Valley News Dispatch category, Page 449
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...
Muralist of Vandergrift, Alex Chaffins, keeps making positive visions
Alex Chaffins of Vandergrift knows how to charm and disarm. With art. Chaffins, the unofficial muralist of Vandergrift, is known for his large colorful artwork depicting positive messages. The self-taught artist’s most recent mural is an underwater scene featuring a mermaid. It’s painted on his garage at home. Last year,...
Gilpin Trunk-or-Treat, police dog fundraiser to take place at the fire department on Halloween
Gilpin Volunteer Fire Department will host a police K-9 unit fundraiser during the township’s Halloween event. Police Chief Chris Fabec is Gilpin’s K-9 officer with his police dog, Rudy, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois. He said the K-9 unit is sustained through fundraisers and donations, with the rally being something new...
The Stroller, Oct. 10, 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. Salvation Army seeks Red Kettle volunteers The Western Pennsylvania division of the Salvation Army is seeking volunteers to help in the annual Red Kettle Campaign. Red...
East Deer, surrounding communities excited for new Iron City Beer buildingVideo
As Pittsburgh Brewing Co. continues to make progress on its new home, neighbors in East Deer and beyond are looking forward to the new brewery and related projects, expected to open next year. Structurally, General Manager Todd Zwicker said, the building is the same as it was when the Pittsburgh...
College voucher proposal draws fire from Pitt and Penn State
A Westmoreland County lawmaker’s attack on the state’s financial relationship with Pitt, Penn State and Temple is drawing blowback from the powerhouse public research universities and their supporters. State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, says he has “ethical” issues with the commonwealth spending about $580 million to support the three universities...
Food trucks, art vendors turn up to support Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3Video
With more than 25 local craft vendors and about 15 food vendors, Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3’s food truck rally and vendor show aimed to raise funds for fire hall renovations. The event, which they held at the fire hall Saturday afternoon, gave vendors an opportunity to showcase...
Ten years later, scholarships carry on Officer Derek Kotecki’s legacy
An industrial products salesman who is a firefighter. A corrections officer at a halfway house. A pharmacist in Baltimore. They never met Lower Burrell senior patrolman Derek Kotecki, but he touched their lives unexpectedly with an educational scholarship. Oct. 12 marks the 10th anniversary of when Kotecki, 40, was killed...
The Stroller, Oct. 9, 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. Food safety webinar offered volunteers Penn State Extension will offer a seminar, “Cooking for Crowds – A Volunteer’s Guide to Safe Food Handling,” from 6 to...
New Kensington firefighters stress safety during Martin Elementary visit
They got to see the fire trucks, hold the hoses and sit in an engine’s driver seat. But there were also important lessons to be learned when New Kensington volunteer firefighters paid a visit to the school housing the community’s youngest children Friday. What to do when there’s a fire,...
Oakmont Fall Festival returns with cornucopia of seasonal activities
With autumn finally here, it’s time for a recent local tradition, the Oakmont Fall Festival, on Oct. 30. Started in 2019, this year’s event, which is hosted by the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Greater Pittsburgh Tree Service, will kick off at 10 a.m. with a parade...
GQT Pittsburgh Mills Cinemas opens 2 more screens at theater
GQT Pittsburgh Mills Cinemas is expanding its viewing experience for moviegoers by adding two auditoriums. General Manager Sharon Goldstein said the expansion comes after a steady increase in patrons over several months. “It has always been our plan to expand, and knew it was the right time to do it...
Freeport Area School District officials considering adjustments to meeting, public comment policies
Proposed changes to the Freeport Area School District’s meeting and public comment policies will not impact scheduling or speaking opportunities, according to school board members. Instead, language adjustments to two policies are, in part, to reflect what is in state statutes and to codify existing meeting processes. Board President Dan...
Rumor of threat against Plum High School unfounded, administration says
Rumors of a threat against the Plum Senior High School that spurred an investigation have no merit, a letter from administrators states. According to a letter from high school Principal Joe Fishell, several Safe2Say submissions and emails were received by the district regarding an alleged allegation that a student had...
Vandergrift man acquitted of most charges in 2019 incident
A Vandergrift man was acquitted by a Westmoreland County jury this week of 15 of the 16 charges against him stemming from a 2019 incident. Javon Michael Thom Lambert, 22, was found not guilty of robbery, aggravated assault, a weapons violation, escape and related offenses. Jurors convicted him of flight...
New Kensington targeting 12 properties for demolition
Frederick Clay says the sooner New Kensington tears down a dilapidated house on his street, the better. “Nature reclaimed the house,” he said of the house at 1211 Leishman Ave., next to his own. “I’ve been cutting this grass for years. It’s a weekly struggle.” Clay said the house has...
The Stroller, Oct. 8, 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. Tarentum scarecrow contest taking submissions Tarentum Recreation Board is sponsoring its 13th annual Scarecrow Contest. The contest is open to groups, including family, friends, clubs, schools...
Fatal Armstrong County crash victim identified
An Armstrong County woman died after losing control of her vehicle and hitting an embankment in Perry Township. Alisha Diets, 34, of Parker was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Timothy Graham. The crash occurred along Knox Road around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Diets was traveling south in a...
Allegheny Township police charge man with strangling, beating woman during dispute
An Allegheny Township man has been charged with strangling and beating a woman during an argument on Tuesday, according to authorities. Robert Fouse, 70, of Velvet Lane is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $30,000 bond set during his arraignment before District Judge Cheryl Peck...
Bass & Bennett Trading Co. bringing unique furniture from around the world to Pittsburgh’s Strip District
A lifetime of travel is bringing Matt Bass and his business, Bass & Bennett Trading Co., to a storefront in Pittsburgh’s Strip District where he’ll sell unique furniture and home decor from around the world. “We travel around the world and find one-of-a-kind or few-of-a-kind items,” said Matt Bass, who...
Resident complains of bedbugs in Vandergrift
Uninvited guests on Lowell Street in Vandergrift have some residents complaining to borough officials. Mattresses left outside at the steps of an empty apartment building at 502 Lowell St. on Tuesday morning were marked with signs saying they are infested with bedbugs. In a social media post Wednesday, resident Tiffany...
Tarentum church kicks off concert series with ‘Todo Tango’
Central Presbyterian Church will launch the return of its concert series on Sunday with tango music, an upbeat show that gets people dancing in the aisles after the series’ extended pandemic-related hiatus, organizers said. “Todo Tango” will feature Argentine singer Ada Lis Jimena performing classics with pianist Tom Roberts and...
3rd annual Vandergrift Halloween Party kid-geared, but open to entire community
An annual community Halloween party in Vandergrift is growing in popularity. The third annual Vandergrift Halloween Party, organized by Vandergrift resident Heather Miller, is scheduled for Oct. 16 at The Center on Franklin. The free party welcomes all ages, but Miller said the festivities are geared with youngsters in mind....
