Valley News Dispatch category, Page 116
Superior Court: Boiler house at former Springdale power plant can be imploded
The boiler house at the former power plant in Springdale can be imploded via explosives, the state’s Superior Court ruled Tuesday, reversing a decision from an Allegheny County judge pausing the demolition. In a 24-page ruling, the Superior Court determined that Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr....
West Deer native pens supernatural young adult novel set in his hometown
Anyone who grew up in West Deer Township during the 1990s may feel a spark of familiarity reading Josiah Golojuh’s new young adult novel “The Paper Boy.” That’s because the author grew up there and modeled the book’s setting off of his own childhood experiences. “It’s not a true story,...
Car fire slows Route 28 traffic in Harrison
Northbound traffic on Route 28 was snarled briefly Tuesday when a car caught fire shortly after 9 a.m. between Exits 15 and 16 in Harrison. No injuries were reported, and all travel lanes have reopened....
Kiski leaves police regionalization discussions; Leechburg forges ahead
Kiski Township has dropped out of discussions about forming a regional police force with nearby Leechburg, Parks, Apollo and North Apollo. Leechburg Councilman DJ Zelczak, a member of the steering committee exploring the merger, said he did not want to speak for Kiski officials in declining to say why that...
The Stroller, Nov. 19, 2024: 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. Allegheny Valley Association of...
Aspinwall property owners likely won’t see a borough real estate tax hike in 2025
Aspinwall officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes with next year’s budget. Council unanimously approved advertising its 2025 spending plan Nov. 13. Budget documents show the millage rate remains 8.36 mills, including 0.5 mills for public safety. One mill generates about $150,000 in revenue. Projected revenue and...
Springdale’s new garbage hauler to answer residents’ questions at council meeting
Springdale residents can learn more about a new garbage collection contract during a meeting Tuesday. Representatives from the borough’s new garbage collection provider, Belle Vernon-based County Hauling, will give a presentation and oversee a question-and-answer session during Tuesday’s council meeting, said Ro Rozier, a spokeswoman for the company. “This is...
Nearly 600 fentanyl stamp bags, 7 weapons seized in search of New Kensington home
Authorities say they seized nearly 600 stamp bags of fentanyl and seven firearms while carrying out a search warrant early Monday at a home on Leishman Avenue in New Kensington. Robert Micha Whitley, 26, and Destyni Monae Compton, 24, each face several charges for drugs and weapons offenses. Agents from...
Daylight saving time may come with the winter blues; here’s how to navigate it
The clocks have turned back and with shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures on the way, the seasonal shift can bring feelings of the blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is defined as a type of depression that often comes with the fall and winter months. These cases are considered...
East Deer taxes to remain steady under proposed budget; garbage fees would increase more than 35%
East Deer property owners aren’t likely to see a tax increase next year under the township’s proposed $1.5 million general fund budget. But they would pay more for garbage pickup — more than 35% more. The township rebid its contract for the first time in eight years, resulting in the...
The Stroller, Nov. 18, 2024: 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. Cash raffle to benefit...
Eureka, Citizens gifted eplugs to thwart electric vehicle dangers
First responders are learning to combat a new type of safety risk: electric vehicles. “They’re silent,” Eureka Fire-Rescue Chief Brad James said. “You pull up and you assume it’s off. If it’s still in drive and the patient or first responder accidentally hits the pedal, that thing can take off.”...
St. Joseph High School marks 110th year preparing students for future success
Ask Mitch Farrell what he remembers most about being a student at St. Joseph High School, and he’ll tell you how much fun students had. Farrell, 28, of New Kensington is a 2014 graduate. He went on to Saint Vincent College in Unity and works as an accountant. The 28-year-old...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Nov. 7-13, 2024
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...
Faces of the Valley: Leechburg man makes history with volunteer fire service
Paul Wright has been a volunteer firefighter with the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company for 34 years. Involved since he was14, Wright views his service as a way of helping his community. “When I was a kid, my preacher always asked us what we would do to make a difference,” he...
The Stroller, Nov. 17, 2024: 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. Food drive planned in...
For many fire departments, merger may be the only way forward
When Sam Boak joined the Harmar Volunteer Fire Company in the 1990s, “you could show up any time of day and there would be six guys sitting there having a good time.” In a few short years, it became tough to get enough people to respond even when the sirens...
Fire heavily damages Vandergrift home, but the resident, her pets, make it out safely
After Lisa Schrader heard a pop and then saw smoke, she grabbed her dog Chloe and cat Oreo and raced out of her Vandergrift home before it became consumed flames, according to her sister, Cindy Phillips of West Vandergrift. But as firefighters worked, Schrader agonized over whether her second cat,...
SUV goes off Route 356 in Allegheny Township, takes out utility poleVideo
A man was taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville by ambulance after crashing his vehicle on Route 356 in Allegheny Township Saturday afternoon, according to Westmoreland 911 and township police. The one-vehicle crash was reported at 2:30 p.m. just south of the Freeport Bridge, near the intersection of Crain...
13-month-old Plum boy suffers skull fracture, mother charged with abuse
A Plum woman is accused of abusing a 13-month-old boy after the child was diagnosed with a skull fracture. Borough police said Sofia Eve Udavcak, 19, at first claimed her son had suffered the injuries in a number of falls, but later admitted to not seeking medical attention for him...
Pittsburgh crews harvest city’s Christmas tree from Springdale
You’d believe a tree could fly in Springdale on Saturday morning. Crews from the City of Pittsburgh’s Forestry Division, with help from Carl’s Tree Service and a police escort, took down a 43-foot blue spruce from the grounds of the former St. Alphonsus Church in the borough. The tree was...
‘It’s inevitable:’ Residents mull what growth means for future of Buffalo Township
For all the consternation about a wave of residential development in Buffalo Township, Drew Klemens saw it coming 13 years ago, when he moved across from a cornfield now slated to become 627 units of upscale town homes and single-family houses. “Nobody is going to come out to this area...
The Stroller, Nov. 16, 2024: 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. Pet food, supplies needed...
Ambulance authority inching forward to relieve Eureka, Citizens from financial burden
Local EMS funding issues could be on a path to health by early next year. A steering committee continues to inch forward with plans for an emergency medical services authority to serve East Deer, Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum. “All that has been approved at this point is the four communities...
After wild 2nd half, Dock Mennonite gets past Springdale to repeat as Class A state champs
MECHANICSBURG — There was a mix of tears in the eyes and pride in the hearts of the members of the Springdale girls soccer team in the moments following a 4-3 loss to District 1 champion Dock Mennonite in Friday’s PIAA Class A title game in Mechanicsburg. Dynamos coach Marc...
