Valley News Dispatch category, Page 468
Freeport officials trying to determine how to pay for sewage plant, make it affordable
Freeport Council has authorized its engineer to apply for grants to finance the estimated $15 million Freeport sewage plant construction project. On Monday, council unanimously gave the green light for project engineer Kevin Creagh of KLH Engineers to start applying for as many grants as possible. Creagh told council he...
Former Fox Chapel cardiologist gets 6½ years in prison for health care fraud
A former Fox Chapel cardiologist convicted of health care fraud for falsely billing more than $13 million in specialized treatment his patients didn’t need asked for mercy at his sentencing Thursday. Dr. Samirkumar J. Shah, who failed to show at his original sentencing hearing last month, and for whom the...
Renowned Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café returns after 15 years
All it took was one bite of a fresh maple-cinnamon roll for a patron to know he was in the right place. Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café, a descendant of the iconic Harmar bakery Periwinkle’s, has finally opened the doors at its new location in O’Hara along Route 28, at Exit...
Fox Chapel author’s debut novel tells story of resiliency, self-acceptance
Fox Chapel resident Carolyn Skowron spins a tale of triumph and chips away at the stigma of mental health in her debut novel, “Unbreakable.” A story of acceptance, self-discovery and the value of being “perfectly imperfect,” the book follows Skowron’s struggle with mental health issues and her path to self-improvement....
Neighbor Spotlight: Oakmont conversations always a delight for historical society president
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Signature Dish: Chilean sea bass at newly restored Bloser Mansion in ParnassusVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com. A new restaurant housed in a historic venue in New Kensington is dishing up lots of buzz. The Bloser Mansion,...
From WPIAL to S.I. swimsuits, Apollo’s Dessie Mitcheson launching boutique with body-positive messageVideo
Former WPIAL athlete Dessie Mitcheson left Pittsburgh area fairways for international runways a long time ago. Now she’s going from a big-time model to a small business owner. And she’s doing so back home in Western Pennsylvania. Mitcheson — who was a golfer and regionally top-15 ranked diver at Kiski...
The Stroller, Aug. 5, 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. Local marching bands to perform at Kennywood Park Western Pennsylvania has many traditions during the month of August. High school football...
Oakmont Chamber of Commerce Street Sale brings crowd, vendors to the borough
A street sale designed to give Oakmont businesses and other vendors a boost returned to the borough and so did the crowds. More than 1,200 people were estimated to have walked and shopped up and down Allegheny River Boulevard on July 31 in the return of the annual Oakmont Chamber...
Plum High teacher among newest crop of state certified computer science educators
Plum High School math teacher Tamar McPherson recently joined an elite group of educators dedicated to the future of technology-based learning. She is one of 38 teachers in the state to become certified in computer science grades 7-12 through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The professional development opportunity was made...
Gold medalist Jade Carey has strong ties to Alle-Kiski Valley
Long before gymnast Jade Carey won gold with her nearly flawless floor routine Monday at the Tokyo Olympics, the 21-year-old from Arizona nailed a living-room floor routine in the Alle-Kiski Valley during a visit to see relatives. “We had a huge family room, and from the time she walked in...
Tarentum Mayor Eric Carter resigns just months before term was set to end
Tarentum Mayor Eric Carter has resigned from his position. Council President Scott Dadowski read a resignation letter from Carter, whose first term was scheduled to end Dec. 31. In the letter, Carter cited scheduling conflicts. “Over the past several months, my personal and work schedules have caused a dramatic change...
Lower Burrell police looking for city man accused of not returning a quad runner
Lower Burrell police are asking for the public’s help in finding a city man wanted for theft. Eric Shank, 35, is wanted for theft and receiving property, said police Chief John Marhefka. Police obtained an arrest warrant after Shank didn’t show up for his preliminary hearing before District Judge Cheryl...
Citizens Bank to close downtown branch in New Kensington
And then there was one. The Citizens Bank branch at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street in New Kensington is closing in mid-November, leaving First National Bank along Eighth Street as the only bank branch remaining downtown. “We continue to evaluate, evolve and adjust our branch strategy across...
Vandergrift Council appoints committee to study how to regulate home-kept chickens
Vandergrift officials are taking steps to adopt an ordinance on backyard chickens. “The only thing we have in place right now is an old ordinance for nuisance fowl,” borough Solicitor Larry Loperfito said, adding that the decades-old ordinance addresses concerns such as a noisy rooster crowing. A three-person committee created...
Blawnox’s 1st National Night Out celebration a big hit with residentsVideo
Blawnox native Christa Coban touted the borough’s first-ever National Night Out as an event with a simple goal — to have people mingle with their heroes, she said. The event, hosted Aug. 3 by the Best of Blawnox group at the borough’s Community Park, was transformed with fire engines, police...
New Kensington runaway returns home safe, police say
A New Kensington teenage runaway is back home, city police said Wednesday. New Kensington police Det. Sgt. Dino DiGiacobbe said Patience Daniella Lynn Johnson, 16, returned home Tuesday and is safe. Johnson had last been seen at her home on July 6. Police asked for the public’s help in finding...
Harrison man jailed after police say he attacked woman at Brackenridge bar
A Harrison man whom police said attacked a woman at a Brackenridge bar is being held in Allegheny County Jail without bail, online court records showed. Brackenridge police charged Keith Robert Haslett, 37, with simple assault, strangulation and harassment following his arrest early Tuesday at Devil Dog Saloon. Police said...
The Stroller, Aug. 4, 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. Age of Aquarius concert to benefit Casino Theater Age of Aquarius, a concert of music of the ’60s and ’70s, will...
Community Health Clinic’s new medical van delivers health care to Westmoreland County residents
Community Health Clinic’s new medical van is bringing health care to people in Westmoreland County, offering covid-19 vaccinations and tests along with primary care. Headquartered in New Kensington with additional locations in Vandergrift and Greensburg, the Community Health Clinic provides low-cost health care, offering a sliding payment scale for residents...
O’Hara, Ben Avon women giving Joy Rides to people with limited mobility
Eleven-year-old Hailey Tucker of Penn Hills has multiple disabilities that have rendered her unable to speak. Still, there was no mistaking her excitement over recent bike rides at the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “She gets a great big smile on her face,” said Hailey’s mother, April....
West Leechburg’s ‘accidental’ garlic grower has been at it for half-century
West Leechburg’s Jack Froncek doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He prefers garlic. Froncek, 94, has been growing garlic at his Giron Street residence for 50 years. He said he got his start in garlic growing by accident. After noticing a large dirt excavation project near his home...
ATI reports $49.2M second-quarter loss, says worker strike cost $40.3M
Allegheny Technologies Inc. lost $49.2 million in the second quarter while incurring $40.3 million in strike-related costs, the company announced Tuesday. ATI said it had sales of $616 million in April through June. Excluding costs related to the strike, which was settled in June when the United Steelworkers approved a...
The Stroller, Aug. 3, 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. Shrine Center to host Steel Mill Rising in concert The Pittsburgh Shrine Center will present a free outdoor concert featuring the...
Northbound lanes of Route 28 in O’Hara reopen after vehicle fire
A ramp leading to the Highland Park Bridge in O’Hara did not sustain any damage after a vehicle caught fire along Route 28 Monday night, officials said. Crews responded to the northbound lanes of Route 28 near the exit leading to the bridge around 8:30 p.m., according to a tweet...
