Valley News Dispatch category, Page 448
Westmoreland County approves drop boxes for mail-in ballots
A drop box for mail-in ballots will be available at the Westmoreland County Courthouse starting Oct. 18 and at five regional locations during the two weekends before the Nov. 2 general election. Westmoreland elections officials said more than 19,000 ballots were mailed to voters on Wednesday, according to election bureau...
Highlands parent collecting coats to help students in need
Highlands parent Christina Faltot was looking for a way to “do good during the bad.” “In the midst of 2020, I was personally lost in the negativity of our world. Between isolation and division of covid and a very divided community over the election, I just wanted something to throw...
Arnold backs Westmoreland dividing up covid relief funds to municipalities
Arnold Council is getting on board with Export Mayor Joe Zaccagini’s proposal for how Westmoreland County could best allocate $105 million in covid relief funds. Zaccagini recently proposed distributing the money equally among the county’s 65 municipalities. Arnold Councilman George Hawdon said the city also will suggest the county do...
Tarentum couple says ‘I do’ at UPMC St. Margaret so hospitalized mom can attend
Tarentum residents Chaz and Amanda Wilburn were married earlier this month in the chapel at UPMC St. Margaret, in a ceremony they called a dream that arose from a nightmare. Chaz Wilburn spent 38 days in the hospital this summer with congestive heart failure. While he was recovering, his mom,...
Arnold candy shop celebrates 75th season making chocolate dreams come true
A smell of homemade chocolate hits the nose the second that doors are opened at Valos Chocolates. The eyes are drawn to decorated tables and shelves full of chocolate-coated nuts, cherries, raisins, pretzels, caramels and clusters. Such has been the experience at the Arnold candy shop along Freeport Road for...
The Stroller, Oct. 13, 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 to celebrate homecoming The annual Highlands High School Homecoming festivities will begin Friday at 6 p.m. with a...
Harrison woman accused of setting dumpster fires in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police accused a Harrison woman of setting dumpsters on fire in Uptown and knocking over construction cones and signs in the South Side on Monday. Jennifer Robare, 30, faces a felony count of arson and misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and giving false identification to law enforcement in connection...
Ghost Tour resurrects local history at Brackenridge cemetery
A leisurely stroll through Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge on Thursday evening will turn up prominent figures from the past brought to life by local actors who revel in Alle-Kiski Valley history. Henry Brackenridge will be among those portrayed at the cemetery’s annual ghost tour. The borough is named for the...
1 dead following head-on crash on Greensburg Road in Plum
A New Kensington man died in a crash on Greensburg Road in Plum Tuesday, according to Allegheny County police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the deceased man as Enzo Grosse, 21, of New Kensington. Police said they were notified around 7:45 p.m. of the crash in the 1600...
10-month drug investigation leads to Plum man’s arrest
A Plum man was taken to the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday after police say they found several kilograms of suspected narcotics and weapons in his apartment. Plum Det. Dan Moriarty said borough police, along with the District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team and federal DEA agents, served a search warrant...
2 hurt when vehicle rolls over in Frazer
A woman and a child were transported to a hospital with minor injuries after their vehicle rolled over Tuesday afternoon along a well-traveled road in Frazer. An Allegheny County dispatcher said there was a single-vehicle crash in the 100 block of 908 Extension. Frazer No. 1 fire Chief Isaac Caplan...
Nurse and quick-thinking dog lauded for lifesaving rescue at River Forest
Tom Kissel is alive today thanks to the combined efforts of strangers and a three-legged pooch named Tater Tot. Their quick work was recognized Tuesday in a ceremony sponsored by the American Heart Association and Allegheny Health Network at the River Forest Yacht Club in Allegheny Township. On July 10,...
New Kensington man guilty in case of meth lab found in parent’s basement
The lawyer for a New Kensington man convicted last week by a Westmoreland County jury of six offenses in connection with a methamphetamine lab found in the basement of his parents’ home vowed to appeal the guilty verdict. Following two days of testimony, the jury on Oct. 8 found Sean...
Highlands teachers mark 100th day without contract, negotiations continue
Highlands School District teachers passed 100 days working without a contract. Several members of the Highlands Education Association (HEA) on Friday displayed neon green signs in their vehicles, all marked with a bold “100” to signify the status of negotiations. “In an act of solidarity, it was a way for...
Students, parents air questions for Highlands administrators in coffee talk event
Highlands Superintendent Monique Mawhinney met Monday with district residents of all ages for a coffee talk, and the youngest members of the audience didn’t hold back with their questions. “Why do we have a dress code that doesn’t allow ripped jeans?” asked sixth grader Acailah Hogan. “Why do our skirts...
Alle-Kiski Valley museums welcome public with open houses
Four Alle-Kiski Valley museums are banding together to promote history and heritage with a free tour of their premises. An open house showcasing the historical museums of Leechburg, Hyde Park, Apollo and Vandergrift is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free shuttle trips among the four museums will...
Fire crews dispatched for natural gas odor across Harrison; no danger found
Firefighters from multiple departments were dispatched early Tuesday to check on reports of a natural gas odor that wafted along the entire stretch of Freeport Road in Harrison. “Nobody is in danger,” James Bartolovich, chief of the Harrison Hills Volunteer Fire Company, said. “All of the levels have been within...
The Stroller, Oct. 12, 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. Howl-O-Ween Hustle to benefit Freeport girls basketball The seventh annual Freeport Girls Basketball Howl-O-Ween Hustle 5K/10K Fun Run and Walk with...
Freeport firefighters and borough businesses to host community events Tuesday evening
Freeport firefighters and local businesses will be hosting events Tuesday to help showcase community services and commerce. The volunteer department will have its doors open and engines out for touch-a-truck and fire prevention demonstrations from 5 to 7 p.m. at the station along Market Street. There will be prizes and...
Penn State’s The Corner to resume open houses monthly in New Kensington
The veil of mystery surrounding The Corner will be lifted this week in New Kensington. The Corner, a Penn State program at 701 Fifth Ave., will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. The Corner opened in 2017. “There’s a bit of a mystique about what...
Highlands students early to join successful new Forbes vo-tech veterinary program
Highlands sophomore Rachel Kosakowski feels like she lucked out getting a spot in the veterinary program at Forbes Road Career and Technology Center. “I have wanted to be a vet for a long time,” said Kosakowski, 15. “I love animals.” She is among a throng of students who rushed to...
The Stroller, Oct. 11, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Information should be emailed to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Toys for Tots sign-ups scheduled Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots served by the Allegheny Valley Detachment will have sign-ups online through Nov. 30. The Allegheny...
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, Building Block of Natrona team up for low-cost vaccine clinic for petsVideo
Two local nonprofits teamed up to provide low-cost rabies and distemper vaccines, as well as microchips, for cats and dogs during a clinic Sunday at Natrona Community Park. Volunteers from Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley and The Building Block of Natrona guided cars through a drive-thru-style clinic at the park....
Cheswick fireman remembered for 72 years of service
A final call for Lewis “Lew” Accorsi on Saturday paid homage to a firefighter who served with the Cheswick Volunteer Fire Company Station 121 for 72 years. “Firefighter Accorsi entered the fire service in 1949 and has proudly served the Borough of Cheswick and surrounding communities for the past 72...
New Kensington authority increasing sewage rates; water cost not changing
New Kensington residents aren’t going to pay more for the water coming into their homes next year, but they’ll pay more for it going out. While the Municipal Authority of New Kensington won’t be changing the cost of water in 2022, the Municipal Sanitary Authority of the City of New...
