Valley News Dispatch category, Page 75
Students from several school districts dance the day away at life skills prom in Lower Burrell
There was no doubt in senior Dustin O’Hara’s mind that a school year’s worth of effort operating a coffee cart at Valley High School paid off. The coffee cart, coordinated by Valley life skills students and offered weekly to the school, paid for a prom Friday morning at the Wildlife...
Pioneer Hose in Brackenridge provides critical service throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley with Rehab Squad
A specialized truck at Pioneer Hose in Brackenridge is critical for keeping firefighters throughout the region on the job. Although, the department’s Pierce Rehab Squad, a climate-controlled box truck where volunteers can rest and rehydrate, provides little to no medical intervention, it is essential to firefighter health and safety, Chief...
Coffee shop serves up community camaraderie in Blawnox
The Black Canary Coffee & Ice Cream coffeehouse takes its name from a DC Comics character of the same name and it continues to promote community camaraderie in Blawnox. Look for the heroine’s image on Black Canary T-shirts sold inside the independent java joint at 276 Freeport Road. Owner Rodney...
Morning Roundup: Pa. State police accuse Knoch teacher of hitting 8-year-old student
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, April 11: Knoch teacher accused of hitting student Pennsylvania State Police have accused an elementary school teacher in the Knoch School District of striking an 8-year-old student in the face in November. Troopers plan to charge Knoch Primary...
The Stroller, April 11, 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. Card party to benefit...
Contract doesn’t need ‘the moon and the stars,’ just better pay, ATI workers say
A few dozen ATI workers rallied outside the company’s Vandergrift plant Thursday as the deadline nears to reach a union contract, arguing the specialty metal manufacturer’s recent success should trickle down to the rank-and-file. “We’re not asking for the moon and the stars,” said Keith Beavers, a maintenance technician and...
Arnold’s Fazio’s Italian Foods gets shoutout at Pat McAfee’s ‘Big Night Aht’
Closing out his celebrity-packed variety show at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday, ex-NFL player and sports commentator Pat McAfee picked up a bright orange sweatshirt that had been thrown onstage, to shout out an Arnold institution. Sweatshirt in hand, McAfee, a Plum native, sang some free advertising for Fazio’s Pizza...
Knoch residents oppose lawsuit aimed at limiting gender definitions
Harrisyn Schilpp is a senior at Knoch High School, and this week was the first time he’d ever spoken at a school board meeting. “As a student, as a performer and as a member of this community, I am deeply disappointed and honestly heartbroken that our school district would choose...
New Kensington hole declared a public nuisance, city seeking repair bids
New Kensington is seeking bids to fix a sewage-flooded hole that has been declared a public nuisance. “We are actively trying to fix this problem,” said City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti. “We’re aware of it, and we’re doing our due diligence.” The hole is in Moss Alley in the Parnassus area...
Verona Chamber of Commerce gets second life, looks to host medley of events
Verona residents will be seeing a lot more activity if Thomas Dessell has anything to say about it. The Verona police officer now wears a second hat as the newly elected president of the borough’s Chamber of Commerce. His goal as the new leader is to revamp the organization. “We’re...
State’s first Unified eSports League levels playing field at Fox Chapel Area, Freeport Area
For Matt Murslack, the start of every meet for his fledgling unified video gaming club is like stepping onto the field for a real-life big game. The eighth grade teacher at Fox Chapel Area’s Dorseyville Middle School delivers a fiery motivational speech and lessons in sportsmanship. Then the competition starts,...
The Stroller, April 10, 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. Tarentum event to mark...
Tarentum mourns public works supervisor Mark Anuszek
Tarentum officials are remembering the borough’s longtime public works director for his staunch commitment to town. Mark Anuszek, 55, died Tuesday following a brief illness. “For 35 years, Mark was an unwavering pillar of our community,” the borough posted to social media. “He was not just a dedicated public servant...
Former Indiana Township man who induced sexually explicit images from minor sentenced to 20 years
A former Indiana Township resident was sentenced Wednesday to two decades in prison for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, according to federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh. Cam John Zmenkowski, 28, persuaded a minor to send him nude and sexually explicit images and videos from August to September...
Deer Lakes parents push for recording, posting school board meetings
Some parents want Deer Lakes School Board meetings to be video recorded for the public to see. The topic caused tension in an otherwise routine board meeting Tuesday. Leonard Verdetto III, a West Deer resident elected to the board almost two years ago, said his priority is transparency, and he...
‘It is a public hazard’: Waste-filled New Kensington sinkhole alarms neighbors
What started as a sewer repair in a New Kensington alley has devolved into a public safety and health hazard, neighbors say. “It’s technically not a sinkhole, but it turned into one,” said Vince Davis, who owns property nearby. “The hole originally was like (the width of) a manhole, 13...
Valley biology teacher wins grand prize in National Science Teaching Association competition
A Valley High School biology teacher has been nationally recognized for her efforts in the classroom. Kathy Jo Sagwitz, who has taught at Valley for 17 years, was selected as the grand prize winner in the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge, administered by the National Science Teaching Association. “Great teaching...
The Stroller, April 9, 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. Adult egg hunt planned...
‘An officer-wellness move’: Local police departments transitioning to longer shifts
When Washington Township police officers had the idea more than a year ago to work longer shifts, Chief Jason Montgomery was all ears. Since January 2024, Montgomery has been scheduling officers for three 12-hour shifts per week instead of five eight-hour shifts. Officers say they have a better work-life balance...
Tarentum man not guilty of assaulting police officer, guilty of lesser charges
A Tarentum man accused of slapping a borough police officer in 2023 was found not guilty of charges of aggravated assault, a felony, and stalking and terroristic threats, both misdemeanors. Bryaunt Williams, 40, instead was found guilty of two summary counts of disorderly conduct at a trial in Allegheny County....
Police shooting in East Vandergrift justified, says DA
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has found police were justified in fatally shooting a suspect during a February raid in East Vandergrift. Ziccarelli announced her ruling Tuesday, marking the first official public account of why authorities opened fire on Lyle Cessna, 52. TribLive previously obtained court documents detailing the...
App aims to help drivers avoid potholes
A New Kensington man and his business partner are taking pothole matters into their own hands … or phones. George Brian has partnered with City Bucket List, an app that helps people get around Pittsburgh while also highlighting attractions and places to eat and drink. He wants the app also...
Scrapping $200 fee, Vandergrift instead hopes to enforce existing $50 charge on landlords
Vandergrift backed off a fourfold increase to its rental licensing fee on Monday but pushed ahead with the rest of a proposal to rein in unscrupulous landlords. The draft ordinance calls for annual inspections on rental properties and a $50-per-unit fee for their owners. Only after a code enforcement officer...
The Stroller, April 8, 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. Free rides available to...
Police: Man stabbed woman, assaulted another in Arnold
A McKeesport man faces 16 criminal charges after being accused of stabbing one woman and assaulting another over the weekend in Arnold. Arnold police charged Maurice Tymeer Johnson, 26, with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, reckless endangerment, simple assault and flight to avoid apprehension, among other charges. Early Saturday morning,...
