Valley News Dispatch category, Page 619
Judge denies Yakopec’s request for transfer back to Westmoreland prison
A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday rejected a request from the son of a Lower Burrell district judge to be transferred back to the county’s jail to finish serving out a six-month sentence for drug offenses. The attorney for Stephen Yakopec III, 29, of Lower Burrell in court documents filed this...
Brackenridge man accused of taking car on Christmas Eve
Harrison police said they used surveillance camera footage, license plate readers and help from other departments to track down a Brackenridge man suspected of stealing a car on Christmas Eve. Terry Alan Montgomery, 51, is accused of taking a 2008 Hyundai Accent that was parked in the 2000 block of...
Springdale Township man gets ‘Christmas gift’: Police home in on hit-and-run suspect who wrecked his garage
Dave Houston got an unexpected knock at his door the Saturday morning before Christmas. “Did you see your garage?” his neighbor asked. Perplexed, the 55-year-old man walked outside his Springdale Township home thinking, “Maybe I left my garage door open all night.” “Well,” Houston recalled, “The garage door wasn’t even...
Deer Lakes High School students use emoji paintings to encourage frank conversationsVideo
Art students at Deer Lakes High School are hoping students and staffers will stop and see the emoji. Not the cartoon-like images on their cellphones, but ones on the walls. Emoji allow people to express emotion digitally through a variety of faces that display different expressions and picture characters. They...
Increased homestead exemption likely means lower property taxes in Harmar
The average Harmar homeowner could save about $34.50 in real estate taxes in 2020 as supervisors recently passed a $10,000 increase for the homestead tax exemption. The township supervisors last Thursday passed the township’s final 2020 budget of $2.7 million. It does not include a tax increase. The township real...
The Stroller, Dec. 25, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
A joyous and blessed Christmas to our loyal readers and their families! Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season. – Carol Pinto-Smith Hockey game to raise money for Brian Shaw Memorial Fund The Brian Shaw Memorial Hockey Game will be at 8 p.m. Friday at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena, 700...
Tarentum to solicit garbage haulers after Waste Management price increase
Tarentum will be looking for prices from other garbage haulers after Waste Management proposed increasing the rate it charges the borough, according to borough Manager Michael Nestico. “We want to see what options we have here,” he said. “Council was initially hopeful to keep Waste Management. They like the service...
At first, Indiana Township man wasn’t buying that he won ‘Official Steelers Truck’
Dave Lynch had pulled two double shifts when his phone started ringing and texting about a Ford truck while he drove on Route 28 to his Indiana Township home. “I thought it was some solicitation, and I wasn’t interested in buying anything,” said Lynch, 54, who works in law enforcement....
East Deer residents facing higher water bills after Tarentum increases bulk cost
East Deer residents will pay more for water after Tarentum increased what it charges the township for bulk water, but exactly how much more is not yet known. East Deer buys water from Tarentum, then distributes it to its customers. East Deer Commissioner Tony Taliani said the township will not...
Police seek driver who crashed into Springdale Township garage
Springdale Township police are investigating a weekend hit-and-run crash that heavily damaged a garage off Riddle Run Road. Police said an unknown motorist driving a burgundy or brown Buick Lucerne at a high speed crashed through the side of the large garage around 1 a.m. Saturday. A surveillance camera captured...
The Stroller, Dec. 24, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Special visitor set to visit the Alle-Kiski Valley tonight Hopefully the clouds will hold off in the Alle-Kiski Valley tonight. Many children – and adults – will have their eyes focused on the skies looking for a special visitor! HOPE Center seeks donations Throughout the winter months the HOPE Center...
Harrison optometrist’s childhood vision comes full circle
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 reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com. Dr. John Bissell knew by age 13 that he...
Longtime Gilpin firefighter, fire truck collector dies at 92
Lawrence Goodbread didn’t just love fire trucks, he collected them. Goodbread, who died Dec. 18 at 92, owned two antique fire trucks at the time of his death. To honor the longtime firefighter and avid collector, a 1946 Ford fire truck that Goodbread took to parades was parked outside the...
New Kensington Council schedules special meeting to adopt budget, tax increase
New Kensington Council has scheduled a special meeting to adopt the city’s 2020 budget, which includes a proposed property tax increase. Council will meet at 5 p.m. Dec. 30 in council chambers at city hall, 301 11th St. Council earlier this month approved an $8.1 million preliminary budget that would...
Harrison police arrest 3 teens suspected in car, purse thefts
A New Kensington-area teen is accused of throwing an unloaded gun at police as they pursued him and two other teens in connection with the theft of a purse last week in Harrison. That didn’t stop police from arresting the teens on Dec. 17, a day after police said they...
The Stroller, Dec. 23, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Peoples Library seeking tutors for elementary students Peoples Library in New Kensington is seeking adult volunteers to tutor elementary students in its afterschool program. Adult tutors work one-on-one with at-risk students from the New Kensington-Arnold School District from 4 to 5:20 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the New Kensington library,...
Lower Burrell school nixes holiday parties, replaces with ‘Kids for Kids’ market fundraiser
Stewart Elementary School ditched its typical holiday parties this year. Instead, the Lower Burrell school’s roughly 265 fourth- and fifth-graders spent their final day before winter break working together to raise money for sick children. “We broke away from our traditional classroom parties,” Principal Jim Croushore said. “We wanted to...
ATI steelworkers are Secret Santas giving A-K Valley kids free bikes
Steelworkers at ATI in Harrison are Secret Santas, as they bought 39 bikes and helmets for Alle-Kiski Valley kids this Christmas. The money was raised over the last two months, according to Bill Campbell, union grievance representative for the United Steelworkers Local 1196 in Brackenridge, which serves ATI’s steel mill...
Springdale Council set to raise property tax 6.5%
In an effort to do some much-needed paving, Springdale Council will vote this week on a 6.5% property tax increase. Council unanimously agreed last Tuesday to raise taxes by a half-mill in order to pave either Colfax Street or Rosslyn Avenue in 2020. The vote on the tax hike will...
Aspinwall Beans ‘N’ Cream stands out with more than just coffeeVideo
This coffee shop brews up the cool factor. Aspinwall Beans ‘N’ Cream, known as ABC by the locals, serves up coffee, specialty drinks and homemade breakfast and lunch items amid 1960s and ’70s pop/rock memorabilia. “The decor isn’t the usual coffee shop vibe,” said co-owner Pete Sanida of Squirrel Hill....
Section of Route 28 in Armstrong County reopens after crash
A section of Route 28 northbound in Armstrong County was reopened around 8 p.m., after a crash caused the road to be closed Sunday for more than seven hours. State police said two vehicles crashed when a truck lost a load on the road in Mahoning Township at about 12:45...
The Stroller, Dec. 22, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Hockey game to benefit Brian Shaw Memorial Fund The Brian Shaw Memorial Hockey Game will be at 8 p.m. Friday at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena, 700 Craigdell Road, New Kensington. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Plum Mustangs and Kiski Cavaliers varsity hockey teams will play. Admission is $5 and...
‘Officer’ Rudy, newest member of Gilpin’s police force, has a nose for trouble (and snacks)Video
“Officer” Rudy is the newest addition to the police force in Gilpin. He loves belly rubs, snacks and attention. Rudy is a 3-year-old Belgian Melinois, a popular breed for training as police dogs. He received his K-9 certification from the North American Police Work Dog Association this month. He reported...
Vo-tech schools serving Westmoreland, A-K Valley districts get nearly $82K in grants
Three vo-tech schools that serve 11 school districts in Westmoreland County and the Alle-Kiski Valley have received close to $82,000 in grants from the state Education Department. Lenape Technical School received $40,675, Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center received $49,999, and Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center received $16,930. The...
The Stroller, Dec. 21, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Knead Community Cafe closed for holidays Knead Community Café in New Kensington will be closed Tuesday through Jan. 1 for the holidays. For upcoming events at the café, visit kneadcommunitycafe.org/events/. Calendar Kittanning Monday: A free family support group for anyone struggling with the addiction of a loved one will meet...
