Valley News Dispatch category, Page 322

He was called “Mr. Consumer” for his advocacy in the state House of Representatives. C.L. Schmitt, who served in the Pennsylvania Legislature from 1964-80, was always in the forefront of battling banking, utility and medical interests to the benefit of his middle-class constituents. Schmitt represented the 54th legislative district, based...

Doreen Smeal could have used all the free time she had after retiring four years ago to do the things she put off while commuting daily for 39 years to her banking job in Pittsburgh. And while the Leechburg native carves out time to spend with her grandchildren and pursue...

State police in Kittanning are searching for a man who is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling multiple women. Zachary William Baum, 24, of Kittanning is facing several charges, including rape, corruption of minors, strangulation, harassment, indecent assault, simple assault, open lewdness, harassment and disseminating photos or videos of child...

The 2022 Labor United Celebration is returning to Northmoreland Park. The annual two-day festival celebrates the history and tradition of organized labor in Western Pennsylvania. The event kicks off Sunday, Sept. 4 in Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township and runs through Labor Day. This year, there are no covid restrictions,...

Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Dance planned for young adults with special needs A dance for young...

A 1-year-old child fell out of a window Tuesday in Plum, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers were dispatched about 6:30 p.m. to the 100 block of Winchester Drive. Police said the child was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities did not specify if it was a boy...

Concerns about air quality, water contamination, environmental pollution and truck traffic were recurring themes as people spoke Tuesday against a Delmont company operating a natural gas well in Plum. Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to convert an existing conventional, shallow natural gas well at its Sedat facility, 1815 Old Leechburg Road,...

A strike has been averted at a Lower Burrell nursing home and 17 others across the state after a tentative contract was reached between the company and the union representing its employees. But workers at 18 additional nursing homes operated by other companies involved in contract talks, including ones in...

A Harrison man faces a felony count of illegal transfer of a firearm after, police say, he didn’t tell authorities about his criminal record when he tried to buy a gun at a sporting goods store. In addition to the felony charge, Zakery Boreland, 24, of the 400 block of...

Five ramshackle structures in Brackenridge are expected to be razed this fall, and council is eyeing another seven to follow. It’s the first push in an effort to remove blight, clean the community and lay the groundwork for redevelopment. “It’s going to be fantastic,” Councilman Dino Lopreiato said. “They’ve been...

When Nicole Porterfield-Miller opens her breakfast restaurant, Cafe Nikki P, in New Kensington, it will be the realization of a dream. It started with a hobby making fruit and vegetable trays that she turned into a side business. “I never thought I could open a restaurant. I didn’t think that...

A woman was arrested on her birthday after a clerk at the Marathon station in Harmar accused her of threatening to shoot him if he didn’t pay for her candy and then fighting with him when he tried to stop her from walking out with a pack of cigarettes. Samantha...

A North Hills man is accused of decapitating the bird on a custom-made sign at Woodpeckers Pub & Grub in Upper Burrell and driving off with it as a souvenir. Matthew John Hoch, 33, of McIntyre Road in Richland Township was charged with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen...

Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Dogs and owners welcome at annual HOPE Center fundraiser The annual Mutts,...

Logans Ferry Road in Plum may reopen to traffic earlier than expected, a PennDOT spokesman said Monday. The heavily traveled road between Entrance Drive and Columbia Road near New Kensington has been closed since Aug. 2 while a contractor works to repair a landslide. The closure has forced the more...

More than two dozen bands are scheduled to perform for the annual Band Blast at Memorial Park in New Kensington this year. The lineup consists of 11 bands performing on the main stage and 16 acoustic acts on the second stage. “This is the biggest lineup we’ve ever had for...

John Fiorina remembers the first time he became aware of Kevin the Peacock. He was walking along the road where he would eventually live when he heard something that he said sounded like a pterodactyl. The flashy and sometimes noisy bird can be heard most mornings at 4 a.m. or...

Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. HOPE Center shares wish list for clients The Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center,...

A music festival in West Deer, celebrating its 15th year, is gearing up for its annual two-day event Sept. 3 and 4. Corbriwoodstock, inspired by the iconic 1969 Woodstock, got its name from its location at a farmhouse at 36 Corbriwood Lane. The inaugural festival was held in 2008 on...

Over the course of Craig Johns­ton’s 20-year engineering career, the thought of becoming a teacher often crossed his mind. But it wasn’t until 2020 — months before the covid-19 pandemic would shut down most aspects of day-to-day life — that Johnston took the leap. In January of that year, Johnston...

An Alle-Kiski Valley native died in Armstrong County last week when something inside a burn barrel he was using exploded. Mark Liti, 48, was struck by debris in the explosion Tuesday and later died at ACMH Hospital. “He was a great family guy,” his brother, Chris Liti, told Tribune-Review news...

A new Brackenridge public works building could break ground by mid-2023 if the borough lands a $600,000 state gambling revenue grant. Council applied for a Local Share Account grant, funded by state gambling tax revenues, but will have to wait a few months before hearing back, engineer Gordon Taylor said....

Tarentum’s new manager, Dwight Boddorf, feels he is joining the borough at the perfect time. “It seems like there’s a good connection between council, businesses and residents, and I want to be part of the growing success,” said Boddorf, 35, who serves as Stowe Township administrator. His first day in...

Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Hometown Christmas production seeking performers Rehearsals will begin Thursday for the 25th...

A man who isn’t old enough to have a handgun has been ordered to stand trial on felony charges because, authorities say, Kiski Township police officers found a pistol with a rubbed-out serial number, a rifle and a crossbow when they searched his car. District Judge James Andring ordered Lucas...