Valley News Dispatch category, Page 164
Blawnox officials honor multiple officers who responded to a deadly shooting in borough
Blawnox officials honored police officers from multiple departments for their efforts in responding to a fatal shooting in the borough. Council unanimously adopted resolutions May 8 commending Blawnox Officer Aaron Zola, Aspinwall Officer Leann Heffler, O’Hara Officers Maria Sciacca and Craig Cress and Millvale Officers Timothy McDonough and Evan Egerter...
Deer Lakes students could be budding ‘Rockhounds’
Cole Protzman was fascinated by the minerals and colorful stones in his Deer Lakes third-grade classroom, but wondered if the program’s host, the Monongahela Rockhounds, had made bigger discoveries. “Have you ever found a T-Rex fossil?” Cole asked Friday at East Union Intermediate Center. Rockhounds member Margaret Robertson said she...
Foot chase in Verona leaves police searching for West Deer man suspected of retail theft
Verona police have issued an arrest warrant for a shoplifting suspect they say was last seen trying to board a boat along the Allegheny River. Keith Hohman, 33, of West Deer is charged with retail theft, evading arrest, escape, trespassing, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct. At approximately 3 p.m....
Fungi enthusiasts turn entrepreneurs with Bounty Beneath Mushrooms in Armstrong County
Fungi-loving friends Michael Zaccano and Nicholas Wadding are growing their specialty mushroom business in Armstrong County. They co-own Bounty Beneath Mushrooms, a gourmet mushroom farm housed above ground on the second floor of a former 1800s-era wool factory in Worthington. Zaccano of Springdale and Wadding of Kittanning met at a...
In its 20th year, Ride for Homeless Vets continues to grow; fundraising surpasses $400,000
When Tom Grates first heard the term “homeless veterans,” the Tarentum resident was appalled. “It made me sick,” Grates said. “I’m a vet, my dad and grandfather were both vets, and my son’s in the military now. “I figured I’d better do something to address this.” It was 20 years...
GAMA Sports Training working on move into new $2.5M facility in Plum
A sports training facility in Plum is growing again. Joe Fischetti hopes to move his family business, GAMA Sports Training, into a 27,000-square-foot home in September. The new building would be at the end of Sheena Drive, a dead-end road off Davidson Road, where GAMA currently is housed in a...
Solution to Oakmont flooding years in the making for some residents
Anne Alcorn loves her neighbors, her 7-year-old son’s school and the safety of the Oakmont Commons. There’s only one thing she’d change about her home. The flooding. Since moving there in 2016, Alcorn, 38, has had an issue with her backyard flooding during rainstorms. On multiple occasions, water has come...
The Stroller, May 10, 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. Kiski Area jazz camp accepting registrations The Kiski Area Summer Jazz...
Freeport Borough fills vacant council seat
Kimberly Barr has been a reliable sight at Freeport Council meetings since moving to the borough in 2021. Now, she’ll help call the shots. On Monday, council appointed Barr as its seventh member, rounding out the ranks of a group that’s seen remarkable turnover since last year. All but one...
Kiski Area School District administrative reorganization taking shape
Several key hires are in place for the Kiski Area School District administrative reorganization set to take effect July 1. Four administrators were appointed to new or modified roles by the school board on Wednesday: • Chad Roland to assistant to the superintendent for K-12 education and safety at $158,190...
Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services to host Junior Fire Camp to recruit young members
Joining the Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Department at 14 is a move that benefited Jean Daniher far beyond learning rescue skills. She was able to earn an associate degree and a registered nurse’s license for free through the Community College of Allegheny County solely because of her status as an active...
Islamic center eyes purchase of former Holy Family church in East Deer
A potential buyer for the shuttered Holy Family Church in East Deer appears to be another religious organization. Alfatimiah of Pittsburgh, a group that describes itself as operating “under the teachings of Islam,” is eyeing the site at 787 Freeport Road, according to East Deer officials. However, the group will...
Some residents shocked by news of potential closing of Stewart Elementary
Sharon Nealer’s jaw dropped Thursday when she heard the news that Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell might close. “I’m shocked. I think it looks perfect the way it is,” said Nealer, who was shopping along Leechburg Road just a few blocks from the school. Burrell School District officials have...
Suspect in Mount Oliver drug deal shooting arrested in Plum
A Clairton man accused of shooting a person during a drug deal in Mount Oliver in April was arrested Wednesday night in Plum. Plum police arrested Dorian Randell Ingram, 29, after an anonymous woman said she saw him at a residence in the 100 block of Unity Center Road. The...
Shortage of local police, 2 violent crimes have Verona residents on edge
Diana Danko always thought her neighborhood along Second Street in Verona was safe. That was before two violent crimes happened within hours of each other on April 14 — a Sunday when no borough police officers were on duty. “It’s very concerning,” said Danko, 55, who lives just blocks from...
The Stroller, May 9, 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. Staycation Fair planned by AK Valley Historical Society The Alle-Kiski Valley...
Freeport auditors call it quits after missing state deadline
Freeport has another overdue audit and, right now, no one willing to complete it. Council this week accepted the resignations of the borough’s three auditors, who bristled at a push to give the books greater scrutiny. Audits were due to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on April...
T-shirt collection for charity underway at Fox Chapel Area High School
Fox Chapel Area High School students are collecting T-shirts for a nonprofit that creates port-accessible garments for children with life-threatening illnesses. Shirts of all sizes can be dropped off throughout the month at 611 Field Club Road. The collection drive is sponsored by the Fox Leadership Council junior class in...
Fox Chapel Area School Board passes proposed 2024-25 budget with 3.75% tax hike
Fox Chapel Area School District property owners should expect to pay 3.75% more in real estate taxes next school year. Board members voted 6-3 at their meeting May 6 to pass the district’s proposed $119.5 million budget for 2024-25, using a tax hike and money from the district’s fund balance...
Blawnox Council welcomes a new member whose budgeting skills will be relied upon
Blawnox Council has a new member. Council voted 5-0 May 8 to appoint Matt Stanczak to fill the vacancy created by former Councilwoman Meghan Kennedy, who resigned from her elected post last month. Councilwoman Katie Specht-Coban was absent. Kennedy was appointed to council in 2016 and has since served as...
Leechburg Area School District appoints new superintendent
Leechburg Area’s David Leech Elementary School library had a buzz of excitement Wednesday night. After months of uncertainty about leadership, the Leechburg Area School Board made the school district’s interim superintendent, David Keibler, its superintendent. Keibler was appointed, 8-0. Director James Dunmire was absent. The vote received an ovation from...
Burrell eyes closure of Stewart Elementary School
Fewer students and an aging building could spell the end for Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell. Burrell School District directors scheduled a public hearing for next month on permanently closing the school that sits on prime real estate along Leechburg Road in the heart of the city. A public...
Longtime Alle-Kiski Valley pediatrician remembered as devoted ‘country doctor’
Dr. Charles Ashe is a familiar name for many Alle-Kiski Valley natives — he may even have been one of the first people they ever met. For about 40 years, Ashe worked as a private practice doctor and, later, as an Allegheny Valley Hospital pediatrician. He was willing to drop...
New Kensington-Arnold includes 1.5% property tax increase in proposed budget
A small property tax increase will help to keep the New Kensington-Arnold School District moving in the right direction, according to board President Tim Beckes. The school board voted 8-0 Tuesday night to approve the district’s $46.2 million proposed final budget for 2024-25. Board member Terry Schrock was absent. It...
Free Staycation event promotes history and exploration in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Travel can be expensive and, with the Alle-Kiski Valley’s rich history, area residents have plenty of options this summer to enjoy “staycations.” The Allegheny-Kiski Historical Society and Heritage Museum in Tarentum aims to make that easier by laying out the options this weekend at a free event. “Our history can’t...
