Valley News Dispatch category, Page 396

There are about 40 Marcellus shale natural gas wells in Washington Township, but adding another to that total isn’t yet a done deal. Supervisors did not make a decision Jan. 13 on Olympus Energy’s proposal to drill a natural gas well off Kistler Drive, as questions arose regarding access to...

Brackenridge is without a recreation committee, at least temporarily. All five members of the volunteer group resigned during the borough’s reorganization meeting Jan. 3. “I am proud of everything this committee has done,” said Cindy Kish, who stepped down as president of the group. “We have always done our best...

A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday lowered the bond of an Arnold man who police said shot three people during a baby shower last fall at the Lower Burrell fire hall in Kinloch. Isiah Jumaane Hampton, 25, is awaiting trial on two counts of aggravated assault and one charge of...

An Upper Burrell man who police said pointed a gun and pulled the trigger during a domestic dispute two years ago with his wheelchair-bound mother was paroled from prison Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Matthew Best, 33, had been in jail since his arrest on Oct....

A Lower Burrell man was ordered to serve up to eight years on probation for the sale of drugs that caused the 2017 fatal overdose of a childhood friend in New Kensington. Donald K. Lewandowski Jr., 37, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one felony drug count in connection with the May...

Kiski Township police say they had to use a Taser to stop a man who fled from a home early Monday morning after throwing a hammer and shards of broken glass at an officer. An officer responded to a home in the 600 block of Isabella Avenue shortly after 3...

Start the new year off right! Publicize your events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Vaccination clinic planned at Knead Community Cafe Covid-19 vaccinations will be available from 5:30 to 6:30...

When people hear the word “goat,” they think of the stubborn animal, or maybe the slang for “Greatest Of All Time” athletes in their respective sports. For those strolling along Market Street in Leechburg, the word soon will make them think of a sweet circular treat. Gilpin resident Jeremy Smail...

A two-acre addition to Allegheny RiverTrail Park (ARP) in Aspinwall is a coveted gift to the community, park founder Susan Crookston said. “For now and for generations to come,” she said. The site, just off Freeport Road, was awarded a $367,000 state grant last week to help with the purchase....

Tarentum council on Tuesday will provide the public with a chance to weigh in on the proposed transformation of the Tarena roller rink. A Wexford-based construction company hopes to buy the 50-year-old skating rink and use it as a storage facility. Bridges & Co. is seeking a conditional use zoning...

A Fox Chapel councilwoman is expected to launch her candidacy on Tuesday for state House of Representatives in the 33rd District. Mandy Steele is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat in the May 17 primary. She is the first candidate to announce a campaign for nomination. Steele, 44, said...

West Deer has received a $291,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to rehabilitate and develop Bairdford Park. The grant is a part of a $70 million pool helping to fund more than 300 recreation and conservation projects across the state. West Deer was among three...

The first time Brian Jacob tries to answer the question raised by his memoir, “Is Life Fair,” he is remembering an unpleasant experience attending a play with his wife. Brian and Jamie Jacob were at a Pittsburgh Public Theater performance when an employee approached Brian, who is quadriplegic and uses...

Start the new year off right! Publicize your events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Open house planned at the Corner Launchbox The Corner Launchbox in New Kensington will host a...

The Projecting Hope Film Festival, a showcase of faith-focused movies with uplifting themes, will be held at the GQT Pittsburgh Mills Cinema from Jan. 21 to 23. Admission to all seven of the films is free — with free popcorn, too. It will be the 18th Projecting Hope festival, which...

Leasing space in Arnold City Hall to outside parties has emerged as a bit of an issue for two city officials. Mayor Joseph Bia and Councilman George Hawdon are on opposite sides on just how much space the city may need in the building and how much it should lease...

Just six weeks after a massive fire caused more than $4 million in damage to St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church, parishioners gathered for Divine Liturgy in the church social hall and devised a plan to move forward. “You can’t stop this church,” said Susan Podolski, 68, a lifelong member of...

The Kiski Township supervisors and other municipalities received some good news on how funds from the American Rescue Plan Act can be spent. “Spending rules are now greatly expanded,” said township Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Bono, as he held up a 50-page guide provided by the U.S. Treasury Department during a recent...

The Westmoreland District Attorney’s office recently awarded Lower Burrell police $105,000 to go toward equipment for the Westmoreland SWAT team. The money comes from property seized from drug trafficking busts, which is forfeited to the DA’s investigative fund. It is distributed to law enforcement agencies to uphold the Controlled Substance,...

Calling all cat lovers. Two local groups dedicated to helping homeless and feral felines are in need of additional helpers. Cat Crusaders of Leechburg and Homeless Cat Management Team of Tarentum both work to feed, house and tend to cats in need — with a primary focus on providing low-cost,...

The Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute will offer free monthly cancer screening clinics throughout the region starting with Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison on Saturday, Jan. 29. Advance registration is required. AHN offered five screening clinics last year that booked up quickly, said Dr. David Bartlett, chairman of the AHN...

A sophomore from Valley High School in New Kensington is representing Westmoreland County in a statewide audio essay contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. If 15-year-old K’Ahna Witcher is the winner of the state “Voice of Democracy” contest, she’ll go on to the national program and a chance...

Start the new year off right! Publicize your events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Fund established to rebuild St. Vladimir Church St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold plans to...

Several northern Westmoreland County municipalities in the Alle-­Kiski Valley would get a new state senator if a proposed redistricting map is approved. The affected municipalities are the cities of Arnold, Lower Burrell and New Kensington; the boroughs of East Vandergrift, Hyde Park, Vandergrift and West Leechburg; and Allegheny Township. State...

East Deer is getting closer to joining the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department. Township officials discussed the status of the process during their meeting Thursday night. The police board will consider East Deer’s application to join the force at a special meeting on Jan. 25. The move will become official...