Valley News Dispatch category, Page 614
Lower Burrell planning $170K drainage project on Craigdell Road
Lower Burrell is applying for a state grant to help pay for repairs to drainage pipes along and under Craigdell Road in the Kay Street area. Matt Pitsch of Senate Engineering, the city’s engineer, said the aging pipes need to be repaired before their condition worsens. The city is seeking...
Mother of Sandy Hook victim reschedules presentation at Burrell High School
Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse was one of 26 people killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, has rescheduled a free presentation at Burrell High School on her “Choose Love” educational program for April 1. She canceled a presentation scheduled for last month because she was ill....
Arnold fills vacant council seat, opening up seat on redevelopment authority
Filling a vacancy on Arnold Council created another opening in the city. Council chose Adam Zweig to fill an empty council seat created when former Councilman Joseph Bia was elected mayor in November. After being chosen, Zweig resigned as chairman of the city’s Redevelopment Authority. Solicitor David Regoli said Zweig...
3 injured in Route 380 crash in Washington Township; 2 rescued from smashed vehicle
Three people were injured Tuesday night in a two-vehicle crash that uprooted the center guardrail on Route 380 in Washington Township and snarled traffic on a stretch of the highway for more than an hour. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening, but all three victims were flown by medical helicopters...
Brothers help raise $1K for charity by camping out inside Sprankle’s stores
Two brothers helped raise roughly $1,000 for charity by camping out inside their grocery stores in Leechburg and Kittanning last week. Doug and Ryan Sprankle, owners of Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market stores in Leechburg and Kittanning, hosted “Camp Out For Community” events for 24 hours at both locations to raise money...
Highlands organizations lobbying Port Authority for increased transit service
The head of the nonprofit Building Block of Natrona is lobbying for increased transit service that she said would provide residents of several Highlands communities with greater access to fresh food. “Along the Allegheny River it’s mostly economically disadvantaged families with no access to transportation and no access to fresh...
Vandergrift’s reorganization redo gets contentious as residents vent frustration
A Vandergrift Council meeting quickly became a shouting match Monday — complete with insults and banging fists — and left several residents frustrated with their elected officials. Council held a special meeting to redo its reorganization meeting of Jan. 6, after it came to light that five members and the...
Allegheny Township residents concerned about planned cell tower
Allegheny Township Supervisors tabled a decision Monday on the request by Verizon Wireless to install a communications tower near the Blair Farm barn on property owned by Edwin and Jill Morrison on Route 356. Residents spoke for 90 minutes in opposition to the tower. The cell tower location is permissible,...
Motorists identified in Route 28 crash near Harrison
Suspected serious injuries resulted from a Monday afternoon collision just south of the Harrison exit on northbound Route 28, state police said. Two Armstrong County people were inside a Chevrolet Camaro that veered into the right lane, hit a guardrail and then was driven back into the left lane at...
Tarentum replaces streetlight at Lock Street and East 10th Avenue
A key Tarentum intersection that had been dark since a crash in November is again illuminated at night. Borough crews Monday replaced the streetlight at Lock Street and East 10th Avenue, Borough Manager Michael Nestico said. A light that had been there was knocked out Nov. 25 when a tractor-trailer...
The Stroller, Jan. 14, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Memorial service planned to honor fallen Apollo police officer A memorial service in honor of Apollo Police Officer Leonard C. Miller who was killed in the line of duty will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Lutheran Church of Apollo, 214 N. Pennsylvania Ave. The Rev. Philip Ramstad will...
Grant-funded programs to benefit Highlands students’ computer learning, vision care
Highlands School District will use one grant to improve computer science education, while another grant-funded program is aimed at improving students’ eyesight. The district has been awarded a $35,000 Smart Grant from the state to improve its elementary and middle school computer science programs, with a focus on increasing participation...
Plum’s 80-year-old Meals on Wheel volunteer will ‘keep going up until I can’t go anymore’
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. Anna Betti plans to start this year the same way she closed out the last one: making meals for fellow Plum residents. “I’m going to keep going up until I...
Turf field would reduce water runoff in Leechburg, officials say
A proposed artificial turf field at Leechburg’s Veterans Memorial Stadium would reduce water runoff to neighboring streets, according to an architect and the company that makes the turf. Drainage from the field was a concern of at least one Veterans Avenue resident, who said runoff from the current grass field...
Philadelphia man gets 6 to 12 years for raping 2 girls in Harrison
A Philadelphia man accused last year of sexually assaulting two girls in Harrison was sentenced to prison after accepting a plea bargain Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Willie James Porter III, 46, was sentenced to six to 12 years for rape of a child and five years of...
2 injured in crash on northbound Route 28 near Harrison
Two people were injured in a crash on Route 28 near Harrison during Monday’s afternoon commute, initial reports indicate. Emergency dispatchers received a report of the crash involving multiple vehicles in the highway’s northbound lanes about 2:50 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. Medics and police responded. Two...
Service planned for Apollo cop killed 40 years ago during Kill for Thrill spree
A memorial service will be held Sunday in honor of Apollo Police Officer Leonard C. Miller, who was killed 40 years ago during the Kill for Thrill murder spree. The service will start at 2 p.m. at Apollo First Lutheran Church and be open to the public, police officers and...
Chip Bell is an Arnold attorney, but his adventure novels take you to the tropicsVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. People who step into Charles “Chip” Bell Jr.’s office in Arnold are transported to the tropics. Images of palm trees, Key West, the Caribbean and even pirates are scattered...
Tarentum’s Perriello Produce shutting down retail business
If customers of his Tarentum produce store were a little short, Paul Perriello would tell them to catch him later. If kids came in hungry, he’d give them hoagies and milk and send them on their way. “That’s what a small businessman does: He takes care of the town,” Perriello...
The Stroller, Jan. 13, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Professionals available to speak to local groups The Concordia Lutheran Ministries Speakers Bureau has senior-care professionals available to speak to organizations and community groups free of charge. Topics available include fall prevention and chronic disease management, senior nutrition, senior living, advance directives, end of life decision making, health and wellness,...
Zottola’s Pub and Eatery in West Deer is a marriage of flavorsVideo
Business consultants and marriage counselors often caution husbands and wives about the perils of also working together. The arrangement, they say, can strain a relationship. Or, it can create something wonderfully tasty and satisfying. Happily, that’s exactly what it’s done at Zottola’s Pub and Eatery in West Deer. Not only...
Allegheny Township considers pump station upgrades
Allegheny Township’s sewage authority plans to start interviewing engineering firms for potential upgrades to the community’s pump stations. Preliminary estimates from the township’s engineering firm, KLH, put the cost of the project around $1.5 million. The Municipal Authority of Allegheny Township met Wednesday to decide whether to move forward on...
The Stroller, Jan. 12, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Feral cat spay and neuter clinic planned for Feb. 1 Homeless Cat Management Team will host a no-charge spay and neuter clinic Feb.1 at the clinic, 207 Allegheny St., Tarentum. No-charge clinics are free for feral cats only and are sponsored by individual donors and fundraising events. The Feb. 1...
Saturday’s 70-degree temperature breaks 130-year-old record
Paul Moylett said he’s fished the Allegheny River plenty of times at a spot under the Tarentum Bridge — but never in January. Moylett, 44, of Tarentum was among scores of Western Pennsylvania residents taking advantage of Saturday’s unseasonably balmy weather as temperatures soared to a record level. “I have...
The Stroller, Jan. 11, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Vandergrift Public Library seeking board secretary Vandergrift Public Library is accepting applications for the position of secretary on the Board of Trustees. This is a volunteer position and applicants must live in Vandergrift or the communities served by the library. Responsibilities include attending the meeting at 6:30 p.m. the third...
