Valley News Dispatch category, Page 657
Allegheny Township man’s family seeks answers 11 years after his murderVideo
It’s been 11 years since Alan Charles Wills Sr. was found murdered in his Allegheny Township home the day before what would have been his 52nd birthday. Four members of Wills’ family told the Tribune-Review they are frustrated because, not only has the case never been solved, they say they...
Bon Air Elementary School softball field work expected to be completed this monthVideo
The Burrell School Board on Tuesday night approved a $1,800 change order for extra material to fill in soft spots at Bon Air Elementary School softball field where renovation work is expected to wrap up at the end of the month. The $276,500 project includes replacing the outfield and baseline...
Port Authority moving Tarentum bus stop at borough’s request
A Tarentum bus stop will be moving at the borough’s request. Port Authority of Allegheny County is moving the stop now at Lock Street and Fourth Avenue about 250 feet away to Fourth and Hickory Way. The change takes effect Sept. 1, according to a Port Authority sign posted at...
No injuries reported when train strikes car in East Vandergrift
A car was struck by a Norfolk Southern train early Wednesday in East Vandergrift but there were no reported injuries, according to a spokesman for the railroad. The incident happened at about 2:30 a.m. when a train struck a motor vehicle at the Risher Street railroad crossing. There were no...
No ATV riding on Gilpin roads
After hearing extensive opinions on both sides of the issue for several months, the move to allow all-terrain vehicles on Gilpin roads succumbed quietly. A motion to allow ATVs on selected township roads died Monday night. Supervisors were considering an ordinance that would have allowed township roads to be designated...
Allegheny Township $2.4 bond issue to pay for building renovations, equipment
For the first time since it was formed in 1820, Allegheny Township entered the world of Wall Street finance. Township Manager Gregg Primm announced Monday that the township’s first bond issue became a reality on Aug. 5 when $2.4 million worth of financial guaranties were sold by PNC Capital, the...
DEP consent order aims to identify FTMSA issues by 2022
Delmont Councilman Bill Marx is not happy about signing a consent agreement with no sense of how much it might someday cost the borough. “I’m going to be honest, it’s a bitter pill to swallow to be told that we have to sign onto this without knowing what it’s going...
Allegheny Valley School District hopes to sell the former Colfax school building
The Allegheny Valley School District hopes to sell the recently closed Colfax Upper Elementary School. The school board on Tuesday reviewed three possible scenarios for the iconic building’s future. Officials finally agreed to move ahead with the attempt to market and eventually sell the building. Maintenance for the building is...
Wig-wearing man who robbed Shaler, Harmar banks gets 6½ years in prison
A former Florida man was sentenced Tuesday to 6½ years in a federal prison for two armed bank robberies during which prosecutors said he wore a wig and face mask, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. Robert Stiver, 71, formerly of Pompano Beach, was ordered to pay $7,800 in restitution,...
Buffalo Township Christian school closes, citing declining enrollment
Evangel Heights Christian Academy in Buffalo Township has closed its doors for good. Daniel Corfield, pastor and CEO of Evangel Heights, cited a consistently declining enrollment and low finances as primary reasons for closing the Christian school attached to Evangel Heights Church at 120 Beale Road. The school opened in...
Tarentum fires public works laborer facing strangulation charge
Tarentum Council fired a public works laborer who is accused of attacking and threatening to kill a 17-year-old summer worker. At a special meeting Tuesday, council voted 6-1 to fire Timothy Dzugan effective immediately. Councilman Tim Cornuet cast the only vote against firing Dzugan. He declined to comment on his...
Highlands gets no offers for Fawn school property
Highlands School District didn’t get any offers to buy the district’s former elementary school in Fawn. School board President Debbie Beale said the district will try again to find a buyer for the 15-acre property at 5591 Ridge Road. In the meantime, the building could be used for storage, Beale...
Springdale officials say tap water should clear soon
Springdale officials say residents who have been experiencing discolored water during the borough’s water improvement project can expect things to clear up after new filters are installed this week. “We are in the process of installing new filters,” said Springdale Councilman David Spirk, chairman of the water committee. “The filters...
Defense to file new evidence in New Kensington cop-killing case
Defense attorneys for the man awaiting trial for the 2017 shooting death of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw will have four weeks to disclose potential evidence that could be used to convince jurors to save his life, a judge said Tuesday. During a pretrial conference, lawyers for Rahmael Sal...
Police seek pickup driver in Belvedere Hotel fire investigation
State police want to find the driver of a pickup seen in the area of the Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough before it was destroyed by fire July 23. State police said on Twitter that a Dodge Ram made between 1999 and 2002 was seen in the area shortly before...
Court upholds New Kensington woman’s prison sentence for aiding accused cop killer
A state appellate court upheld the prison sentence for a New Kensington woman who helped a man accused of fatally shooting city police Officer Brian Shaw in 2017. Lakita Caine, 41, pleaded guilty in May 2018 to hindering the apprehension of Rahmael Sol Holt, who is accused of shooting and...
Netflix series ‘Manhunt’ closes Kittanning Citizens Bridge for filming
The Kittanning Citizens Bridge and parts of South Water Street are closed thorough about 8 p.m. so TV production crews can get less than five minutes of video on the bridge. Traffic is being rerouted to the Graff Bridge, PennDOT said Tuesday. Kittanning police Chief Bruce Matthews said the Netflix...
Disaster loans still available for Allegheny County flood victims
The U.S. Small Business Administration has helped dozens of Allegheny County residents seeking flood relief, and applications still are available. The SBA declared the county a disaster area after communities were hit with flooding on July 21 and 22. Rainstorms were reported to have dumped an average of 3 inches...
Grooming a new skill for vet tech at Vandergrift’s Tiny’s Fur Family ShopVideo
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 Czebiniak at mczebiniak@tribweb.com. Amber Phillips has seen the good and bad side...
Huntley & Huntley meeting set for Tuesday on Allegheny Township Marcellus well
Huntley & Huntley Energy Exploration will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss the upcoming construction of the Porter well pad, an unconventional gas well located on private property along Willowbrook Road. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Markle Volunteer Fire Department social hall, 470 Joyce...
2 sent to hospitals after Route 28 crash near Tarentum exitVideo
Two women were taken to a hospital Monday afternoon after the car in which they were riding veered off Route 28. Witnesses told police the car flipped several times in the area of mile marker 19, just past the Tarentum exit, according to state police. The driver and her passenger...
Housing development proposed in Buffalo Township
A Butler home developer is proposing single-story, multifamily homes on a 25-acre parcel on South Pike Road between the GetGo store and Route 28 interchange in Buffalo Township. Weaver Homes, the developer, will go before township supervisors at 7 p.m. Wednesday for a conditional use hearing for the property. The...
Arnold homicide suspect to stand trial
A Braddock man accused of killing an Armstrong County man during a June robbery in Arnold waived his right to a preliminary hearing in district court on Monday. The criminal case against Allen Duwayne Herring, 32, now proceeds to Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court. Police said Herring killed Gregory Ray...
Winning $800K ticket sold at Exxon in Lower Burrell
A Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 ticket worth $800,000 was sold Friday in Lower Burrell. The winning ticket matched all five balls drawn, 08-35-36-42-43, according to Lottery officials. PNP Exxon, 2700 Leechburg Road, will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. “It’s super exciting,” said store owner Mike Dhakkar....
Mercurio’s offers a little taste of Italy by the slice or in a coneVideo
Authentic Neapolitan pizza and award-winning gelato has landed in O’Hara. Mercurio’s, a family owned and operated Italian eatery in Shadyside since 2012, opened a second location in June at 1335 Freeport Road. Three sibling co-owners, Anna Crucitt and Michael and Joe Mercurio, were raised around the original family gelato business...
