Valley News Dispatch category, Page 481
Westmoreland Transit to use federal grants to keep bus fares steady, for now
Fares to ride Westmoreland County Transit Authority buses and paratransit vehicles will remain unchanged under a new operating budget approved this week. The spending plan relies heavily on federal stimulus grants as revenues continue to lag more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic caused a dramatic drop-off in passenger...
Apollo-Ridge students combine art, conservation message in street muralsVideo
Colorful murals touting an environmental message are taking over Apollo. The Storm Drain Mural Project is underway and 15 acrylic murals were installed this week throughout the borough by art students from Apollo-Ridge High School. The public art display began nine months ago, created by Apollo-Ridge art student Kate Myers...
Leaning Cask Brewing Co. in Springdale opens outdoor beer garden
How about a beer garden party to celebrate the first day of summer? Springdale’s Leaning Cask Brewing Company is holding a grand opening of its new outdoor beer garden, “The Courtyard,” on Sunday. The entrance to the beer garden is directly through the pub on Pittsburgh Street and has seating...
New Kensington police charge man with selling crack cocaine from apartment
New Kensington police said they found crack cocaine in the bottom of a toilet while executing a search warrant with the state Attorney General’s office at an apartment on Linden Avenue Thursday. Officers encountered the target of the investigation, Mark Sibley, 40, leaving the bathroom and he was ordered to...
Freeport Theatre Festival gears up for summer seasonVideo
At the Freeport Theatre Festival, the show must go on — even more so as the pandemic has produced new hardships for so many. “The arts are absolutely essential for the spirit of people,” said Marushka Steele, who owns and operates the theater with her husband of over 40 years,...
Lower Burrell farmers market opening to honor founder Bud Myers
The late Joseph “Bud” Myers, known for his volunteer work in Lower Burrell, was beloved for shepherding the first farmers market in the city 10 years ago. The city will honor Myers posthumously, presenting a key to the city to his wife, Carol Myers, during the opening of the farmers...
The Stroller, June 18, 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. Juneteenth celebration planned Saturday A Juneteenth Community Celebration will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist...
Indiana County man’s body found in Kiski woods
A report of a suspicious vehicle at a Kiski car wash lead to the discovery of a man’s body Thursday afternoon, according to township police. Police said they got a call shortly after 7:30 a.m. about a vehicle left at the Apollo Car Wash on Route 56 just outside of...
Burrell School Board passes final budget with 3.5% real estate tax increase
The Burrell School Board unanimously approved its final budget of $32.7 million for 2021-22 on Tuesday, which includes a tax increase of 3.5%. For a home assessed at $22,900, the district’s average home tax assessment, the homeowner would pay an additional $80 in real estate tax for next school year,...
West Deer Police Chief Jon Lape set to retire, supervisors name Robert Loper to replace him
After 18 years, West Deer is getting a new chief of police. Chief Jonathan Lape is retiring at the end of June, and the township supervisors have appointed Sgt. Robert Loper as the new chief. “There are few people who will have as wide an impact as Chief Lape has,”...
Tarentum’s revitalization kicks into gear with Depot groundbreaking
A long-awaited business broke ground Thursday in Tarentum. The Depot, owned by Faith Community Partners, has been in the works since the building’s purchase by Executive Director Dave Rankin in 2015. Construction on the building on the 300 block of Fifth Avenue officially began Monday. Developers of The Depot plan...
Anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help student transitions
An anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help newly enrolled students that might have a challenging educational or cultural transition, officials announced. It is the largest programmatic donation in school history. Money is earmarked for the academic and social support of students at the private Fox Chapel...
Highlands considers girls volleyball program at middle school
Highlands School Board will vote at its regular meeting Monday on whether to create a girls volleyball program at Highlands Middle School. The board agreed to place the proposal on next week’s agenda after hearing a presentation from Athletic Director Drew Karpen. Karpen said that the creation of a middle...
Westmoreland commissioners restructure election bureau; director’s job in limboVideo
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday overhauled the county election bureau to add a layer of management, increased pay for staff and, for the first time, acknowledged a potential change in leadership of the department. The move comes a month after numerous operational and administrative issues plagued the bureau the days before...
Fox Chapel Area school taxes climb slightly
Fox Chapel Area residents will pay slightly higher school taxes in 2021-22. The school board on June 14 approved its $104 million budget, seeing the tax rate climb from 19.8 to 20.1 mills. It is a 1.3% increase. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will pay $2,010, up...
Fox Chapel Area High School among 2 in state to earn award for strength and conditioning program
Fox Chapel Area High School is being lauded for its strength and conditioning program, one which leaders said is a foundation for lifelong health and wellness. The high school earned the Strength of America Award to recognize its elite program. The honor comes from the National Strength and Conditioning Association...
Water quality testing to continue at Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell Township
Water quality tests at the reservoir that supplies drinking water to about half of all Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers will continue for the next year. Authority board members this week approved a new contract with Indiana University of Pennsylvania to collect samples and analyze the water at Beaver...
Signature Dishes: Pulled pork nachos at Allusion Brewing in VandergriftVideo
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 pint-sized entrepreneur is cooking up a key ingredient used in a signature dish at Allusion Brewing Co. in Vandergrift. Emilee...
The Stroller, June 17, 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. Farmers market to open in Lower Burrell The Lower Burrell Farmers Market will open for the season from 9 a.m. to...
Plum’s Summer Fest returns to Larry Mills Park
Plum’s Summer Fest, a three-day celebration of the season packed with carnival rides and games, makes its return to Larry Mills Park this month after being canceled last year due to the covid-19 pandemic. This will be the sixth nonconsecutive year for the event, formerly known as Community Days. More...
Tarentum Bridge closing spurs more foot traffic across the spanVideo
Allison Ohara has been walking across the Tarentum Bridge to work most days since its closure June 9. As a single mother, she said, she has no other choice. “The only way I can get to work is from this bridge,” she said Wednesday while trudging across the bridge past...
New Kensington community to celebrate Juneteenth
The New Kensington community will come together Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. An event featuring free food, activities, speakers and music will mark the holiday at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in New Kensington. “Juneteenth is a reminder that...
Tarentum Democrat wins Republican nomination for mayor; 3rd Ward seat also to be contested
Tarentum voters will have a choice for borough mayor in November. Former borough police Officer Robert Lang, who lost the Democratic primary in May to current Councilwoman Carrie Fox, won the Republican nomination as a write-in. Lang, a registered Democrat, said he will accept the Republican nomination but otherwise declined...
Burrell approves anatomy class to ready students for medical careers
The Burrell School Board voted this week to add an anatomy and physiology course to prepare students for various medical fields. Bryan Mike, a Burrell High School science teacher and head of the science department, spoke before the school board last week to present his ideas on the new course....
Tarentum Bridge closure chokes ambulance traffic
The closure of the Tarentum Bridge has made things difficult for ambulances trying to get patients from the New Kensington side of the bridge to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Emergency traffic has had to follow detours like all other vehicles, said Addie Birch, emergency medical services director with the...
