Valley News Dispatch category, Page 572
Dollar General proposal not well received in Upper Burrell
In a township that protects its rural character and quietness, some Upper Burrell residents are railing against a proposal for the development of a Dollar General store along Route 780 near Dewey Drive. A discussion of the proposal came up during a township supervisors meeting earlier this month. “We live...
The Stroller, Aug. 13, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link...
Sewage treatment plant in Avonmore to get $3.3 million upgrade
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board on Wednesday approved the financing for construction of an upgraded sewer plant in Avonmore. The $3.3 million project will upgrade the 50-year-old plant that services more than 400 sewer customers in the borough. The work will be paid for by a $1.85 million...
Kiski Watershed Association to hold highway cleanup in Leechburg and Gilpin
A nonprofit dedicated to conserving and rehabilitating natural resources is doing its part to clean up litter and debris that could potentially get into the Kiski River. The Kiski Watershed Association will hold a highway cleanup along River Road and Market Street in Leechburg and Gilpin at 9 a.m. Saturday....
Fawn awards contract to rebuild Metz Road for 2nd timeVideo
Fawn resident Tim Masarik Sr. is hopeful that reconstruction of Metz Road will bring an end to the flooding that has plagued his home of more than 40 years. Masarik said he and his wife fear flooding so much, they can’t sleep through a run-of-the-mill thunderstorm. “If they do it...
O’Hara Council meeting Zoom bombed before residents continue park-renaming argument
People who tuned into O’Hara Council’s Zoom meeting Tuesday night got an earful that wasn’t about township parks or sewers. Council was the victim of at least two Zoom bombers who unloaded a barrage of vulgarities throughout the first 20 minutes of the remote meeting. The pranksters were able to...
Aspinwall eyes improvements to reduce stormwater overflow to section of Alley A
Aspinwall is eyeing improvements to a section of Alley A that are expected to help reduce stormwater overflow. The cost of the project is $268,660. Work will target a section of Alley A from Center to Western avenues and is expected to be started in the near future, according to...
The Stroller, Aug. 12, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link...
Leechburg Area to discuss changes to back-to-school plan
Leechburg Area School District will discuss modifying its back-to-school plan Wednesday based on new recommendations from the state Department of Education, according to district officials. The school board in June approved a back-to-school plan that gave students the option of returning to school for full-time, in-person instruction. But the state...
$5M digital innovation lab to be built on site of New Kensington community garden
A community garden once heralded as among the first efforts to revitalize New Kensington’s downtown will make way for a building that will bring digital tools to the area’s businesses, industries, entrepreneurs and students. Construction of the $5 million digital innovation lab is expected to start this fall at the...
Fox Chapel Area students in all grades can decide between hybrid model or online learning
Fox Chapel Area students at all grade levels will have the option of returning to class two days a week or learning entirely online. The school board on Monday night approved the district’s return-to-school plan with a vote of 6-3. Board members Amy Cooper, Edie Cook and Dharmesh Vyas opposed,...
Letter to the editor: More voices needed to be heard in O’Hara Township park renaming issue
For a variety of reasons, I was not in favor of changing the name of Squaw Valley Park. Not the least of which was that more O’Hara Township residents were not given the time or opportunity to express their opinion, pro or con. It may very well be that the...
The Stroller, Aug. 11, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link...
Some Plum residents push for borough to form a diversity committeeVideo
Members of a social justice social media group want Plum officials to form a diversity and equity committee in response to community concerns and comments from elected leaders. Resident Amy Badali, founder of the Facebook page Black Lives Matter In Plum Boro, brought up the idea at Monday night’s council...
Oakmont Carnegie Library in-person visits now available by appointment
People can patronize the Oakmont Carnegie Library in person by appointment during the covid-19 pandemic. Library Director Beth Mellor said they started letting people in by appointment last week after enough plexiglass shields were in place. Appointments can be made either through the library’s website or by calling 412-828-9532. Up...
Highlands considering 1-day delay to start of school year, loaner laptop rules spelled out
Highlands School District is considering a one-day delay to the start of the school year, resulting in all students beginning remotely. The school board is expected to vote on a revised 2020-21 school calendar at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 17. During a board meeting Monday, Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said...
Police: Butler County man charged with child porn took photos of girls in bathroom
State police say a Jefferson Township man admitted taking photos of two underage girls while they were in a bathroom and had dozens of images of child pornography on his cellphone. Joshua Michael Pethtel, 33, allegedly told troopers he would take photos of the girls from an outside window, knowing...
DNA evidence helps Leechburg police bring charges in 4-year-old burglary
DNA evidence helped police identify a man who they said burglarized a Leechburg home nearly four years ago, according to a criminal complaint filed last week. Derek Justin Hare, 32, of Vandergrift is accused of breaking into his former employer’s Spring Street home and taking $100 on Sept. 2, 2016....
Food distribution scheduled at Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer
A drive-up food distribution will be held Tuesday at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is holding the event in partnership with the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches from 5 to 7 p.m. Almost 500 households received food at the first distribution in July,...
Armstrong County man accused in hit-and-run crash with bicyclist
A 20-year-old bicyclist suffered multiple facial fractures, a broken jaw and a broken arm Friday night after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver Friday in Bell Township, state police said. The incident occurred around 9:20 p.m. in front of the Dollar General on Route 981, according to court documents....
Foxwall EMS Chief Josh Worth leaves to take job in West Virginia
From a new bike crew to increased assistance for opioid users, Foxwall’s Josh Worth worked to build stronger relationships with Lower Valley residents during his three years as chief. Worth announced last week that he was leaving the Fox Chapel-based group for an out-of-state job. His last day was Aug....
Tarentum considering memorials in Riverview Memorial Park as band shell renovation begins
Renovation work on the band shell in Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park was scheduled to start Saturday, borough manager Michael Nestico said. Council is waiting for that work to be finished before considering a request for a memorial to a local musician there or an idea for another memorial to many...
Man wanted in fatal double shooting in Virginia arrested in New Kensington
A 31-year-old Virginia man wanted in a fatal summer shooting there is in the Westmoreland County Prison after being tracked to a home in New Kensington where he was arrested by federal authorities. Christopher Buckner of Manassas Park was arrested last week by the U.S. Marshal’s fugitive task force after...
Vandergrift woman planning massive Christmas festival
The goal, Denise Lewandowski-George says, is to turn all of Vandergrift into a Christmas town like those seen in Hallmark movies. She pitched the idea to Vandergrift Council during last Monday’s virtual meeting. With the support of the Vandergrift Improvement Program (VIP) and several local businesses, Lewandowski-George has decided to...
The Stroller, Aug. 10, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link...
