Valley News Dispatch category, Page 503
Grants pay for new basketball court in Blawnox
A new basketball court is on tap for Blawnox, thanks to two recently awarded state grants. The project will see a full-size court installed near the Blawnox Hi-Rise where the old tennis courts sat. The cost is about $105,000. “That area has not been used in quite a few years...
Over 500 Freeport students showcase their art in virtual art show
About 550 students, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, are showcasing their creative talents in Freeport Area School District’s virtual art show. The show, which features art from students taking classes in person and remotely, is being held online for the second year because of the covid-19 pandemic. Before covid-19...
The Stroller, May 26, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. Blue Star Memorial Marker to be dedicated in Lower Burrell Burrellton Garden Club will sponsor a dedication ceremony of the Blue Star...
New Kensington police searching for missing teen
Police in New Kensington are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing girl. Helen Bray, 15, was last seen when she left her home on Saturday, police said. She is believed to be in the McKeesport area. Bray is described as being 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighing...
Tarentum Bridge falcons a model of peregrine breeding success in Western Pa.
It’s been a good year for the state-endangered peregrine falcon in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with more nesting sites and chicks across the region. While there has been turbulence for the peregrines at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, with mates being ousted by stronger competitors and some falcons going missing,...
Plum School District Business Manager John Zahorchak leaving for new job in July
Plum School District’s chief financial officer will have a new job this summer. John Zahorchak announced at the May 25 school board meeting that he will be stepping down from his administrative post to become a financial consultant in another community. He declined to give further details about his next...
Springdale High School Class of 2021 celebrated at ‘reverse parade’
Springdale High School graduating seniors were celebrated during a “reverse parade” on Tuesday. During the event, members of the Class of 2021 lined each side of Lincoln Avenue near the stadium as decorated vehicles carrying their friends and family drove by honking their horns, cheering and tossing candy. Reverse parades...
Family business resurrected with Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe in O’HaraVideo
When the late business tycoon “Billy Kay” Kratsa would venture out, he always had a cigar in his mouth and armfuls of breads and pastries to distribute to friends and strangers. “If he was going to a doctor’s office, he would bring enough for all of the nurses and staff,”...
The Stroller, May 25, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. Boaters bash planned July 10 in New Kensington Lighthouse Marina, New Kensington, will host a Rockin’ For Lockin’ Boaters Bash from 1...
Harmar police urge residents not to take selfies with bears following rash of sightings
Harmar police are warning residents not to try to take photos or videos with black bears after a rash of sightings in the township. “We are asking that you enjoy viewing the bear from a safe distance. So that means please do not attempt to take a selfie with the...
Tarentum Bridge to close for improvements, affecting thousands of motorists
Motorists who use the Tarentum Bridge will need to find another way across the Allegheny River for roughly half of June. PennDOT said a 16-day closure of the bridge will begin at 7 a.m. June 9 and continue until late in the day June 25. About 30,000 vehicles use the...
Man last seen in Allegheny River near Gilpin remains missing, police say
State police provided no updates Monday on the disappearance of a Punxsutawney man who was last seen swimming in the Allegheny River in Gilpin over the weekend. Nathan “Nate” Lauer, 38, was last seen around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, according to one witness’ statement to police. That witness, identified only by...
Tarentum Dunkin’ shut down after health inspectors discover sewage leak
The Allegheny County Health Department shut down the Dunkin’ on East 10th Avenue in Tarentum after inspectors discovered what they said was sewage leaking from a grease trap and covering part of the floor. The May 21 inspection led inspectors to deem the coffee and doughnut shop an “imminent hazard,”...
Fox Chapel Area trio wins Governor’s STEM competition for occupancy tracking app
A team of Fox Chapel Area High School students earned top honors in the eighth annual Governor’s STEM Competition for their occupancy tracking system that revolutionizes social distancing practices. “CITISYNC” was devised by junior Janise Kim and sophomores Arvind Seshan and Prajval Sreenivas. It tracks the number of people in...
The Stroller, May 24, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. Advice available for those with financial troubles Allegheny Valley Association of Churches has free support services available for anyone who is having...
Horses and healing: Equine-assisted psychotherapy business helps people deal with depression
They stand in a group mingling with horses of various colors and personalities. They are people coping with anxiety, depression and trauma. And on this warm Friday evening, they’ve come for the kind of healing that animals, particularly horses, can provide. They spoke to the Tribune-Review on the condition only...
Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue to continue as founder leaves to ‘make a bigger difference’Video
A New Kensington-based non-profit specializing in the efficient and low-cost care of cats will continue despite its founder moving away from the Alle-Kiski Valley. Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian who created Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue in 2010, is moving in June from Arnold to Urbana, Ill., where she has accepted...
Search for missing man in Allegheny River ends with no results
A search for a missing man along the Allegheny River near several campsites in Gilpin ended with no results Sunday. Multiple organizations including state police Kittanning barracks, police and firefighters from Gilpin, firefighters from Leechburg, Vandergrift and North Apollo along with Greensburg bloodhounds were out from 1 p.m. to 7:30...
The Stroller, May 23, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. Lower Burrell PD to host Coffee with a Cop “Coffee with a Cop” will be sponsored by the Lower Burrell Police Department...
New details released in teen’s unsolved homicide in Tarentum
It’s been six months since an 18-year-old from Arnold died after being shot in an alley on Tarentum’s west side. The case remains open and unsolved, and no arrests have been made, according to Allegheny County Police. Syncere Lee Spruill was shot shortly before midnight Nov. 22 in the 200...
Street art fair latest effort to continue bringing life back to New KensingtonVideo
The heart of New Kensington’s business district beat a little stronger Saturday, and the city showed signs of artistic life. Painted chairs and parked cars lined the 900 block of Fifth Avenue. Its sidewalks featured tables of dolls, jewelry, paintings, caricatures and basket raffles. The sound of women singing could...
The Stroller, May 22, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. GriefShare program offered in Leechburg First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Leechburg, will host a 13-week GriefShare support group from 6 to 8 p.m....
New Kensington woman charged after police say her 2-year-old daughter ingested cocaine
A New Kensington woman was arrested and jailed after her 2-year-old daughter tested positive for cocaine, according to city police. Police charged Brooke Nicolette Damore, 28, of McCargo Street, with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person. In a criminal complaint, police said Damore, the child’s primary...
Leechburg man defends obscene anti-Biden flag visible from preschool, daycare, church
An anti-President Biden flag with an obscenity on it is flying from the top of a house in Leechburg and is visible from a nearby preschool, church and daycare. Mayor Wayne Dobos said he has fielded several complaints from residents, including a grandmother who reported that her young grandchild, just...
Fox Chapel Area School District hosting covid-19 vaccine clinic
Fox Chapel Area School District will offer a covid-19 vaccination clinic May 24. The Pfizer vaccine will be available to people ages 12 and older, school leaders said. Sponsored by Rite-Aid, the clinic will be from 4 to 8:15 p.m. at O’Hara Elementary School, 115 Cabin Lane. A clinic for...
