Valley News Dispatch category, Page 486
National Night Out picnic to be held at Northmoreland Park
Allegheny Township is hosting a picnic next month at Northmoreland Park as part as part of the community’s participation in National Night Out. It’s a free gathering aimed at building relationships between first responders and the community and serves as a positive crime and drug prevention event. Coordinated by the...
Mosser Casting is looking for paid extras on the film ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’
Wanted: children ages 11-14 and adults, 18 and older who want to have a part in a movie. Nancy Mosser Casting is seeking the individuals to portray bar and bat mitzvah guests for the film “Cha Cha Real Smooth” starring Dakota Johnson, directed by Cooper Raiff, who is also starring...
PennEnergy to install well on Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township
PennEnergy will be installing a well site in Buffalo Township after gaining approval from township officials. Construction at the site, located at 765 Ekastown Road, is slated to begin later this summer, said Amanda Peterson, a stakeholder relations manager with PennEnergy. Some township residents have voiced concerns on social media...
Verona man’s furry green motorcycle helmet attracting attention on A-K Valley roads
Jeff Barnes wants you to notice him. That’s why the Verona man who works in New Kensington dons a furry, green motorcycle helmet cover with a Muppet-like face when he rides around the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond. Yes, he enjoys seeing people smile when they get a glimpse of his...
Greensburg man who fathered child with teen pleads guilty to sexual assault
A Greensburg man will serve up to 23 months in jail for the sexual assault of a New Kensington teenager who gave birth to his child. Marcus Franklin Crawford, 25, formerly of Jeannette, pleaded guilty Friday to statutory sexual assault, corruption of a minor and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Police...
Leechburg struggles to find police applicants
Faced with a bare cupboard when it comes to police applicants, Leechburg Council is looking at boosting pay for officers. At Thursday’s council meeting, borough officials said the Civil Service Commission has received no applications for a full-time job on the borough’s police force despite openings being advertised. Council President...
Astronomy for Disabled Veterans project at VA PHS Heinz campus in O’Hara moving forward
Stars continue to align for a pilot astronomy program at the VA PHS Heinz campus in O’Hara. James Surman, a Plum resident and one of the founders of the Astronomy for Disabled Veterans project, said they recently acquired a 48-inch pier from High Point Scientific to be the base of...
The Stroller, July 23, 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. Annual Artfest slated Sunday in Vandergrift Vandergrift Artfest will be noon to 8 p.m. Sunday on Grant Avenue between Columbia and...
Couple ties knot in first-of-a-kind ceremony along Kiski Township’s Roaring Run stream
With uncommon grace and ease, a woman in a long, flowing, white satin gown made her way to a rock the size of a pickup truck in the middle of Roaring Run stream. Surrounded by rocks covered in moss, she lifted the hem of the gown to prevent it from...
Springdale Council president resigns, citing move to Buffalo Township
Springdale Council President James Zurisko has resigned after serving on the council for 12 years. Council members said Zurisko told them he was stepping down because he is moving to Buffalo Township. Council voted Tuesday to accept the resignation. Zurisko did not respond to requests for comment. Council Vice President...
Food truck rally in Lower Burrell will benefit fire company
Lower Burrell’s Fire Company No. 3 will have its third food truck rally from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday. The events have turned into successful fundraisers that were much needed after the covid-19 pandemic shut down traditional events to draw the public and funds. Each of the previous rallies has...
GenOn delays closure of Cheswick Generating Station, Allegheny County’s only coal-fired plant
The closure of Cheswick Generating Station — Allegheny County’s only coal-fired power plant — has been postponed until spring. Houston-based GenOn Holdings LLC, which owns the plant, said in June that the plant would be permanently retired by Sept. 15. The company last week moved the plant’s retirement date to...
Harrison man accused of stealing cars faces added charges in connection with burglary
A Harrison man previously accused of stealing two vehicles from two township businesses earlier this month now faces charges in connection with a burglary the same day at a third township business. Harrison police on Wednesday charged Mark A. Bauer, 60, with burglary, trespassing, receiving stolen property and mischief in...
Only 11% of emergency rent money distributed in Westmoreland County
About 11% of nearly $13 million in emergency rental and utility bill funds has been disbursed to Westmoreland County residents who experienced hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dan Carney, executive director of Union Mission of Latrobe, said about $1.5 million was directed to 270 applicants over the past three...
Signature Dishes: Birdville Pie, the ‘top-secret’ pizza at Phillippi’s in HarrisonVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com. The bird’s the word at one pizzeria in Harrison. The best-selling Birdville Pie is the draw and signature menu item...
New Kensington Camera Club’s ‘Americana’ at Pittsburgh Mills mall is rural, patriotic, nostalgic
“Americana” is more than a genre for the New Kensington Camera Club — it’s everyday life for area photographers. The works of 17 local photographers are showcased in the new exhibit, “Americana,” at the Pittsburgh Mills mall until Sept. 4. “We decided to do Americana history — rural, patriotic and...
Motorcycle ride in Washington Township man’s memory will raise money to help scleroderma sufferers
In less than two years, Kody Churma went from a healthy young man to one who was unable to hold a fishing pole, and couldn’t draw because he wasn’t able to hold onto a pencil. Kody died from complications related to scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that attacks skin tissue and...
Alle-Kiski Valley rockers Sourmash nominated for multiple independent music awardsVideo
Independent musicians from Western Pennsylvania are representing the region in a strong way when it comes to the annual Josie Music Awards. Alle-Kiski Valley hard rockers Sourmash have received three nominations from the country’s largest independent music awards organization. The group, whose repertoire pays homage to classic and Southern rock,...
Plum Democratic Committee has a new mayoral candidate
The Plum Democratic Committee has selected its new mayoral candidate. David Biondo, 38, was unanimously selected July 21 to be the late Shawn Marcelinno’s successor to challenge Republican incumbent Harry Schlegel in the November election. “I’m excited to carry on Shawn’s legacy, although I’m going to run my own campaign,”...
The Stroller, July 22, 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. Concordia to host 140th summer festival Sunday The 140th annual Concordia Lutheran Ministries Summer Festival will be from 12:30 to 5:30...
Donation to provide scholarships at Harrison’s St. Joseph High School, 3 other Catholic schools
An anonymous donor has offered an undisclosed amount of scholarship funding for students at four Catholic schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, including Harrison’s St. Joseph High School. In addition to St. Joseph, the St. John Paul II STAR Student tuition assistance scholarships are available for students at Butler Catholic...
Party bus fundraiser benefits Arnold firefighters
It’s a fundraiser with an emphasis on fun. The Arnold Volunteer Engine Company #2 is offering a party bus package fundraiser, featuring a 26-passenger party bus from Extreme Limousines in Lower Burrell. The unique fundraiser prize is in response to what company volunteer and secretary Chris O’Leath said is a...
Diocese of Greensburg to put $20M in pledged donations toward tuition assistanceVideo
The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg said Wednesday that pledged donations totaling about $20 million will help it provide tuition assistance to students in diocesan schools over the next five years, and contractors are doing about $300,000 in capital improvements at no cost to the diocese. During an announcement at Mary...
Aspinwall Riverfront Park expands, changes name to Allegheny RiverTrail Park
Aspinwall Riverfront Park, the recreational gem off Freeport Road with a fishing dock, dog park and garden-lined trail, has expanded by six acres and has changed its name, officials announced. The site will be called Allegheny RiverTrail Park (ARP), largely because of its vital gateway service to the Three Rivers...
Newly created Leechburg Angling Club promotes fishing on Kiski River, its tributaries
Danny Hilliard of Leechburg has loved fishing since he was old enough to clutch a rod. He recently created the Leechburg Angling Club, a new public Facebook group, with a goal of promoting angling on the Kiski River and its associated tributaries. “When I was a kid, the Kiski was...
