Valley News Dispatch category, Page 270
Neighbors stunned by Harrison nurse’s arrest
Some colleagues who worked with Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee referred to her as the “Angel of Death,” according to one former co-worker. “Things continued to happen with her patients — rapid response calls and ‘code blue’ calls — more often than what anyone would consider normal,” said Adam Kissell, 29,...
Harrison nurse charged with homicide of 2 patients worked at 11 medical facilities in the past 5 years
The Harrison woman charged by state authorities with allegedly killing two patients and injuring a third while she cared for them as a nurse had worked in 11 Western Pennsylvania medical facilities since 2018. Heather Pressdee, 40, faces the following charges, according to court records: two counts of homicide, one...
Highlands students dunk teachers to benefit the Foster Love Project
Spring Sanity was unleashed Thursday at Highlands High School, and students got to take their best shot at teachers — by dunking them in a 5-foot water tank. The teens took a break from Keystone testing and final exams for a two-day, fun-filled outdoor event in the courtyard. Spring Sanity...
Harrison doctor ordered to stand trial on accusation he touched woman inappropriately during exam
A physician with a practice in Harrison has been ordered to stand trial on charges he improperly touched a 29-year-old woman while examining her. Mohan Patel, 69, of the 400 block of Jamesborough Drive in Fox Chapel was charged May 11 by Allegheny County Police with misdemeanor counts of indecent...
Renowned economist John Taylor to speak at alma mater, Shady Side Academy, graduation
When renowned Stanford economist John Taylor takes the stage at Shady Side Academy’s commencement June 2, he’ll urge students to continue to pursue education and maintain a mix of work and pleasure throughout their lives. “Don’t be discouraged by the occasional let-down after a change,” Taylor plans to tell the...
Freeport Area drama students pull in 6 Mancini awards
The cast, crew and staff of Freeport Area Senior High School’s 2023 spring musical production of “No, No, Nanette” reached a milestone Sunday. Freeport won six awards at the Henry Mancini Awards, an annual event honoring and celebrating excellence in high school musical theater in Butler, Lawrence, Beaver and Mercer...
Lawsuit claims Leechburg school officials failed to protect 8th grader from being raped in restroom
The mother of a former middle school student alleges in a lawsuit filed against the Leechburg Area School District that a lack of supervision during an after-school program allowed another student to rape her daughter in a school bathroom in 2021. The civil lawsuit filed in Armstrong County Court by...
State narcotics agents accuse Vandergrift men of exchanging guns for crystal meth
State narcotics agents accused a Vandergrift man of buying guns from shops in Westmoreland and Armstrong counties and then using them to pay for the crystal methamphetamine he was selling. James Bernard Wolfe, 30, of the 100 block of Farragut Avenue faces 15 felony gun charges along with counts of...
Class of 2023 graduates from Plum
Plum High School graduates made their way onto the football field to thunderous applause at the start of the commencement ceremony May 24. Bleachers were packed with family and friends of the 268 diploma recipients. School board representative Lauren Price delivered some opening remarks. The chamber choir performed the national...
Harrison nurse charged in deaths of 2 patients, injuries to another
A Harrison woman is charged with killing two patients and injuring a third while she cared for them as a nurse. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges Thursday against Heather Pressdee, 40, who is accused of administering unnecessary doses of insulin to patients, resulting in the deaths of two...
Vandergrift community garden kicks off planting season, seeks volunteers
A gardening group in Vandergrift is looking to recruit a few green thumbs. Members of the Vandergrift Parent Project gathered Sunday to prep, weed, dig, plant and water new plants in the 2023 Vandergrift Community Garden. Located in Franklin Park at 284 Franklin Ave., the garden is in its fourth...
The Stroller, May 25, 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. Freeport golf outing to benefit library, scholarships The Freeport College Club...
2023 Memorial Day events in the A-K Valley
All events are on May 29 unless otherwise noted. Apollo Apollo Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 will sponsor a program at 9 a.m. in Apollo Plaza. Brackenridge The American Legion will have a ceremony at noon in Brackenridge Park, First Avenue. Guests will include the Highlands High School Marching Band,...
Questions surround timing of vote for new Harrison police chief
The Harrison Commissioners didn’t break the law but they appear to have violated the intent of the state’s Open Meetings law when they voted during last week’s agenda meeting to hire the township’s new police chief, according to an attorney for the PA NewsMedia Association. “Residents and taxpayers expect and...
Stair climb: Harrison native to showcase images of steps at Oakmont Carnegie Library
Paola Corso is always looking to take the next step. The Harrison native writes about and photographs staircases not only for their beauty, but for their functional use as a journey to get from one place to another. “I am always looking for steps,” said Corso, who lives in Brooklyn,...
Harmar police say surveillance photo used to track down man accused of thefts from Target
Harmar police accused a man of stealing more than $1,500 from the Target store in the township after images from surveillance video were used to find a match with a booking photo from a previous arrest, according to investigators. Jonathan Lee Neal, 22, of the 500 block of South Trenton...
Leechburg Area Pool won’t receive 2nd half of pledged covid-relief money from Gilpin
An effort to raise money for a new water slide at Leechburg Area Pool is causing a splash in Gilpin. In a post Wednesday to the pool’s Facebook page, pool secretary Steve Senjan, a former Gilpin supervisor, criticized Gilpin officials for not following through on their $25,000 pledge to the...
New Kensington Bridging the Gap graduates prepare for brighter futures
Gabrielle Ham sees so much potential in the students she mentored over the past 12 weeks even if, at first, they didn’t see it themselves. Ham, director of Bridging the Gap at the New Kensington Salvation Army, said some of those kids were told the program was “for the bad...
The Stroller, May 24, 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. Amateur Astronmers plan at free star parties Amateur Astronomers Association of...
Long musical road comes to an end for O’Hara’s Craig Cannon
O’Hara musician Craig Cannon is moving into his next, possibly best, chapter. The man synonymous with music across the Lower Allegheny Valley is hanging up his vocal hat, or at least the daily grind of it all. Cannon, who retired as choral director in 2013 from the Fox Chapel Area...
Long-awaited Harrison Hills dog park scheduled to open Thursday
Harrison resident Cindy Fantuzzo has a date Thursday with her goldendoodle puppy, Willow. The pair will celebrate the opening of the long-awaited dog park at Harrison Hills, the 500-acre Allegheny County-owned park off Freeport Road in Harrison. “So many people have been anxiously waiting for it to open,” said Fantuzzo,...
Plum School Board to discuss needs, cost of work at O’Block, middle schools
The Plum School Board will discuss how to pay for work at two of the district’s schools during a meeting in June. The board also will address priorities at Plum Middle and O’Block Elementary schools, separating needs from wants, board President Michael Devine said. “I can tell you off the...
Oakmont to relaunch pedestrian safety committee; volunteers wanted
Oakmont officials plan to restore the borough’s pedestrian safety committee. Councilman John Arnold announced the intent to relaunch the volunteer group at a May 15 meeting. He said the deplorable condition of borough sidewalks is the main reason he wants more people involved in finding possible solutions and grants for...
Police say Verona man punched nurse at Allegheny Valley Hospital
A Verona man who was arrested three times this year for allegedly causing problems at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison is accused of punching an emergency room nurse who tried to give him a covid test. John Meckel, 51, of the 400 block of Seldon Avenue was charged by Highmark...
Harrison names Sgt. Brian Turack as new police chief
Harrison has a new police chief for the first time in nearly three decades. Sgt. Brian Turack, a member of the department for about 12 years, was hired by township commissioners during their agenda meeting May 16, Commissioner Jim Erb said. Turack starts in the new role July 1, replacing...
