Valley News Dispatch category, Page 604
Soaring costs may spell the end for West Leechburg’s police force
The future of West Leechburg’s police department is in jeopardy because of soaring costs, officials said. Councilman Tim Grantz, chairman of the police committee, said the borough has been exploring alternative options for police coverage for about a year. Right now, the borough is looking into contracting coverage from other...
Rutkowski to resign from Fox Chapel Area School Board
A Fox Chapel Area School Board member who won re-election in November is expected to resign at the March 2 agenda meeting. Lisa Rutkowski alerted the board that she intends to resign at a special meeting which follows the 7 p.m. session at Fairview Elementary School. Rutkowski cited personal reasons...
The Stroller, Feb. 21, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. Jewelry bash...
‘Impractical Jokers’ star to visit Pittsburgh movie theaters
One quarter of TV’s “Impractical Jokers” will make an improvisational appearance in the Pittsburgh area on Friday. Sal Vulcano from TruTV’s hit show will be at three Pittsburgh-area mall movie theaters Friday night to help pitch the group’s feature film debut in “Impractical Jokers: The Movie.” Vulcano is expected to...
Westmoreland deputy sheriff honored for helping save man in courtroom incidentVideo
Westmoreland County Deputy Sheriff Sean McKown knew he had to act fast and rushed over to the courtroom gallery to help an ill spectator. McKown, 52, of Lower Burrell, was honored in a surprise ceremony Thursday by Sheriff James Albert for his quick action that officials said may have saved...
Welding offers options to Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center studentsVideo
For students at the Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, welding was an opportunity to learn a trade in a high-paying field with a variety of professional options. “There are so many jobs and opportunities,” said Dylan Eckman, a Burrell High School senior who trains at Northern Westmoreland. “I couldn’t...
Winemaker Dennis Narcisi remembered as ‘passionate man with a soft heart’
It seemed that Dennis Narcisi never met a grape or person he didn’t like. He was not a big man physically, just five-and-a-half-feet tall weighing only 140 pounds. But his son, Randy, remembered him as a huge person. “He was just a quiet, little guy who didn’t have a mean...
Fox Chapel Area softball hosting kickoff clinic for second year
After a 12-year hiatus, fast-pitch softball is returning to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and local coaches are capitalizing on the rising success of Team USA to inspire young female athletes. “Through hard work, dedication and perseverance, any goal that a child sets can be achieved, whether it’s a...
GoFundMe started to help family of former Armstrong County kayaker
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the family of a former Armstrong County woman who died in a kayaking accident on a West Virginia river earlier this month. Jamie Lynn Gray, 41, went missing on Feb. 9 while kayaking with nine other people on a remote section of...
Officials consider using Leechburg stormwater system to help with potential runoff from turf field
Officials working on renovations to Leechburg’s Veterans Memorial Stadium said they will explore connecting an artificial turf field drainage system to the borough’s storm sewer system to help alleviate water runoff. The decision came after Leechburg Council voiced concerns about the impact the field could have on flooding problems in...
The Stroller, Feb. 20, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. Evening of...
Hillside above Route 28 in Harmar deemed ‘stable’ day after landslide
A southbound lane of Route 28 remained closed in Harmar on Wednesday, a day after boulders the size of small cars slid from a hillside onto the busy highway’s shoulder. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said geotechnical engineers who surveyed the area said two large boulders fell from a height of...
Homicide charges filed in 2017 slaying of Parks Township couple
New charges were filed Wednesday in a 2017 double homicide in Parks Township. Charges were filed against Kevin Lamont Ware, who is from the Washington, D.C., area, in connection with the deaths of Dawayne Klingensmith and Heather Swiklinski. In November 2017, Klingensmith, 29, and Swiklinski, 22, were found dead on...
Fourth annual Tips for Cops fundraiser benefits food pantries around Penn HillsVideo
A police officer’s job is to protect and serve the public. Multiple Penn Hills officers recently did more of the latter at Mohan’s Restaurant as part of the department’s fourth annual Tips for Cops fundraiser for local food pantries. The parking lot and booths at 7324 Saltsburg Road were packed...
The Stroller, Feb. 19, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. Knead Community...
Kiski Area High School to implement Air Force JROTC program next school year
As a 15-year-old 10th-grader at Kiski Area High School, Alexei Cramer was already interested in the military. He started combing the internet and doing personal research into programs for high school students. That’s when he discovered Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), a federal program where high school cadets wear...
Roundabout being considered along Route 356 in Buffalo Township
PennDOT is considering addressing congestion and safety concerns along busy Route 356 in Buffalo Township in a roundabout way. “We’ve found that roundabouts are effective at reducing congestion as well as the number of crashes and the severity of them,” PennDOT spokesman Timothy Nebgen said of the one-way, circular intersections....
1 lane of southbound Route 28 closed near Harmar after landslide
Authorities reduced Southbound Route 28 in Harmar Township to a single-lane around 5 p.m. Tuesday because of a landslide, PennDOT said. The single-lane closure is in place between the Harmar (Exit 11) and RIDC Drive (Exit 10) interchanges after two large boulders fell from the hillside onto the shoulder of...
Bouquet Pool needs 250 memberships by March 1 to stay afloat
If Bouquet Park Pool in Springdale Township can’t sell 250 memberships by March 1, the pool’s board could potentially close it. So far, only 44 have signed up, according to a recent count by pool board member Kellie Vergerio, of Springdale, who has been swimming at the pool since she...
Lower Burrell woman pleads guilty to attempting to deal fentanyl/painkiller mixture
A Lower Burrell woman this week pleaded guilty in federal court for attempting to deal roughly 47 grams of a fentanyl-tramadol mixture, prosecutors said. Amber Doller-Smith, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute the drugs, both of which are painkillers, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady...
Waterline extension project in South Buffalo gets key funding
A proposed waterline extension along Srader Grove Road in South Buffalo received a major financial boost Monday. State Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, appeared at the supervisors meeting to announce that the township has received a $150,000 state grant for the project. “I’ve always felt that if Armstrong County is going...
The Stroller, Feb. 18, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. Fundraiser planned March 14...
Palmer Pharmacy in West Deer loves to serve community, keep hometown feel
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact Senior News Editor Tom Fontaine at tfontaine@tribweb.com. Kaitlyn Sullivan likes making a difference and...
Body of missing kayaker formerly from Armstrong County recovered in West Virginia
The body of kayaker Jamie Lynn Gray was recovered Monday afternoon from a West Virginia river where she went missing on Feb. 9, authorities said. Gray, 41, went missing while kayaking with nine other people on a remote section of Middle Fork River in Barbour County, according to the West...
Washington Township scraps planning commission, hires administrator
Washington Township officials are dissolving the township’s planning commission in favor of a planning administrator. The township supervisors last week approved an agreement with the Municipal Authority of Washington Township that effectively takes that action. Supervisors Chairman Rich Gardner said the authority must still approve the agreement under which both...
