Valley News Dispatch category, Page 641
New Kensington firefighters pay visit to Martin Elementary SchoolVideo
Two fire trucks and an ambulance were parked outside Martin Elementary School in New Kensington on Friday morning, but there wasn’t any emergency. Volunteer firefighters visited the school to talk about fire safety with the school’s kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students and, of course, to show them their trucks. Assistant fire...
New Kensington man whose mother was found dead in duct-taped room faces 62 chargesVideo
A New Kensington man faces 62 criminal charges in connection with an August incident in which authorities found his mother dead in her Victoria Avenue house with the vents and door of her room duct-taped shut, court records show. Most of the charges filed against Robert Aaron Hawk, 48, are...
Relay for Life events help American Cancer Society all year
On Oct. 17, downtown Greensburg will be filled with teams raising money for a good cause while having a heck of a good time. As part of the Great Race of Greensburg, more than a dozen teams of four to six people will run their own version of television’s “The...
Police: Women bought crack from New Kensington home just before it was raided
Two Springdale women are accused of buying crack cocaine from a New Kensington house an hour before authorities raided it Tuesday, shutting down what police described as the base of a drug ring that sold fentanyl. New Kensington police said they watched as a red car parked at the city’s...
Halloween activities in the Alle-Kiski Valley – Oct. 10, 2019
Trick-or-treat Trick-or-treat and events open only to residents of the designated community include: • Allegheny Township: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 • Apollo: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 26. A parade will be at 4 p.m. Oct. 26. Lineup will be at 3 p.m. behind AJ Tire and proceed...
Plum student enters shoe design competitionVideo
A Plum teen was scrolling through social media one day when he happened upon a shoe design competition that caught his eye. Inspired, Micah Pierce, 17, entered the Vans “Custom Culture” competition in September that promises the winner $25,000 and mass production of the winning shoe design. Pierce, a Plum...
Kiski Township has new supervisor, police chief, part-time officers
Kiski Township has a new supervisor and a new head of the police department. Township supervisors on Wednesday night selected Chuck Rodnicki, 69, to take over the unexpired term of longtime Supervisor Jack Wilmot. They also named police Officer Thomas Dessell, 35, as sergeant and officer-in-charge. Wilmot, who was supervisors...
British vocal group that performs for the queen to sing in New Kensington
The British are coming — to New Kensington. The Queen’s Six, a male vocal sextet of St. George’s Chapel Choir based at Windsor Castle, perform at private and state affairs for the royal family and during chapel services. They are lay members of the church. They will perform a one-hour...
New Kensington delays Carl Avenue repaving
Full paving won’t be done for an important section of Carl Avenue until 2020 — about 18 months after someone used spray paint to implore “fix me.” The short section between Tarentum Bridge Road and Craigdell Road in New Kensington is a shortcut for many to avoid a traffic light...
Medics respond to possible head-on collision in Armstrong County
Police and medics are responding to a possible head-on collision Wednesday night in Armstrong County, initial reports indicate. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was seriously injured. Authorities received a report of the crash believed to involve at least two vehicles near Guthrie Road and Main Street in Manor...
Avonmore man ordered to stand trial on sex charges
An Avonmore man accused of sexually assaulting a girl last spring was ordered to stand trial on four charges against him. Donald Arthur Haverkost, 58, of Water Street, had a preliminary hearing Wednesday in front of District Judge James Andring. Andring dismissed four counts against Haverkost, including having sex with...
Belvedere Hotel demolition in Oklahoma Borough nears completion
The Belvedere Hotel demolition along Route 66 in Oklahoma Borough could be completed next week, according to Lee Schumaker, borough code enforcement officer and the demolition project coordinator. Orr Avenue has been closed between Hancock Avenue and Route 66, which is the project’s staging area. It’s expected to reopen sometime...
Water experts to test polluted waters in the Buffalo Creek watershed to find the source
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will plant six acres of native vegetation along area waterways within two weeks and testing polluted waters to find the source in the Buffalo Creek watershed. Known for its rich environmental quality and beauty, the Buffalo Creek watershed runs through Butler and Armstrong counties...
Registration required for Harrison recycling collection event
Advance registration is required for a recycling collection event coming up in Harrison. The “Too Toxic to Trash” event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at the municipal building, 1 Municipal Drive. The event is open to anyone — not just Harrison residents — who...
Police: Drug ring operated out of New Kensington home where 4-year-old livedVideo
Three people ran a drug ring that distributed fentanyl in Westmoreland County and operated out of a New Kensington home where a 4-year-old boy lived, according to city police and agents with the state Attorney General’s Office. The three suspects, along with a fourth person who police said lived at...
Plum vehicle crash leaves 1 injured
One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash in Plum Tuesday evening. Police at the scene said the crash involved a car and a tractor-trailer. The truck driver was not injured but one person in the car was. Westmoreland County dispatchers said calls for the crash along Greensburg Road near...
Armstrong County man charged with DUI with a baby in his car
An Armstrong County man is accused of being under the influence of heroin while driving with an 18-month-old boy in his car, continuing to drive after crashing into a guardrail. Kiski Township Patrolman Dean Dressell said he saw Robby Patrick Ohler, 21, of Rural Valley, driving a Dodge Caliber at...
Lower Burrell police Chief Tim Weitzel to step down but remain on force
Lower Burrell police Chief Tim Weitzel will step down as the city’s top officer and return to his former position of lieutenant next year in a move that he said would insulate him from being ousted over politics. “I have to watch my back in 2020,” Weitzel said at a...
1 injured in crash on Route 28 near Harmar exit
One person was hurt in a crash that snarled northbound traffic along Route 28 near the Harmar exit during Tuesday’s afternoon rush hour, officials said. Police and medics responded to the crash, which was reported at 5:12 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. One person was taken to...
Highlands graduate continuing ‘Holiday 365’ toy drive
A 2019 Highlands High School graduate is continuing a toy drive she started while a student in the district. Marissa Callender is organizing her “Holiday 365” toy drive for a third consecutive year. Callender, 18, is a freshman at Allegheny College in Meadville, where she is studying biochemistry. She plans...
Lower Burrell long-time detective retiring; two new full-time officers hired
Lower Burrell has hired two new police officers to increase the size of the force to 17 full-time officers, according to Chief Tim Weitzel. Daniel Rote of Lower Burrell started in September, while Steven Guelich of Manor started this month. The starting salary for both patrolmen is $58,039. The city...
Asbestos testing delays prompt New Kensington to adjust demolition plans
New Kensington is focusing on tearing down residential buildings this year because asbestos testing on a couple of commercial properties is taking longer than expected, according to city officials. The commercial properties removed from this year’s demolition list include the former Funzi’s Cafe at 1301 Taylor Ave. and the former...
Burrell High School students taught how to stop life-threatening bleedingVideo
Burrell High School students were likely among the first students in Westmoreland County to get training on how to stop life-threatening bleeding, said Dr. William Jenkins, director of emergency services at Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant. Burrell’s high school juniors and seniors were trained Monday as part of the...
Harmar figure skating coach trains students from across the countryVideo
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. Barbara Gahagen isn’t just a figure skating coach. She’s...
‘Faith & Gratitude’ offers cancer patients empowerment, guidanceVideo
When Lori Ball was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before Christmas 2015, it rocked her and her family’s world. The North Huntingdon resident recalls preparing herself to do battle with her illness, and anticipating a hospital team providing a “holistic approach.” Following surgery, and throughout 18 weeks of chemotherapy, Ball,...
