Valley News Dispatch category, Page 495
The Stroller, June 21, 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. Knead Community Café welcomes donations Knead Community Café, New Kensington, is accepting donations to help the daily operation of the café,...
Car bypasses barricade on closed Tarentum Bridge, crashes and catches fire
A car bypassed the barricade Saturday on the Tarentum Bridge’s closed westbound lanes, crashed into construction equipment, then caught on fire. No one was injured, said Brad James, deputy fire chief for Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS. The fire company received the call about 10:20 p.m. Saturday. The wayward car drove almost two-thirds...
Vandergrift puppeteer spreads cheer, uses craft to help traumatized kids
David English of Vandergrift has a passion for puppetry. His love of the art began when he was 3. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in theater and puppetry from West Virginia University. English said watching “The Muppets” as a youngster in his hometown of Oakmont made a lasting impression....
Natrona Heights couple ‘crippled’ over daughter’s unsolved homicide as it hits 14th anniversary
When John and Karen Godfrey walk into their living room, they are greeted by photos of their beloved daughter, Kelly Nicole Godfrey Smith. The photos line their hallway and are prominently displayed throughout the home. But those pictures haven’t been updated in 14 years. There haven’t been many updates in...
The Stroller, June 20, 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. Greek Food Festival planned in Oakmont The annual Greek Food Festival will be from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and...
Freeport resident to recite Declaration of Independence on July 3
For many, the Fourth of July is a day for parades, picnics and fireworks. But for Nick Triveri, it’s an opportunity to commemorate an important piece of history. Triveri, 67, of Freeport, recites the Declaration of Independence to mark the holiday every year. This year will mark the 11th time...
Officer Brian Shaw scholarship awarded to police cadet from Kennedy Township
The Officer Brian Shaw Memorial Scholarship was awarded to a new cadet who graduated from the Allegheny County Police Academy on Friday. Shaw, of Lower Burrell, was a New Kensington police officer who was shot and killed after a traffic stop and foot chase in 2017. He was 25 years...
During the last week of school, Burrell honor students squeeze in Lower Burrell cleanup
A bevy of Burrell High School honor students devoted some serious public service time during their last week of school sprucing up Veterans Park next to City Hall. Almost 60 students from Burrell’s National Honor Society cleaned litter and debris in the park, swept the tennis courts, the pavilion and...
The Stroller, June 19, 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. Leechburg Museum selling memorial bricks Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society plans to construct a sidewalk in honor of longtime museum...
West Deer firefighters eye new fire station without township’s aid
Firefighters at West Deer Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 are planning a new fire station along Route 910 but without the township’s participation. On Wednesday, township supervisors gave their unanimous approval to the fire company’s intent to borrow $1.8 million from a Mars bank but will not underwrite the debt....
‘I heard it huffing and puffing’: Black bear spotted in Gilpin
Waylon Walker was riding his ATV on his family’s property — Habes Nursery — in Gilpin on Thursday night when he had quite a scare. He heard an animal grunting nearby. It was about 10:30 p.m. Walker usually carries a flashlight with him at night, but he left it at...
Westmoreland Transit to use federal grants to keep bus fares steady, for now
Fares to ride Westmoreland County Transit Authority buses and paratransit vehicles will remain unchanged under a new operating budget approved this week. The spending plan relies heavily on federal stimulus grants as revenues continue to lag more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic caused a dramatic drop-off in passenger...
Apollo-Ridge students combine art, conservation message in street muralsVideo
Colorful murals touting an environmental message are taking over Apollo. The Storm Drain Mural Project is underway and 15 acrylic murals were installed this week throughout the borough by art students from Apollo-Ridge High School. The public art display began nine months ago, created by Apollo-Ridge art student Kate Myers...
Leaning Cask Brewing Co. in Springdale opens outdoor beer garden
How about a beer garden party to celebrate the first day of summer? Springdale’s Leaning Cask Brewing Company is holding a grand opening of its new outdoor beer garden, “The Courtyard,” on Sunday. The entrance to the beer garden is directly through the pub on Pittsburgh Street and has seating...
New Kensington police charge man with selling crack cocaine from apartment
New Kensington police said they found crack cocaine in the bottom of a toilet while executing a search warrant with the state Attorney General’s office at an apartment on Linden Avenue Thursday. Officers encountered the target of the investigation, Mark Sibley, 40, leaving the bathroom and he was ordered to...
Freeport Theatre Festival gears up for summer seasonVideo
At the Freeport Theatre Festival, the show must go on — even more so as the pandemic has produced new hardships for so many. “The arts are absolutely essential for the spirit of people,” said Marushka Steele, who owns and operates the theater with her husband of over 40 years,...
Lower Burrell farmers market opening to honor founder Bud Myers
The late Joseph “Bud” Myers, known for his volunteer work in Lower Burrell, was beloved for shepherding the first farmers market in the city 10 years ago. The city will honor Myers posthumously, presenting a key to the city to his wife, Carol Myers, during the opening of the farmers...
The Stroller, June 18, 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. Juneteenth celebration planned Saturday A Juneteenth Community Celebration will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist...
Indiana County man’s body found in Kiski woods
A report of a suspicious vehicle at a Kiski car wash lead to the discovery of a man’s body Thursday afternoon, according to township police. Police said they got a call shortly after 7:30 a.m. about a vehicle left at the Apollo Car Wash on Route 56 just outside of...
Burrell School Board passes final budget with 3.5% real estate tax increase
The Burrell School Board unanimously approved its final budget of $32.7 million for 2021-22 on Tuesday, which includes a tax increase of 3.5%. For a home assessed at $22,900, the district’s average home tax assessment, the homeowner would pay an additional $80 in real estate tax for next school year,...
West Deer Police Chief Jon Lape set to retire, supervisors name Robert Loper to replace him
After 18 years, West Deer is getting a new chief of police. Chief Jonathan Lape is retiring at the end of June, and the township supervisors have appointed Sgt. Robert Loper as the new chief. “There are few people who will have as wide an impact as Chief Lape has,”...
Tarentum’s revitalization kicks into gear with Depot groundbreaking
A long-awaited business broke ground Thursday in Tarentum. The Depot, owned by Faith Community Partners, has been in the works since the building’s purchase by Executive Director Dave Rankin in 2015. Construction on the building on the 300 block of Fifth Avenue officially began Monday. Developers of The Depot plan...
Anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help student transitions
An anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help newly enrolled students that might have a challenging educational or cultural transition, officials announced. It is the largest programmatic donation in school history. Money is earmarked for the academic and social support of students at the private Fox Chapel...
Highlands considers girls volleyball program at middle school
Highlands School Board will vote at its regular meeting Monday on whether to create a girls volleyball program at Highlands Middle School. The board agreed to place the proposal on next week’s agenda after hearing a presentation from Athletic Director Drew Karpen. Karpen said that the creation of a middle...
Westmoreland commissioners restructure election bureau; director’s job in limboVideo
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday overhauled the county election bureau to add a layer of management, increased pay for staff and, for the first time, acknowledged a potential change in leadership of the department. The move comes a month after numerous operational and administrative issues plagued the bureau the days before...
