Valley News Dispatch category, Page 453
SoCal Mexicali Grill to bring Southern California cuisine to New KensingtonVideo
Before Jeff Cieslewicz starts cooking his Southern California-themed menu in New Kensington, he’s taking a trip to the state to get some ideas. Cieslewicz, 38, of Latrobe is a chef and partner with Sean Watson, 41, a businessman from Lower Burrell, in SoCal Mexicali Grill, a restaurant they plan to...
Jury deadlocked, mistrial declared in rape and sexual assault trial of Allegheny Township man
A mistrial was declared Friday in the cases against an Allegheny Township man accused of rape and sexual assaults by five women and a teen. Jurors deliberated nearly 14 hours over two days and reported they were at an impasse and unable to reach verdicts on all 24 counts in...
Hearing set for state trooper accused of harassing teen; lawyer balks at charge
A hearing has been scheduled for next month in the case of an Armstrong County-based state trooper who is accused of harassing a 15-year-old boy. Trooper Nickolas R. Elliott, 30, pleaded not guilty to a charge of harassment by physical contact filed against him Wednesday. Elliott, who is assigned to...
RIDC to help market South Buffalo’s Northpointe Industrial Park to potential developers
The Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania is stepping in to help market 115 acres of undeveloped land at South Buffalo’s Northpointe Industrial Park. Owned by the Armstrong County Industrial Development Council, the industrial park covers more than 800 acres. While it is home to tenants that include universities,...
The Stroller, Sept. 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. NK Salvation Army to offer holiday assistance, coats The New Kensington Salvation Army will accept applications for assistance for holiday food...
Man shot 3 times in Arnold
A 34-year-old man is expected to survive after being shot three times in Arnold late Thursday, police Chief Eric Doutt said. The shooting happened shortly before midnight in the 1500 block of Fourth Avenue. The man was outside a house when someone shot him with a handgun in an arm,...
Jury deliberations to resume in sexual assault and rape trial of Allegheny Township man
A Westmoreland County jury will continue deliberations Friday morning in the rape and sexual assault trial of an Allegheny Township man. Jurors in the cases against Eric Alan Wright, 49, deliberated more than eight hours Thursday before they were sent home for the night by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge...
Pa. trooper suspended after being charged with harassing 15-year-old boy
A state trooper stationed in Armstrong County has been suspended without pay after being charged with harassing a 15-year-old boy, according to authorities. Charges were filed by state police against Trooper Nickolas R. Elliott, 30, of Butler following an investigation into the incident by the state police Internal Affairs Division,...
Burrell School District offers unhappy parents individual meetings for mask issues
At a time when many school boards are being confronted by yelling parents irate over mask mandates, Burrell School District is offering up private meetings with students’ parents to work through the mask issues. Two lawsuits are pending in Pennsylvania challenging the legality of the recent mask mandate at schools....
A Steelers vibe for Friday Night Lights coming to Highlands this week
Here we go! Chances are the Highlands football stadium will be rockin’ Friday night with enough black and gold to look more like Heinz Field than RamLand. The 4-0 Golden Rams were selected as the Steelers High School Football Showcase Game of the Week, winning a visit from Steely McBeam...
‘Sustainability Stroll’ highlights New Kensington’s past, new businesses
With the help of a quick scan of a QR code, a stroll down New Kensington’s Fifth Avenue can offer a glimpse of the city’s past along with its present. Signs for a “Sustainability Stroll” recently went up along Fifth Avenue from The Corner at Seventh Street to Westmoreland County...
Upper Burrell Dollar General along Route 780 under construction
After protest from neighbors, the Dollar General along Route 780 and Dewey Drive in Upper Burrell has cleared all township hurdles, and development of the site has begun. The store is tentatively slated to open in late fall, said Katie Ellison, spokeswoman for Dollar General Corp. Although the store, along...
Highlands cheerleaders host Pink Out to support Change for Cancer
On Friday, Oct. 15, they wear pink. Highlands High School cheerleaders are hosting a districtwide Pink Out fundraiser that will culminate Oct. 15 when the Golden Rams football team takes on the Armstrong River Hawks. The squad is teaming up with Change for Cancer, a nonprofit founded by Burrell High...
AHN announces closing date, relocation for New Kensington outpatient center
Allegheny Health Network said Thursday it will move its outpatient center from the former Citizens General Hospital to Kensington Square in New Kensington later this year. The new location at 1B Kensington Square is on Eighth Street, across from Central City Plaza. “After an exhaustive search and assessment of available...
Day care center takes over location of former Creighton Hotel in East Deer
The vacant Creighton Hotel building along Freeport Road is home to a day care center. Raney Day Learning Center opened in August. The day care previously was a block away on 879 Freeport Road. It recently celebrated 16 years in business. Judy Raney, owner of the day care, frequented the...
The Stroller, Sept. 23, 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. Festival scheduled Saturday in West Leechburg West Leechburg Volunteer Fire Department will host a festival from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday...
‘Las Hachas’ bringing ax throwing, green chili to New KensingtonVideo
Some say ax throwing is a bit like bowling meets darts. But while the lanes, targets and hatchets are ready, what’s really going to make Las Hachas in New Kensington complete is when the kitchen gets running and brothers Brian and Zach Heidenreich’s mother’s Mexican green chili starts getting smothered...
Allegheny Valley School Board appoints a familiar face as its new school director
The Allegheny Valley School Board has appointed Glenna Renaldi to an open school director’s seat. The board named Renaldi to replace James Gaschler Jr., who stepped down earlier this month. In a 5-3 vote Tuesday night, the board chose Renaldi over three other candidates. Renaldi is no stranger to the...
Prosecution rests in rape and sexual assault trial of Allegheny Township man
Two more women told a Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday they were raped by an Allegheny Township man. Their testimony came during the third day in the trial of Eric Wright, 49, who prosecutors claim sexually assaulted and raped three juveniles and three adult women, dating back to the early...
Fox Chapel makes its mark with municipal solar energy
Fox Chapel on Monday became one of the first municipalities in the state that will power its borough buildings with solar energy, officials said. Council voted unanimously on the proposal, which begins with the installation of solar panels in the borough’s new public works buildings. Project costs are expected to...
Woman charged with leading police on chase that ended with crash in New Kensington
A woman accused of leading police on a chase from Springdale until she crossed the New Kensington Bridge and wrecked has been charged with multiple felonies. Rachel M. Mautino, 43, of New Kensington was charged by Springdale police with felony counts of fleeing to avoid apprehension, fleeing from police and...
Police use Taser on East Vandergrift man during struggle
Police used a Taser on an East Vandergrift man charged with stealing a motorcycle after he tried to wrestle the weapon away from an officer, according to authorities. Vandergrift officers went to John William Ebner’s McKinley Avenue home around 8 p.m. on Sept. 16 to execute a warrant for his...
Plans for Popeyes moving forward in New Kensington
Plans for a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen are moving forward in New Kensington. The city’s planning commission on Tuesday approved the land development plan for Popeyes without conditions, City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti said. The restaurant specializing in fried chicken and shrimp is proposed to be built in the Giant Eagle...
Sharpsburg’s Fall Festival expected to draw thousands for pumpkin patch, carriage rides, food and fireworks
A Sharpsburg festival planned for Oct. 2 is pegged to be larger than the borough’s annual Open Streets Celebration that draws thousands. “To put it mildly, the event has exploded,” said Greg Domian, chair of the borough’s special events committee. “We have three football fields of vendors signed up.” The...
Burrell School District and Penn State among 21 grantees for $1.1 million in Arconic donations
Burrell School District and Penn State New Kensington each will receive $25,000 from Arconic Foundation’s $1.1 million in donations in Western Pennsylvania this year. The grants to 21 nonprofits will support education, social equity, environmental sustainability and human needs programs throughout the region. Arconic Foundation invests in communities where Arconic...
