Valley News Dispatch category, Page 5
Gilpin approves $350 skill games tax
After a couple of revisions, Gilpin supervisors voted to enact an annual skill games tax in the township. Under the new tax, owners of skill game machines are required to pay a $350 annual tax per machine they have operating in the township. Township officials had previously discussed a $100...
Tarentum awarded for improved water, electric system monitoring
Tarentum is being lauded for its efforts to improve efficiency across borough electric and water monitoring systems. It was among recipients of the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence, announced Wednesday. The recognition is for information technology, specifically, the borough’s integrated smart utility and infrastructure monitoring system. Highlights of the...
The Stroller, April 24, 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. Super bingo to raise...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from April 16-22, 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...
Jury rejects reluctant victim’s call to drop case, convicts New Kensington man of assault and strangulation
A New Kensington man was convicted Thursday of leaving a convenience store customer unconscious and for an assault of a city police officer as authorities sought to take him into custody months later. A Westmoreland County jury convicted Luther Boyd, 44, of one felony count of aggravated assault of a...
Westmoreland Envirothon: All winners in learning about the environment
Southmoreland senior Alexis Piovesan wrapped special tape around a large tree at Twin Lakes Park on Thursday — a yellow tape that measures diameter rather than circumference. “I’ve also learned to use a Biltmore stick to measure the lumber in a tree. I’ve identified different species of plants,” Piovesan said...
Springdale says videos of arrest during council meeting ‘do not provide the full context’
Springdale officials say the police response during the chaotic arrest of a resident at Tuesday’s borough council meeting was a “professional and controlled effort” and that videos of the incident do not offer “proper context.” The incident saw the arrest of William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, a frequent critic of...
Gilpin supervisors pass data center regulations
The Gilpin supervisors are getting ahead of the data center curve. After months of work, supervisors unanimously approved regulations this week that stipulate where data centers can be located and how far they must be from homes, in addition to other guidelines. “Personally, I definitely feel more comfortable with the...
Allegheny Valley School Board opts to leave cellphone policy as is
The Allegheny Valley School Board won’t disconnect students from their cellphones, but state legislators still could. The board voted — after the first reading of a proposed electronic device policy — not to change its current policy, according to board President Paula Jean Moretti. The proposed policy would have further...
Free pre-K class coming to Lower Burrell via nonprofit program
Westmoreland Community Action is taking enrollment for a new pre-K program in Lower Burrell. The nonprofit’s program is free to families and funded through state Pre-K Counts and federal Head Start grants. Enrollment for the 2026-27 class is filling fast, but applications are still open, said Tammy Dietrich, program manager...
Plum School Board votes to replace sections of leaky high school roof
Repairs on Plum High School’s leaky roof will start in a little more than a week, after the district’s school board voted to approve the emergency $250,000 bill Tuesday. Plum Director of Facilities and Grounds Shelley Shaffer previously told TribLive repairs would begin May 1 and last about three weeks....
New Kensington man pleads guilty to sex assault of preteen girl
A New Kensington man has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a pre-teen girl. Police said Thomas L. Burruss, 50, plied his victim with candy to convince her to keep quiet about the sexual activity that started in 2022 and continued for about five months. Burruss pleaded guilty to...
The Stroller, April 23, 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. NK, Arnold cleanup set...
State trooper talks about use of force, other policies at community event in Fox Chapel
Pennsylvania State Trooper Joseph Dunsmore said deescalation always is the goal when it comes to law enforcement encounters. Whether it’s at a traffic stop, sporting event, protest, any incident, the plan is to remain calm and professional. “At the end of the day, we shall endeavor and try our best...
Second Vandergrift fire department back in service after insurance lapse
Vandergrift No. 2 fire department resumed normal operations Tuesday evening after being out of service since April 10. Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Scott Stepanovich said Vandergrift No. 2 was out of service from April 10-21, an additional five days after Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini had said the borough’s departments...
Cause of fatal West Deer fire remains undeterminedVideo
Three months after a West Deer fire that resulted in the death of a man and his dog, the cause of the blaze remains unknown, officials said. “That fire is currently classified as undetermined,” said Kasey Reigner, public information officer for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. The victim...
Leechburg baseball association to combine past and present at 75th annual opening day
Leechburg Youth Baseball Association’s opening day will be a blast from the past if Jonathan McLaughlin, president of the association, has anything to say about it. McLaughlin is inviting everyone to participate who has ever been a part of Leechburg baseball. “I want anyone and everyone,” he said. “If they...
Video shows Springdale Police arresting local critic during council meetingVideo
A frequent critic of Springdale police is facing a felony charge after he was pinned to the ground and arrested by four police officers during a chaotic scene at Springdale Council’s meeting Tuesday night. The incident began after William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, of Springdale exceeded the borough’s three-minute speaking...
New Kensington-Arnold School District pauses elementary building realignment plans
New Kensington-Arnold School District has paused a proposed plan to realign the district’s school buildings. The realignment, recommended by Superintendent Christopher Sefcheck in January, would reduce the number of building transitions in early elementary school. Early ideas for the plan proposed Martin Elementary housing kindergarten and first grade, while second...
Tarentum sewer line project expected to ease runoff near Ormond Street
A long-awaited sanitary sewer project is finally underway in Tarentum. Work at Seventh Avenue and Ormond Street includes new lines as part of a Department of Environmental Protection mandate to separate storm sewers to ease runoff. It also will divert water from a nearby spring. Managed by the Allegheny Valley...
Penn State New Kensington project fair highlights renewable energy adaptation for climate change
The frequency and intensity of climate disasters aren’t slowing down, so proactive research and development that protects energy systems is crucial, said Tom Bartnik, director of The Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State. At a project fair Tuesday night, Penn State New Kensington students took to the floor to...
The Stroller, April 22, 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. NK Fridays on Fifth...
Gasoline smell leads to discovery of damaged underground tanks in Harrison
The smell of gasoline at the top of Spring Hill Road in Harrison led to a potentially dangerous discovery by state officials. Ten underground fuel storage tanks, nearly 100 years old, were revealed by ground-penetrating radar beneath the parking lot at the Stop’n Shop convenience store at Spring Hill and...
Etna, Millvale fire services consider merger with Southern Allegheny Valley to secure future
It’s not unusual for firefighters from Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, Etna and Millvale to respond to the same calls. Limited manpower and logistics make it crucial for the departments to support each other. Many believe it should go a step further. Discussions of a potential merger are in the early stages. “The...
Resident removed from Springdale council meeting by police after public comment dispute
Springdale police removed resident Danny Rosenmund from Tuesday night’s borough council meeting following a confrontation during the public comment session. Rosenmund was addressing the board when a council member informed him he had exceeded his three-minute time limit, according to Dani Jameson, a Harmar resident who witnessed the incident. Jameson...
