Valley News Dispatch category, Page 714
House along Route 356 in Allegheny Township destroyed by fire
No one was injured, but a house was destroyed Thursday afternoon in a fire along Route 356 in Allegheny Township. The fire closed a portion of the road for about six hours as multiple fire departments worked to get the blaze under control. Route 356 reopened about 7:30 p.m. The...
Visit by Brinley the pig is a hit with Leechburg students
A potbellied pig ruled the school this week at David Leech Elementary. Brinley, a 3-month-old kunekune mixed-breed pig from Gilpin, visited students in grades K-5 this week to promote PIG WARS, a new fundraiser sponsored by the PTA. The pig was welcomed by teachers in each classroom, receiving much attention...
Reward hits $27,000 for info about elderly man last seen in South Buffalo
The family and personal care home of a missing elderly man have more than doubled a reward, now $27,000, for information leading to his whereabouts. Kenneth “Kenny” Himes, 70, of Pittsburgh, who is autistic and has early-onset dementia, was last seen at his brother’s home along Cadogan-Slate Lick Road in...
Prosecutors dispute racial motivation alleged in charge against Mills mall shop owner
Allegheny County prosecutors are contesting the claim that the owner of a Pittsburgh Mills store was charged with selling counterfeit merchandise because of his race. The District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday said the “police acted appropriately and without racial motivation” in the case against Tommy Wang. “The police, pursuant to...
Police say Harrison man admitted to sexually assaulting child
Police say a Harrison man admitted he sexually assaulted a girl and showed her child pornography when she was as young as 7. Corey Matthew McClain, 20, allegedly told police the assaults occurred when the girl was between the ages of 7 and 9, according to a criminal complaint. The...
Tarentum water, East Deer sewage plants subjects of upcoming public tours
It will start at the beginning and conclude at the end. Tarentum’s water treatment plant and the Upper Allegheny Joint Sanitary Authority’s treatment plant in East Deer, in that order, will be the subject of public tours on Saturday, March 9. There’s no cost, and anyone can go to see...
Volunteers needed at Leechburg recycling center
Leechburg needs help at its recycling center. The center on Logan Avenue Extension separates plastic, glass, cardboard and paper and sends it to compactors, said Mayor Wayne Dobos. “We hope to pick up some volunteers. We have four regulars. Some of the volunteers were older and had to stop,” he...
Lower Burrell creates new position to oversee public works and parks
Lower Burrell is seeking applications for the newly created position of director of public works and parks. Mayor Richard Callender said a consultant recommended the new position after evaluating the city’s public works department. “The recommendation was that the foreman was overloaded with too much responsibility and separate positions should...
Arnold hires former Tarentum police officer
Retirement didn’t last long for Ryan Hanford. Arnold hired Hanford as a police officer less than a week after he retired from Tarentum’s police department. Hanford, 44, has been a police officer for 25 years, 22 of them serving on Tarentum’s force. His retirement was approved by Tarentum Council on...
‘I could’ve been dead,’ Tarentum homeowner says after tree falls onto house
A Tarentum homeowner is feeling lucky to be alive after a large tree fell onto his house Wednesday morning, causing severe damage to the roof and leaving a hole in the ceiling directly over his bed. Fortunately, Frank Lee already was downstairs and watching television when the tree fell onto...
Kiski Township will end police coverage for North Apollo without a new contract
North Apollo could lose the police coverage provided by Kiski Township within the next few weeks. The borough was given an ultimatum Wednesday by the Kiski Township supervisors to ratify a contract offer at its next council meeting or risk losing local police coverage. “If they don’t ratify the contract...
Oakmont Bakery’s opening week brings traffic nightmaresVideo
The new Oakmont Bakery at Third Street and Hulton Road in Oakmont has been open only a week, and the traffic nightmares have begun. “The whole area’s a disaster, but it will get worked out,” interim Borough Manager Harry Dilmore said Tuesday. “We knew there was going to be a...
Arnold father and son subdue, tie up would-be robber in their home, police say
An alleged armed robbery attempt in Arnold didn’t turn out so well for the suspect. According to police, a father and son subdued a man they say pulled a gun in their home while trying to rob the son. The accused robber, Raiquan Shakeem Banks, 19, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was...
New Kensington-Arnold district, teachers’ union making progress on contract
More than 18 months after their last teachers’ contract expired, negotiators in New Kensington-Arnold School District may be closing in on a new labor pact. Officials from both the teachers’ union and the district say they are making progress in resolving their differences. “We’ve been working without a contract for...
Police: Apollo man gave pot and booze to children, one as young as 7
An Apollo man is accused of giving marijuana to two children, in one case starting when the boy was 7. Police said they received a Childline complaint about Dale Edward Bash, 33, in January. A woman told investigators that Bash had been giving marijuana to her children, ages 15 and...
Deer Lakes shortens spring break for make-up snow days
Deer Lakes School District students will have a shorter spring break thanks to snow make-up days. The district announced it will use three of its scheduled spring break days — April 18, April 22 and April 23 – as three of its four snow make-up days. The other will be...
Highlands to repair, not remove, clock tower atop Tarentum school
There’s apparently no reason to recreate the “Save the clock tower!” scene from the movie “Back to the Future” in Tarentum. Highlands School District is moving forward with repairing the landmark tower atop Highlands Elementary School, formerly known as Grandview, school board President Debbie Beale said. The district also will...
Brackenridge church sees increased fee for Easter egg hunt on Highlands property
It’s going to cost a Brackenridge church a lot more to use Highlands School District facilities for its annual Easter egg hunt, but not as much as church members first thought. Generations House of Worship, which is planning its third egg hunt at the district’s middle school, initially thought it...
Annual hard-to-recycle event at Pittsburgh Mills mall coming this spring
If you’ve been de-cluttering after the holidays and have a pile of old electronics you don’t know what to do with then you’re in luck. The annual hard-to-recycle event will be coming up this spring at the Pittsburgh Mills mall. Residents can recycle items such as televisions, computer monitors and...
Route 356 in Allegheny Township reopens after truck hits utility pole
Route 356 in Allegheny Township was closed for several hours as crews repaired a utility pole cracked by a tractor-trailer Tuesday morning, according to Westmoreland County 911. The truck was attempting to turn when it got stuck in mud shortly after 4 a.m. As the driver tried to get back...
Pittsburgh Mills store owner accused of selling counterfeit items says charge is racially motivated
The owner of a Pittsburgh Mills mall store went from asking police to investigate a suspected burglary there to being charged with selling counterfeit merchandise. The lawyer for Tommy Wang, the Asian-American owner of the store, now wants the charge against Wang thrown out, calling the investigation a “racially charged...
Highlands School District residents call for transparency on school closure, budget
Facing the proposed closing of a school and the possibility of a property tax increase, frustrated Highlands School District residents are demanding greater transparency and more information from the district’s elected leaders and administrators. At a public hearing Monday, Susan Bajack of Harrison said residents were pleading for greater transparency...
Thieves targeting unlocked vehicles in at least 5 communities
It’s been a busy month for thieves who target unlocked vehicles. Police in at least five communities in Armstrong and Westmoreland counties have reported car break-ins involving dozens of vehicles. In the latest rash of thefts, a pistol, drivers license, debit cards, cash and change were stolen from a number...
Vandergrift Dollar General open, free $10 gift cards given for Saturday grand reopening
The new Dollar General in Vandergrift, located in the former Sprankle’s building, opened this weekend with a grand reopening set for Saturday. Sprankle’s, with stores in Leechburg and Kittanning, sold their Vandergrift site to Dollar General last year after they learned the national low-priced market was interested in locating there....
Allegheny Township Eagle Scout makes enduring contribution to Roaring Run TrailVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle- Kiski Valley people and the notable things that they do. Kiski Area senior Cody Endress wished for a project with enduring benefits when he set out to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. “I spend a lot of...
