Valley News Dispatch category, Page 65
James Sharp Landing provides perfect spot for kayak, canoe safety class
People looking to bone up on water safety skills ahead of summer can check out an upcoming class in Sharpsburg by Friends of the Riverfront. The introductory level program will give an overview of kayak and canoe basics, foundational non-motorized safety and general approaches to launching and paddling the three...
7 Deer Lakes School Board candidates running in May 20 primary
Voters in the Deer Lakes School District have many options to choose from when considering their next school board members in Tuesday’s primary. There are seven candidates in the running for four open seats. All are cross-filed. There are four incumbents, Eric Bieniek, Jeremy Love, Jonathan Majernik and Kristi Minnick,...
Springdale hires new manager away from his same position in Latrobe
Terry Carcella worked for several municipalities, in different capacities, while constructing a 42-year municipal government career. Now, he can add the Springdale Borough manager position to that list, as borough council hired him with a unanimous vote Tuesday. On May 27, he’ll assume his new post, which has been vacant...
Asphalt company says Pittsburgh Mills owner never paid them for filling potholesVideo
Add an Eastern Pennsylvania-based asphalt company to the list of those frustrated by the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. Jessica Jones, president of Patch Management Inc., said mall owner Namdar Realty Group hasn’t paid a $21,000 bill for the hot asphalt spray applied in recent weeks. “We fulfilled...
The Stroller, May 14, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Registration open for Leechburg...
3 Democrats vying for 2 New Kensington Council seats in primary
Three men seeking two Democratic Party nods in the New Kensington Council primary say they want to continue the business growth and development in the city. Nicholas DiCarolis, Randi Shank and Phillip Toney are the Democratic candidates in the May 20 primary. The top two vote-getters will face off against...
Carpenter’s Apprentice group helping those in need with home repairs
A group of about 30 volunteers from four Norwin area and Penn Township churches will be on a mission this week to help about 15 low-income and elderly residents in need of home repairs so they can live in a safe and secure environment. The Carpenter’s Apprentice will send volunteers...
Report details Penn State New Kensington, Fayette’s plights as campuses recommended for closure
Penn State New Kensington has “struggled to maintain relevance and scale” in the Pittsburgh region’s competitive higher education environment. And Penn State Fayette has enrollment, demographic and operational challenges that make it unsustainable. That’s the reasoning behind the Penn State administration’s recommendation to close those two campuses — and seven...
New Brackenridge councilman has long history of borough service
Larry Chifulini was meant to serve on Brackenridge council. Newly appointed for a second stint, Chifulini follows in his family footsteps, continuing decades of service to the borough where he was born and raised. His father, grandfather and grandmother all served on council. “The first time I was around, my...
Penn State disappointed but doesn’t refute report on narrowed campus closure list
Penn State officials expressed disappointment over — but failed to refute — a report that disclosed seven commonwealth campuses are slated to be eliminated as part of a university austerity plan. The Fayette and New Kensington campuses in Southwestern Pennsylvania were among the seven. “It is regrettable that our communities...
The Stroller, May 13, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. 3-on-3 basketball tournament set...
Lower Burrell Fire Co. 3 excited for future with new rescue-engine
A custom-made rescue engine for Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3, once deployed in 2028, will lower the number of vehicles in the company’s fleet but increase efficiency of emergency responses, its fire chief says. Company leaders last week signed a contract with Ohio-based Sutphen Co. to build a...
‘Everything I thought it would be’: East Vandergrift school revived as senior housing
It’s a new dawn for the old East Vandergrift Elementary School following its conversion into Morning Sun Senior Lofts. The $17 million, 42-unit affordable housing complex recently welcomed its first tenants. It came after more than five years of planning, design and construction, transforming the historic building from a crumbling...
Penn State trustees to meet Thursday, but no vote on campus closures expected
Penn State’s trustees will meet Thursday morning, but a decision on branch campus closures will not be made then, according to a university spokesman. The board of trustees tentatively scheduled a public meeting Thursday to discuss President Neeli Bendapudi’s recommendation regarding the possible campus closures. University administrators in February announced...
Tarentum working to resolve DEP water plant violations
Tarentum has been called out by the state Department of Environmental Protection for the second time in six months for violations at the borough’s water plant. Borough officials said the water is safe to drink. “If there were a serious health risk, DEP regulations would require us to take much...
Sharpsburg food pantry emergency food distribution helps about 130 families
More than 130 Fox Chapel Area families received emergency food this month thanks to the quick work of volunteers at the Sharpsburg-based St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Doors were open to all who needed help from the pantry, which was run out of the St. Mary Church along Garnier...
The Stroller, May 12, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Free community picnic set...
What’s that old gold ring worth? As prices surge, some are looking to sell, others buying amid volatile market
Rebecca Burns recently made a trip to The Pawn and Jewelry Exchange to find out how much her gold jewelry is worth. Skyrocketing gold prices, which have reached over $3,300 for a troy ounce of the precious metal, piqued her interest. Burns brought a necklace and other gold pieces of...
New Kensington’s Re:Build to boost U.S. production capacity for renewable hydrogen
A new partnership at New Kensington’s Advanced Manufacturing Park will put the city in the heart of the country’s growing hydrogen economy, area business leaders say. New York-based Ecolectro, a hydrogen production manufacturer, announced last week it has partnered with Re:Build Manufacturing to build next-generation electrolyzers. Ecolectro Chief Commercial Officer...
Almost $500K in upgrades return Kiskiminetas River Park to point of pride for East Vandergrift
East Vandergrift officials have long seen potential in Kiskiminetas River Park, a small greenspace tucked in the borough’s eastern corner that for years was plagued by vandals. Discussions about a revival kicked off in 2020. Five years later, that work has paid off. Now, instead of a swingless swingset, there’s...
GAMA Sports Training holds open house for new $3.5M facility in Plum
GAMA Sports Training’s new home in Plum is “absolutely everything that this area needed,” says Gabrielle Fischetti. “It’s a big space that is going to create a lot of good athletes,” said Fischetti, 24, of Murrysville, a partner in GAMA Sports with her father, Joe Fischetti, and retired NFL football...
The Stroller, May 11, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Drive-thru food distribution set...
Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lower Burrell celebrating 175 years
Nancy Sweetland believes Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lower Burrell has made it to 175 years because of the “spirit of the church.” “It’s been through so many different stages,” said Sweetland, who has played the organ on and off for a total of 50 years at Bethesda and has...
1971 Kiski Area football team, 1948 Ford City basketball team set to join AK Valley Sports Hall of Fame
When Tom Giotto learned the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame would be inducting the 1971 Kiski Area football team, he started calling his former teammates. One of the players on that WPIAL Class AAA championship squad responded to the news with a bit of exasperation. “He said: ‘What took...
History group investigating old pioneer cabin in Upper Burrell — if it even existed there
To Millie Pipman, the key to a missing piece of area history lies within a pioneer cabin in Upper Burrell. If it was even there in the first place. Pipman, a member of the Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is working with the Tri-City...
