Valley News Dispatch category, Page 349
Armstrong County insurance agent accused of working with expired license, taking money for policy that wasn’t issued
An Armstrong County insurance agent will stand trial on charges that he operated with an expired license and took money from a customer for a policy that never was issued. The state attorney general charged Thomas John Scheeren, 41, of the 100 block of Sherwood Drive in East Franklin, with...
Small but mighty, Natrona riverfront trail opens
A small but vital trail link recently opened in Natrona to connect the community park with the Allegheny River shoreline. The strip of land — 10 feet wide and 100 feet long — provides a major impact. “It is critical,” said Bill Godfrey, president of the Natrona Comes Together advocacy...
The Stroller, Aug. 25, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Back-to-school bash set Saturday in Arnold park A back-to school bash will...
Students get fresh, free, back-to-school haircuts at New Kensington barbershop
The chairs at Urban Image were full Wednesday afternoon as a steady stream of area students stopped by the New Kensington barbershop for free haircuts just in time for the start of school. The haircuts, by appointment, were paid for by Carrie for PA — Carrie Lewis DelRosso for Lt....
East Vandergrift man to serve up to 5 years in prison for thefts, DUI and disarming of police
An East Vandrgrift man blamed heavy drinking and “wanting to buy things to tinker around with” as the reason he drained the bank accounts of a nursing home patient last year, according to police. John W. Ebner, 34, also stole a motorcycle and disarmed police officers trying to arrest him,...
Remember When: Railroads and their functioning structures left visible stamp on Alle-Kiski Valley
One of the key routes in the nation’s era of industrial prosperity cut through the Alle-Kiski Valley. The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1897, carried iron ore and coal from Conneaut, Ohio, to East Pittsburgh. It fed Carnegie’s Mon Valley steel mills with raw materials....
Highlands looks to combat poor student attendance with rewards, repercussions
Highlands High School Principal Laura Burns said students find greater success in the classroom when they attend school regularly. But getting kids to school appears to be a problem. Administrators are fighting to buoy dismal attendance rates at the high school, as data show that only about 70% of the...
Students in southern Butler County set to begin school year at district with new name
Students in six south Butler County communities will return to classes Thursday for a new school year under a new district name. More than a year ago, officials in the South Butler County School District began the process of changing the district’s name to Knoch School District. School officials said...
The Stroller, Aug. 24, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Super bingo to benefit Gilpin K9 officer A super bingo to benefit...
Investigation continues for car pulled from Allegheny River in Oakmont
Oakmont police are trying to find out who owns an old model Pontiac Firebird — and how it got into the Allegheny River. The submerged sports car was discovered upside down Tuesday afternoon by kayaker Ian Simmers, 13, of Verona. Ian said he was out on the river with his...
Renovations underway at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel
Cooper-Siegel Community Library created such a buzz when it opened 11 years ago that it lacked ample parking from day one. At long last, the facility along Fox Chapel Road is expanding its parking lot thanks to the purchase of an adjacent property for $350,000 using funds from a bequest...
Parkway East billboard features faces of people killed by fentanyl to raise awareness about drug’s danger
A billboard along the Parkway East a few miles east of Pittsburgh shows the faces of 92 people with a tragic connection. All of them died of fentanyl poisoning. “The fentanyl crisis is only getting worse in our country, and it’s not getting the coverage it needs to educate people,...
Building the Valley: Opening pizzeria in Leechburg a dream come true for Gilpin couple
Steve and Jamie Senjan of Gilpin always wanted to open a pizza shop. After five years of research, testing recipes and planning, their dream is a reality. The couple, married for 16 years, recently opened Leechburg Pizza Co. in Leechburg. The independent, family-owned eatery at 101 Market St. serves homemade...
New Kensington man charged with strangulation after neighbor calls cops about fight
A New Kensington man was charged with felony strangulation after a neighbor called police to report two people fighting in one of the apartments in her building. Derek Lee Knuckles, 64, of the 1000 block of Victoria Avenue, also faces a charge of simple assault in connection with the alleged...
Nursing homes in Lower Burrell, North Huntingdon among 24 statewide set to strike
Employees of nursing homes in Lower Burrell and North Huntingdon are among those at 24 long-term care facilities in the state who voted to strike, claiming unfair labor practices and a lack of accountability, according to union officials. Four of the nursing homes are owned by Comprehensive Healthcare, which operates...
The Stroller, Aug. 23, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Woods Family Band to perform free concert in Harrison A free blues...
Original nursing school at Allegheny Valley Hospital set for demolition
Demolition of the nearly century-old former administrative building that abuts Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison is moving forward. The facility is expected to be razed in early October. The cost of the demolition has not yet been determined, said JoAnne Clobus, strategic communications adviser for Allegheny Health Network. Opened in...
Device distribution slated this week at Highlands
Highlands families can pick up their district-issued Chromebooks and iPads during four separate events over the next week. Devices will be doled out from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday and 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. The...
Arnold, New Kensington groups band together for Back to School Bash
Several Arnold and New Kensington organizations are banding together to help make sure students are ready to go back to school. A Back to School Bash is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Roosevelt Park in Arnold. Students in the New Kensington-Arnold School District return...
The Stroller, Aug. 22, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Five Forces veterans charity plans golf outing fundraiser A golf outing to...
Collision in Armstrong County kills man, injures woman, 2 children
A Ford City man died and a Kittanning woman and two children suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a collision Saturday afternoon in Armstrong County. According a release from the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office, Richard Alan Eckner, 72, failed to stop at a stop sign while driving a Ford Escape through the...
The Stroller, Aug. 21, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Drive-through food distribution set at Lernerville Speedway Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank...
Tri-City Historical Society to open 1st museum in downtown New Kensington
New Kensington’s history is out there, and James Sabulsky wants to bring it all together. Sabulsky, president of the Tri-City Historical Society, hopes having a museum where people can see items from New Kensington’s past will help with gathering more of it. The society, founded in 2019, is opening its...
St. Margaret Mary Parish annual festival returns to great fanfare after pandemic absence
The Festival of Friendship has been held for decades at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Lower Burrell, but the pandemic moved the tradition online for the last two years. On Friday and Saturday, the two-day festival returned to in-person with live music, food trucks, games, bingo, a basket auction, and...
Problematic properties in West Deer to be razed
The West Deer supervisors have approved the demolition of properties on School Street and Eisenhower Drive. The affected buildings are a duplex at 17-19 School St., and the structure at 1130-1132 Eisenhower Drive. After a public hearing last week, the supervisors approved the demolitions 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Jennifer Mann...
