Valley News Dispatch category, Page 19
Valley and Deer Lakes high schools host suicide prevention speaker
Months after PJ Shell lost his stepson Maverick to suicide, he helped a distraught mother pay for her child’s equipment at a sporting goods store. The moment, Shell said in a speech at Valley High School, caused the first shared smile between him and his wife in months because it...
New Kensington-Arnold implements security camera system that dispatchers can view in real time
Westmoreland County dispatchers will now have the ability to instantly view live campus security footage when a 911 call comes in from the New Kensington-Arnold School District. The district is implementing 911 camera sharing across district buildings in an effort to strengthen campus safety and speed emergency response. “We want...
Here’s what students will perform during 2026 high school musical season
As spring approaches, high school theater kids all over the region are dusting off their tap shoes, doing vocal warm-ups and memorizing their lines. Here’s a look at which schools are doing which shows this spring musical season. Apollo-Ridge: “Mamma Mia!” March 12-14 Avonworth: “The Phantom of the Opera,” March...
Lower Burrell man charged with attempted stabbing and robbery at Tarentum gas station
A Lower Burrell man is in Allegheny County Jail after Tarentum police charged him with felony aggravated assault and robbery of a vehicle in connection with a Christmastime attack at the borough’s Marathon station. Robert Harmon, 35, also faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, terroristic threats and simple assault....
Community rallies behind Buffalo Township family after house fire
After a fire gutted a Buffalo Township home earlier this month, neighbors and strangers alike have come together to support a local family. The Haberman family watched as firefighters battled a smoky blaze at their Edgewood Drive home for more than five hours on Feb. 19. Husband and wife Rob...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting, fathering baby with teen waives criminal charges
A New Kensington man already in jail waived his preliminary hearing on charges stemming from an incident where, authorities say, he assaulted and fathered a child with a teenager. Burnell Johnson, 27, waived to court charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person younger...
Aspinwall Presbyterian Church members, friends say farewell to retired pastor
Members of Aspinwall Presbyterian Church celebrated the end of an era with the retirement of the Rev. Scott Hill. Hill, 65, has led the flock at the Center Avenue church for about 10 years; he was in his 36th year of ministry. His final service was Feb. 15. Hill plans...
Brick House Chic Boutique moving from Tarentum to Oakmont
A Tarentum shop that specialized in plus-sized clothing has found a new home. Brick House Chic Boutique will open March 13 in Oakmont, at 436 Allegheny River Blvd. Owners and cousins Anna Mayhood and Kristen Farringer said moving was beyond their control but did not elaborate. The shop closed in...
Plum School District dispels notion of reduced school nurse staffing
Full-time school nurses will continue to be present in all of Plum’s schools, the district says. Despite some online concern about the district’s staffing levels, Superintendent Rick Walsh said he’s committed to maintaining nurses at each school. Each of the five district schools has a certified school nurse in addition...
The Stroller, Feb. 26, 2026: 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. Winter festival planned in...
Birdville Troop welcomes new Eagle Scouts
Scout News Birdville Troop 186 Birdville Scout Troop 186 recently honored three new Eagle Scouts, recipients of the highest rank in Scouting, at the troop’s 68th annual Eagle Awards Banquet at Patterson Hall, Most Blessed Sacrament Worship Site, in Harrison. They are Andrew Karmazin, Alexander Godinez, and Keegan Babinsack. Andrew,...
Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary: ‘Service Above Self’ club marks a century of aid
Members of the Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary Club have worked for a century — mostly behind the scenes — to make the Lower Valley a better place. From donations of playground equipment, Free Little Libraries, dictionaries for elementary students and medical supplies, Rotary members are quiet philanthropists who seek to benefit the...
New indoor golf simulator lounge eyes March opening in Indiana Township
It’s always perfect weather to hit the links at a soon-to-open indoor golf simulator in Indiana Township. Swing 412 is scheduled to launch in March with 500-plus virtual high-tech golf games for all ages. The venue is for those interested in improving their game, learning golf play or just looking...
Fire damages home in Plum’s Holiday Park neighborhood
A house fire that began in the bedroom of a Plum home has left the structure with extensive damage, according to Holiday Park VFD Chief Jim Sims. Sims said the home on the 4900 block of Havana Drive was unoccupied when the fire broke out just after 1 p.m. The...
Deer Lakes School District welcomes new assistant superintendent
The Deer Lakes School District added a new member to its administration team. On Feb. 17, the school board unanimously voted to hire Beth Hutson of Oakmont as the district’s assistant superintendent. According to her contract, posted on the board’s BoardDocs page, she will begin the position with a starting...
Drunk driver who killed Harrison girl, 11, gets 3-6 months in jail
Her favorite color was blue. She enjoyed telling jokes to make people laugh. She was a devoted sister. She loved animals but especially her dog, Teddy. Roxanne Bonnoni was an 11-year-old girl whose life was cut short by a drunk driver. “God did not decide it was Roxanne’s time to...
Attorney pushing for ‘justice’ in Highlands teacher Sean Dicer’s misconduct case
Attorney Sean Logue believes Highlands School District should be held accountable for the alleged actions of a former teacher who police have charged with sexual assault against three students. Logue, a Carnegie-based lawyer, does not represent any of the alleged victims of former teacher Sean Dicer, 53, of Brackenridge. He...
Burrell student, teacher selected to study American Revolution with Philadelphia trip
A Burrell High School teacher and student have been selected to represent Pennsylvania in a history enrichment program in July, held in conjunction with America’s 250th birthday. Teacher Amanda Pagnotta and sophomore Bella Procopio are participating in the Young People’s Continental Congress, a joint program with the National History Day...
Springdale says benefits discussions with data center developer to begin soon
Data center discussions may soon return to the fore in Springdale. The borough is set to begin conversations with developers to form a community benefits agreement. It will do that with the help of a recently hired consulting group and nonprofit stewardship organization Friends of the Riverfront. Community benefits agreements...
The Stroller, Feb. 25, 2026: 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. Cornhole tournament planned by...
Route 66 upgrades to kick off this summer between Washington Township and DelmontVideo
Cameron Suhadolnik, one of the owners of Tailspin Hobbies off Route 66 in Washington Township, has grown accustomed to the sound of cars crashing outside his window. The business is near an intersection that has been the site of more than 20 incidents in the past five years. “I’ve called...
Leechburg Area Drama Club looks for donations for spring musical
The Leechburg Area Drama Club is a little more than $1,600 away from having its own “Secret Garden.” With opening night scheduled for April 6, the club has a $3,500 goal set to put on a seventh-through 12th grade production of “The Secret Garden.” According to the school’s Schoolfundr fundraising...
Burrell contract calls for 3.3% average raise for custodian, maintenance, food service workers
The Burrell School District reached an agreement on a new contract with its union of custodians, maintenance workers and food service employees that calls for a 70-cent per hour increase. The contract was ratified by the school board this month. It covers a contract period that began Feb. 1 and...
From New Kensington to NASA: Students prepare for trip to Goddard Space Flight Center
Science is 11-year-old Cooper Rankin’s favorite subject. “I find it interesting how you can do so much stuff. I think it’s cool that everything is made up of matter,” said Cooper, a sixth grade student at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. “It’s really cool...
Allegheny Valley School Board moves forward with new parking near turf field
The work at Allegheny Valley School District’s new multisport turf field isn’t quite done yet. The district moved forward last week with a plan to develop a parking area off Butler Road, which would allow for handicap spaces and a drop-off zone. Set in a grassy area between the new...
