Valley News Dispatch category, Page 72
Teen recounts 100-foot fall in Harrison Hills Park that left her with broken ankle, back
Star Henwood admits she likes to take risks. Her thrill-seeking tendencies landed her in trouble — and the hospital — last week when she plunged about 100 feet down a hillside in Harrison Hills Park, leading to a two-hour effort by first responders to hoist her back to safety. She...
Judge rules pretrial challenge filed too late in attempted murder case in New Kensington
A defense effort to have attempted murder charges dismissed against a former Ohio man accused in a New Kensington shooting last year cannot be argued before a pending trial, a judge ruled Tuesday. The lawyer for Iven Cashua Miller Jr., 38, contended the case against his client has substantially changed...
Police confrontation in Lower Burrell ends with no arrests
After a brief confrontation on Tuesday, Lower Burrell police detained four people from a home on Vance Drive before later releasing them. Lower Burrell Detective Steve Aulerich said no arrests were made, but police continue to investigate. He would not give a reason for the warrant’s execution. Upon arrival, the...
Westmoreland judge schedules 2 oldest criminal cases for September
A trial date was set Tuesday for the capital murder case against a New Kensington man charged with the beating death of a toddler in 2020. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears ordered the case against Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 36, to begin in September. In doing so he...
Harrison officials investigate after partial building collapse
No injuries were reported after a 125-year-old building partially collapsed Monday in Harrison’s Natrona neighborbood. The abandoned apartment building at 91 Oak St. started to fall just after 7 p.m. Portions of the rear roof started to cave in, along with sections of the interior. “That building has been vacant...
Work progresses on new Salina Bridge
Workers have begun to place girders on the new Salina Bridge, which crosses the Kiski River to connect Bell and Kiski townships. The new bridge is being built 100 feet downstream from its nearly 120-year-old counterpart. According to PennDOT assistant construction engineer Mark Kmetz, crews will begin pouring the bridge’s...
Burrell superintendent recognized with award for leadership
Shannon Wagner, superintendent of the Burrell School District, is the winner of the 2025 Dr. Jean E. Winsand Distinguished Woman in Education Award. According to the University of Pittsburgh website, the award is presented to a woman who has made a “significant impact and positive difference” throughout her career. It...
Fox Chapel Area School District’s community safety event set in Aspinwall
Fox Chapel Area School District’s annual Community Safety, Health & Wellness Event is fast approaching. Its fourth installment will take place on April 26 at the Aspinwall municipal parking lot, 217 Commercial Ave. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It intends to create camaraderie among area residents, first responders and district...
The Stroller, April 22, 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. Leechburg Area Community Association...
Former Vandergrift cop accused of having sex with underage girl waives charges to court
Former Vandergrift police Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Depanicis, who is accused of having sex with a minor about 100 times in the early to mid-1990s, waived his charges to court Monday. A criminal complaint filed by state police alleges he invited a 14-year-old girl to his Oklahoma Borough home for sex...
Cheswick turns to AI program to assess road conditions
Cheswick Council approved a contract that will enable the borough to scan its roads with AI-powered software to assess conditions and determine future projects. The borough inked the $12,000, three-year contract with German software company Vialytics for its RoadAI scanning program. To perform the scans, borough workers will attach a...
4 vying for Highlands School Board in Region 2
Four people are competing for two positions to represent Highlands School Board Region 2. Incumbent Debra Lehew will go up against newcomers Shane Chesher, Jeff Thimons and Whitney Washington in the May 20 primary. Incumbent Nicole Kocon is stepping down. Region 2 includes Brackenridge and parts of Harrison. All of...
Blawnox to create time capsule as part of centennial celebration
Blawnox officials hope to collect items from past and present residents as part of a historic celebration. The Centennial Committee is creating a time capsule with the size and shape to be determined. The goal is to pack it with mementos, news articles, old menus, photos, yearbooks, magazines, newsletters and...
Survey finds ignorance and fear surrounding nuclear cleanup in Parks Township
A report from a University of Pittsburgh public health graduate student has found lingering information gaps and distrust surrounding the Army Corps of Engineers’ planned cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump. “There is a very intense fear around the site, and people have stuck to that,” said Ariana...
The Stroller, April 21, 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. Civil War photos wanted...
Penn State New Kensington students help attract homeowners, visitors to Leechburg
Leechburg residents are getting the chance to share their ideas. A group of Penn State New Kensington business students is working on a marketing plan for the borough to attract homeowners and visitors. “We want to emphasize the hidden gems and the little treasures Leechburg has to offer,” said Madaline...
Vehicle destroyed by fire on Route 28 in Armstrong County, no one hurt
No one was hurt in a vehicle fire Sunday morning on Route 28 in Armstrong County, according to Freeport Fire-EMS. The fire on northbound Route 28 just north of the Buffalo High Level Bridge in South Buffalo was reported around 9:30 a.m., according to Armstrong County 911. Freeport Fire-EMS was...
7-year-old boy struck by SUV in Arnold
A 7-year-old boy was bleeding from his head after being hit by an SUV in Arnold Sunday night, fire Chief Eric Gartley said. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Kenneth Avenue between Moore and Ewing streets, according to Westmoreland County 911. The boy was hit by an SUV. The...
Planter fire damages exterior of Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington
A fire in a planter caused minor damage Sunday to the exterior of a cat rescue in downtown New Kensington. The fire at Frankie’s Friends in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue was reported about 5:20 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. According to fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr.,...
After years of turmoil, Lower Valley Ambulance Service does ‘complete 180’
When Terry Anzaldi took over as EMS chief of Lower Valley Ambulance Service in October 2023, he said reordering the foundering service was like putting together pieces of a puzzle. In 2022, the service rang the alarm bells, saying it had entered a “financial crisis” and needed relief from local...
The Stroller, April 20, 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. Happy Easter! St. Joseph...
3 Republicans running to replace Albert ‘Ouch’ Roenigk as Buffalo Township supervisor
Republicans voters in Buffalo Township will have three choices for supervisor in the May 20 primary. Bob Buterbaugh, John Haven and Heath Singer all are vying for a six-year term. No Democrats are on the primary ballot. The winner likely will succeed Albert “Ouch” Roenigk, who is stepping down from...
Building the Valley: Numa Yoga brings a calming presence to Freeport
It’s mid-morning on a Thursday in March, and Kristen Formaini is searching for “effortless.” The soft music, wafts of burning palo santo and three heaters set to a stuffy 85 degrees are all meant to help her and her students find it. “We repeat things all the time in this...
Volunteers turn out to get New Ken mansion in order for reopening as restaurant, bed-and-breakfast
Robin Richards has been fascinated by the former Bloser Mansion in New Kensington since she was a little girl. She had always wanted to go inside but wasn’t even allowed on the property. “We were dirty looking little kids,” she said. Richards went inside the mansion for the first time...
New farmers market launches in downtown New Kensington
An oasis in downtown New Kensington’s food desert formed on Saturday. About a dozen vendors participated in the first of the New Ken Downtown Partnership’s new series of farmers markets. They’re scheduled to be held weekly from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 19 on Fifth Avenue at 10th...
