Valley News Dispatch category, Page 630
New school resource officer among those serving lunch at Kiski Area Upper Elementary
Police officers from Washington Township served lunch Wednesday to students at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. Officers lined up behind the cafeteria counters and served pizza and sandwiches to fifth- and sixth-graders. The event isn’t new. Officers usually serve lunch at the school once a year. But this was the...
Rain expected for Tarentum-Brackenridge parade, some activities moved inside
Organizers of the joint Tarentum-Brackenridge Christmas parade are hoping for good weather as this year’s event approaches. The parade is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, proceeding from the Tarentum Bridge in Tarentum, down Fifth Avenue to Corbet Street, and then up First Avenue to Morgan Street in Brackenridge....
Tarentum awards contract for 23 building demolitions
Tarentum will pay a single contractor almost $171,000 to tear down 23 dilapidated houses in the borough. Council awarded the contract to Allen Demolition of Wilkinsburg. Costs for individual properties range from $5,000 to $10,000. The borough was considering awarding contracts to multiple companies based on cost, but Allen Demolition...
Family holds second annual fundraiser for son’s scleroderma nonprofit
Laurie Churma of Washington Township was joined by friends and family Tuesday as they paid tribute to her son Kody and raised money to fund research into the disease that took his life. In less than two years, Kody Churma went from a healthy young man to one who was...
The Stroller, Nov. 20, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Vandergrift Police Department collecting donations Vandergrift Police Department is conducting its Feed the Families Project through Friday. Non-perishable food items and monetary contributions will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday at the borough building, 109 Grant Ave., in care of Officer Gray. Five Forces collecting personal...
Vandergrift man jailed on drug possession charges
A Vandergrift man who police say attempted to flee from authorities was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges of having suspected heroin and other narcotics. Jerry Moore, 61, of Custer Avenue was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, two counts of possession of controlled substances and...
Oakmont councilwoman to seek state House seat next year
Carrie DelRosso, an Oakmont councilwoman and public relations consultant, announced she will challenge state Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, in next year’s election for the 33rd state House seat. DelRosso hopes to earn the Republican nomination. Dermody has held the seat since 1991. He defeated Republican challenger Joshua Nulph last year....
Police: Oakmont native confessed to killing Bethel Park woman in Nevada
An Oakmont native who confessed to killing a Bethel Park woman in the Nevada desert two months ago will remain in Allegheny County Jail without bail, a judge ruled Tuesday. But John Matthew Chapman, 39, of Oakland, Md., has yet to be charged with the death of Jaime Mae Feden,...
Walgreens closes Lower Burrell store
The Walgreens store on Greensburg Road in Lower Burrell has closed, a spokesman for the pharmacy chain confirmed Tuesday. The store closed on Nov. 13, spokesman Phil Caruso said. Caruso said the store’s closing was part of a previously announced plan to close a number of stores across the country....
Highlands moving elementary principal to Early Childhood Center
The school educating the youngest students in Highlands School District is set to have its third principal this school year. Samantha Perlik, principal of Highlands Elementary School in Tarentum, will become principal of the Early Childhood Center in January after the Christmas break, school board President Debbie Beale said. The...
New Kensington O’Reilly store opening in early 2020, company says
A new O’Reilly Auto Parts store in New Kensington will open early next year, a company spokesman said. The store on Tarentum Bridge Road at Carl Avenue was previously expected to open this fall. O’Reilly spokesman Mark Merz would not provide more specifics on when the store would open. “There’s...
The Stroller, Nov. 19, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Highlands Middle School students to present, `The Music Man Kids` The drama department at Highlands Middle School, Harrison, will present, “The Music Man Kids,” at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday in the middle school auditorium, 1350 Broadview Blvd., Natrona Heights. Tickets are $4 for floor seats and $2 for the...
Boats, motorcycles next to caskets: New Kensington funeral home personalizes services
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. Ross Walker grew up thinking living with dead people...
Highlands says goodbye to 4 outgoing school board members
Highlands School Board gave fond farewells Monday night to four of its members who are leaving the nine-member board following this year’s election. Leaving the board are Michael Masarik from Region 1, Jeff Mundy from Region 2, and Heath Cohen and Michelle Peters from Region 3. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney praised...
Officials hope changes at Routes 66, 366 make intersection safer
The flowers of a makeshift memorial at a Washington Township intersection where a Brackenridge woman died in a July 27 crash haven’t faded yet. The fatal crash happened when Haley Montgomery’s northbound car tried to turn left from Route 66 onto Route 366 but was struck by an oncoming SUV....
Opera singer returns to Brackenridge church to raise money for food bank
Mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti began singing at local churches, including Brackenridge’s Trinity United Methodist, as a teenager before making her professional debut with the Pittsburgh Opera and singing professionally for three decades. On Sunday, she returned to Trinity United Methodist to hold a concert to raise money for the Allegheny Valley...
Police: Venango man topped 120 mph on Route 28 after driving away from traffic stop
A Venango County man drove more than 120 mph while holding a woman against her will in his car as police pursued him on Route 28, according to state police. Kirk Edward Heath, 43, was arraigned Monday on 19 charges, including kidnapping to facilitate a felony and fleeing or attempting...
New Kensington cop killer’s cousin charged with stashing murder weapon
Just four days after Rahmael Holt was sentenced to death for the Nov. 17, 2017, killing of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw, Westmoreland County detectives charged his cousin, Lisa D. Harrington, with hiding the murder weapon and hindering apprehension. Assistant District Attorney James Lazar said the decision to charge...
American Legion oratorical, essay contests open to high school students
Westmoreland County high school students looking for college scholarships might want to sharpen their public speaking and essay skills for the 2020 Pennsylvania American Legion oratorical and essay contests. The contests are open to all county students in grades 9-12, including home school and charter and private school pupils. Applications...
The Stroller, Nov. 18, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Deer Lakes Middle School to present, `The Lion King Jr.` Deer Lakes Middle School will present the musical, “The Lion King Jr.,” at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the high school auditorium, 163 East Union Road, West Deer. Admission is $10 at...
80 units in cluster homes planned for South Pike Road in Buffalo Township
An 80-unit residential development planned along South Pike Road (Route 356) in Buffalo Township is moving forward. The housing plan, to be known as Heritage Crossing, would be on a 25-acre site across from the Rosebrook assisted living center. The plan will be built by Weaver Homes. The company hopes...
Artist Cyril Assad has left his mark with fanciful murals at Oakmont Carnegie LibraryVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. It’s been a while since Oakmont artist Cyril Assad had to pick up a paint brush or do design work, but his creations live on at the Oakmont Carnegie Library...
Freeport Area’s swim team is a club sport, so board won’t pay for buses
Freeport Area High School swim team’s major concern may not be as much winning meets as getting to the pool to compete. That was the message Sheryl Schrecongost, a volunteer coach for the swim team, presented to the board Wednesday. It stems from the district not paying for buses to...
200 show love Sunday for Leechburg Community LibraryVideo
The Leechburg Community Library has only been reopened about 2½ months, but its growing community support was easy to see at a fundraiser Sunday. At least 200 people bought $8 tickets to take part in a benefit spaghetti dinner. By 2 p.m., a gigantic 50-50 container was more than half-full...
Search for time capsule at former Riverview Elementary School in Harrison comes up empty
The whereabouts of a time capsule buried on the grounds of a former elementary school in Harrison remains a mystery. During the 1950s, 10-year-old Edward Zembrzuski stood outside near a flagpole at Riverview Elementary in Harrison, watching as each class presented an item for inclusion in a school time capsule...
