Valley News Dispatch category, Page 154
Oakmont prepares for 50th Greek food festival
Andy Gavrilos has seen it all during his time as co-chair of the Oakmont Greek Food Festival. From tornadoes, thunderstorms and fires, to a power outage that caused volunteers and parishioners of the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church to cook by candlelight. “At the end of the day,...
Are Penn State cuts a preview of higher education divide?
The gap between Penn State University’s sprawling main campus and its 20 branches can be measured these days in ways more personal and profound than highway miles. Stung by double-digit enrollment losses, the branch campuses and their students are about to lose 10% of their faculty and staff to buyouts...
Aspinwall starting to post council meeting videos online
Aspinwall Council’s meeting videos are now being posted for public consumption. The borough has provided a livestream Zoom feed for its workshop and voting sessions for a long time. However, the footage was not available online after the meeting ended. Council unanimously voted to change that and post at least...
Fire destroys longtime Avonmore bar — the 3rd one to burn in 6 yearsVideo
An Avonmore bar was destroyed Saturday in a blaze that a fire official said might have started in the kitchen. My Buddy’s Place, at 407 Indiana Ave., was open when the fire broke out shortly after 4:30 p.m., but no one was reported to be injured. A dog was unaccounted...
The Stroller, June 15, 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. Annual night race scheduled July 20 in Apollo Roaring Run Watershed...
PA Hero Walk for veterans in need — from Philadelphia to Lower Burrell — in full swing
The 320 miles in wind, rain, blistering sun and whatever else Mother Nature doles out takes an incredible amount of resolve. Yet the Alle-Kiski Valley veterans participating in the 16th annual PA Hero Walk remain undaunted. The group, ranging in age from 30 to 73, is on the seventh day...
Rare drop in summer gas prices doesn’t eliminate pain at the pump
Mary Ann Hoss paid a few cents less for gas this week as she fueled up for a road trip from Lower Burrell to her camp a few hours away. But that was due more to global circumstances than anything Hoss did. While the nation is experiencing a rare summertime...
Arnold woman pleads for time to move before city tears down her home
An Arnold woman was sobbing as she asked city officials how much time she’d have to move out of her home before they tear it down. During a board of health hearing Tuesday, Ellen Stern said she’s been looking for a place for herself, her two sons and boyfriend to...
Butler man sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug, gun crimes
A Butler man who was the shooter in an incident in Butler nearly 3½ years ago that led to discovery of a large amount of heroin and fentanyl in his car has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Darnell Wynn, 44, was found guilty of possession with intent...
Drive-thru coming to Buffalo Township Sheetz
Sheetz in Buffalo Township is getting a makeover. The gas station and convenience store, located at Route 356 and Monroe Road, soon will feature a drive-thru and updated store after township supervisors approved the project this week. Supervisors gave approval for the existing store in 2007. Sheetz will remove and...
Police, other first responders to train at Bon Air Elementary in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell Police will conduct training exercises from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Bon Air Elementary School, 3260 Leechburg Road. Mayor Chris Fabry announced the training on social media to alert the public that they will see police and other first responders at the school and along Leechburg Road....
The Stroller, June 14, 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. Happy Flag Day! Display your American flag today on your home!...
ATI’s $1.2B hot strip mill in Harrison marks 10 years, remains world’s most powerful, company says
Lou Koprivnikar launched his career at ATI 36 years ago when everything was hands-on. Employees would load 43-ton metal coils by crane and affix labels on specialty metals fresh out of a 2,250-degree furnace. Today, operations are fully automated inside the Hot Rolling and Processing Facility (HRPF), a $1.2 billion...
Freeport woman celebrates $1 million lottery win while mourning husband’s deathVideo
Two weeks after Karen Coffman became a millionaire, her husband died. “When I told him about the prize, he thought I was lying to him,” Coffman said of Robert, her husband of 31 years. Robert Coffman died April 10 from complications of a brain tumor. His death made her million-dollar...
Burtner descendant Nicole Glasgow takes reins of Harrison homestead
Butler native Nicole Glasgow was regaled as a child by tales of life at the Burtner House in Harrison — a three-story stone farmhouse that is among the oldest homes in Allegheny County and which was built by her ancestors. But it wasn’t until Glasgow completed college that she fell...
The Stroller, June 13, 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. Miss Freddye to perform tonight in Tarentum Tarentum Summer Concert Series...
New Kensington innovation projects to continue despite changes at Penn State
As chancellor of Penn State New Kensington, one of Kevin Snider’s goals was to sink his campus’ roots so deeply into the city that its initiatives would continue without him. Now that he’s set to retire at the end of the year with his campus falling under a new leadership...
Ribbon cut on Allegheny RiverTrail Park expansion in Aspinwall
O’Hara couple Dennis and Lynn Marsico find riding their bikes on various trails keeps them young. Gearing up to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August, they were among the first riders to use the Allegheny RiverTrail Park’s trail extension shortly after park and government officials cut the ribbon June...
Aspinwall police join North Hills DUI Task Force
The Aspinwall Police Department is the latest municipal law enforcement agency to join the North Hills DUI Task Force. Council unanimously voted to authorize a cooperative agreement June 12. The multijurisdictional police force can now do DUI checkpoints and other related activities in the borough. Chief Dave Nemec said it...
Fox Chapel Area School Board passes 2024-25 budget with 3.75% tax hike
Many Fox Chapel Area School District property owners will pay 3.75% more in real estate taxes next school year. The school board voted 8-0 on June 10 to pass the district’s $119.1 million budget for 2024-25, using a tax hike and money from the district’s fund balance to balance it....
$10K in toy drive money prompts investigation in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township is grappling with a $10,000 question: How did a check cut from township coffers end up in the hands of the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company? In a 2-to-1 vote, supervisors opened an investigation this week to determine how the money left the township and whether the township is...
Riverview School Board passes final budget with slightly smaller tax increase of 3.3%
After an unorthodox voting session Monday night, the Riverview School Board members adopted a final budget that includes a tax hike for Oakmont and Verona residents. The spending plan includes a 3.3% (0.8-mill) tax increase, which is slightly lower than the tentative budget approved earlier. It projects expenditures of just...
The Stroller, June 12, 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. Benefit concert to aid Tarentum Police Department Kaley’s Kops, 423 Productions...
Penn State New Kensington students and staff concerned for future of campus
Penn State New Kensington student Karisa Smalling has some concerns about changes for Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses. “My concern is that they are claiming to make these changes to create the most efficient organization possible, but I don’t see how offering buyouts to employees is going to make it more...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says removal of nuclear waste from Parks Township dump to start next summer
Remediation of a nuclear waste dump in Parks Township remains on schedule — to start next summer and have all of the material removed to Utah six years after that, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said. The Army Corps gave the update at a public meeting Tuesday at the...
