Valley News Dispatch category, Page 313
Freeport to receive $1.5 million from federal budget for new sewage plant
With the congressional passage of the federal 2023 spending bill, Freeport secured $1.5 million to help pay for its new sewage treatment plant estimated to cost $16.9 million. The Freeport project was included in the $1.7 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2023. Both the U.S. Senate and House passed the...
The Stroller, Dec. 27, 2022: 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. Students invited to develop engagement strategy for PennDOT The Pennsylvania Department...
Dollar General accuses Parks’ store manager of stealing bank deposits
The store manager for the Dollar General in Parks Township faces multiple felony counts after a company official accused him of stealing more than $2,000 that was supposed to be deposited in the bank. Robert Thomas Carter, 38, of Emerson Street Court in Vandergrift was charged with felony burglary, criminal...
Police say drunk Unity man tried to steal cop car after crash in Oklahoma Borough with off-duty officer
State police said a Unity man was drunk when he wrecked into an off-duty police officer in Oklahoma Borough and then tried to escape by stealing a police cruiser. Richard Allen Wilden, 32, of the 900 block of Rolling Meadows Drive was charged with a felony count of attempted theft...
Springdale approves budget with no tax hikes
Property taxes in Springdale will remain the same next year. The $2.8 million 2023 budget, adopted unanimously by council Tuesday, marks an increase of about 17% over the $2.4 million budget approved for 2022. However, $344,000 of that is set to be used for projects made possible through American Rescue...
Lower Burrell Legion Riders double as ‘family’ for Christmas dinner guests
Pierogis apparently aren’t a thing out west. Or, at least, they weren’t for Roberta MacKnight, who moved to Lower Burrell from New Mexico in June. MacKnight got her first taste of the Polish delicacy at a Christmas dinner hosted Sunday by the Legion Riders at Lower Burrell American Legion Post...
Burrell’s pre-apprenticeship program helps budding engineers, technical workers
For Noah Kleckner, a senior at Burrell High School who completed a pre-apprenticeship program at school, safety protocols for personal protection are huge. “You don’t want metal shavings in your eye,” he said. Kleckner, 19, of Lower Burrell earned seven state certifications in safety, quality, manufacturing and maintenance in Burrell’s...
The Stroller, Dec. 26, 2022: 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. HOPE Center accepting donations The Alle-Kiski HOPE Center is seeking donations...
The Stroller, Dec. 25, 2022: 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. Merry Christmas! “For it is good to be children sometimes, and...
Burrell educator might not be Pa.’s teacher of the year, but she’s still a local star
A Burrell School District geography teacher might have not won this year’s Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award, but she’s still a proud educator who is held in high esteem by her colleagues. Ashlee Peters-Roberts, a teacher at Charles A. Huston Middle School, was named one of 12 finalists for...
Cause of fire that destroyed Tarentum garage, damaged neighboring house on Christmas Eve under investigation
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a blaze that destroyed a garage and damaged a neighboring home in Tarentum on Saturday morning. Summit Hose Chief Josh Fox said the fire behind a home in the 200 block of West Ninth Avenue, along Sefts Way, in West Tarentum was...
Faces of the Valley: Plum Community Center’s new activities coordinator well-suited for job
Diana Kelly’s father says she can strike up a conversation and make friends with anyone, anywhere. “My father says I’m a people person because I love to talk with people,” she said. So Kelly’s father, Paul Nye, 82, thought it was great when she took a job as the activities...
Remember When: Congressman John Dent served 10 terms as an agent of change
At one time, Westmoreland County was, basically, its own U.S. Congressional District. And the most well-known person to hold the federal office in that era was John Dent. Dent served in Congress from 1958 to 1979, stepping down after 10 terms. He won a special election on Jan. 21, 1958,...
Lower Burrell police say stolen security cameras recorded the man who stole them
Lower Burrell police say a home’s security cameras recorded the man who stole them as he was carrying them away. In addition to the security cameras, police say, two pistols were stolen, along with an iPhone they were able to use to track him down. Naseam Lahmer, 30, of Lower...
Kiski Area School Board appoints 2 new members
Two new people are representing Region III of the Kiski Area School District. On Monday, the board voted to appoint Dawn Mellinger of Hyde Park and Jamie Szitas of Parks Township. Region III of the district includes Parks Township, the only Armstrong County community in the district, and Hyde Park,...
2 suffer injuries in Christmas Eve house fire in Freeport
Two people suffered minor injuries in a fire that damaged a Freeport house Saturday morning, Freeport’s fire chief said. A mail carrier reported a porch on fire in the 500 block of Franklin Street around 8:30 a.m., Chief Ryan Sweeny said. When firefighters arrived, Sweeny said the home’s residents and...
Retired teachers pitch in to provide fun ‘diversions’ for kids being treated at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrion
A trip to the emergency room or a longer stay in a hospital can cause stress and anxiety for anyone. But for kids who don’t have a clue about what’s going on with them, going to the hospital can be downright frightening. To help them cope in such situations, hospital...
The Stroller, Dec. 24, 2022: 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. Train display continues through Jan. 9 Bull Creek United Presbyterian Church,...
Hit-and-run driver leaves East Vandergrift family struggling for holidays
A hit-and-run driver left an East Vandergrift family in a holiday lurch after smashing into all four of their vehicles Tuesday outside their residence along Kennedy Avenue. Heather Bothell said she heard loud banging and crashing sounds about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday while in her home. Bothell immediately ran outside and...
Christmas traditions live on at Western Pa. churches
About 20 volunteers bustled about the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew parish in Crabtree one morning this week, converting the simple country church into an elaborately decorated sanctuary. Garlands and wreaths now hang from the balcony, as a decorated tree and Nativity scene fill the space. The group of helpers, primarily...
Plum telethon raises more than $57,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Everyone involved with Plum Borough School District’s 22nd annual Make-A-Wish Telethon figured the 2021 event would be a tough act to follow. After a year’s hiatus, the 2021 telethon returned to an enthusiastic response that took its cumulative fundraising total over the $1 million mark. Donors’ generosity continued in 2022,...
Lower Burrell police accuse woman of harassing neighbors, felony charge filed
A Lower Burrell woman was charged with a felony after police said they received multiple complaints that she was harassing her next-door neighbor. Shannan Lee Marie Dotto, 44, of the 7200 block of Guyer Road was charged by summons with felony and misdemeanor counts of stalking. She also was issued...
St. Margaret Foundation funds free shuttle for senior citizens in Alle-Kiski Valley
Senior citizens from Tarentum to Etna can get free rides to medical appointments thanks to support from the St. Margaret Foundation. The agency last week announced it again will fund an Alle-Kiski Valley shuttle with a $90,500 grant, as well as three other shuttles that transport people between grocery stores,...
Tarentum gets buy-in from resident to help fight blight
Residents of West 10th Avenue in Tarentum can look forward to the cleanup of a habitual eyesore and potential hazard. A buyer plans to pour $40,000 into renovations at 208 W. 10th Ave., Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni said. “This is a house that’s been vacant going on three years,”...
Kids for Kids fundraiser at Lower Burrell school rings up thousands for Children’s Hospital
Each year, students at Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell forgo having classroom holiday parties on the last day before Christmas break. Instead, they bring in their own toys, collectibles and handmade items to sell to other students and faculty to raise money for a charity. This year, the students...
