Valley News Dispatch category, Page 660
Police: New Kensington man who fought, lied to officers had drugs, stolen gun
A New Kensington man who police said provided officers with two phony names during a traffic stop Friday is accused of assaulting one officer and possessing heroin, crack cocaine and a stolen gun. Police said they pulled over a car driven by Robert Edward Kramer, 47, about 8:40 a.m. because...
Lily’s offers upscale dining with a view in Allegheny Township
It’s not just burgers and fries anymore at River Forest Country Club in Allegheny Township. Lily’s, the revamped restaurant at the golf course and country club, offers a fresh take on classics like chicken wings and sandwiches while adding in dinner entrees like a broiled rib-eye and shrimp scampi. “We...
New Kensington tattoo shop offers ‘ink’ to help leukemia patientVideo
Life right now for 14-year-old Veanna Pollard and her family revolves around her blood. Just over a month ago she was diagnosed with leukemia — a cancer affecting the blood. It means monitoring white blood cell counts and undergoing rounds of chemotherapy to push life-saving drugs into her veins. Her...
No one injured in Parks Township house fire
A smoldering cigar ash was the cause of a fire Saturday evening in Parks Township, officials said. Parks Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 Chief Jay Start said the fire happened around 6:45 p.m. at a home on Fitzgerald Lane. Start said the homeowner was smoking a cigar and some of...
East Deer officials trying to solve flooding woes on Clarks Pike
After sustaining five rounds of flooding during heavy rainstorms this year, East Deer officials are hoping to find a solution to the woes on Clarks Pike . A landslide caused by a pipe on private property added to the problems. Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani, Solicitor Craig Alexander and township engineer...
Springdale woman moved by reunion with UPMC doctors she thought she’d never see again
Six weeks ago, Evie Bodick had just about given up. The 75-year-old Springdale woman broke into tears in mid-June when she recounted that she had to shift her health care treatment away from the doctors and facilities she’d trusted for years, all because of a bitter battle between Pittsburgh’s two...
Harrison’s Chris ‘Z’ Ziemianski helps kids grow through basketballVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. People who play guard in basketball are known for seeing the whole court and making an assist so the team can succeed. Which is what made it natural for...
Audubon Society: Water quality in Buffalo Creek watershed worsening
A 10% spike in water quality impairment in just a decade in the Buffalo Creek watershed — an area known for its rich environmental quality and beauty — is among the findings of an Audubon Society report seeking final public comment. The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania , which owns...
Grieving Harrison mother mentions suicide in daughter’s obituary to create awareness
When it came time for Michelle Gibb to begin the painful process of writing her daughter’s obituary, she had a choice to make: list her daughter’s death as a suicide, or use a more vague phrase, like “died unexpectedly.” To many people’s surprise, she chose the first option. It was...
Arnold ready to host Western Pa. Firemen’s Convention
Volunteer firefighters from across the region and numerous state fire officials will meet in Arnold next week for the annual convention for the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association. The Aug. 8-14 convention will be the fifth to be held in Arnold since the 1950s and the first since 1996, according to...
3 generations inspire annual Festa Italiana di Vandergrift
Vince Putignano watched his father Andrew’s face during the performance of the Italian national anthem at a festival in Pittsburgh’s Strip District many years ago. “The pride my dad saw that day when he looked at my grandfather during that song inspired my father to start an Italian festival in...
Brackenridge searches for money to fix collapsed sewer line
Brackenridge officials are considering borrowing money to help pay for emergency repairs to a collapsed storm sewer on Roup Avenue. Council on Thursday accepted the $106,400 bid of Glenn Johnson Inc. to do the repair work. Johnson’s bid was the lowest of three received in what was the second round...
New Kensington police seek help identifying robbery suspect
New Kensington police are asking for help identifying a suspect in a Friday night robbery. The incident happened at a New Kensington convenience store. The department posted a photo from a security camera to their Facebook page indicating the man shown is a suspect in a strong-arm robbery. Anyone with...
Hundreds come to Lower Burrell for Brian Shaw Memorial Fund eventVideo
Overcast skies in Lower Burrell on Saturday afternoon did nothing to temper the early turnout for the annual fundraiser celebrating the life of slain New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw. The fundraiser — the prelude to a motorcycle ride next weekend — helps raise money for the Brian Shaw Memorial...
Hyde Park man to stand trial for wife’s 2017 death, her taped accusations played in courtVideo
Among the witnesses who testified Friday against a Hyde Park man accused of killing his wife in 2017 was the victim, herself. Jeffrey Mark Fondrk, 57, was ordered to stand trial Friday for allegedly beating Patricia Ann Fondrk to death in July 2017. Fondrk pleaded not guilty. At his preliminary...
Police frustrated by wide-ranging juvenile car thefts in Allegheny County
Police across Allegheny County say they are bewildered by a recent rash of thefts by minors who are stealing vehicles, cash and even guns in the middle of the night. The style of thefts are nearly identical in suburban communities from Castle Shannon to Harmar, including cases in Oakmont, Fox...
New Kensington police looking for runaway girl, 14
New Kensington police are looking for a teenager they say has been missing for two weeks. Patience Johnson, 14, of New Kensington, ran away from home two weeks ago and is possibly in the Homestead area, according to police. Police say Johnson is in regular communication with her family, but...
Work on Harmar hospital expected to start next week
After nearly a year of delays, work to build Allegheny Health Network’s neighborhood hospital in Harmar is expected to begin next week. AHN spokeswoman Candace Herrington said Rycon Construction crews will begin by preparing the site for construction, including installing fencing around it and placing a trailer onsite. The planned...
Paralyzed New Kensington Navy veteran receives van from Virginia charityVideo
Dan Hika, a Navy veteran paralyzed in a swimming pool accident seven years ago, feels free. And he owes it to Frank Lasch and Azalea Charities, which raised enough money to buy Hika and his family a minivan that will allow him to get to and from places without having...
Police seek people seen near Belvedere Hotel minutes before fire broke outVideo
State police said Friday they want to talk with two people seen walking near the Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough shortly before it burned down last month. Security camera footage shared by state police briefly showed the two people walking before they disappeared from view near the hotel. The pair...
Harrison Point project awarded $1M state grant for development
A Harrison business park development is getting $1 million in state grant funding. The money for the Harrison Point business park is coming from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. In Harrison, the grant money will be used for site preparation work, including stormwater mitigation, utility installation and roadwork. The proposed...
Festa Italiana in New Kensington serves meatballs, memories at parish
The aroma of fresh basil, rosemary and sage perfumes the Marble Hall of Mount Saint Peter Parish in New Kensington. It’s a familiar smell to parishioners and patrons of the annual Festa Italiana at 100 Freeport Road. Volunteers made more than 3,200 meatballs, 265 gallons of sauce, 60 pans of...
AG: Freeport man tried to arrange sex encounter with agent posing as teen boy
A Freeport man known online as “Verse Dad” was arrested Wednesday night on charges of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with who he allegedly thought was a 14-year-old boy but was actually an agent with the state Attorney General’s Office. Prosecutors say Scott Alan Speer, 54, of Main Street...
3-year-old girl drowns in Plum family’s swimming pool
A 3-year-old girl drowned in a backyard swimming pool Aug. 1 in Plum. The child reportedly was found at the bottom of the pool by a family member, Allegheny County Police said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the girl Friday morning as Ca-Nayah Mitchell. The incident happened at a...
Hite Road bridge in Springdale and Harmar to close Friday night through weekend
PennDOT will close the Hite Road Bridge, over Route 28 spanning Springdale and Harmar townships, from 8 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m., Monday, weather permitting. Work crews will conduct bridge jacking and bearing replacement work. Additionally, rolling closures will occur on Route 28 in both directions as needed from Friday...
