Valley News Dispatch category, Page 411
Dorito Burrito keeps customers coming back at Niki’s Quick Six in Parks Township
A burrito with a snack food flair is creating a buzz in Parks Township. The Dorito Burrito is a specialty offering and best-seller at Niki’s Quick Six, a popular restaurant/bar/takeout place in the township’s North Vandergrift neighborhood. Owner Niki Hosack said she created the quirky sandwich so her customers wouldn’t...
Daisha Clayton proud to be 1st Black person in decades to serve on Vandergrift Council
As Daisha Clayton settles into her third month on Vandergrift Council, she’s keenly aware of the significance of being chosen to fill that role. When Clayton was appointed to Vandergrift Council in December, she was only the second Black person to serve as a councilperson. The late Lorelei Whaley, who...
The Stroller, Feb. 11, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your events, fish fries 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. Online bingo to aid Addiction Recovery Ministry program Addiction Recovery Ministry in Harmar will sponsor a bingo at 2 p.m. Feb. 20...
Harrison native keeping up perfect Super Bowl attendance record with No. 56 on Sunday
Harrison native Tom Henschel has perfect attendance in one of the world’s most exclusive clubs. Henschel, 80, is a member of the Never Miss a Super Bowl Club. Henschel joins Gregory Eaton and Don Crisman as the only football fans on Earth to have attended all of the previous 55...
Tarentum pastor Rev. Robert Walker remembered for good nature, friend to all
When the Rev. Robert Walker needed to clear his mind and prepare for a Sunday sermon, he hit the trails at Harrison Hills. “He loved to walk and everyone knew him for that,” said his son, Jason. “He would also walk around the neighborhood and he talked to everyone.” Rev....
New Kensington teen on trial accused of Vandergrift park shooting, robbery attempt
A New Kensington teenager is on trial in Westmoreland County charged with the robbery and shooting of a marijuana dealer at a Vandergrift park in November 2019. Police contend Ryleik Arbuckle was just 15 when he shot 20-year-old Dale McNutt in the buttocks as he ran out of Franklin Park...
Cat found in North Huntingdon with zip ties around body recovering at Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington
A cat found with zip ties wrapped around its body is recovering after surgery at Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue in New Kensington. Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director of Frankie’s Friends, called it a case of animal cruelty. “There’s no good reason to do that,” she said. “At best, it was...
Harmar police: Speeding driver had stolen gun, 10 ounces of pot in car when pulled over
Harmar police charged a Pittsburgh man with multiple felonies after he was pulled over for speeding and a stolen gun and drugs allegedly were found in the vehicle. Omarion Darnell Pashel, 18, of Greenwood Street in the city’s Morningside neighborhood, was charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property, possession...
Traffic stoppages on Apollo’s North Warren Avenue Feb. 14-17
PennDOT announced periodic traffic stoppages on North Warren Avenue in Apollo from Feb. 14-17. The stoppages, 15 minutes or less, are planned for North Warren Avenue near North 11th Street. Stoppages should be less than 15 minutes or less at a time between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The stoppages...
West Hills Intermediate School in Kittanning evacuated after smoke reported in computer room
Students at West Hills Intermediate School in Kittanning were evacuated from the building after smoke and the smell of burning rubber was reported in a computer room, according to authorities. Student were placed on a bus and taken to nearby West Hills Primary while firefighters set up operations at the...
State auditor general finds 3 issues in audit of Lower Burrell’s Kinloch fire company
As part of a routine audit, the state Auditor General’s Office found three issues with the business practices and financial accounting of Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, which serves the city’s Kinloch neighborhood. In an audit covering Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2020, the auditor general concluded...
The Stroller, Feb. 10, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your events, fish fries 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. Benefit dinner planned Sunday in Harrison A spaghetti dinner and celebration of the life of Ron “Smoothie” Cheesman will be from noon...
Allegheny County prioritizes repairs for short bridge in poor condition on Old Freeport Road in O’Hara
A short bridge near the Fox Chapel Plaza will be prioritized for repairs by Allegheny County after receiving a poor rating, officials said. Squaw Run Bridge No. 1, which is part of Old Freeport Road in O’Hara, will be targeted for repair work intended to prevent further decay, county Public...
Car wash donation to help New Kensington’s Knead Cafe upgrade kitchen equipment
Free car washes are supporting kitchen upgrades at Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington. Clean Express Auto Wash, a new car wash that opened Dec. 28 off Tarentum Bridge Road, ran a promotion beginning Jan. 14 in which free washes were offered for 10 days in exchange for monetary donations...
Plum School District’s Center Elementary interim principal formally appointed to position
Plum School District officials recently appointed Monroeville resident Maria Fajt as Center Elementary’s new principal. Fajt started this school year as interim principal at the K-4 school. District officials said former principal Jason Knisely had stepped down to go back in the classroom. He is also listed as the district’s...
Herb Ellerbrock, reptile keeper who helped bring Komodo Dragon to Pittsburgh Zoo, dies at 73
Herb Ellerbrock’s fascination with reptiles was so intense as a kid growing up in Sharpsburg, his parents hung a sign outside their home and turned the front room into a shop for him to collect and sell snakes. That shop helped fuel the boy’s passion for reptiles and amphibians and...
Oakmont’s Olive Branch Studios moving to Manos Gallery in Tarentum
The Olive Branch Art Studio on Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont will be moving to the Manos Gallery in Tarentum at the end of March. Owner Sara J. Kirsch will be named resident artist at the new location, where she will not only continue to display her own work but...
Texas native Jane Glenn spearheaded community projects in New Kensington over 60 years
On a Sunday afternoon in March 1958, a Texas woman sitting outside a coffee shop in New Orleans caught the eye of a man from Leechburg. Before too long, she found herself in New Kensington. Jane Glenn arrived in New Kensington newly wedded to that Leechburg man — James Glenn...
Lingrow Farm, popular wedding venue in Gilpin, under new ownership in $1.9 million deal
Lingrow Farm, a wedding venue in Gilpin, is under new ownership following a deal closed in late January. Tyler and Leah Frey, a married couple from Imperial, will now be overseeing weddings at the 50-acre site on Forks Church Road. They purchased the business and property from Linda Alworth, the...
Police say woman stole, forged checks after New Kensington man suffered stroke
New Kensington police accused a woman of stealing blank checks from her neighbor and forging his name to cash them during the weeks after he suffered a stroke. Shanna Rachelle Heymers, 41, of the 2500 block of Virginia Drive in New Kensington, was charged with two felony counts of forgery...
Harrison police: New Kensington man lied about criminal, mental history when applying to buy gun
Harrison police have charged a man who is not permitted to own a firearm with a felony for, police say, intentionally providing false information about his past when trying to buy a gun from a sporting goods store. Anthony Lee Miller, 41, of Pine Court in New Kensington, was charged...
Vehicle crashes into Small World Daycare in Washington Township
No children were injured when a pickup truck traveling along Route 66 in Washington Township hit a minivan before crashing into a day care center Wednesday morning, according to authorities. Washington Township Police Chief Scott Slagle said a woman was dropping off her son at the Small World Daycare in...
The Stroller, Feb. 9, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your events, fish fries 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. Bowling event to benefit cat and kitten rescue A bowling fundraiser to benefit Kiski Valley Vat and Kitten Rescue in Allegheny Township...
New Kensington, other northern Westmoreland towns report delays getting road salt deliveries
Municipalities across northern Westmoreland County are reporting issues with getting timely road salt deliveries from a new supplier under a state contract in which they participate. Officials in New Kensington, Lower Burrell and Vandergrift said they have had issues receiving deliveries from Compass Minerals, the supplier for Westmoreland and other...
Harrison lands state grant for blight remediation
Several long-abandoned and tax-delinquent properties in Harrison will be demolished sooner thanks to help from the state. Township representatives learned in late January that the municipality will get $100,000 from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund (GEDTF) in its latest round of grants. Money will be used for a recovery...
