara family creates ‘Positive Painting Project’ to spread messages of hope
Local projects to promote mental health awareness and support the arts are spreading hope, one canvas at a time. The Positive Painting Project and The Katie Whysong Scholarship for the Arts were created this year by Alisa and Todd Whysong of O’Hara, in honor of their daughter, Katie. Katie died...
Victim identified in Upper Burrell bar shooting; suspect jailed
An Upper Burrell man has been charged with homicide in connection with a fatal shooting at an Upper Burrell tavern Saturday night. Daniel J. Moles, 61, was arrested and taken to the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court documents. The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday at Woodpeckers Pub...
Westmoreland housing authority seeks to tear down New Ken townhouses, sell parcel to UniFirst
A public housing complex is getting smaller, while a business is getting larger in New Kensington. UniFirst is acquiring 1.3 acres of Kensington Manor from the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. City council recently approved subdividing that portion of the complex off from the rest of it. UniFirst, which fronts on...
Burrell theater students collaborated with Seattle playwright to hone ‘Artist Retreat’
The Burrell High School Theatre Company this week will premiere “Artist Retreat,” a comedy by a Seattle playwright who collaborated with Burrell students on revisions over two years. Matt Smith, an old friend of Burrell music director Martin Connolly, penned the wild comedy following the travails of a retired dancer,...
The Stroller, Nov. 14, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Freeport Area High school set to perform, ‘Pippin’ Freeport Area High School will present the musical, “Pippin,” at 2 and 7...
Giving new life to old furniture, On the Edge opens in Tarentum
Upscale furniture on a shoestring budget is the motto of Tarentum’s new custom furniture store, On the Edge. “No matter who you are or what your background is, you can walk in and afford one of my pieces,” owner Tim Emery said. “My furniture is cool and edgy and for...
Lack of local police a surprise to some in Freeport
The news of no local police protection came as a surprise Saturday to many Freeport businesses. The borough hasn’t had a police officer on duty since Nov. 3, when the newly hired police chief quit at the end of his first shift. “I’m shocked,” Fifth Street Bistro owner Jess Stobert...
Tax forecast for 2022-23 in the Freeport Area School District: Up in Buffalo Township, down in Freeport and South Buffalo
Buffalo Township real estate owners in the Freeport Area School District might be facing a hefty tax increase for the 2022-23 school year. Brad Walker, Freeport Area’s business manager, said real estate owners in Buffalo Township, the district’s lone Butler County community, could be looking at as much as a...
