Valley News Dispatch category, Page 435
‘It’s a magical mailbox’: Christmas decoration becomes conduit for letters to Santa in Arnold
Christmas is Joe Lebert’s favorite holiday, but decorating for it isn’t much fun at his rural home in Fawn, where few will see it. His mom’s house on Rankin Street in Arnold, across from H.D. Berkey Elementary School, was a better place. For a while, he put a Christmas tree...
Lower Burrell Councilman Joe Grillo close to completing his final term
While Lower Burrell Councilman Joe Grillo is perhaps best known for belting out the “God Bless America” for city events, the elder statesman will miss his official duties when he completes his term at the end of the year. Grillo has been a city councilman for nearly 16 years and...
No tax increase likely for Tarentum residents
Tarentum residents likely will not see a property tax increase in 2022. The proposed budget, just more than $11 million, maintains a tax rate of 5.48 mills — the same as it’s been since 2007. If approved, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would again pay $548 to...
Arnold native opening Deadstock & Dandies in New Kensington, buying and selling shoes with style
Denzel Carter didn’t want to spend his life in a cubicle. It was even worse when the 30-year-old from Arnold figured out how much of his time, money and life he lost commuting to a job — and working for someone else. The covid pandemic, and being furloughed, helped Carter...
New Kensington man sentenced to probation, house arrest in drunken-driving arrest
A New Kensington man was sentenced to seven years of probation Tuesday after city police said they used a Taser on him during a drunken-driving arrest. Lee Edward Jones, 54, was sentenced to 18 months under electronic home monitoring on charges of fleeing from police, driving under the influence, resisting...
A Leechburg holiday tradition returns Saturday
A holiday tradition in Leechburg that was scaled back last year because of the pandemic is set to return Saturday with more activities and fun. Leechburg Area Community Association presents Luminate Leechburg. Activities begin about 1 p.m. along Market Street. The event has taken place on what is commonly referred...
The Stroller, Nov. 26, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Highlands High School AFS conducting annual citrus fruit sale Orders are being taken for the annual Highlands High School AFS fruit...
Feast of friendship served across Alle-Kiski Valley on Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving, Freeport native Jean Urik kept her kitchen clean. She and Don Hines of Butler enjoyed a free holiday turkey meal with all of the trimmings at St. Mary’s Parish on High Street in Freeport. “It’s hard to cook Thanksgiving for just two people without having a ton of...
The Stroller, Nov. 25, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Count your blessings this Thanksgiving As you sit down to dinner with your loved ones, take the time to say a...
Vandergrift councilwoman suing borough officials resigns her seat
Vandergrift councilwoman Karen McClarnon has resigned her position. McClarnon submitted a letter of resignation, effective immediately, to council President Kathy Chvala and borough secretary Steve Delledonne. Council approved McClarnon’s resignation during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon. Borough solicitor Larry Loperfito was absent. McClarnon did not attend the meeting and declined...
Vandergrift woman charged with filing false claims to get $25K in Medicaid payments
A Vandergrift woman is accused of illegally receiving more than $25,300 in Medicaid payments by submitting false time sheets to a program that pays people who provide in-home personal care for patients. An agent with the state Attorney General’s office charged Christina Jean Myers, 39, of Lowell Street with felony...
Police serve up lunch for Kiski Area elementary students
Three Washington Township cops were serving it up Wednesday at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School, but there were no warrants involved. “It’s lunch with the law,” joked police Chief Scott Slagle. Slagle, joined by Officer Kenneth Hollis and Sgt. Vince Surace, served lunch to almost 550 students. The annual event...
West Deer woman charged with allowing child to spend time with registered sex offender
A West Deer woman is accused of repeatedly allowing a young boy to spend time with a convicted sex offender, according to police. West Deer police charged Amy Lynn Lambert, 46, with one count of felony endangering the welfare of children. At the time, she was already detained in the...
Plum School Board puts mask decision in hands of students, regardless of vaccination status
The Plum School Board on Nov. 23 passed a new mask policy that will allow all students, regardless of vaccination status, to decide whether or not they want to wear a mask at school. Additionally, seating restrictions in lunch areas will be rescinded, certain guest restrictions would be lifted, field...
Tax hike, numerous cuts not enough to close gap in Verona’s proposed 2022 budget
A nearly 26% tax hike, as well as cuts to engineering, consulting, legal services, no paving and not hiring another full-time police officer, still does not make up for a deficit in Verona’s proposed budget. Next year’s spending plan does not look good for borough officials or residents as elected...
Lower Burrell native finds success with Dancing Gnome brewery, expanded in Sharpsburg
Two windowless steel warehouses in the heart of Sharpsburg have been transformed into a chic, industrial taproom with outdoor seating. Dancing Gnome brewery, founded in 2016, has more than doubled its footprint with a 10,000-square-foot, open-air layout to accommodate revelers flocking to try its hop-centric suds. “Our old place was...
Holiday events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
• Visit with Santa from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21 on the second level at Arnold No. 2 Firehall, 1100 Drey St. Bring a camera for photos with Santa and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. Buffalo Township • Santa Claus will drive around the township with Sarver...
Man charged with attempting to arrange sex meeting with teen in New Kensington
A Washington County man is accused of arranging to meet with a 15-year-old girl in New Kensington for sex in exchange for cash and drugs after answering an advertisement on a website offering escort services, according to authorities. The girl was, in reality, a state law enforcement agent posing as...
The Stroller, Nov. 24, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Luminate Leechburg event set Saturday The annual Luminate Leechburg holiday celebration will be from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday in Leechburg....
Highlands staff take pies in the face, for a good cause
Easy as pie — that was the day before Thanksgiving break at Highlands High School. A dozen lucky students were selected by raffle to toss a pan full of whipped cream at leery teachers and administrators in the high school gym. Students could purchase tickets — two for $1 —...
Medical examiner: Man pulled from river in Plum Sept. 1 drowned accidentally
A man whose body was pulled from the Allegheny River in Plum on Sept. 1 died accidentally from drowning, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner. Shawn M. Ferraccio, 46, of Washington Township, was found dead in the river shortly before 10:30 a.m. after police responded to the 100 block...
Hearing for man accused in fatal shooting at Upper Burrell tavern delayed for 2 months
A preliminary hearing for a man charged with fatally shooting a customer at an Upper Burrell tavern on Nov. 13 has been delayed for two months to give his defense attorney more time to prepare a case. Daniel J. Moles, 61, of Dogwood Lane, Lower Burrell was scheduled to appear...
Friends of Washington Township man killed in wrong-way crash to hold fundraiser for family
A fundraiser for a 22-year old Washington Township man killed in a wrong-way crash is planned for this weekend in Oklahoma Borough. Zeth Charles Reber died on Nov. 14 when his car was hit by a minivan traveling the wrong direction on State Route 380 in Washington Township. The driver...
Oakmont Hometown Christmas returns to ring in holiday spirit
After a one-year hiatus due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Oakmont Hometown Christmas celebration was back in action this year, and it picked up right where it left off with an entire evening of family-friendly holiday fun Nov. 20. A massive crowd packed Allegheny River Boulevard for the 5 p.m....
Freeport officials mum on missing EMS money and its repayment
Freeport officials won’t say how much money was taken by someone working for the borough’s emergency medical service in early 2020. But the borough’s lawyer recently issued a statement to clarify what he says is false information circulating by word of mouth about how the borough handled the apparent misappropriation...
