Valley News Dispatch category, Page 470
Allegheny Township ice cream stand is up for sale
A popular ice cream business in Allegheny Township is on the market. Sweetie’s Ice Cream, at 6273 Leechburg Road, is listed for $339,000 with Jason Mazzei of Keller Williams Realty. Co-owner Edward Spix, who has owned it for almost a decade, said, “It’s time to move on.” Mazzei said he...
The late Ellen Toy, longtime volleyball coach, honored with court in Vandergrift’s Kennedy Park
A new volleyball court in Vandergrift aims to honor the memory of a longtime devoted Alle-Kiski Valley coach and teacher. The Ellen Toy Grass Court at Kennedy Park recently was completed. It was made possible by funding from the nonprofit We Serve First Foundation. “Let’s let people know there’s a...
Plum Community Center reopens after more than a year of covid closure
Doris Morris could hardly hold in her excitement. The Plum senior, like many in the borough, had been waiting with anticipation for the doors of the community center at 499 Center-New Texas Road to reopen after being shuttered due to the pandemic. After a major renovation including air purifiers in...
Riverview School District officials preparing for the start of the 2021-22 school year
New computer devices at the elementary schools, districtwide updated facilities and familiar friendly faces are among what is awaiting Riverview students this coming school year. Superintendent Neil English said his Oakmont and Verona staffers are excited to welcome students back to full-time, in-person learning starting Thursday, Aug. 26 after more...
The Stroller, July 29, 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. Free paper shredding event planned in Lower Burrell A free paper shredding event will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 1...
Brackenridge man pleads guilty to $101,000 federal credit union robbery
A Brackenridge man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a July 2019 robbery of more than $100,000 from the Allegheny-Ludlum Brackenridge Federal Credit Union. Thomas George, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery, according to acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman. According to court records, on July 10, 2019,...
Arnold police accuse man of fighting with officer at hospital after traffic stop
Arnold police said a West Leechburg man fought with an officer who took him to Allegheny Valley Hospital for a blood draw following a traffic stop Monday night. The incident began shortly after 8 p.m., when the officer said he pulled over a car after it turned left onto Constitution...
Tarentum burglary suspect arrested after bitten by police dog
A burglary suspect was arrested in Tarentum after being tracked down and bitten by a police dog, police said. Tarentum police charged David Weston, 34, with flight to avoid apprehension and loitering and prowling at nighttime. In a criminal complaint against Weston, police said they were dispatched to a Negley...
New Kensington police accuse man of threatening woman with gun
New Kensington police accused a city man of pointing a gun at a woman and threatening to kill her during a fight Monday night. Police said in a criminal complaint that they went to the 700 block of Kimball Avenue shortly before 8:30 p.m. for a reported domestic assault in...
The Stroller, July 28, 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. Outdoor Discovery Center to host wilderness first aid, CPR classes Wilderness First Aid and CPR classes will be offered at 8:30...
Pennsylvania to remove peregrine falcon from threatened species list
After reintroducing and protecting the peregrine falcon for more than 40 years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is in the process of removing the world’s fastest animal from threatened status. Pesticides decimated the entire population of peregrines in the Eastern United States by the mid-1960s. Previously, the charismatic raptor that can...
Demolition continues at Ida’s restaurant in Arnold; city looking for money to pay for work
As a contractor continues to remove debris from the remains of a fire-ravaged former restaurant on Fifth Avenue, Arnold officials are trying to finalize how to pay for the work. The building at 1605 Fifth Ave. that once housed Ida’s Place collapsed Sunday — a day before its demolition was...
Portion of Route 356 in Allegheny Township reopens after being closed because of utility pole problems
A portion of Route 356 in Allegheny Township near Stanford Home Center was closed for several hours Tuesday because of what the township deemed a utility pole failure. Township officials posted a traffic alert to their official Facebook page around 8:50 a.m. Tuesday that showed a utility pole leaning over...
The Stroller, July 27, 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. Tarentum concert to feature Jim Felix as Elvis Tarentum Summer Concert Series will feature Jim Felix as Elvis in concert at...
Relay for Life of Riverview set to return to Riverside Park in Oakmont for 20th anniversary
A celebration marking 20 years in the fight against cancer is set to take place at Riverside Park in Oakmont. The annual Relay for Life of Riverview returns after a year hiatus due to the pandemic. Festivities are scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 7. “We’re very excited...
Former Ida’s restaurant in Arnold collapses a day before scheduled demolition
Crews on Monday were to begin demolishing the Arnold building that formerly housed Ida’s Place Italian restaurant. On Sunday, the building at 1605 Fifth Ave. collapsed on its own. No one was injured. “I’m glad that the eyesore is down,” Mayor Joseph Bia said. “Once it’s gone and cleaned up,...
Arnold murder suspect pleads to minor drug-related offense
A New Kensington man charged in a fatal shooting last year in Arnold appeared in a Westmoreland County courtroom Monday and pleaded guilty to a minor drug-related offense as he continues to await trial on a charge of first-degree murder. Mario M. Gatti, 31, is scheduled for trial in October...
New Kensington prostitute sentenced for sex trafficking of teen
A former New Kensington woman will serve up to 10 years in prison for her role in a sex trafficking and prostitution ring that utilized a 14-year-old girl to maximize their earnings. Shannon Lynn Shannon, 46, formerly of Texas, pleaded guilty in November to felony counts of trafficking in minors,...
Owner of Lower Burrell auto repair shop vows to reopen after fire
Sharpe Automotive owner Arthur “Artie” Grazier vowed Monday that he would reopen his Lower Burrell shop after repairing damage from a Sunday night blaze. “Half of my customers showed up wishing me luck. Someone even brought me a pizza,” Grazier said late Monday morning. “This is a great community.” The...
Leechburg carnival returns, will help fire department raise money for new engine
The Leechburg Carnival is returning after being canceled last year because of the pandemic. The popular event raises money for the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Department. It will be held from Aug. 2-7 at the fire company grounds located at 268 Canal Street. The department is trying by August 2022 to...
Crews battle fire at Lower Burrell auto body shopVideo
Multiple fire departments were battling a fire at a Lower Burrell auto body shop late Sunday. Initial reports for a fire at Sharpe Automotive near the intersection of Leechburg Road and Chester Drive came in about 11 p.m. Units from Lower Burrell as well as Upper Burrell, New Kensington, Arnold,...
The Stroller, July 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. Allegheny Valley Association of Churches accepting donations for food bank Donations are welcome for the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches food...
Artfest returns to VandergriftVideo
The arts came alive under a perfect summer sky Sunday in Vandergrift. More than 75 artists and vendors took over a closed-off Grant Avenue for the 2021 themed “Art, Heart and Soul” event that draws hundreds annually to the vibrant street fair. The event returned this year bigger-than-ever after being...
Presentation on Apollo beloved teacher Miss Amy Snyder set for Aug. 1
Residents can learn about the character of one of the most popular teachers in Apollo’s history, the late Miss Amy Snyder, in a special presentation by the Apollo Area Historical Society on Aug. 1. The event is free to the public. Snyder, who began teaching at the Apollo Elementary School...
Celebrating Christmas: On July 25, because of the pandemic
One Alle-Kiski Valley family hasn’t let covid stand in the way of celebrating Christmas. When the pandemic forced a cancellation of their usual Christmas Day family gathering in Tarentum last year, Kathy Kemp of the Cabot section of Winfield Township, Butler County, got creative. “My mom was not happy with...
