Valley News Dispatch category, Page 95
Harrison funeral home tied to pet cremation scandal expected to be sold
The listing agent facilitating the sale of Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison said he was unaware the owner was entangled in alleged criminal activity. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Hazelwood was charged Monday by the state Attorney General’s Office with theft of almost $660,000 after taking money for pet cremations but...
Tarentum natives donate $3 million to Allegheny Health Network
Joe and Kathy Guyaux were without health insurance when their first child was born in 1972 at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. “I paid $15 a month with no interest. I’ll always remember that,” said Joe Guyaux, a Tarentum native who now lives in Fox Chapel. “We know what it...
Indiana Township increases salt shed size to be better prepared for heavy winters
With summer and hot temperatures fast approaching, it is just the right time to prepare for snow and ice-covered roads. Indiana Township recently expanded its salt shed to near double capacity. The original shed was constructed in 1964 and consisted of three bays, each 32 feet wide by 40 feet...
The Stroller, April 30, 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. Riverview Relay for Life...
‘Nothing can fix this’: Owners share anger, grief over mishandling of their pets’ remains
Scores of area pet owners were shocked and angered this week when authorities charged a Pittsburgh and Harrison funeral director with improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners paid for pet burials or cremations. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, owns and operates funeral homes in...
New Kensington Giant Eagle layout changes include Starbucks kiosk revamp
The Giant Eagle supermarket in New Kensington is undergoing some changes to its layout. A renovation of the store’s Starbucks is connected to a change in Giant Eagle’s overall layout, said store spokeswoman Jannah Drexler. The beer and wine department is being relocated to the middle of the store, and...
Calls to Western Pa. vets ‘off the charts’ as pet owners reel from cremation fraud case
The phones at K Vet Animal Care in Hempfield rang almost constantly Tuesday as concerned pet owners wondered whether they actually have the ashed of their former companions. “Our phones and emails have been pinging off the charts since the news broke,” practice manager Beth Zaccari said. “Our team is...
Clearer waters expected at Burrell Lake following last year’s algal bloom
Lower Burrell Councilman Mike Stanoski looks forward to taking his three grandsons fishing at Burrell Lake Park this summer — without harmful algae in the water. “Everything is good down at the lake,” Stanoski said. “People are using it, the weather’s breaking, everybody’s happy to get outside and head to...
Eastern Gas to host Murrysville open house on infrastructure additions, upgrades
Officials from Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage will host an open house Tuesday in Murrysville for the Appalachian Reliability Project, which will add pipeline and carrying capacity in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The project involves updates to existing compressor stations and other natural gas facilities in Westmoreland, Armstrong and Greene counties, including...
The Stroller, April 29, 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. Help needed at Vandergrift...
Pa. educators push for additional dollars to equitably fund schools
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck is grateful for the unprecedented funding that was granted to Pennsylvania’s public schools this academic year. But, as education experts continue to note inadequate funding among the majority of the state’s K-12 schools, Sefcheck knows there is still a long way to go in properly...
Motorcyclists hurt in crash along Saxonburg Road in Harrison
Two people were hurt when a motorcycle the were riding crashed Monday in Harrison, authorities said. They were not identified, but were in stable condition as they were taken by ambulance to a hospital, said Harrison Hills fire Chief Jules Beer. Township police wouldn’t release information. Firefighters were chopping a...
Hazelwood, Harrison funeral director accused of pocketing $650K for pet cremations, burials that didn’t happen
Funeral director Patrick Vereb is facing multiple felony charges, accused of improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners had paid for pet burials or cremations. Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood owns and operates funeral homes in Hazelwood and Harrison and Eternity Pet Memorial, which provides funerals,...
Upper Burrell data center to use natural gas for more than 2 gigawatts of power generation
A data center planned at the former Alcoa Research Center in Upper Burrell plans to produce much of its own electricity via natural gas wells on the property, a company spokeswoman confirmed Monday. “Our goal is to not heavily pull from the grid, it’s to provide our own,” said Melissa...
Leechburg Area students take a stand against food insecurity
Leechburg Area seniors Nick Sherbondy and Ava Ferretti have certainly been keeping busy. After packing meals during a Rise Against Hunger event hosted by a group of Methodist churches in the Alle-Kiski Valley, the pair were inspired to keep the good deeds going. Sherbondy and Ferretti decided to host another...
West Deer set to welcome the public for a tour of new municipal building
Anyone who’s been to a West Deer meeting since December has seen the township’s new digs. But they’ll be able to see more than the public meeting room next month, when the township plans an open house and tours, during which residents can ask questions about the $10 million building....
Northern Westmoreland welding program grows, highlighting industry demand
Brandon Stankiewicz will be paying extra-close attention when he sees a semitruck on the road. After all, he and his peers in the welding program at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center may have made the truck’s battery box. Students there partnered with a Shelocta-based trucking company to weld 15...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit to start public hearings
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Tuesday will begin hosting public hearings about a proposal that would increase fares and drastically cut services. The first public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 3 until 7 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center’s Pittsburgh Ballroom. People can sign...
Fox Chapel Area High School senior earns Girl Scout Gold Award
When Devon Grimsby McDonald reads books filled with varying emotions to children sitting in a circle around her, she invites them to share their feelings about what they’ve just heard. “I’ve struggled with mental health and anxiety, especially my freshman year of high school,” said Devon, now a senior at...
The Stroller, April 28, 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. Volunteer opportunities available at...
Long-vacant Freeport Road property in Harrison could see new life
A prominent Freeport Road property in Harrison could see new life after sitting vacant for years. The former Grace United Methodist Church education building is at 1329 Freeport Road, across from Highlands Middle School. It was briefly on the market for $160,000 and is under contract through the Compass real...
Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame welcomes 50th class
Sometimes athletes begin their sports climb with humble beginnings. For Leechburg’s Paul Noonan, being part of the high school’s first track team was an experience in itself. The school didn’t have a track, so cinders from the nearby Allegheny Ludlum Steel plant were brought in to give the runners a...
Fire destroys trailer outside Fawn church; cause under investigation
A storage trailer outside of Harvest Baptist Church in Fawn was destroyed by fire Sunday afternoon. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal will investigate the cause of the fire, which was not immediately known, Harrison Hills fire Chief Jules Beer said. No injuries were reported. The fire at the church atop...
Local agencies for domestic-abuse survivors benefit from 5K run and event at Pittsburgh Brewing
When Maria Briney needed help, the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center was there for her. On Sunday, Briney, a survivor of domestic violence, was there to help the HOPE Center and two other organizations that together serve abuse victims in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties. “Working for them actually saved...
Family Promise House in Brackenridge continues mission of preventing homelessness
A transitional housing facility in Brackenridge has helped more than 180 people down on their luck since opening last year. Now, Family Promise House’s parent organization, the nonprofit Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, will use newly awarded funding to try to keep people from needing to use the facility at...
