Valley News Dispatch category, Page 6
The Stroller, May 14, 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. Free picnic planned by...
State Supreme Court ruling throws stormwater fees into doubt
Officials in communities across the state may have to reassess how they bill property owners for maintaining storm sewers after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled last month that separate fees for such services could be viewed as taxes. The ruling was handed down April 30 in a Chester County lawsuit...
Despite fire, Trinity United Church continues food bank collections
While leaders at Trinity United Church of Christ scramble to regroup after a devastating fire last week, they said the congregation’s work to support local food banks will continue. The Rev. David Mears is asking people to donate monetarily by check or online instead of dropping off food at the...
Highlands School District not expected to raise taxes
The Highlands School District is expected to maintain property taxes for the fourth consecutive year, despite a $4 million deficit in the proposed 2026-27 budget. Director of Finance Paul Paradise said the district is one of only eight in the county that hasn’t increased taxes in the past three years....
Springdale’s Veterans Field will now be kept busy with several youth sports
Football is headed back to Springdale’s Veterans Memorial Field. Borough council approved a yearlong lease for River Valley Forge Youth Football and Cheer Organization at its Tuesday meeting. The organization offers tackle and flag football as well as cheerleading programs for children ages 5 to 12 in the Allegheny Valley...
Car fire briefly blocks Route 28 traffic
A car fire brought southbound Route 28 traffic to a halt briefly Tuesday evening. The fire was reported shortly before 8:30 p.m. just north of the Tarentum exit and was cleared by just after 9 p.m....
O’Hara officials working with PennDOT, Curbside on the Run, to address parking issuesVideo
Parking has become a serious problem for some O’Hara residents and patrons of a township cafe. Police have issued about 30 tickets within the past few weeks in connection with parking issues related to Curbside on the Run. The casual cafe, located near the intersection of Powers Run Road and...
The Stroller, May 13, 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. Free fishing derby scheduled...
New Kensington-Arnold School District proposes tax hike for next school year
New Kensington-Arnold School District property owners are looking at a nearly 2% property tax hike in the district’s proposed budget for 2026-27. The move would bring in about $220,000 more for the district. Expenditures for next school year are estimated at nearly $50.4 million. “The proposed budget does include the...
Rising fuel costs, asphalt prices, salt usage strain local road budgetsVideo
A combination of record-breaking salt usage, soaring fuel costs and rising asphalt prices is straining road budgets and forcing some municipalities to scale back their spring paving plans. The price for a ton of finished asphalt has climbed about $5 since last spring. The increase has coincided with a spike...
Bench installed to honor former Fox Chapel mayor at family-named park
Nature lovers and trail enthusiasts exploring Fox Chapel parks have a new space to take a break. In what borough officials have called a fitting tribute to a former mayor, a bench recently was installed in Scott Park. Dedicated to Mayor Walter “Alex” Scott III, its inscription reads, “With gratitude...
Frustrated Springdale residents push council on transparency after recent arrest
Several speakers urged Springdale Council to better answer resident demands and offer more transparency in government business Tuesday in the latest part of a monthslong conflict in the small borough. The meeting came after the arrest of William “Danny” Rosenmund after he spoke over his allotted three-minute time during council’s...
Former Willowbrook Country Club manager accused of theft, not paying club taxes
Westmoreland County detectives say the former office manager of Willowbrook Country Club had not paid the club’s payroll taxes since 2017 and is likely responsible for the theft of more than $300,000 of missing club funds. Laurie Voyten, 57, of Parks Township is charged with theft by failure to make...
7 Brew coffee shop on the way in Harrison
One day after Harvest Moon Coffee and Chocolates in Harrison announced it would reinvent itself as an event space, construction started just down the road on a new spot for people to caffeinate. Demolition on property at 1421-1425 Freeport Road began Monday to make room for 7 Brew, a drive-through...
Faces of the Valley: Local counselor starts wellness initiative for mental health education
As a school counselor, David Heavner sees firsthand the mental health issues students deal with, including anxiety and depression, that are part of what he calls a growing mental health crisis. Heavner, 54, of Buffalo Township wrote a book and founded a wellness venture company called Through Service We Grow...
The Stroller, May 12, 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. Used paperback books needed...
High on the hilltop, neighbors in Plum’s Logans Ferry Heights stay connected
As Rick Weishar considered the century-long history of his native Logans Ferry Heights neighborhood, he began to tear up. “You can’t believe how proud it makes me,” Weishar said as he stepped into the firehall where’s he’s volunteered for more than three decades. Wedged on a hilltop overlooking the Allegheny...
Highlands School Board eyes $1.67 million in capital projects
Highlands School Board will consider $1.67 million in capital projects for the 2026-27 school year, but the work is not expected to raise taxes. Stan Whiteman, director of buildings and grounds, presented an overview of the work during Monday’s board meeting. The scope of the project spans the entire district,...
Authentic Mexican restaurant opens in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell’s food scene has some new tastes, from table-side guacamole to fajitas, plus an array of popular flavors of the Central American beverage agua fresca. Gio’s Mexican Food celebrated its grand opening Friday at its Leechburg Road location, across from Burrell Plaza at Adamchik Street. Lower Burrell already has...
Divided Plum School Board heads toward almost 3% tax increase
Plum School District’s preliminary budget for next year could add another tax bump for Plum property owners. The district’s proposed budget, approved in a 6-3 vote, would raise taxes almost 3%, taking the district’s millage rate from 23.9159 mills to 24.6190 mills. That means, for a home at the school...
Pittsburgh Mills owners headed to trial on criminal charge
Owners of the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills are headed for a criminal trial following a Monday status conference overseen by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jill Rangos. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office charged the property owners in April 2025 with one misdemeanor count of creating a public nuisance due...
The Stroller, May 11, 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. Reservations being accepted for...
Harvest Moon Coffee reimagines space at Heights Plaza
With the closings of major anchor stores at Heights Plaza in Harrison and the loss of traffic, the owner of Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates has chosen to reimagine the second location she opened there under three years ago. Desiree Singleton announced Sunday that her Heights Plaza cafe on Union...
The Stroller, May 10, 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. Drive-thru food distribution set...
Experts: Negotiations likely to reduce fines against Pittsburgh Mills mall
The owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer owe more than $19 million in fines on the property, but it’s doubtful the township will ever collect that much money. Experts say that’s because most of the fines are tied up in court appeals and such code violations typically are...
