Valley News Dispatch category, Page 508
Pandemic worries cancel Vandergrift’s Festa Italiana for 2nd straight year
Hold the sauce. Festa Italiana di Vandergrift, or, just Festa, the popular Italian-themed summer festival in Vandergrift, has been canceled for a second straight season. The pandemic led to organizers canceling Festa again this year. It’s always held in August. Organizers were hopeful that they would welcome back the celebratory...
New Kensington-Arnold yet to decide on property tax increase in 2021-22 budget
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board will decide in June if there will be any property tax increase for next school year. The school board approved a $40.05 million proposed budget Tuesday that currently carries no tax increase. The district’s millage rate is 88.27 mills. With revenue of $39.62 million, the...
3 Republicans in contention for 2 Fawn supervisor seats in primary election
Three Republicans are facing off in the May 18 primary for two seats on Fawn’s board of supervisors. The seats up for election this year are held by the current chairman, Republican David Montanari, and Democrat David Norris. No candidates will appear on the Democratic ballot. Norris withdrew from the...
The Stroller, May 8, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
If your organization or community is planning a Memorial Day event, please send the information in as soon as possible to: Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084; e-mail cpinto-smith@triblive.com or fax 724-226-4677. Auditions next week at Freeport Theatre Festival The Freeport Theatre Festival will hold...
UPMC covid vaccine clinic at Valley High School to be open to community
An upcoming covid vaccination clinic at Valley High School in New Kensington will be open to the community, acting Superintendent Jon Banko said Friday. UPMC will conduct the clinic from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s gymnasium. In addition to residents, it will also be available to district...
Harrison supports nonprofit’s effort for kayak launch parking lot grant
An effort to get state money to build a parking lot for a kayak launch on the Allegheny River in Harrison will go forward. Township commissioners voted unanimously at a special meeting Wednesday to support the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront, which will work with the township to apply under...
2 seeking open position to represent Fox Chapel Area School Board in Region 2
Editor’s note: The Herald is only spotlighting contested races in the primary election. Fox Chapel Area residents in Region 2 will see two nominees vying for one open position, according to the Allegheny County Office of Elections unofficial candidate list. Region 2 covers Fox Chapel Borough Districts 2, 4, and...
Wet weather cancels Friday’s Lernerville racing schedule
Lernerville Speedway officials announced Friday that because of overnight rain that continued into the morning they have canceled the Fab4 racing schedule for Friday evening. In addition to the safety concerns for the competitors, the pit area and spectator parking lots were determined to be too wet to be used...
First English Lutheran Church of Sharpsburg closes its doors after 134 yearsVideo
Easter Sunday was bittersweet for the Rev. Tricia Schneck, the interim pastor at First English Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg. Schneck presided over the final service at the borough institution, which first opened its doors in 1887. “It is very sad because this is a close congregation, and they have always...
The Stroller, May 7, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
If your organization or community is planning a Memorial Day event, please send the information in as soon as possible to: Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084; e-mail cpinto-smith@triblive.com or fax 724-226-4677. Ladies tea to benefit Knead Café A ladies afternoon tea will be from...
Investigation of assault charge involving Springdale High School baseball coach continues
Embattled Springdale High School baseball coach Brett Burger is still not coaching the team and may not be back before the conclusion of this season. Allegheny Valley School District Superintendent Patrick Graczyk confirmed Thursday that the district is still investigating an incident last month in which Burger was charged with...
Saxonburg tech firm II-VI lands $410M investment from Apple
Apple awarded $410 million to II-VI Inc., a Saxonburg-based high-tech company, so it can create 700 jobs and extra capacity to produce iPhone components. A news release from Apple said the new jobs will be at II-VI facilities in Easton, Pa.; Sherman, Texas; Warren, N.J.; and Champaign, Ill. II-VI Inc....
Valley High School teacher accused of sending inappropriate texts to another student
New Kensington police have filed additional charges against a New Kensington-Arnold School District music teacher who was accused last week of sending sexual text messages to a student. Police charged Sean Timothy O’Neil, 34, of Vandergrift, with corruption of minors and harassment in the latest case. In a criminal complaint...
ATI, United Steelworkers at odds over union’s latest contract offer
The United Steelworkers union on Thursday said it presented a new contract offer to Allegheny Technologies Inc. in an attempt to end their ongoing strike. Instead of bringing the two sides closer to a resolution, ATI said the union’s latest proposal is pushing them further apart. In a bargaining bulletin,...
2 Republicans vie to replace Democratic Harrison commissioner
Two political newcomers are facing off in the Republican primary to replace a Democratic Harrison commissioner who is not seeking reelection. Jim Erb is opposing Dylan Seelnacht in the May 18 primary for the 4th Ward seat now held by township Commissioners Chairman Bill Heasley. No candidates will appear on...
Man acquitted in Arnold shooting sentenced in separate case
A former New Kensington man acquitted last month in an Arnold shooting was sentenced Thursday to jail and probation terms for spitting on a fellow inmate and two guards in 2018. Nicholas James Haynes, 24, was sentenced to up to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison but given credit...
Kiski Township storage company selling previously owned items from abandoned unitsVideo
Previously owned contents from abandoned storage units are lining the shelves of a new store in Kiski Township. OPS — Other People’s Stuff — opened May 1 at 2216 River Road. The new store’s inventory is composed exclusively of left-behind items from rented storage units at Nellie-Joe’s Self-Storing Units, which...
Plum’s Pivik Elementary students have new place to make friends courtesy of distinguished alumni couple
Pivik Elementary students have a new place to sit and make friends. A Buddy Bench recently was donated to the K-4 school in the Plum School District by Renee DeMichiei Farrow and her husband, Bob. Both are distinguished alumni and wanted to give back to the borough. Renee Farrow said...
Permanent StoryWalk opens in Aspinwall
Strolling through Aspinwall Fireman’s Memorial Park just got a bit more picturesque. Cooper-Siegel Community Library opened its permanent StoryWalk, a display of colorful, oversized children’s book pages that line the path at the park in upper Aspinwall. It is the first permanent display in Allegheny County, Jill McConnell, library executive...
Suspect in Frazer Walmart thefts had drugs in car, police say
A Pittsburgh man was arrested by Frazer police last Saturday for five separate thefts of Walmart items valued at about $2,500, according to Police Chief Terry Kuhns. Albert Swoope, 48, of Pittsburgh, was taken to Allegheny County Jail after failing to post $10,000 bond. He is charged with retail theft,...
Student artwork displayed at Valley High School
Kimberly Osheskie doesn’t want a pandemic to stop the New Kensington-Arnold community from seeing the artistic talents of students at Valley High School. “With covid, the art show is not able to be displayed at the art gallery at Penn State New Kensington like in a typical year. And people...
The Stroller, May 6, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, events and fundraisers in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Free picnic planned Saturday in Natrona Fun and Freedom will sponsor a free Picnic in the Park from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday in...
Signature Dishes: Quiches galore at Lucy’s Riverside Cafe in FreeportVideo
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. Hearty homemade quiche awaits diners at a New England-influenced cafe in downtown Freeport. Pat Mersky, chef and co-owner of Lucy’s Riverside...
Tarentum planning fourth contract for building demolitions
Tarentum is looking to award a fourth contract for building demolitions. Council approved seeking bids to tear down buildings at 243/245 W. Seventh Ave., 339 W. 11th Ave., and 532 Third Ave. Earlier this year, council awarded contracts to Eveready Contracting, Minniefield Demolition Services and Siegel Excavating to tear down...
Allegheny Township man pleads guilty to rape of teen
An Allegheny Township man will serve up to eight years in prison for the repeated rape and sexual assaults of a teenage girl. Kevin Carl Williams, 53, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and sexual assault for five incidents police said occurred in 2017 and...
