Valley News Dispatch category, Page 428

Publicize your club meetings, community events 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. Donations being accepted for holiday turkey vouchers Allegheny Valley Association of Churches is accepting donations to help with the food bank...

A faded license plate highlighted with a marker led Lower Burrell police to drug bust along Greensburg Road this week. Inside the car that was pulled over, police say they found heroin and methamphetamine hidden in various places, including a potato chip can. Officer Aaron Rodgers was on patrol near...

An online fundraising effort for a New Kensington volunteer firefighter battling cancer has exceeded its goal, and a public event is in the works. Chris Ploski, 59, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer that spread to the pituitary gland in his brain. Although he works as...

Springdale Council is looking for applicants to fill a vacant council seat, but the person filling it will only serve through December. Council voted, 6-0, Tuesday to hold off appointing a person to the vacant seat until their Nov. 16 meeting. The seat became vacant when Harry Helwig stepped down...

Two principals are replacing one at a New Kensington-Arnold elementary school. Tyler Roberto will join Todd Kutchak as co-principals of Roy A. Hunt Elementary around Nov. 1, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said. They are replacing Thomas Rocchi, who retired this year after 60 years in education. Kutchak, 50, an assistant principal...

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania branch campus in the Northpointe Industrial Park might become the next South Buffalo Township Municipal Building. That’s if the university accepts the township’s bid of $400,000. Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s branch campus at Northpointe sits on nearly 5.5 acres of land. Its lone building includes...

Harmar officials gave residents an update Thursday on efforts to resolve the ongoing sanitary sewage overflows happening in their homes. The issue was brought up during a supervisors meeting Sept. 16. Many residents from the Chapel Downs neighborhood said they face issues of water flooding their basements or raw sewage...

Highlands School District students can opt for on-site covid-19 testing through a federally funded program. The district is participating in Operation Expanded Testing, supported by the Department of Health and Human Services. Tests are voluntary and provided for free. Administrators said the district’s participation is expected to help schools remain...

A New Kensington animal shelter is decked out for Halloween and has festivities planned Saturday afternoon and evening. The event, beginning at noon and culminating in an outdoor showing of the horror classic “Night of the Living Dead” is something new for Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley and the first...

Amy Anderson is a gunslinger with a wild hobby. Anderson, 66, of Washington Township might sling hash in the cafeteria at Kiski Area South Primary School, but in her downtime she slings guns — competing nationwide in Western-style shooting competitions. Anderson and her husband, Dan, 69, are members of SASS,...

Publicize your club meetings, community events 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. Fall festival planned Sunday in Freeport Community Park The Greg Wells Memorial Fall Festival will be from 1 to 5 p.m....

The sanctuary at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge will double as an intimate concert venue this weekend. Veteran blues singer Miss Freddye will be belting out her chart-topping, soulful tunes to kick off a concert series aimed at faith and fellowship. Dubbed the “Leading Lady of the Blues,” Miss...

Friends, family and former players of a late Freeport Area Youth Baseball coach plan to gather for a special event Sunday in Freeport. The inaugural Greg Wells Memorial Fall Festival is set for the baseball fields in Freeport Community Park. Wells, a Harrison native and Buffalo Township resident, was a...

A 12-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle early Thursday morning in Freeport but did not appear to suffer any major injuries, according to state police. The incident occurred at about 7:15 a.m. at the intersection of Fifth and Washington streets in the borough, troopers said. A Suzuki Aerio being...

Vandergrift’s winery is set to reopen after having erratic hours for more than five months. Wooden Door Winery at 101 Custer Ave. will welcome wine enthusiasts back starting Oct. 28. Co-owner Jeff Pollick said operating hours at the normally year-round winery were disrupted because of personal reasons. “It’s been a...

Hyped for the haunted hilarity of Halloween? Janna Schrader of Harrison is. The temperatures hadn’t dipped below 80 degrees when Schrader started scattering skeletons, purple lights and tombstones across her Oregon Avenue lawn. “You might say I’m a Halloween freak,” said Schrader, who moved to the neighborhood from Verona a...

A proposed municipal tax credit, as high as $300, is on hold for firefighters living in Lower Burrell. That’s because city council was not able to complete the details of the package this year, according to Councilman Joe Grillo. Former Mayor Rich Callender said he floated the idea to council...

Publicize your club meetings, community events 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. Concert to feature Miss Freddye and Her Blues Band Trinity United Methodist Church, Brackenridge, will host a concert featuring Miss Freddye...

From Aluminum City Terrace to Yellow Dog Village, there’s a story behind every little town in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Writer George Guido of Lower Burrell has collected many of them in his new book, “Neighborhoods of the Alle-Kiski Valley: 30 Communities Full of Unique History.” He’ll be selling copies from...

A longtime Republican supervisor in Alle­gheny Township will appear on the ballot Nov. 2 as a Democrat. Kathy Starr, a registered Republican, lost by 42 votes to political newcomer James Morabito in the May Republican primary. No Democrats appeared on the May primary ballot. But because Starr collected 389 write-in...

A man who died after a canoe capsized near Sharpsburg Wednesday afternoon was identified as Ralph Raymond Fuchs, 64, of Blawnox, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Greg Porter, Etna fire chief, said Fuchs’ body was recovered from the Allegheny River after dark. Sharpsburg police Officer Brian Hoebel said...

Leechburg Council approved a new two-year contract with Delmont-based Hoffman Kennels for animal control services. The vote was 4-0-1 Tuesday night, with Councilman Chuck Pascal abstaining. Councilwomen Ruth Bender and Megan Goedicke were absent. Pascal said he was uncomfortable voting for the contract because Hoffman occasionally euthanizes dogs, but he...

South Buffalo Township officials have added a familiar face to their police department and raised hourly pay for public safety. Christopher Kovacs, 33, of Penn Township was unanimously hired as a full-time patrolman Monday night. He was selected out of a dozen candidates and four finalists. Supervisor Paul Bergad administered...

Two residents familiar to Tarentum voters are seeking to be the borough’s mayor. Councilwoman Carrie Fox is competing against Bob Lang, a retired borough police officer, for the four-year term. “I will be a mayor that is more visible and available 24/7 to Tarentum,” said Fox, a member of council...

The Kiski Area High School Marching Band is on a roll. The band placed first in the Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional competition held Oct. 9 in College Park, Md. The win marks the band’s 21st BOA Regional Champion title. Band director Shawn Pityk said Kiski Area is the only...