Valley News Dispatch category, Page 150
Leechburg Area passes final budget for 2024-25 school year that includes tax hike, tax decrease
Leechburg Area School District members passed a final budget for the 2024-25 school year that includes a tax increase for some residents and a slight decrease for others. While the district will collect about the same amount of real estate taxes as the school year that just ended, there will...
Weather forecast not stopping inaugural Buffett tribute concert at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.
Pittsburgh Brewing Co. officials are hoping Saturday’s stormy weather outlook will be “Nothin’ But a Breeze” as plans march on for the inaugural Jimmy Buffett tribute concert at the East Deer site. “We are moving forward with having the concert and festivities,” brewery spokeswoman Rachel Semelbauer said Friday. “We are...
Permitting process nearing completion for demolition of Colfax school in Springdale
The process aimed at demolishing Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale is continuing with permit applications to the state, architect Antone Canzian reported to the Allegheny Valley School Board. Canzian said about 80% of the contract documents needed for the project have been completed. He intends to have the project...
Family-oriented movers Weleski Transfer marks 115 years in Tarentum
Mary Anne Oshnock decided to work part time at Weleski Transfer Inc. in 1974, when she was in high school, for job experience before college. A student at Highlands at the time, Oshnock was interested in getting into the business field. She ended up staying a Weleski employee for 50...
Junior Fire Camp in Aspinwall, Sharpsburg draws a dozen teens
The first Junior Fire Camp hosted by the Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services was a hit, officials said. A dozen local teens, 13 to 17, participated in the two-day event. Hosted June 22-23 at the stations in Sharpsburg and Aspinwall, participants learned the ins and outs of fire safety and...
Leechburg homeowner embraces a ‘no-mow’ lifestyle
A Leechburg man has found an eco-friendly solution to his aversion to pushing a lawn mower. “I hate mowing lawns,” said Danny Hilliard, a steel industry writer, international traveler and avid fisherman. Hilliard decided to implement a “no-mow” lifestyle three years ago with the purchase of a historic residence along...
The Stroller, June 28, 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. Dinner to aid Avonmore fire victim A dinner to benefit Mackenzie...
Sharpsburg Mayor Brittany Reno resigns; letters of interest being accepted
Sharpsburg’s first female mayor has resigned with more than a year remaining in her first term. Council unanimously accepted the resignation of Brittany Reno on Thursday, June 27. She was not at the meeting. Her letter of resignation was obtained by TribLive after the voting session. “I thank you all...
Sheldon Park event aims to build positive relationship between residents, police
Something as simple as letting children check out a police car and blare the vehicle’s sirens can make a lasting impact, according to Allegheny County Housing Authority Police Chief Mike Vogel. As a flurry of children at Harrison’s Sheldon Park interacted with township and housing authority officers Thursday, Vogel said...
Arnold reopens Roosevelt Park as city officials grapple with how to handle vandalism
While a spate of vandalism prompted Arnold officials to close Roosevelt Park this month, it won’t deter the city from moving forward with plans to improve it, officials say. The park, completely fenced in with gates on Drey and Rankin streets, was closed for about two weeks after teens dumped...
2.65% tax hike OK’d for Allegheny Valley School District property owners
Property owners in the Allegheny Valley School District will be paying 2.65% more in real estate taxes for the coming school year. The school board approved a $25.8 million budget Tuesday increases the millage rate by 0.552 mills, from 20.8377 to 21.3899. “We’ve been as conscientious as any district,” board...
East Deer opts into exploratory committee to save Eureka ambulance service
While the clock is ticking on the potential closing of Eureka Community Ambulance Service in Tarentum, another of the municipalities it covers has joined an effort to save the ailing EMS. East Deer commissioners on Wednesday opted into an exploratory committee that will research the formation of an ambulance authority....
The Stroller, June 27, 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. Community outreach set Friday in New Kensington Westmoreland Community Action will...
Foxwall EMS has a new chief and ambulance
Foxwall EMS has a new chief and a new ambulance. The official ambulance service provider of Aspinwall and Fox Chapel is now run by Ben Shopland of Pittsburgh’s North Side. He was selected out of multiple candidates and five finalists to formally replace the late Tony Cuda, who died Oct....
Sharpsburg mural artists selected
Emily Paige Armstrong had hoped to make a positive impact on her new community. The 2015 Valley High School grad had recently bought a home in Sharpsburg with her twin sister, Catherine. Still in the process of settling in, Armstrong found an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. A request for...
Duquesne Light promises improvements, touts upgrades in wake of power outages
Cathy Schantz was among the tens of thousands of people whose homes lost electricity during storms amid last week’s heat wave. The Richland resident, who lives in a housing plan near Bakerstown Road, said she lost power for more than three days — a total of 73½hours. The next outage...
Suspected electrical fire displaces 2 in New Kensington
Two New Kensington residents were displaced Wednesday evening when an apparent electrical fire began damaging their home. Firefighters from New Kensington, Arnold, Tarentum and Logans Ferry Heights responded to the call shortly before 9 p.m. at 19 Cherry St. The home is tucked away at the end of the block...
Brother: Gillian Tones, Montana park drowning victim, ‘had a natural gravitation toward helping people’
Dillon Tones once asked his younger sister, Gillian, why she wanted to get into nursing. He was curious why people chose the field because nurses often see people at their worst. “She said, ‘You’re right, but I also get to be there to do as much as I can,’ ”...
Tarentum police nab juvenile wanted on McKeesport warrant, recover 4 guns
Police searching for five juveniles Tuesday night in Tarentum apprehended two of them and seized four guns, all of them believed to be stolen, according to borough police. One of the two boys arrested was taken to Allegheny County Jail, where he was being held on a warrant out of...
WWII veteran and longtime Lower Burrell police officer leaves behind stories of airborne exploits
Albert Chamrad, a resident and retired police officer from Lower Burrell, died earlier this month, taking his firsthand account of performing one of the most dangerous duties in World War II with him. The 99-year-old died in his sleep June 13 at Southwestern Veterans’ Center in Pittsburgh. He lived a...
Missing Fawn man found safe
A missing 19-year-old Fawn man has been found. Arden Verner III, who was missing since June 23 has been found safe, Fawn Chief Tim Mayberry confirmed Wednesday....
The Stroller, June 26, 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. Fridays on Fifth event to feature food, music and more The...
Allegheny Township mechanic retools after shop fire sends life savings up in smokeVideo
Chunks of Jamie Napoletano’s life now fit into a wheelbarrow, not even half filled with wrenches, bolts and clamps. On an afternoon in June, he sifted through his diminished collection, clutching a greasy towel and rattling off lost equipment. By his estimate, only about 1% of his tool collection survived...
Stewart School closing hearing prompts wide range of reactions
An array of viewpoints were shared by a dozen Burrell residents Tuesday during a public hearing on possibly closing Stewart Elementary School. Some requested Stewart remain open in some capacity, and others advocated for its closure. Some requested fifth-grade classes move to Huston Middle School, and others suggested they be...
Defense suggests alternate causes for New Kensington toddler death
The lawyer for a New Kensington man accused in the death of a 2-year-old boy said Tuesday that fatal injuries suffered by the child were caused by accidents or another family member. Prosecutors contend Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, caused multiple head wounds and other injuries suffered by Mikel Fetterman,...
