Valley News Dispatch category, Page 4
Allegheny Valley School Board opts to leave cellphone policy as is
The Allegheny Valley School Board won’t disconnect students from their cellphones, but state legislators still could. The board voted — after the first reading of a proposed electronic device policy — not to change its current policy, according to board President Paula Jean Moretti. The proposed policy would have further...
Free pre-K class coming to Lower Burrell via nonprofit program
Westmoreland Community Action is taking enrollment for a new pre-K program in Lower Burrell. The nonprofit’s program is free to families and funded through state Pre-K Counts and federal Head Start grants. Enrollment for the 2026-27 class is filling fast, but applications are still open, said Tammy Dietrich, program manager...
Plum School Board votes to replace sections of leaky high school roof
Repairs on Plum High School’s leaky roof will start in a little more than a week, after the district’s school board voted to approve the emergency $250,000 bill Tuesday. Plum Director of Facilities and Grounds Shelley Shaffer previously told TribLive repairs would begin May 1 and last about three weeks....
New Kensington man pleads guilty to sex assault of preteen girl
A New Kensington man has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a pre-teen girl. Police said Thomas L. Burruss, 50, plied his victim with candy to convince her to keep quiet about the sexual activity that started in 2022 and continued for about five months. Burruss pleaded guilty to...
The Stroller, April 23, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. NK, Arnold cleanup set...
State trooper talks about use of force, other policies at community event in Fox Chapel
Pennsylvania State Trooper Joseph Dunsmore said deescalation always is the goal when it comes to law enforcement encounters. Whether it’s at a traffic stop, sporting event, protest, any incident, the plan is to remain calm and professional. “At the end of the day, we shall endeavor and try our best...
Second Vandergrift fire department back in service after insurance lapse
Vandergrift No. 2 fire department resumed normal operations Tuesday evening after being out of service since April 10. Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Scott Stepanovich said Vandergrift No. 2 was out of service from April 10-21, an additional five days after Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini had said the borough’s departments...
Cause of fatal West Deer fire remains undeterminedVideo
Three months after a West Deer fire that resulted in the death of a man and his dog, the cause of the blaze remains unknown, officials said. “That fire is currently classified as undetermined,” said Kasey Reigner, public information officer for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. The victim...
Leechburg baseball association to combine past and present at 75th annual opening day
Leechburg Youth Baseball Association’s opening day will be a blast from the past if Jonathan McLaughlin, president of the association, has anything to say about it. McLaughlin is inviting everyone to participate who has ever been a part of Leechburg baseball. “I want anyone and everyone,” he said. “If they...
Video shows Springdale Police arresting local critic during council meetingVideo
A frequent critic of Springdale police is facing a felony charge after he was pinned to the ground and arrested by four police officers during a chaotic scene at Springdale Council’s meeting Tuesday night. The incident began after William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, of Springdale exceeded the borough’s three-minute speaking...
New Kensington-Arnold School District pauses elementary building realignment plans
New Kensington-Arnold School District has paused a proposed plan to realign the district’s school buildings. The realignment, recommended by Superintendent Christopher Sefcheck in January, would reduce the number of building transitions in early elementary school. Early ideas for the plan proposed Martin Elementary housing kindergarten and first grade, while second...
Tarentum sewer line project expected to ease runoff near Ormond Street
A long-awaited sanitary sewer project is finally underway in Tarentum. Work at Seventh Avenue and Ormond Street includes new lines as part of a Department of Environmental Protection mandate to separate storm sewers to ease runoff. It also will divert water from a nearby spring. Managed by the Allegheny Valley...
Penn State New Kensington project fair highlights renewable energy adaptation for climate change
The frequency and intensity of climate disasters aren’t slowing down, so proactive research and development that protects energy systems is crucial, said Tom Bartnik, director of The Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State. At a project fair Tuesday night, Penn State New Kensington students took to the floor to...
The Stroller, April 22, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. NK Fridays on Fifth...
Gasoline smell leads to discovery of damaged underground tanks in Harrison
The smell of gasoline at the top of Spring Hill Road in Harrison led to a potentially dangerous discovery by state officials. Ten underground fuel storage tanks, nearly 100 years old, were revealed by ground-penetrating radar beneath the parking lot at the Stop’n Shop convenience store at Spring Hill and...
Etna, Millvale fire services consider merger with Southern Allegheny Valley to secure future
It’s not unusual for firefighters from Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, Etna and Millvale to respond to the same calls. Limited manpower and logistics make it crucial for the departments to support each other. Many believe it should go a step further. Discussions of a potential merger are in the early stages. “The...
Resident removed from Springdale council meeting by police after public comment dispute
Springdale police removed resident Danny Rosenmund from Tuesday night’s borough council meeting following a confrontation during the public comment session. Rosenmund was addressing the board when a council member informed him he had exceeded his three-minute time limit, according to Dani Jameson, a Harmar resident who witnessed the incident. Jameson...
Freeport Area graduate to open for Jason Aldean at Pittsburgh concert
Ricky Hunter said he only began making music in 2021. But Wednesday, the Freeport Area alumnus will play a 10-minute opening set for country music star Jason Aldean at an invite-only concert at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. Hunter, 23, of Freeport won a contest held by Pittsburgh country radio...
Work begins on South Buffalo housing plan, Armstrong County’s 1st in decades
Crews could be seen staging heavy equipment on a grassy plain in South Buffalo on Tuesday for a project that’s expected to bring dozens of new residences to Armstrong County. The site, in the RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park, is between the South Buffalo government center and Route 128, near its...
Tarentum Night Market returns to East Sixth Avenue for 2026 season
Merchant Dianna Roney is ecstatic the Tarentum Night Market will return to East Sixth Avenue this year. The owner of Diamond Antiques and Gifts said having people mill around the business district, popping in and out of stores, is the exact purpose of the community event. “That’s where it belongs,...
State police continue to offer $5K reward for man who went missing in Kiski Township
Albert Leroy Copper III’s wife said not much credible evidence has emerged that would help find her husband, who disappeared almost 13 years ago. His wife, Christie, confirmed a $5,000 reward remains for anyone who has information that solves her husband’s disappearance. Pennsylvania State Police, too, are reminding residents of...
The Stroller, April 21, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. American Field Service seeks...
Faces of the Valley: Arnold outdoorsman takes on caretaker role for Rachel Carson TrailVideo
Levi Wilson is a trailblazer. No, really. Wilson, 40, of Arnold is responsible for maintaining the hundreds of blazes that guide hikers and runners through the rugged 46.2-mile Rachel Carson Trail. And that’s only one of his responsibilities. A floor manager at Aloma Shim and Manufacturing Co. in Penn Hills...
Springdale man previously charged with abusing dogs, selling marijuana gets probation
Most of the charges against a Springdale man previously accused of abusing two dogs and running a marijuana operation have been dropped after he agreed to a negotiated guilty plea. Joshua Pawlak, 36, was sentenced to a year of probation by Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski after he pleaded guilty to...
Paving prep work postponed on well-traveled West Leechburg road
Work that was scheduled to start Monday on Bell Avenue, a well-traveled road in West Leechburg, has been postponed. According to Kayla Visnovsky, West Leechburg Borough Secretary and treasurer, People’s Gas conducted gas line repair work on Bell Avenue and surrounding streets last fall. She said that while there was...
