Valley News Dispatch category
Interpretation of immigration law brings ICE arrests to forefront of community concerns, discussions
Recent arrests made in the region by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have captured headlines but are not new. Immigration attorneys, though, say the arrests signal new interpretations of longstanding immigration laws as part of President Donald Trump’s push to step up deportations. “Under recent actions of the Trump administration,...
Mysterious metal shards still a tire terror in Harrison, Tarentum and beyond
Shana Daly has been a victim of the social media-dubbed “Shardnado” twice. The Tarentum resident got a flat tire weeks ago while driving along Route 28 to Harmar and then again Feb. 6. Both times, a thin metal shard was the culprit. The mysterious fragments have been found on local...
Confrontation erupts at anti-ICE protest in Springdale
A rally in Springdale to protest the arrest of a South American man living in Springdale by ICE agents turned violent Saturday when a confrontation erupted between a passing motorist and rally participants. The rally, in the area of Pittsburgh and School streets, was organized to protest the arrest of...
Valentine’s Day activity between Valley students, Harrison seniors a lesson in cross-generation bondingVideo
A 62-year age gap didn’t stop a good time between Presley Staraniec, a student at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School, and Kathy Kapustik, a resident at the Riverview Senior Living apartments in Harrison. “I’ve always liked going around and meeting new people,” said Presley, 14, as he played games, made Valentine’s...
Taco Bell headed to Plum after council approval
Plum is set to get its first Taco Bell restaurant. Borough council voted to approve a conditional use application and land development plan from developers at its meeting Monday. The proposed restaurant would be at the site of the former Sheetz on Golden Mile Highway. The 1-acre plot has sat...
‘They’re trying to break him’: Springdale man remains jailed after ICE detainment
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials regarding their reason for detaining Randy Cordova-Flores. A Springdale man arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Tuesday is struggling to remain positive while being held in a West Virginia jail. “They’re playing...
Faces of the Valley: O’Hara runner makes Three Rivers Heritage Trail a better place
When Keith Arner committed to running the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2023, he hit the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Millvale regularly. Fast-forward three years, and the O’Hara resident is still running. But now he spends more time on the trail making sure it’s at its best for other walkers and...
New manager takes reins in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township’s new manager is a township resident and was a longtime employee of New Kensington’s municipal authority. Supervisors this week hired Marci Bigley as township manager at an annual salary of $87,500, said Supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito. Bigley started the role Tuesday, Feb. 10. Her contract is for two...
PennDOT awaiting warmer weather before lifting lane restrictions near Route 28 rock slide
A southbound lane of Route 28 in Harmar will remain closed until further notice due to the potential for rock slides, according to PennDOT. Debris tumbled from a hillside onto the highway Tuesday evening between the Hulton Bridge in Oakmont and Powers Run Road in O’Hara. No one was hurt...
Local lawmakers question ICE’s detention of Springdale father
Though local officials have mostly remained silent,the Alle-Kiski Valley’s lawmakers are seeking more details after a traffic stop in Springdale ended with a local father in ICE custody on Tuesday. Randy Cordova-Flores, 36, remains in custody at Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va., according to ICE records....
Fire tears through home in Plum’s Logans Ferry HeightsVideo
About a dozen fire companies rushed to the scene of a fire that gutted a home in Plum on Thursday afternoon. The blaze was reported just after 3:15 p.m. on the 200 block of Dombroski Avenue in the borough’s Logans Ferry Heights neighborhood. It was about a half-mile away from...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Feb. 5-11, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
The Stroller, Feb. 13, 2026: 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. Bowl-A-Thon to raise money...
Here’s where to satisfy your Lenten fish cravings in Western Pennsylvania
All menus are subject to change and availability. Events begin either Feb. 18 Ash Wednesday or Friday, March Feb. 20. To have your nonprofit’s fish fry added to this listing send complete information as soon as possible to vndnews@triblive.com. Allegheny County Collier Township Rennerdale Volunteer Fire Department, 30 Suburban Ave.,...
The Stroller, Feb. 14, 2026: 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. Rotary offers annual scholarships...
Alle-Kiski Senior Citizen News: Feb. 14, 2026
Armstrong County Senior Centers All centers are closed Monday for Presidents Day. Apollo Thursday: health program about COPD. Friday: 10 a.m., free bingo. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Tuesday and...
Here are the numbers behind the Stewart School sales agreement
Burrell School District officials believe the $1 redevelopment sales agreement of the former Stewart Elementary School property is the most fair and reasonable price for the property, and it will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the district moving forward. The school board Tuesday approved a...
Officials quiet after Springdale man detained by ICE
Springdale and federal officials remained mostly mum Wednesday after the arrest of a borough resident by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Tuesday. Randy Cordova-Flores, 36, remains in custody at Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va., according to ICE records. Originally from Peru, Cordova- Flores was detained after Springdale...
Bon Air Elementary construction bids still over budget
Project bids for a heating and cooling project and kitchen addition at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary School are over budget again. Superintendent Shannon Wagner said bids for the Bon Air project are a little more than $10 million, the amount budgeted by the district. “The architect is taking a look...
Scott Blasey concert, organized by Highlands student, raises $4,000 for Highland HoseVideo
A fundraiser Saturday that featured The Clarks lead singer Scott Blasey brought in more than $4,000 for Highland Hose in Tarentum. Organized by Highlands Middle School eighth grader Kaley Bastine, the fundraiser was the most recent in a long line of events coordinated by the teen to help police and...
The Stroller, Feb. 12, 2026: 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. Bingo to raise funds...
Deer Lakes Lancer Foundation welcomes 1st board
The Deer Lakes Lancer Foundation is ready to accept donations, and it already has a volunteer. Tuesday evening, nine board members, all district residents, were appointed to oversee the foundation’s projects. The foundation was created to fund educational technology for teachers to use in the classroom; items that the athletics...
‘Game jam’ puts Westmoreland County gifted students’ creativity to the testVideo
Cameron Yourema’s method to create a board game was literally mayhem. “We were trying to follow the mayhem rule as much as we could,” said Yourema, a Valley High School sophomore, of the “Game Jam” board game design competition held Tuesday. “We tried to make a more chaotic game. “What...
Springdale Police hand over resident to ICE after traffic stop, family saysVideo
Peru native Randy Cordova-Flores was driving near the corner of Lincoln and James streets in Springdale on Tuesday when local police pulled him over, according to his sister, Paulette Cordova. Soon after, he was in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In what appears to be the first...
Building the Valley: STEM Academy planned for New Kensington
A planned after-school STEM academy in New Kensington aims to put the city on the map. The nonprofit, R&D Impact Foundation plans to open the SparX Academy at 1250 Fifth Ave., said Nicole Roberts, the foundation’s director of program management. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “It’s going...
