Valley News Dispatch category, Page 5
The Stroller, Jan. 9, 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. Seed library available at...
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell teen making difference in local — and even global — politics
Sophia Walsh remembers being told that to become involved in politics, the local level is the best place to start. The Lower Burrell teen is already making her mark. Walsh, 17, was selected to be Lower Burrell’s junior council person, which is a nonvoting role but aims to provide a...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Jan. 1-7, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Charges held against man accused of shooting, killing his brother outside New Ken Elks Lodge
Criminal charges against the Arnold man accused of shooting his brother outside the New Kensington Elks Lodge in December were held for court following a preliminary hearing Thursday. District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. held charges to court against Steffon Ballard, 38, including criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault...
Pittsburgh police locate 2 girls after being last reported in the Vandergrift area
Pittsburgh police have located two missing Pittsburgh girls who had been missing for almost 24 hours. Angela Beer, 14, and Roxy Petruzzi, 10, were found safe Thursday night. They were reported last seen in their Beechview neighborhood on Wednesday at 10 p.m., police said. According to a Thursday Facebook post...
Arnold triple shooting remains under investigation
A triple shooting Wednesday night in Arnold remains under investigation, police Chief Rob Haus said. “It is an ongoing investigation, and there are many moving parts,” Haus said Thursday. “It is believed to have stemmed from a domestic incident.” Police responded to the 2100 block of Leishman Avenue in Arnold...
No arrests yet in Greenfield shooting, abduction
Allegheny County Police confirmed that a man shot in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood on Wednesday night was the victim of a kidnapping earlier that evening. But police say the kidnapping did not happen in Plum, as originally reported. Instead, police say, preliminary information shows the victim traveled to an undisclosed location...
Burrell: No concern following bomb threat, evacuation of high school
No immediate concern was found following a bomb threat and evacuation of Burrell High School on Thursday morning, according to district officials. A statement from Superintendent Shannon Wagner said there was a message posted on a high school bathroom wall that read, “I am going to bomb this school.” The...
‘Galentine’s Day’ event aims to support downtown New Kensington businesses
Downtown New Kensington businesses hope to capitalize on an unofficial holiday next month to support and grow businesses in the city. The New Ken Downtown Partnership will host a Galentine’s Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 7 along Fifth Avenue. A play on Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day is an...
The Stroller, Jan. 8, 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. Volunteer office help wanted...
Many Alle-Kiski homeowners paying more in taxes, service fees this year
After a year of school district tax hikes, Alle-Kiski Valley residents largely got a break from their municipalities, most of which avoided tax increases for 2026. That doesn’t mean they’re paying less to live in the Valley, though. While only four of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s municipalities raised taxes for this...
East Deer bakers have a sweet mission
Michael and Brittany Eckert have long been committed to giving back to their community. Be it through their nonprofit, Community Hope Project, or their bakery, Simply Tasteful Creations, the East Deer couple never stops trying to find ways to help others. Michael’s latest endeavor is Colossal’s Greatest Baker competition, a...
New Lower Burrell public works contract calls for wage increases
A new five-year contract between Lower Burrell and its public works employees calls for wage increases each year. The agreement, approved by city council Monday, gives employees a 3.5% wage increase this year; a 3% increase in 2027, 2028 and 2029; and a 2.5% increase in 2030, according to City...
Pittsburgh police: Kidnapping in Plum related to Greenfield shooting
Police believe an armed kidnapping in Plum is connected to a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Eliza Durham said the department learned of the armed kidnapping reported to Plum police at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. A family member told Plum police that his brother had...
3 men shot in Arnold gunfight, part of a domestic dispute, officials say
Three men were taken to the hospital after they were shot in Arnold on Wednesday night. Mayor Shannon Santucci said the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute. A report of shots fired came in just after 7 p.m. Wednesday in the 2100 block of Leishman Avenue. Chief Rob Haus said...
Freeport appoints 2 new council members
Two residents became the newest Freeport Council members on Monday night, but not three, as there could have been. Carrie Irvine and Pete Wesolosky were both unanimously appointed to their seats by the rest of council. One of the two seats was left open because of a discrepancy on Freeport...
Harrison’s new trash hauler, Noble Environmental, asks for patience
Some Harrison residents are questioning the township’s move to a new garbage hauler after what they say was a bumpy first week of collections. But Noble Environmental is ensuring that kinks in the new collection routes will be ironed out quickly. And they are asking for patience. “We’ve been inundated...
Woman accused of abandoning 12 cats in Allegheny Township faces cruelty charges
Allegheny Township police have accused a woman of abandoning a dozen cats in her apartment without food after she was evicted in October, leaving some severely emaciated. Laura Zboravan, 56, who now lives in Gilpin, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and several misdemeanor animal...
Blawnox woman recounts parents’ harrowing Holocaust ordeal
The daughter of two Holocaust survivors will share her parents’ poignant account during a program Tuesday in Fox Chapel. Deborah Leuchter Stueber of Blawnox will be the guest speaker at the Holocaust Remembrance event, hosted by the Fox Chapel Area affiliate of the American Association of University Women. The daughter...
Oakmont Council welcomes new and familiar faces for 2026
Oakmont Council underwent its annual shuffle on Jan. 5. Newcomers James “Jim” Parsons and Charles Fox were sworn into four-year seats on council alongside returning council members Amanda Pagnotta and Isaiah Wilson. After taking her oath of office earlier in the day, newly reelected Mayor Sophia Facaros swore in the...
New members join Plum Council, leaders named
November’s four election victors officially joined Plum Council on Monday, Jan. 5. Ryan Delaney, James McBride, Raymond Rall and Phoebus Apollo were sworn-in to their posts by District Judge Mike Doyle at the borough’s reorganization meeting. The four were part of a Democratic slate that swept aside Republican incumbents Paul...
Rising utility costs cause record demand for assistance
A record number of requests has been made this winter to a Pittsburgh nonprofit that doles out funds to help people pay their rising utility bills. As of late December, Dollar Energy Fund had processed $2.5 million to 6,100 Pennsylvania households since October — a 131% increase over the same...
Here’s how to shop for lower utility costs
For Western Pennsylvania consumers worried about the costs of heating their homes this winter, there are options. Customers could find some relief on the marketplace, but it’s not entirely without risk. Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate Darryl Lawrence said shopping for better rates on the Pennsylvania Utility Commission’s PaGasSwitch and PaPowerSwitch web...
The Stroller, Jan. 7, 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. Bingo bash planned by...
Building the Valley: Secondhand shop for kids ‘fills need’ in Vandergrift
Dylann Sowers says she opened her new storefront in Vandergrift with the community in mind. Kiski Kids Closet, located downtown on Grant Avenue, is a secondhand shop focused on affordable children’s clothing. It opened in mid-December. Sowers, 28, of Parks Township has three young boys of her own, which offered...
