Valley News Dispatch category, Page 3
New business workshop coming to Lower Burrell
For potential entrepreneurs looking to get in on Lower Burrell’s business district, an upcoming informational session may be a great first step, said Councilwoman Carley Logan. On April 16 the Lower Burrell New Business Workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Fisher Hall at Burrell Lake Park. Logan, who...
World War II veteran and longtime Alle-Kiski Valley resident had zest for life
Paul Shadle Sr.’s time on Earth wasn’t without hardship, but the longtime Plum resident “truly enjoyed” his life, according to family. Shadle died March 15 in Lower Burrell, barely a month after celebrating his 100th birthday. He served during World War II in the 69th Infantry Division at the Battle...
The Stroller, March 19, 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. Luck of the Irish...
Skating into science: STEAM program in New Kensington helps thwart girls’ science, math decline
Sofia Melani and Lucia Cicconi are driven to help girls claim their place in STEAM-related fields because they realize the importance behind that mission. Data shows middle school is the age when interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) declines for girls at a much faster rate than...
Tarentum Night Market may avoid being canceled
The lights may be back on this summer for the Tarentum Night Market. Late Tuesday, market officials announced on Facebook it would be canceled for the 2026 season. It was later found the market could not afford required liability insurance, and it would not be awarded a permit by Tarentum...
Springdale Police plan youth movie night
Springdale Police will host its first youth movie night at the borough building Friday. The “Badges and Bites” event is the first of several planned movie nights organized by the police department and Councilman Joe Kern. Kern said the department is still determining what film to screen. The free show...
Springdale borough manager resigns after stormy 9-month tenure
Springdale is searching for a new borough manager after Terry Carcella, who had served as manager since last May, resigned ahead of council’s meeting Tuesday night. Carcella said he submitted his resignation last week but declined to offer a reason for his departure. He said he did not plan to...
Tarentum buys more power for its distribution grid
Tarentum Council has approved agreements with two power generators in an effort to mitigate the skyrocketing costs of obtaining electricity. The agreements will help ensure capacity for the borough-owned power grid while trying to steady the cost to consumers, Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said. He said that capacity is defined...
Washington Township approves fees on skill game machines
The Washington Township Supervisors are levying a fee on owners of electric skill game machines that offer monetary payouts. By a 2-0 vote with chairman Rich Gardner absent, the supervisors approved an ordinance that levies annual fees on the machines. Mechanical skill games look similar to slot machines and are...
The Stroller, March 18, 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. Safety town camp planned...
Still little word from Springdale officials on ICE agreement as residents protestVideo
For the second straight council meeting, Springdale Borough officials stayed mum about the police department’s agreement to cooperate with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The cooperation agreement with ICE resulted in the arrest of a Peru-born resident, Randy Cordova-Flores, more than a month ago. Like February’s council meeting, council...
Weekend’s high winds lead to brush fires across region, proactive response from fire departments
High winds in southwestern Pennsylvania had first responders on high alert over the weekend, and the concerns went beyond downed trees and power lines. Brush fires were reported in Indiana Township, Tarentum, Reserve, Unity Township, Hempfield and other local municipalities. The potential for the high winds to carry a spark...
Lower Burrell walking club takes steps to boost community connections
Lower Burrell’s new walking club will foster community connection, nature appreciation and health benefits, according to walking host Lindsay Taylor. In early April, Lower Burrell’s Nature Neighbor Walking Club will hold its first meeting at Burrell Lake Park. An official date will be announced on the Lower Burrell Parks and...
Fire hydrants headed to Harmar neighborhood after resident concerns
After a fire gutted a riverside home in Harmar’s Werner Camp neighborhood last summer, one neighbor called the lack of fire hydrants on the property Werner Camp’s “Achilles’ heel.” It meant that fire crews had to shut down Freeport Road and a set of railroad tracks to drag hundreds of...
New retail space planned in Harmar in place of demolished church
Geoffrey Alexander, the owner of Harmar’s One Alexander Center, says he’s planning to add retail space along Freeport Road at the site of the former St. Francis of Assisi Church. He said crews finished demolishing the church early this month. The small church had been closed since 2024, according to...
Macy’s at Pittsburgh Mills selling off fixtures, shelves as clearance sale continuesVideo
A new closing sale of sorts has started at Macy’s at Pittsburgh Mills. The anchor store, which announced its plans to leave the Frazer mall this spring, is selling its store fixtures, shelving units and more. A post on Facebook marketplace lists tables, holiday decor, art, clothes and accessory racks,...
Young Leechburg entrepreneurs take over Boulder Landscape, Excavation and Supply
Be it residential lawn care or an industrial project, folks in the Leechburg and Gilpin area will be seeing some familiar faces as the weather heats up. Leechburg natives Chace Wadsworth, 23, and John Wagner, 24, are cornering the local market in landscaping services. The men have worked together since...
The Stroller, March 17, 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. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!...
Fox Chapel Council approves new police policy, resolution limiting interactions with ICE
Fox Chapel officials have approved a new police department policy and borough resolution limiting interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Council unanimously voted Monday, March 16, to approve the policy. However, its members voted 4-1-2 on the resolution. Council President Andrew Bennett dissented. Council Vice President Harrison Lauer and...
Lower Burrell man to seek insanity defense in fatal shooting of Mogie’s Irish Pub tavern owner
A Lower Burrell man accused of killing a popular tavern owner plans to use an insanity defense at his murder trial. Nathan Salem, 47, is scheduled for trial in Westmoreland County court in June for the Dec. 21, 2023, fatal shooting of David “Mogie” Magill. Prosecutors say Magill, 64, was...
Kotecki Dog Park closed as safety precaution
High winds over the weekend caused a pole at the Kotecki Dog Park in Lower Burrell to lean far enough that officials decided to close the park Monday and Tuesday out of “an abundance of caution.” Mayor Chris Fabry said it doesn’t look like the pole will fall, but the...
Verona shooting was targeted, police say
A shooting Sunday night in Verona was not a random act of violence, according to borough police Chief Thomas Dessell. “This was targeted,” Dessell said. As of Monday morning, police had not identified a suspect, he said. First responders were called around 10:20 p.m. to the 500 block of Vogels...
Freeport Area School District eyeing options as budget deficit looms
Freeport Area School District officials are looking at a possible $180,000 deficit as the June 30 budget deadline approaches. That is the message Brad Walker, district business manager, recently delivered to the school board. “That is based on no new local revenue to our funds,” Walker said. The district has...
Parking temporarily prohibited on East 10th Avenue in Tarentum
Parking is prohibited along East 10th Avenue in Tarentum on Monday. A. Liberoni, Inc. will be working on manholes along the stretch, from Ross Street to Prospect Cemetery. It comes on the heels of PennDOT issuing emergency repairs Saturday for the pothole-riddled, state-owned road. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said last...
Freeport Area School District prepares to shift admin roles
Freeport Area School District is preparing to shift administrators in anticipation of a planned retirement. Larry Robb, who has served as Freeport Area’s program director since 2010, will retire effective June 30, according to school board President Gary Risch Jr. To fill the vacancy, the school board promoted Timothy Walters,...
