Valley News Dispatch category

The tents are set up, the chairs are out and the stage is in place. The only thing left to do is put on some dancing shoes. Pittsburgh Brewing Co., known for regional classics such as Iron City and IC Light, is bringing back its Oktoberfest celebration for the third...

It’s hard to believe 24 years have passed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, said Ted Hereda, Kinloch fire chief in Lower Burrell. “For some, it feels like yesterday. For others, it is history that they only know through stories. But for all of us, it’s a reminder of...

Lindsey Merzlak of Harrison remembers sitting in a Highlands Middle School science class when news broke that terrorists hijacked planes and struck the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. “My teacher put it on TV and nobody knew what was happening,” Merzlak said. “I remember...

A revamped auditorium will be in place at Valley High School in New Kensington by next spring, but that means there won’t be a fall show from the school’s drama club this year. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board approved a roughly $940,000 contract with The Efficiency Network for the auditorium...

Plum earned more than just a win against longtime football rival Gateway last Friday night. The Mustangs ended a streak of 13 consecutive losses at the hands of the Gators. With the win, the team also secured a free batch of pizza courtesy of a friendly wager between local pizza...

After water from more than a dozen fixtures was found to have unacceptably high lead levels in Allegheny Valley schools, the district says it’s looking to replace parts to avoid future contamination. District Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said 15 sinks and older drinking fountains in Acmetonia Elementary School and one faucet...

Urgent care facilities in Harrison and Tarentum, less than 2 miles apart, will remain open despite each being rebranded to UPMC-GoHealth. The former UPMC Urgent Care in Harrison and Med­Express in Tarentum are not expected to consolidate, according to UPMC Senior Director of Public Relations Allison Hydzik. The facilities offer...

In the end, Cheswick officials won’t have any say over the data center proposed next door in Springdale. But that didn’t stop more than two dozen borough residents from quizzing developers about the potential effects the project could have on their community. Concerns about noise pollution and traffic congestion took...

Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci has appointed Rob Haus as the city’s new police chief. Santucci announced the appointment at Tuesday’s council meeting, ending a year of uncertainty as to who would lead the department on a permanent basis. Haus has been leading the department on an interim basis as former...

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. Buffalo Township festival to...

Several events are planned around the region to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in addition to the ceremonies planned at the National Flight 93 memorial in Somerset County. Connellsville Connellsville will host a remembrance ceremony at 7 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Plaza, 168 E. Crawford Ave. Pixel...

Downtown New Kensington business leaders hope a passport book for visitors will help spur foot traffic around the business district. The New Ken Downtown Partnership is unveiling the Market Day Passport to encourage foot traffic to the city’s farmers market and downtown businesses. “We were thinking of ways for people...

The public now can identify microchipped pets any time of the day with a new device installed by Tarentum-based animal rescue Paws Across Pittsburgh. The microchip scanner, located in front of the nonprofit’s rescue house at 413 E. Sixth Ave., allows users to inspect lost animals with on-site instructions. The...

The man shot Monday in New Kensington’s Valley Royal Court was in stable condition Tuesday, according to Melanie Jones, spokeswoman for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Jones said the man did not know Logan James King, 17, who is charged in connection with the shooting. King is charged with...

Residents who were riled up over the removal of enormous Norway maple trees from Brackenridge Memorial Park can breathe a sigh of relief. Trees, more than two dozen total, will return this fall to the park along the Allegheny River. Ashley Martin, from the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront, said...

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. Christmas aid registrations to...

New classes at Burrell School District’s Charles A. Huston Middle School aim to give students more voice, choice and real-world experiences, teachers say. Those classes, for seventh and eighth grade students, range from audio and music production to a DIY home improvement class and baking and hospitality. Instead of traditional...

Oakmont officials have announced the return of the borough’s annual flu vaccination program. The first session is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 in Oakmont Council chambers. The shots are available for anyone 3 or older. Participants are advised to bring a copy of their insurance card....

Plum officials want to hear from residents as they consider the long-term future of the borough. A recent survey made available to residents and taxpayers online at growingplumforward.com asks 23 questions about the most important issues and potential changes in Plum over the next decade. It’s part of the first...

An argument outside the Valley Royal Court apartment complex in New Kensington turned into gunfire, with one person taken to the hospital and a 17-year-old in custody, according to authorities. The shooting occurred about 12:35 p.m. outside of the apartment complex, which is near the New Kensington City Hall and...

There were no injuries reported in a two-alarm fire Monday afternoon in Lower Burrell. All occupants were already out of the home on Dakota Drive when firefighters arrived, according to Lower Burrell VFC #3 Fire Chief Brennan Sites. The fire, reported just before 1 p.m., was first thought to be...

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. 9/11 Moving Flag Tribute...

Lower Burrell City Council canceled its monthly meeting scheduled for tonight. A notice from the city said council lacked a quorum of members to conduct business for both personal and professional reasons. The meeting will be rescheduled but a date had not yet been determined....

Oakmont Carnegie Library officials are calling for public opinion through an online survey prior to a town hall scheduled for next week. The survey consists of 19 questions regarding people’s opinions about the library’s outreach, services offered, its current architecture, transportation methods and demographics of the survey taker. The survey...

Cheswick residents will have a chance Wednesday to see the preliminary plans for a proposed data center just over the municipal boundary in Springdale. The borough will host an informational meeting at 6 p.m. at its municipal building with Brian Regli, a consultant working with Allegheny DC Property Co., the...