Valley News Dispatch category, Page 246
Tarentum Council to decide fate of proposed Weleski electronic billboard
After an initial denial by Tarentum, longtime business Weleski Transfer will get another crack at an appeal in its effort to erect an electronic billboard along West Fourth Avenue. The borough’s zoning board on Monday had a public hearing and decided to refer the issue to council to consider it...
Group of Deer Lakes French students gets first-hand look at culture on overseas trip
Years spent learning French in the Deer Lakes School District came to life last month for some students and their families. The group visited Europe and soaked up knowledge in France, Monaco and London, said Deer Lakes French teacher Desiree Rotondo. She said the trip was planned for July 2021...
Historian expands walking tours to benefit local nonprofit in Aspinwall
Aspinwall resident and historian Terry Nelson Taylor has revamped her informative historical public walking tour of Aspinwall. New this tour season has access to two secret gardens, one on Third Street and the other on Eastern Avenue. The 2023 program also focuses on the life of the woman who originally...
Jury convicts Lower Burrell man of sexual assault, gun counts
A Westmoreland County jury convicted a Lower Burrell man of sexual assault and weapons offenses in connection with allegations raised in 2020 by a preteen. Jurors found Edgar Lee Williams, 42, guilty of all eight charges following two days of testimony and more than three hours of deliberations Thursday. Williams...
Leechburg Area School Board seeks resident to fill vacancy
Leechburg Area School Board is looking to fill a vacancy after a board member resigned last month. President Anthony Shea confirmed the board received Matthew Jagodrinski’s letter of resignation in July. Jagodrinski was elected to a two-year term in 2021. In his resignation letter, Jagodrinski said professional and personal commitments...
Woman who killed motorist in 2014 while distracted now accused of being high with child in car, causing wreck
A West Deer woman who admitted to killing a man when she hit his disabled car along Route 28 in 2014 is now accused of being high on fentanyl and cocaine when she caused a head-on collision in late May while driving her child to school. Rachel Rebecca Bailie, 32,...
Export man arrested in fatal Plum hit-and-run with motorcyclist
A 30-year-old man from Export was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash in June in Plum, Allegheny County police announced Thursday. County police charged Towner William Henretty II with a felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury and summary traffic offenses, including failing to stop and...
Harrison paving project to include busy Broadview Boulevard
Ten Harrison roads will be paved this month, including the busy section of Broadview Boulevard in front of the Heights Plaza Shopping Center. The nearly $312,000 project is scheduled to begin Aug. 14. Commissioners approved the bid in February from Shields Paving. Members said they were pleased to see the...
Springdale, Riverview may team up in softball, wrestling, golf
Bitter rivals in Lower Valley high school athletics scene may be teaming up in three sports. Allegheny Valley school directors are considering a cooperative sponsorship agreement with the Riverview School District for its softball, wrestling and golf programs. “We believe that creating positive, meaningful relationships with our neighbors such as...
Chomper, the rescued Kiski River alligator, to serve as animal ambassador
The Kiski River alligator that led officials and volunteers on a weeklong search will call Pittsburgh home — for now. The alligator was safely delivered Monday evening to an undisclosed alligator foster residence in Allegheny County. The location is kept secret to protect the people caring for the animal and...
The Stroller, Aug. 10, 2023: 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. 1973 Springdale HS champion teams to be celebrated Allegheny Valley School...
Tarentum boaters have until Oct. 31 to remove items from boat docks
A decision by Tarentum Council to eliminate boat docks at Riverview Memorial Park has enraged longtime users who feel they are scapegoats for what they called the borough’s swankier aspirations. Boaters have until Oct. 31 to dismantle sheds, roofs and other amenities because of concerns over a lack of state...
Aspinwall hikes business privilege tax to $500
Aspinwall business owners will have to pay more for the privilege of doing business in the borough. Council voted 8-0 on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to raise its business privilege tax from $100 to $500 starting this year. The ordinance was advertised last month. It was also discussed at several meetings....
Cooper-Siegel Community Library summer readers celebrate in Aspinwall park
Summer reading participants at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel and its nearby branch, Sharpsburg Community Library, celebrated the programs’ end with a party at Aspinwall RiverTrail Park. There were stilt walkers, magicians, games, therapy pets, prizes, face painting, hands-on ceramic wheel demonstrations and more at the recreation site Aug....
Route 66 in Parks Township reopens following road project
Part of Route 66 in Parks Township, also known in that stretch as River Road, has reopened to traffic following a road project. PennDOT announced on Wednesday that the section of the state road that follows the path of the Kiski River has opened after being closed for a pipe...
Riverview School Board to interview candidates Aug. 14 for 2 vacancies
The Riverview School Board has two vacancies to fill. Superintendent Neil English said board members Jeanine Hurt-Robinson and Jane Miller have resigned from the panel. Their resignation letters weren’t immediately available. In an updated statement Wednesday, the district said that after consulting with the county department of elections, the school...
Young entrepreneurs featured at Plum’s Monday Market
Talk about a gift that keeps on giving, and teaches a life lesson, to boot. “I wanted a bike last year, and instead, my dad bought me a log splitter,” 11-year-old Wyatt Sheaffer said. “And to buy my bike, I just split a lot of wood and make some money.”...
New Kensington-Arnold teacher advances to principal of H.D. Berkey Elementary
A New Kensington-Arnold elementary teacher has been advanced to principal. Brian Heidenreich is the new principal of H.D. Berkey Elementary, the district’s first and second grade school in Arnold. He replaces Nicole Roberts, who retired. Heidenreich was hired at a prorated salary of $84,356. He was chosen from six candidates,...
Free backpack giveaway Thursday welcomes all Kiski Area students
Nothing screams back-to-school like a new backpack. Kiski Area School District faculty, staff and volunteers are making sure any students enrolled in the district have access to a new backpack this year with a free giveaway event Thursday at Kiski Area High School. The Back to School Backpack Bash, in...
Churches unite to host back-to-school block party for students in Leechburg
A new scholastic-themed street party is coming to Leechburg. The inaugural Back 2 School Block Party will welcome students from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday along Main Street, between First and Second streets, for free food, refreshments, games and more. Music will be provided by DJ Jonathan. The event...
The Stroller, Aug. 9, 2023: 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. Volunteers needed at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley Animal Protectors of...
Highlands High School band holds annual Pie Night
The Highlands High School Varsity Marching Band held its annual Pie Night Tuesday at Golden Rams Stadium, Harrison. The $5 donation included a slice of pie, drink and a performance by the marching band....
Lower Burrell man denies sex assault, gun charges
A Lower Burrell man denied to a Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday that he had sexual contact with a preteen girl who claimed she was molested. “I did nothing close to anything like that,” Edgar Lee Williams testified during the second day of his trial in which a now teen-age...
Boat dock leases terminated in Tarentum
Boaters demanded answers from Tarentum Council on Tuesday night regarding future leases at the riverfront, but most people didn’t like what they heard. Council voted to terminate dock leases on Oct. 31 due to aged utilities, safety issues and legal concerns. The move infuriated longtime boaters who said they’ve poured...
Breakfast program impacts student health, participation in school, leaders say
Gov. Josh Shapiro spent his lunch hour Tuesday at Penn Hills Elementary School talking about breakfast. The recently approved state budget includes a $46.5 million increase for the Universal Free Breakfast Program, resulting in morning meals for the state’s 1.7 million public school students. Funding will level the playing field...
