Valley News Dispatch category, Page 69
New zombie rock musical ‘Romero and Juliet’ features local actors
A new musical is set to hit the stage at Saint Vincent College in Unity next month. But according to its lyricist and co-creator Scott Logsdon, the whole concept is the result of a typo. Several years ago, while corresponding with a friend about auditions for a showing of Shakespeare’s...
Help available for those still without power
The following events are planned to help residents with the power outages: Buffalo Township • Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, 565 Sarver Road, will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. today for food, water, ice and charging cell phones. Freeport • Freeport Fire-EMS will offer charging and light refreshments...
For those without power, experts offer next steps after severe storms
As hundreds of thousands go without electricity after severe storms battered the region, officials and experts have begun weighing in with guidance about how to proceed. Though some customers have had their power restored since the storm, Duquesne Light said it could take five to seven days to fully restore...
SAVES Good Friday fish fry finds a new home in Sharpsburg
Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services may have found a new permanent home for its annual fish fry. The combined Aspinwall and Sharpsburg volunteer fire departments, led by Chief Mike Daniher, moved this year’s Good Friday fundraising operation to Camp Guyasuta in Sharpsburg and offered a dine-in option for the first...
The Stroller, May 1, 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. Artisan festival planned in...
Fox Chapel, O’Hara councils approve joint paving project
Fox Chapel and O’Hara officials recently approved this year’s paving projects. Both communities authorized contracts with Bakerstown-based Shields Asphalt Paving. The company was the lowest of six bidders for a joint project that included Fox Chapel, O’Hara, Blawnox and the Fox Chapel Authority. Larry Kurpakus, director of public works for...
Blawnox centennial book reveals tiny borough’s big history
A 52-page book to celebrate the Blawnox centennial might surprise readers with its eye-opening tidbits about the rivertown. The limited edition “Blawnox: 1925-2025,” authored by O’Hara historian Tom Powers, will reveal the clothing store millionaire who funded the community of Hoboken — the borough’s original name. It also will detail...
School districts deal with lost power, cleanup
Schools throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley and well beyond were shuttered Wednesday, and maybe longer, after Tuesday’s fast-moving thunderstorms. Several trees, two power poles and a transformer were brought down by strong winds at New Kensington-Arnold’s Valley High School and a portable toilet was flipped upside down. The district canceled school...
Harrison under mandatory water conservation order after damaging storm
Harrison residents are under a mandatory water conservation until further notice. The township water authority issued an alert Wednesday that calls for residents to curb water use. Laundry, gardening and dish washing are not essential, they said. The mandate comes after heavy storms rolled through the region Tuesday. Large trees...
Harrison funeral home tied to pet cremation scandal expected to be sold
The listing agent facilitating the sale of Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison said he was unaware the owner was entangled in alleged criminal activity. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Hazelwood was charged Monday by the state Attorney General’s Office with theft of almost $660,000 after taking money for pet cremations but...
Tarentum natives donate $3 million to Allegheny Health Network
Joe and Kathy Guyaux were without health insurance when their first child was born in 1972 at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. “I paid $15 a month with no interest. I’ll always remember that,” said Joe Guyaux, a Tarentum native who now lives in Fox Chapel. “We know what it...
Indiana Township increases salt shed size to be better prepared for heavy winters
With summer and hot temperatures fast approaching, it is just the right time to prepare for snow and ice-covered roads. Indiana Township recently expanded its salt shed to near double capacity. The original shed was constructed in 1964 and consisted of three bays, each 32 feet wide by 40 feet...
The Stroller, April 30, 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. Riverview Relay for Life...
‘Nothing can fix this’: Owners share anger, grief over mishandling of their pets’ remains
Scores of area pet owners were shocked and angered this week when authorities charged a Pittsburgh and Harrison funeral director with improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners paid for pet burials or cremations. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, owns and operates funeral homes in...
New Kensington Giant Eagle layout changes include Starbucks kiosk revamp
The Giant Eagle supermarket in New Kensington is undergoing some changes to its layout. A renovation of the store’s Starbucks is connected to a change in Giant Eagle’s overall layout, said store spokeswoman Jannah Drexler. The beer and wine department is being relocated to the middle of the store, and...
Calls to Western Pa. vets ‘off the charts’ as pet owners reel from cremation fraud case
The phones at K Vet Animal Care in Hempfield rang almost constantly Tuesday as concerned pet owners wondered whether they actually have the ashed of their former companions. “Our phones and emails have been pinging off the charts since the news broke,” practice manager Beth Zaccari said. “Our team is...
Clearer waters expected at Burrell Lake following last year’s algal bloom
Lower Burrell Councilman Mike Stanoski looks forward to taking his three grandsons fishing at Burrell Lake Park this summer — without harmful algae in the water. “Everything is good down at the lake,” Stanoski said. “People are using it, the weather’s breaking, everybody’s happy to get outside and head to...
Eastern Gas to host Murrysville open house on infrastructure additions, upgrades
Officials from Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage will host an open house Tuesday in Murrysville for the Appalachian Reliability Project, which will add pipeline and carrying capacity in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The project involves updates to existing compressor stations and other natural gas facilities in Westmoreland, Armstrong and Greene counties, including...
The Stroller, April 29, 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. Help needed at Vandergrift...
Pa. educators push for additional dollars to equitably fund schools
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck is grateful for the unprecedented funding that was granted to Pennsylvania’s public schools this academic year. But, as education experts continue to note inadequate funding among the majority of the state’s K-12 schools, Sefcheck knows there is still a long way to go in properly...
Motorcyclists hurt in crash along Saxonburg Road in Harrison
Two people were hurt when a motorcycle the were riding crashed Monday in Harrison, authorities said. They were not identified, but were in stable condition as they were taken by ambulance to a hospital, said Harrison Hills fire Chief Jules Beer. Township police wouldn’t release information. Firefighters were chopping a...
Hazelwood, Harrison funeral director accused of pocketing $650K for pet cremations, burials that didn’t happen
Funeral director Patrick Vereb is facing multiple felony charges, accused of improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners had paid for pet burials or cremations. Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood owns and operates funeral homes in Hazelwood and Harrison and Eternity Pet Memorial, which provides funerals,...
Upper Burrell data center to use natural gas for more than 2 gigawatts of power generation
A data center planned at the former Alcoa Research Center in Upper Burrell plans to produce much of its own electricity via natural gas wells on the property, a company spokeswoman confirmed Monday. “Our goal is to not heavily pull from the grid, it’s to provide our own,” said Melissa...
Leechburg Area students take a stand against food insecurity
Leechburg Area seniors Nick Sherbondy and Ava Ferretti have certainly been keeping busy. After packing meals during a Rise Against Hunger event hosted by a group of Methodist churches in the Alle-Kiski Valley, the pair were inspired to keep the good deeds going. Sherbondy and Ferretti decided to host another...
West Deer set to welcome the public for a tour of new municipal building
Anyone who’s been to a West Deer meeting since December has seen the township’s new digs. But they’ll be able to see more than the public meeting room next month, when the township plans an open house and tours, during which residents can ask questions about the $10 million building....
