Valley News Dispatch category, Page 190

New Kensington is kicking off the holiday season. Residents gathered Friday evening at Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue for carols and the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree. That was followed by Mayor Tom Guzzo’s annual holiday dinner at the city’s nearby No. 1 fire hall on Fourth Avenue. The...

Four of seven defendants charged in connection with the killing of a New Kensington man last year are cooperating with Westmoreland County prosecutors. Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro said during a court hearing Friday that two young men and a juvenile who were scheduled to go on trial next week...

A big name in coffee is perking up rural Buffalo Township, Butler County. Starbucks opened Friday morning along Route 356 in Buffalo Plaza, inside the same building as the former Kings Family Restaurant. “I was definitely surprised when I heard that something new would be here. My mom texted me...

A homeless man accused of breaking into a New Kensington apartment and then punching the property manager who ordered him to leave has been ordered to stand trial. Bryant Nathaniel Thomas Houston, 38, was charged Nov. 17 with a felony count of burglary along with simple assault and detained in...

A woman arrested during a late September raid at a home in Vandergrift has been accused by police of being a meth dealer. Olivia Rimma Newcamp, 27, of the 400 block of Cedar Run Road in Indiana Township was charged with two felony counts of possession of drugs with the...

The $350 million earmarked for cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump isn’t enough to finish the job, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for new contractors interested in continuing the cleanup when that money runs out. The Corps on Friday announced it will issue a...

Harrison property taxes are not expected to increase next year after the township commissioners approved a preliminary $7.8 million budget. The tax rate is expected to remain at 5.1 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would again pay $510. The commissioners will take a final vote Dec....

Single-lane restrictions on Route 28 from Harmar to East Deer will resume Monday. Lane closures northbound will go from the RIDC Park exit to the Russellton/Creighton exit daily from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to PennDOT. Lane closures southbound will occur between the same exits daily from 9 a.m....

A Moon Township man accused of repeatedly raping a child over a five-year period while he was living in Lower Burrell has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court. Stevan Joseph Mracna, 43, of Bonnie Brae Drive was charged Nov. 16 with felony counts of rape of a...

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. Festival of Trees raffle supports hospital projects Allegheny Valley Hospital Auxiliary...

It’s probably going to cost a bit more to deck the halls this year for those who prefer to set up a live Christmas tree. The seasonal staple has fallen victim to inflation. Christmas tree growers and vendors have noted price hikes of various levels for this season. At Habes...

Plum residents gathered for the annual Christmas at Plum Creek on Thursday evening. This marks the second year the event was held at the borough’s new municipal center on Old Mine Road. A recently completed outdoor amphitheater was used for the first time, with the Plum High School Jazz Band...

A home remodeling contractor from Pitcairn accused five times in as many years of taking money for work he didn’t do has been ordered to stand trial for charges filed by four Westmoreland County police departments. Daniel Ronald Amodeo, 54, of the 600 block of Wall Avenue was charged Jan....

The state Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled last week that objectors to former congressional candidate Mike Doyle, R-Plum, do not need to pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees accrued by Doyle over a process of challenging the candidate’s nominating petitions. The ruling overturned a previous decision by...

The man who pleaded guilty to killing a former Springdale man in a jealous rage will spend the rest of his life in prison. Samuel Tolfa, 34, of Hopewell, Beaver County, agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder and serve a mandatory prison term of life without parole in connection...

A man accused by Arnold police of selling drugs and carrying a gun illegally has been ordered to stand trial on felony charges. Charles Lawrence Bacon, 18, of the 500 block of Marion Street in East Deer was charged Nov. 20 with two counts of possession of drugs with the...

A Winfield woman is channeling her inner elf to assist Santa, one letter at a time. For a second year, Kathy Kemp has set up a Letters to Santa box on her front lawn, providing a public drop-off spot for anyone wishing to pen a letter to Santa. “The corner...

Plum property owners could see their property taxes increase by almost 40% under the borough’s proposed $25.1 million spending plan for 2024. Council is considering setting the borough’s total real estate tax rate at 6.63 mills, interim borough Manager David Soboslay said. That would be a 38.7% increase over the...

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. Show to benefit local Toys for Tots collection Lower Burrell American...

Holiday shopping in some local stores will look a little different this year. With reports of retail theft on the rise, some retailers are placing some inventory under lock and key, requiring customers to contact a store employee to access certain merchandise. The measures are aimed at reining in what...

The Highland Area Rotary Club kicked off the Christmas season Wednesday as it hosted the 35th Annual Alle-­Kiski Choral Festival at Highlands High School in Harrison. Choruses from Highlands, Burrell, Springdale and Freeport Area high schools sang Christmas and seasonal songs, both solemn and festive. For the finale, as is...

An East Hills man who went on a nine-day armed robbery spree in the east suburbs last year has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, federal officials said. Eric Jones, 34, of Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood was sentenced Wednesday, according to U.S. District Attorney Eric Olshan. He had pleaded...

The Plum School District has new leaders in its transportation department. The school board Tuesday approved hiring Taye Coles as the district’s director of transportation and Mark Delahunty as transportation manager. Coles’ annual salary was set at $85,000, while Delahunty will be paid $57,000. Both hires are retroactive to Nov....

A West Deer man’s house was destroyed Tuesday night when he tried to start a fire in his fireplace but it got out of control, a township fire chief said. Anthony Creaturo, chief of West Deer Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, said crews were dispatched at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to...

A Harrison man accused of using a stolen driver’s license and bank card to withdraw more than $7,000 from the owner’s accounts has been ordered to stand trial. Rodney Gaschler, 57, of Walnut Street was charged Nov. 6 with felony counts of forgery,receiving stolen property and access device fraud. Several...