Valley News Dispatch category, Page 310
Police: Kiski Township man faces multiple felony charges for repeated sexual assault of young child
Kiski Township police charged a man with six felony counts after he was accused of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13. Wayne Lawrence Birch Jr., 53, of Hazel Drive faces felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child under the...
Alle-Kiski Valley pitches in donations for family of slain Brackenridge Chief McIntire
Organizers said they raised thousands of dollars for the family of fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire during a roadside collection Saturday. Hosted by Pioneer Hose Company of Brackenridge and the Harrison Police Department, more than a dozen volunteers collected donations from passersby on Freeport Road at stops near Morgan...
Plum Council to act on plans for new Sheetz
Plum Council is expected to vote Monday on plans for a new Sheetz on Golden Mile Highway. The convenience store and gas station would be built along Presque Isle Drive at what is today Presque Isle Plaza. A Kings restaurant in the plaza closed in September. The building that housed...
Leechburg man accused of burglarizing woman’s house, pushing her down steps charged with felony
Leechburg police charged a man with burglary and assault after his former girlfriend accused him of breaking into her house and then pushing her down a flight of steps. Donovan Gary Dwire, 30, of the 300 block of Market Street in Leechburg was charged with a felony count of burglary...
Harrison police accuse home improvement contractor of taking money up front for work that wasn’t done
Harrison police have charged a home improvement contractor with half a dozen felony counts after two residents reported that they paid him money up front for work he never completed. Jason Raymond Mager, 46, of the 400 block of Ridge Avenue in Springdale faces two counts each of making false...
State Rep. Steele secures state grant for emergency alert system in Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum
The police manhunt in Brackenridge on Monday unfolded over hours into a frantic scene that drew dozens of police from across the region, but residents were largely kept in the dark about what was happening. Later that afternoon, Chief Justin McIntire was ambushed by suspect Aaron Lamont Swan Jr. between...
The Stroller, Jan. 7, 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. Penguin ticket raffle to benefit Animal Protectors Animal Protectors of Allegheny...
Death penalty sought against father of slain New Kensington child
Westmoreland County prosecutors have filed court documents that indicate they will seek the death penalty against the father of a young boy who was killed last spring in New Kensington. Jean J. Charles, 40, of Brackenridge was charged in September, about four months after the body of his 9-year-old son,...
State police program for teens: Training the troopers of tomorrow
Fifteen teenagers from Westmoreland and Fayette counties spent 15 weeks in a state police training program last year getting a taste of what life would be like if they opt for a career in law enforcement. They were cautioned that they would work long hours for low pay, likely face...
Sold out: Tarentum police was selling blue porch light bulbs to benefit slain Brackenridge police chief’s family
The Tarentum Police Department was selling blue porch light bulbs from 6 to 7 Friday to assist the family of the late Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire. They sold out 124 blubs within 15 minutes. The bulbs were on sale online and outside of the borough building and police station,...
West Deer readies to build new $10 million municipal building
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the project completion date. West Deer officials expect the construction of a new municipal building to begin this year and be completed in the fall of 2024. The project is expected to cost just under $10 million, according to township Manager...
Another Dollar General store could be on the way in Plum
Dollar General is considering opening a third store in Plum. The store would be built on vacant land along Saltsburg Road at Clements Road. The borough’s Zoning Hearing Board was scheduled to hold a hearing relating to parking spaces at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the municipal center, 2000 Old Mine...
Vandergrift library to offer free job-search workshop
Anyone who is looking to land a new job can get some pointers during a free workshop at the Vandergrift Public Library. Representatives from PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski will host the workshop Jan. 11 to teach participants interviewing and job-searching skills, along with resume-building tips. PA CareerLink, a nonprofit based in...
Effort underway to ‘Flood Freeport Road’ in honor of fallen Chief Justin McIntire
A Tarentum man who credits Justin McIntire with saving his life plans to honor the late Brackenridge chief with a proper farewell. Bill Pacek of Tarentum will be among thousands who are expected to “Flood Freeport Road” during a funeral procession Wednesday , Jan. 11 for the fallen chief. “It’s...
The Stroller, Jan. 6, 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. Library announces annual Quilt Show Community Library of Allegheny Valley will...
Hundreds gather in Brackenridge to honor Chief Justin McIntire
A squadron of Pittsburgh police motorcycles roared down Morgan Street in Brackenridge just before 7 p.m. Thursday to lead a procession for fallen borough police Chief Justin McIntire. Rounding the corner onto First Avenue, their sirens wailed to greet a crowd of about 1,000 people who converged at Brackenridge Memorial...
Brackenridge names officer-in-charge; Steele releases $75k in state money for police department
As a crowd gathered blocks from the Brackenridge municipal office Thursday to honor slain police Chief Justin McIntire, council met briefly to name an officer-in-charge of the small department. Members appointed Sgt. Mike Duffy to head the three-member force. Duffy did not attend the meeting. It was not clear when...
Official fund set up for family of slain Brackenridge police chief
An official fund to benefit the family of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire has been set up by the Fraternal Order of Police. Lodge No. 39 of the FOP represents Brackenridge police officers, among others in the Alle-Kiski Valley. To donate, checks can be made out to Fraternal Order of...
Sarver VFC treasurer faces felony charges after $150K is stolen from fire company
Editor’s note: This story was update Saturday, Jan. 7 to include a statement from the fire company. State police accused the treasurer of the Sarver Volunteer Fire Company in Buffalo Township of stealing nearly $150,000 over a seven-year period by making unauthorized cash withdrawals from ATMs. William Richard George, 66,...
Deer Lakes Middle School wins national award
Deer Lakes Middle School has been named one of the state’s “Schools to Watch,” which is a statewide recognition that is part of a larger national program. The school was one of three schools in the state to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch Program...
The Stroller, Jan. 5, 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. NK church offers kids clothing closet The Kids Closet at The...
‘They’re not going to leave him’: Brackenridge officers keep watch over fallen chief
Police officers from across Western Pennsylvania are keeping watch over Brackenridge, as the borough’s own officers stand guard over their fallen chief. At least one officer from Brackenridge has remained alongside Chief Justin McIntire’s body since he was killed in the line of duty Monday. “There has been at least...
Indiana Township officials hold the line on taxes in 2023
Indiana Township property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes this year as part of the town’s budget. Supervisors unanimously voted last month to approve the 2023 spending plan and hold the line on taxes at 3.47 mills, of which 2.99 mills is designated for the...
Tarentum officer injured in shootout released from hospital, healing at home
Tarentum police Officer Jordan Schrecengost got to eat breakfast in his own home Wednesday after being shot in the leg during a frenzied and fatal manhunt in Brackenridge earlier this week. “He’s doing well,” Tarentum Mayor Bob Lang said. “He’s in some pain, but he’s out of the hospital.” Lang...
Vigil for Brackenridge chief set for Thursday; yard signs also available
The late Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire will be honored with a community vigil Thursday at the same community park where he played as a child. People are invited to attend the candlelight event at 7 p.m. in Brackenridge Memorial Park along First Avenue. “It’s really just a time for...
