Valley News Dispatch category, Page 684
New $245,000 section of Tredway recreational trail in Allegheny Township opens
The new 1.75-mile extension of the Tredway recreational trail winding along the River Forest golf course in Allegheny Township from the marina to under the Freeport Bridge is just about complete. This week, the recreational trail flanked by manicured greenery was ready for walking and biking. Allegheny Township and Senate...
Harrison man headed to trial on assault charges
A Harrison man was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on assault and other charges in connection with a July 31 incident in which police said he beat a woman inside their Walnut Street home. Dominic Pelligrini, 43, faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of simple assault,...
Blackburn’s to raze Tarentum building for parking lot
Blackburn’s Physician’s Pharmacy plans to tear down a building it recently bought on East Fourth Avenue in Tarentum and use the lot for employee parking. The Tarentum-based company is working on getting the required permits from Allegheny County and bids from contractors to take down the building at 326 E....
In wake of recent shootings, Fox Chapel pastor aims to ‘build community’
In the wake of a deadly weekend during which 32 people were killed in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, a local preacher is stretching out his arms and inviting people of all denominations to his Fox Chapel church. “We need to build community,” said the Rev....
Fox Chapel’s Kerr Elementary ready to welcome students back to school
The countdown is on. In just about a week, Fox Chapel Area students will head back to class. District officials have been busy readying new courses, programs and building upgrades for the Aug. 22 start. Kerr Elementary students will start the year in the new $21 million building that was...
‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette,’ filmed in New Kensington and Pittsburgh, coming to theatersVideo
After several delays, a movie filmed in New Kensington and other Pittsburgh-area locations two years ago is coming to theaters. ”Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is being released Aug. 16 but will hit area theaters — including Cinemark at the Pittsburgh Mills, AMC at the Waterfront in West Homestead, and Regal...
Donations sought for 2020 New Kensington fireworks
The Fourth of July wasn’t that long ago, but organizers of New Kensington’s fireworks display already are thinking about next year. And they’re worried. Proceeds from a basket raffle during a block party preceding this year’s display were supposed to help pay for next year’s fireworks. Rain on July 6...
Asbestos could limit Tarentum demolitions
Asbestos could reduce the number of dilapidated buildings that Tarentum will be able to tear down this year. The borough expects to receive the results of asbestos testing on 28 properties this week, code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said. The borough paid Corwin Inspections $11,175 to do the testing. That...
Plans being made for removal of Belvedere Hotel’s charred remains
State Rep. Joe Petrarca confirmed his office is leading efforts to kick off the cleanup of the charred, asbestos- laden remains of the Belvedere Hotel along Route 66 in Oklahoma Borough. A July 24 blaze swiftly destroyed the abandoned, almost 115-year-old hotel. The fire still is under investigation by state police....
New Kensington cops revive 2 men who overdosed, then charged 1 of them
New Kensington police revived two men with the opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan and then filed drug-related charges against one of them, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. Police said they found the men unconscious just before 8 p.m. Friday in a car parked at Sheetz on Freeport Street. The...
Vandergrift hopes block grant money will cover paving costs
Vandergrift officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the borough can obtain more than $200,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money next year. The only money available this year went toward paving Oregon Avenue. Work to improve drainage on Oregon started Monday, and milling and paving work is expected...
Leechburg police sporting new lookVideo
Leechburg police have a new look. Since Aug. 1, the department’s officers have been wearing dark blue uniforms, new badges and carrier vests over their dark-blue protective vests that read “police” in block white letters on the front and back. The department’s former uniforms were gray. Mayor Wayne Dobos said...
Glass recycling event coming to O’Hara
A pop-up event in O’Hara will give residents a chance to discard glass items which will be recycled into mayonnaise jars, beer bottles and other consumer products. The collection will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 14 in the municipal lot, 325 Fox Chapel Road. Presented by the Pennsylvania...
Leechburg Public Library to reopen after Labor Day
Leechburg Public Library hired a librarian and its collection should reopen next month, according to the president of the library board. Board President Karen Freilino said Leechburg resident Lisa Flick Kimbrugh was hired to direct the library when it reopens sometime after Labor Day inside Leechburg Junior/Senior High School. The...
New Kensington swears in police dog honoring slain Officer Brian ShawVideo
New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo swore in the newest member of the city’s police force Monday evening — after the new recruit was done scratching. Deuce, an almost 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, was acquired with the help of slain police Officer Brian Shaw’s family. His parents, Stephan and Lisa Shaw, and...
New Kensington Council approves liquor license transfer for Sheetz
New Kensington Council on Monday approved the transfer of a liquor license for a Sheetz in the city despite the objections of several residents, including one armed with a petition. A remodeling of the convenience store and gas station on Freeport Street will include an addition with seating for 30...
Diving has become way of life for owners of Scott’s Scuba in FreeportVideo
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. Scuba diving quickly became a way of life for...
Plea deal rejected in Arnold child rape case, suspect faces 100 years to life at trial
A Washington, D.C., man on Monday rejected a plea bargain offer that would have sent him to prison for at least 15 years for the alleged sexual assault of a young boy in Arnold. Delonte Haynes, 28, faces a potential life sentence if he is convicted of all four counts...
Lower Burrell firefighters save kittens from a storm sewer
During a meeting of junior firefighters Sunday at Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3, someone asked if they really receive emergency calls about cats stuck in trees. “Yeah, we do it, but the stories about how it really happens are a bit exaggerated,” Brennan Sites, assistant chief, told the...
Chuck Booth remembered for his commitment to the Alle-Kiski Valley
Long-time New Kensington resident Chuck Booth may have been one of the most influential people in the Alle-Kiski Valley, but many never knew the full impact he made because he often worked behind the scenes without notoriety. “He worked hard every day of his life trying to make the Valley...
Tarentum police issue counterfeit money warning, seek suspect
Tarentum police are warning borough businesses about a man allegedly passing fake money. On its Facebook page, the department says it is asking for help identifying the man, who they allege is passing counterfeit $100 bills in the Tarentum area. He was described only as a black male. No other...
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...
