Valley News Dispatch category, Page 547
The Stroller, Nov. 11, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a community holiday event? Send information to The Stroller as soon as possible to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Letters from Santa offered by Vandergrift Public Library Vandergrift Public Library will send your child a personalized letter from Santa Claus...
Oakmont Councilwoman Carrie DelRosso claims victory in race to unseat Frank Dermody
Oakmont Councilwoman Carrie Lewis DelRosso claimed victory Tuesday night in her race to unseat state House Minority Leader Frank Dermody. DelRosso, a Republican, had collected 51.5% of the votes counted compared with Dermody’s 48.5%, a margin of 923 votes, according to unofficial results from the Pennsylvania Department of State. “I’m...
Riverview School District welcomes students back in second 9-weeks hybrid model
The Riverview School District has switched to a hybrid learning model this grading period with most students back in school a couple days a week. The switch this month from all online learning to a mix of in-person student groups and continued at-home education was was welcomed by Verona parent...
Brackenridge woman accused of assaulting man who paid less than promised for sex
A Brackenridge woman is accused of assaulting and trying to stab a man who police said paid her less for sex than promised. State police charged Audra Lynn Divittorio, 33, with aggravated assault, prostitution and other charges in connection with the Oct. 28 incident. She was taken to Westmoreland County...
Harrison World War II veteran looks back at his time in the Navy, 99 years of lifeVideo
Howard Traenkner has trouble with his vision, but he still sees clearly into the past. The 99-year-old Navy veteran of World War II recalled his two years in the service, including 12 months on the USS Chiwawa AO 68, a 750-foot-long ship that traveled from Virginia to Texas to Japan,...
Police investigating shooting in Plum
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting early Tuesday in Plum in which multiple shots were fired into a home along Renton Road. Plum Assistant Police Chief Mark Focareta said officers responded to a call at about 1 a.m. after dispatchers were notified of shots fired in the area of...
The Stroller, Nov. 10, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a community holiday event? Send information to The Stroller as soon as possible to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Orders being accepted for AFS citrus fruit sale Orders are being taken for the annual Highlands High School AFS fruit sale....
Volunteers are wanted for Plum’s annual holiday extravaganza in December
Volunteers are wanted for the fifth annual Christmas at Plum Creek. The borough event is scheduled for 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3 in Plum Creek Park along New Texas Road. There will be a tree lighting ceremony with a likely visit from Santa, food trucks and caroling. Plum...
No tax increased proposed for Plum’s 2021 budget, paving and park upgrades planned
Plum council plans to hold the line on taxes for the fourth straight year. Borough officials unanimously approved advertising the 2021 spending plan and real estate tax ordinance Nov. 9. They plan on adopting the final budget at council’s Dec. 14 voting session and maintaining the millage rate at 4.78...
Crews battle ‘progressing’ brush fire in Indiana Township
Crews continued Monday night to battle a large brush fire that burned for more than 15 hours in Indiana Township, initial reports indicate. The fire continued to spread and was an active scene as of shortly before 8 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said. There were not any immediate...
Washington Township nursing home sees outbreak of covid-19
A surge in covid-19 cases at a Washington Township nursing home prompted the state’s Regional Response Health Collaborative program to visit the facility over the weekend. Quality Life Services, formerly known as West Haven Manor, recorded about 30 infections involving residents and 10 involving staffers in the past three days,...
School districts mull options as Westmoreland coronavirus rates inch down
State data show Westmoreland County’s coronavirus transmission risk dropped a bit, which means school districts once again may face difficult decisions about how to educate students in the weeks and months to come. The county’s latest reported seven-day coronavirus incidence rate was 99.8. That means about 0.998% of county residents...
Kiski Area High School reports another coronavirus case
A student at Kiski Area High School tested positive for coronavirus, the school district said Friday. The high school will remain open. According to a letter to district families, the Department of Health was contacted and is identifying close contacts of the student. Kiski Area reported at least seven infections...
At Glen’s Frozen Custard, sales of frozen novelties have been sweetVideo
With only weeks left before the seasonal closure of Glen’s Frozen Custard, this longtime purveyor of frozen desserts in Springdale and Lower Burrell has experienced sweet sales during the pandemic and a sunny summer. The ice cream business category is on fire now, according to the Dairy Foods website. Sales...
Missing New Ken man, Slippery Rock student, found safe in California, state police say
A New Kensington man who was reported missing in Butler County more than two weeks ago has been found safe in San Diego, Calif., officials said. Trooper Jim Long with the Butler barracks said Gregory Jones, 21, was found by officers with the San Diego Community College District Police Department...
Lower Valley residents celebrate Biden’s victory with a spontaneous party in Fox Chapel’s McCahill Park
There was dancing and flag-waving in Fox Chapel’s McCahill Park on Nov. 7 as dozens of residents gathered to celebrate Democrat Joe Biden’s victory to become the 46th U.S. President. It was one of countless spontaneous block parties that broke out across the region, from Squirrel Hill to the South...
Niche ranks Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel as Best Private School in area
Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel tops the list of Best Private Schools in the Pittsburgh area, according to the latest ranking by Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based search site calculates its rankings based on data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews by students and parents, and factors such...
The Stroller, Nov. 9, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a community holiday event? Send information to The Stroller as soon as possible to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Let us know about your holiday happenings The 2020 holiday season will be like no other we have ever seen. Non-profit...
After 80 years, Leechburg Cemetery gets new sign thanks to Rotary Club’s efforts
The Leechburg Cemetery has a new entry sign that pays homage to its original. The sign at the cemetery was scrapped for metal in the 1940s during World War II and it hadn’t been replaced. The cemetery was founded in 1864. Longtime cemetery volunteer Larry Boehm, 47, installed the sign...
Corps of Engineers has update on $500 million cleanup of Parks nuke waste dump
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a virtual meeting Nov. 12 to update the public on its $500 million cleanup of the nuclear waste dump along Route 66 in Parks Township. The 44-acre dump, officially known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area, is owned by BWX Technologies (also...
West Deer appoints new Parks and Rec board member
West Deer’s Parks and Recreation Board has a new member. Supervisors unanimously appointed April Gentile to fill the seat previously occupied by Tracy Harrington, who resigned. The appointment was made during the supervisors October meeting. Gentile was the only person who applied. “This would be a great position to hold...
Deer Lakes middle schoolers participating in KidScience Program at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Wesley Reagle wants to learn as much as he can about animals to help better protect them. That’s one of the reasons why the Deer Lakes seventh grader applied for the KidScience Program at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “I was very excited to get a chance to go...
Petition circulated to stop construction of Dollar General in Upper Burrell
Although they know their efforts might be futile, residents who live near the site of a planned Dollar General store along Route 780 near Dewey Drive, Upper Burrell, are signing a petition to stop the construction of the discount store. “It’s going to change the country feeling of the neighborhood...
West Deer police launching annual toy collection drive for needy families
West Deer police have seen the bad in people, but they’ve also seen the good. Especially during the holiday season. They’re hoping residents will continue to bring Christmas cheer and joy to those less fortunate by donating to the police department’s annual toy collection drive. Now in its 24th year,...
No one injured in Harrison fire that started in laundry room, cause under investigation
A Harrison woman who left her house to attend church and run some errands Sunday morning came back to find her laundry room on fire, a fire chief said. No one was injured in the blaze at 127 Elbrook Drive, but the cause remained a mystery late Sunday afternoon. “It...
