Valley News Dispatch category, Page 74
United Steelworkers, ATI reach tentative agreement; ratification vote yet to come
United Steelworkers and ATI have reportedly reached a tentative contract agreement. The USW announced the development Tuesday evening via a text to its members. ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie confirmed a tentative agreement was reached for a six-year labor agreement. She did not have specific information regarding the contract. She said...
Former cheer booster treasurer pleads guilty to stealing funds
An Upper Burrell woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to the theft of nearly $19,000 from the Burrell Cheer Boosters. Ashley Marie Frieberg, 41, agreed to repay the organization $8,900 as part of a deal with Westmoreland County prosecutors to plead guilty to a lesser charge related to theft allegations leveled against...
Westmoreland finalizes plans for May primary, mail-in ballots will begin next week
Westmoreland County voters could see primary ballots arrive in their mailboxes as early as next week, officials said on Tuesday. Election Bureau director Scott Ross said the county to date has processed more than 21,000 mail-in ballot applications leading up to the May 20 Democratic and Republican primaries, where voters...
New Kensington sinkhole deemed ‘public nuisance’ now fixed
A hole in a New Kensington alley deemed a “public nuisance” by officials has been filled. Crews spent Monday and Tuesday working to fill the hole in Moss Alley in the Parnassus section of the city. “It was a great day,” said Vince Davis, who owns property nearby. The hole...
Lower Burrell nixes idea for alcohol at city parks events
Lower Burrell is scrapping plans to allow alcohol at city park events — at least for now. The proposal, according to City Manager Greg Primm, would have required alcohol vendors to be state-licensed and offer only Pennsylvania-made alcoholic products. It would have established a formal permitting system and operational rules...
‘Potentially life-saving’: Arnold, Lower Burrell, New Kensington move to form daytime fire crew
Your eyes won’t be fooling you if you see an Arnold firefighter in a Lower Burrell fire truck en route to an emergency scene. Or a Lower Burrell firefighter in a New Kensington truck. The cities are working together to establish a Tri-City duty crew to effectively staff the cities’...
Holiday Park students raise trout for release in May
Fifth graders at Holiday Park Intermediate School have been raising dozens of newborn trout after placing 150 fish eggs in a classroom tank in January. After receiving the eggs from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, students designed and maintained the tank for several months as the fish grew and...
The Stroller, April 15, 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. ELO Tribute band to...
Proposed stormwater fee draws concerns from Allegheny Township residents, business owners
Allegheny Township’s plan to fund compliance with the state-mandated stormwater management program motivated around 50 residents and business representatives to attend Monday’s supervisors meeting, mostly in opposition. The ordinance has been unpopular among a vocal faction since its introduction this year. “We do our best to collect as much water...
Former Brilliant Branch rail line a ‘blank canvas’ for public trails, economic growth
Pittsburgh will have its own version of Manhattan’s High Line in coming years, providing 3.6 miles of trails, gardens and riverfront access along an antiquated rail corridor near Aspinwall. The Brilliant Branch, a former railroad line that stretches from the shore at Allegheny RiverTrail Park to Pittsburgh’s Homewood section and...
Knoch teacher accused of striking autistic student
A former Knoch Primary School teacher has been accused of slapping an 8-year-old autistic student in the face. State police charged Carly Miller, 35, of Hampton with simple assault and harassment in relation to a Nov. 26, 2024 incident. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, the student...
Second phase of Brackenridge trail to start, provide missing link to larger goal
Missing links that will enable expansion of the 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail are starting to fall into place like dominoes, organizers said. Work at Brackenridge Memorial Park will begin this spring on a quarter-mile path that will provide connections to planned trails in Harrison and Tarentum. “These connections are...
The Stroller, April 14, 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. Lower Valley Food Bank...
Building the Valley: Lower Burrell’s Monarch Hospice emphasizes personal care
A little more than a decade ago, hospice nurse Lori Hank grew more and more frustrated with the direction the health care industry was headed. She told her friend, Richard Seifert, that she felt the industry was not focusing on patients over profit. Seifert gave her the push to open...
2 newcomers vying for seat in Highlands Region 3
Highlands School District residents in Region 3 will see a choice of two people seeking a four-year term on the school board. Newcomers Clint Crowell and Aasta Deth, both cross-filed, are vying to fill the seat of Ashley Javier, who is stepping down. Crowell, 43, is a teacher at Freeport...
PennDOT’s Route 28 wrong-way safety detectors aim to save lives
Route 28 has earned a dangerous reputation after dozens of wrong-way crashes that claimed lives and racked up damage. PennDOT will usher in new technology this month to turn that around. A $4.8 million safety detection project will target 21 ramps along the expressway — a stretch where 30 wrong-way...
The Stroller, April 13, 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. Saxonburg seminar to discuss...
Faced with a perfect storm, small local colleges try to navigate the future
“If you build it, they will come” was not the way to go about higher education in Pennsylvania, experts say. Declining birth rates and rising tuition costs are combining with other economic factors to make it harder — especially for smaller campuses — to fight enrollment declines and survive. “It’s...
Buffalo Township supervisor gives reopening date for Sheetz
The Sheetz location in Buffalo Township is set to reopen April 23, according to township Supervisor Michael Oehling Jr. The gas station and convenience store where Route 356 and Monroe Road meet closed in October to be torn down and rebuilt. Sheetz did not return requests for comment. Company spokesperson...
Ray Schafer Boxing Association in Sharpsburg continues to help shape young lives
Bacardy Conard stood in the ring poised, eyes focused and hands clenched. Face flushed red, the Etna girl was undeterred. She continued to throw punch after punch, shifting her feet and shoulders quickly until the final bell. Her reward was a sense of accomplishment, a cool drink and congratulations from...
PennDOT hopes to have new Salina Bridge ready for use by winter
Drivers could be crossing the Kiski River on the new Salina Bridge as soon as the winter. PennDOT assistant construction engineer Mark Kmetz said crews are finishing an abutment on the Kiski Township side of the river before the rest of the bridge can take shape. The span carries Bridge...
The Stroller, April 12, 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. Plum Community Center seeking...
Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup now set to start in fall
The Army Corps of Engineers is targeting this fall to start cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump, which marks a slight delay caused by harsh winter weather from previously announced dates. “From the beginning, we have emphasized that safety will dictate the pace of the project,” said Lt....
Leechburg Area School Board appoints new member
The Leechburg Area School Board welcomed a new member Wednesday night. Jimmy Feudale of West Leechburg was appointed in a 5-3 vote to fill an empty seat. His swearing-in comes after the death of James Dunmire, whose term was set to end in December. Feudale, Danielle Reinke and Neill Brady...
Leechburg Tow Path Trail connects borough to counties, miles beyond
Visitors and residents of Leechburg have access to a prime spot for outdoor activity just in time for warm weather. After two years of planning and construction, the Leechburg Tow Path Trail is officially open to the public. It serves as a passageway to almost 600 miles of trail along...
