Valley News Dispatch category, Page 263
Eureka Hose, Unity and Holiday Park firefighters score $430K for new air packs
Unity Volunteer Fire Department in Plum is still repaying a loan it took out in 2008 to buy breathing packs for its 25 members. “Can we afford it? No,” Chief P.J. Mudar said. “Is it something we have to do? Yes.” The worst part is that before they’re even paid...
The Stroller, Aug. 14, 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. Free acoustic concert scheduled in Harrison Hills Park Jimbo Jackson will...
‘A humbling responsibility’: Rustic Ridge’s Greg Renko leads neighbors through tragedyVideo
Greg Renko bounced from one house to the next on Sunday, one neighbor to the next, one phone call to the next. He consoled them. Answered their questions. Offered whatever insight he could provide, both as Rustic Ridge Estates Home Owners Association president and as an Allegheny County Police officer...
‘We’re so lucky’: Family forced from home after Plum explosion grateful to be aliveVideo
Jeremy Rogers arrived back in his Rustic Ridge Estates neighborhood Sunday morning, unsure what he would find. When he left Saturday, his neighbor’s house was still smoldering, having been consumed hours earlier by a fire that quickly spread when a neighboring home exploded. The Rogers family home, at 145 Rustic...
Rustic Ridge explosion sends different kind of shock wave through Plum’s Holiday Park section
A lot on Hialeah Drive in Plum’s Holiday Park neighborhood where a house exploded and burned in April 2022 is just a grassy space between two other homes today. Since the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office released the scene, it’s been cleaned up and sold, with a new house expected...
Cause of Plum house explosion could take months or years to find, authorities say
Five people, four adults and one child, died in a massive house explosion in Plum on Saturday, borough police Chief Lanny Conley said at a news conference Sunday. None of the victims from the incident that destroyed three houses and damaged scores of others on Rustic Ridge Drive have yet...
Outpouring of support for victims of Plum house explosion
A deluge of donations poured into the Plum community to benefit victims of a devastating house explosion Saturday that killed five people. “My daughter gathered her money and wanted to donate,” said Donna Colamarino of Plum as her daughter Sophia, 9, placed money into a marked basket Sunday morning at...
Remembering father and son who died in Plum explosion: Casey and Keegan Clontz ‘loved by so many’
Casey and Keegan Clontz were darn-near inseparable. Keegan, just 12 years old, was known as his dad’s shadow. In particular, they loved the outdoors, especially the times they spent together hunting and fishing. Casey and Keegan Clontz of Plum died Saturday when a house on Rustic Ridge Drive suddenly exploded...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Aug. 3-9, 2023
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, the Tribune-Review’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate,...
Building the Valley: New Kensington couple offer elevated dining experiences at Jillian’s Restaurant
Philip Call and Jillian Ludwiczak are happy to have diners spend quality time enjoying meals at their New Kensington restaurant. They’re not in any hurry to turn tables over. And now, servers won’t have to waste any of that time explaining the restaurant’s name to customers, which was, thanks to...
Monarch Hospice to host bereavement walk
A Lower Burrell hospice care provider will hold its traditional walk and celebration of life this fall for those who have lost loved ones within the past year. The fourth annual Memorial Walk and Celebration of Life, sponsored by Monarch Hospice, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept....
The Stroller, Aug. 13, 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. Lenny Collini 4Pack to play in Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park Tarentum...
Leechburg celebrates back to school with block party
Leechburg-area students got a warm welcome back to school Saturday on Main Street. Sponsored by the Leechburg Ministerial Association, families and community members descended upon the inaugural Back 2 School Block Party for free school supplies, food, refreshments, games and more. “I am amazed to see how much our community...
Volunteer fire companies strive to increase numbers with youth outreach, incentives, marketing
Volunteer fire departments are nearing a breaking point. About 37,000 firefighters suit up every day in Pennsylvania, according to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. That’s down tenfold from the 1970s, when there were about 300,000 firefighters. “That’s close to a crisis in my mind,” said New Kensington fire...
Remember When: Life was different during the Cold War era, nuclear arms race
With the recent release of the hit movie “Oppenheimer,” many older Alle-Kiski Valley residents are reflecting on life in the 1950s and ’60s during the Cold War and the threat of nuclear attack. The term Cold War was invented by English writer George Orwell for an article in the Tribune,...
Death toll rises to 4 in Plum house explosion, stuns bedroom community
A house explosion in Plum on Saturday killed at least four people and injured several others, sending shock waves throughout a community that has been stricken by similar explosions in the past. Authorities announced the revised death toll at a press conference late Saturday. Officials did not release the victims’...
Plum has history of house explosions
There have been at least two previous house explosions in Plum since 2008, both in the Holiday Park neighborhood. The most recent was April 22, 2022, at 5021 Hialeah Drive. A couple and their three sons who lived there survived. As of September, the cause of the explosion had not...
Death toll rises to 4 in Plum house explosion; 3 homes destroyed
A house exploded in Plum late Saturday morning, killing four people and injuring several others. Authorities announced the revised death toll at a press conference late Saturday. Officials did not release the victims’ identities, ages or genders, where they were found or where they died. They said another person is...
The Stroller, Aug. 12, 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. Cornhole, card tournament to honor fallen Brackenridge Chief McIntire The Chief...
Freeport Area School District cuts deficit by more than half, thanks to state budget passage
The school subsidies included in the recently passed state budget reduces Freeport Area School District’s operating deficit by more than half. District Business Manager Brad Walker told the school board Wednesday the district will receive state allocations of $7.91 million for general education aid and $1.32 million for special education....
Tarentum kicks off junior council program, seeks Highlands student
High school juniors and seniors who live in Tarentum will have a chance to see firsthand how local governments operate through a new program starting this fall. The borough is implementing a “junior councilperson” program through which teens with an interest in politics can engage in local lawmaking and develop...
Community comes out for St. Margaret Mary Parish Festival of Friendship
The annual St. Margaret Mary Parish Festival of Friendship began Friday night at the Leechburg Road church in Lower Burrell. The event features children’s games, bingo, a basket raffle with a 50/50 drawing and eight food vendors. The event will continue Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. with more live...
Sheldon Park holds 26th annual Community Day
Residents of Sheldon Park held their 26th annual Community Day on Friday outside of the Hayden Community Center in Harrison. Among the scheduled attractions for kids were pony rides, face painting, caricatures, a bouncy house, and foam machine. Sheldon Park is operated by the Allegheny County Housing Authority. It is...
Inspection to restrict traffic on Hulton Bridge
Traffic will be restricted on the Hulton Bridge next week, PennDOT announced Friday. There will be lane restrictions on the bridge in each direction between Freeport Road in Harmar and Second Street in Oakmont from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, restrictions will not happen in both...
Fox Chapel Rotary golf outing to benefit Foxwall EMS
Hitting the links for the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area’s Charity Golf Classic could be a lifesaving proposition this year, members said. Proceeds benefit Foxwall Emergency Medical Services, which responds to more than 1,000 calls a year in Aspinwall, Fox Chapel and the surrounding communities. Registration is open for...
