Valley News Dispatch category, Page 711
Apollo dentist has passion for fixing teeth, boroughVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley people and the notable things that they do. Dr. John Kautz has helped the people of Apollo and beyond smile for more than five decades. The dentist and current Apollo Council president established his first practice in...
High winds knock down trees, knock out power in many Alle-Kiski Valley towns
Just minutes after Harrison residents Alyse and Joe Zylinski returned home from a walk with their 4-month-old baby Sunday, their house was struck by a downed tree. “I heard a boom, a big boom,” Alyse Zylinski said. “I looked up and it was coming toward (the skylight).” Although no one...
Differing opinions given on status of reportedly malnourished dog at Pittsburgh Mills Petland
The outcome of a report of a malnourished dog at the Pittsburgh Mills Petland is unclear after new information came to light on Sunday. An initial report from Frazer police on Saturday indicated representatives from Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley evaluated the dog and found it to not be malnourished,...
Medical marijuana dispensary coming to New Kensington on Monday
New Kensington will get its first medical marijuana dispensary Monday, Feb. 25 and become the state’s first such shop to let its customers pre-order products online. Cresco Yeltrah’s CY+ dispensary plans to open up for business at 10 a.m. Monday at 4 Kensington Square. The shop will become the company’s...
Work to extend Tredway Trail in Allegheny Township set to start in late April
Work on a 1.5-mile extension of the Tredway recreational trail in Allegheny Township is expected to start at the end of April and be completed in August. PennDOT has awarded the $245,000 contract to A. Folino Construction, Inc., which submitted the lowest bid. Folino is tasked with extending the trail,...
High wind watch remains in effect for Sunday in Pittsburgh area
Tropical storm force winds could hit western Pennsylvania Sunday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. Meteorologist Lee Kendricks said Sunday morning that sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to begin around lunchtime today and last through Monday morning. The region could see...
Penn Hills man charged in 2018 fatal overdose of Lower Burrell man
A Penn Hills man is accused of selling and providing the drugs that police allege killed a Lower Burrell man last summer. Christopher Krishawn Napper, 24, was charged this week in connection to the death of Douglas Shirey. Shirey, 41, of Lower Burrell died Aug. 26. Police said they were...
Markle Road slide area in Allegheny Township remains hazardous, one-lane
Next week PennDOT plans to install a lane barrier along a part of the two-lane Markle Road in Allegheny Township. But a permanent fix is nowhere in sight. It’s been more than a month since the Jan. 3 landslide closed one lane between Park and Pine Run roads. At some...
Virginia man, 19, found dead in burned-out Mustang in East Franklin
Investigators are trying to confirm the identify of a man whose body was found in the driver’s seat of a burned out car in East Franklin on Friday morning. The authorities believe the man is a 19-year-old from Manassas, Va. The 2000 Ford Mustang apparently had been driven off the...
Allegheny Family Network providing overdose prevention training in Harrison
Rayne Plance has seen first-hand the impact of a heroin overdose — she’s had several siblings struggle with addiction. It’s part of why Plance, a family support partner with Allegheny Family Network, wanted to bring a training session on how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose to Harrison,...
Harrison rec board planning second Touch-A-Truck event for May
Calling all trucks: Harrison’s recreation board is going to be hosting another hands-on event in the township this year. The second annual Touch-A-Truck is scheduled for May 18 at Highlands High School. The Highlands School Board recently approved the recreation board’s request to use the high school grounds and parking...
Landslide closes section of Freeport Road in Springdale Township
A section of Freeport Road in Springdale Township closed Friday because of a landslide could potentially stay shut down until Monday as officials worry more debris could fall. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the slide, reported to PennDOT about 7 a.m., closed Freeport Road between the New Kensington Bridge and...
Burrell School Board decides to fix parking lot and girls softball field at cost of $1.4 million
Burrell School District is seeking contract bids to repair Bon Air Elementary School’s parking lot and the girls softball field. The school board zeroed in on those two projects out of five proposed by the administration. Other projects included recrowning the football field or replacing it with a synthetic turf...
Buffalo Township housing development gets OK for 5th phase
The Buffalo Township supervisors recently approved the last phase of the Village at Sarver’s Mill housing plan. Phase 5 allows the developer to construct up to 13 houses. The property is not far from the Butler-Freeport Community Trail and Little Buffalo Creek. It’s in the Freeport Area School District. According...
Harrison commissioners accept resignations of 2 zoning, ordinance officials
Harrison commissioners will be considering how to rebuild the township’s zoning and ordinance office after accepting the resignations of two of its three officials. Commissioners voted 3-0 Thursday to accept the resignations of office supervisor Lindsay Fraser and department coordinator Jody Lamison. Both will be effective March 1. Commissioners William...
New Kensington business owner has big plans for Fifth Avenue buildingVideo
A New Kensington-based businessman has big dreams for a building he bought in November on Fifth Avenue. Sean Watson bought the building across Fifth Avenue from The Corner, an entrepreneur training center and co-working space that’s one of Penn State University’s innovation hubs it operates in association with its branch...
Construction of Allegheny Health Network’s mini hospital in Harmar stalled by land issuesVideo
Construction of Allegheny Health Network’s new neighborhood hospital in Harmar has been delayed as the company works to finalize leasing and land agreements related to the site. AHN officials initially hoped construction would start shortly after a ceremonial ground breaking last October, but the lot remains empty with no construction...
With 200th anniversary looming, Burtner House preservationists wonder if it’ll make itVideo
The number of volunteers at the historic Burtner House has dwindled to an alarming number. “We are in danger of having to close the doors,” said Sandy Jack, Burtner House Restoration Society volunteer and secretary. Fewer than 10 active members comprise the volunteer roster these days, and Jack said with...
West Leechburg events to honor Plum girl who remains upbeat despite cerebral palsyVideo
Four-year-old Maelynn Tribendis’ infectious smile turns to giggles when she’s asked about her hot pink wheelchair and the therapist who is training her to use it. “She has a crush on him,” Plum’s Kaitlyn Tribendis, 30, said of her daughter’s therapist. “She goes to (therapy) two days a week. She...
Fund set up to help couple who lost home, pets in Allegheny Township fire
A fund has been set up to help a couple who lost their home in a house fire in Allegheny Township last week. Mike and Suzanne Donnelly lost their home along Route 356 and several pets in a massive fire that closed the road and took firefighters hours to put...
Cheswick Council names longtime resident Brad Yaksich to fill board vacancy
Longtime Cheswick resident Brad Yaksich has been appointed to fill an empty seat on borough council through the end of the year. Council unanimously approved Yaksich’s appointment Tuesday. He will fill the seat previously held by Cathy Crail, who stepped down at the end of December. “His knowledge of our...
Highlands renews air monitoring agreement with Allegheny County
Highlands School Board has renewed a long-term agreement with Allegheny County for air quality monitoring. The county’s Health Department has been monitoring air quality in Harrison since the 1980s, department spokesman Ryan Scarpino said. The new three-year agreement for placement of an air monitoring station at Highlands High School runs...
Planned East Deer power outage rescheduled due to weather
A power outage that had been planned in part of East Deer on Wednesday has been rescheduled due to the weather, West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said. The outage is now set for between about 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday, he said. The utility will be upgrading facilities...
Highlands School District nixes new security agreement approved by school board
The Highlands School District will not be going forward with hiring a new security firm as the school board had approved on Monday, a district spokeswoman said Wednesday. The school board approved a contract between the district and Olympia Security Group, of Chartiers Township, Washington County, after voting to terminate...
2 men accused of multiple burglaries in Bell Township
Kiski Valley state police arrested two men this week in connection with a series of burglaries in which a utility vehicle, go-carts, cans of fuel, tools and auto parts that were reported stolen in December in Bell Township. Michael Lint, 36, of Armstrong County and David “Ziggy” Ziegenhagen, 36, an...
