Valley News Dispatch category, Page 499

The Burrell School District plans to appeal a Westmoreland County assessment ruling that reduced the real estate tax assessment of Siemens Industry Inc. With the lower assessment, the school district stands to lose $53,000 this year. The tax challenge adds to another legal action Burrell, along with Upper Burrell Township,...

Four local businesses are starting or expanding their operations in the former G.C. Murphy Building in Tarentum. Allegheny Educational Systems, based in Tarentum for nearly 40 years, is keeping its primary location on Third Avenue but needed showroom space for its growing business, building owner Dave Rankin said. Chuck Conto...

Penn State New Kensington will start back for the spring semester on Tuesday with all virtual classes. But the remote operations of the campus won’t stop enrollment with the “Virtual Application Days,” on Monday. If potential students and parents attend Virtual Application Days on Monday from 1 p.m. to 2...

As the district prepares to enter its second semester, Kiski Area is one of few that has offered in-person and hybrid instruction all school year, Superintendent Tim Scott said — staying consistent amid shifting guidelines from the state Department of Education. During a Wednesday evening school board meeting, Scott and...

Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, fundraisers and community events in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. West Deer Dog Shelter accepting donations West Deer Dog Shelter is now accepting donations via Venmo @westdeerdogshelter. To use Venmo, download the Venmo...

Lucy Peters of West Leechburg is sharing her love of authentic Mexican cooking with another love — service. Peters, 38, an Army veteran and member of American Legion Post 868 in Lower Burrell, will serve as chef, cooking hundreds of flautas and tamales for a Mexican-themed fundraiser hosted by the...

Some local police chiefs are having a tough time finding officers to join their forces. Jeannette recently advertised seeking candidates to take a civil service test. It received three applications. Irwin had five applicants for its test — all of whom were already part-time officers in the borough. After receiving...

A New Kensington neighborhood park that was cleared out recently won’t remain empty for long. New play equipment is coming to Summit Street Park, city Councilman Dante Cicconi said. The park in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood is one of the city’s five neighborhood parks. One of the others, JFK...

When Riverview High School teacher Rachelle Poth needed artwork for her books a few years ago, she got help from one of her young learners. Freshman Hann Morrissey worked on the covers of “In Other Words” and “Unconventional: Ways to Thrive in EDU.” So when it came to art for...

Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, fundraisers and community events in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Christopher’s Light seeking volunteers Children’s charity Christopher’s Light is seeking casual volunteers to help with the organization’s daily activities. Volunteers must commit to...

For Nivedita Eklahare, art is more than a picture. “I love the smell of oil paint,” said Eklahare, a native of India who lives in Richland. “And I love using bright colors, especially in wintertime when the weather is dreary. I do a happy dance when I sell one of...

Two students in grades 6-12 at Leechburg Area High School have tested positive for covid-19. Students and staff returned to face-to-face instruction Monday, Jan. 11. In an email to district families Friday, Superintendent Tiffany Nix outlined the latest covid-19 updates for all students in grades K-12. Nix said because the...

Gilpin Township has a vacancy on its water and sewer authority board. Supervisors chairman Charlie Stull confirmed Friday that Joel Knepshield stepped down from the municipal authority last month. Stull said Knepshield cited work obligations in his resignation letter. The township is looking to find a replacement as soon as...

Freeport Area School District students grades 6-12 will return to the classroom full time, despite warnings that one of the district’s school buildings may be forced to temporarily close after a covid-19 exposure. Beginning next week, middle and high school students will return to the classroom four days a week,...

A glittering field of more than 500 lanterns sent a simple but solid message by the new Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy trying to raise awareness of the borough’s vast green space. “These are the community’s parks,” Councilwoman and Conservancy co-founder Mandy Steele said of the Jan. 8 event at McCahill...

Fox Chapel Area School District officials said a decision to increase in-person class time for middle and high school students could come in early February. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said there’s been no alternate guidance from the state regarding older students, despite last week’s recommendation by health and education experts...

The Rotary Club of Oakmont-Verona plans to give residents of the twin boroughs an opportunity to commend or remember others with a bevy of American flags. “It’s a way to honor the people of the community and brings recognition to the community,” said Rotary past president Don Stoner. “It helps...

Allegheny Valley School Board voted unanimously this week to have students return to hybrid instruction starting Tuesday. Under the plan, students in grades K-12 will be divided into two groups — with one group attending in-person classes on Mondays and Thursdays and a second group attending in-person on Tuesdays and...

The Springdale Township Commissioners adopted a budget of nearly $1.5 million for this year that includes no increase in property taxes. The budget, which passed 5-0, keeps the tax rate at 6.5 mills. At that rate, the owner of a property assessed at $75,000, the township’s average property value, will...

New Kensington’s garbage hauler fired two employees after residents reported thefts of a package and Christmas lights, the company and city officials confirmed Thursday. It makes for a troubling start for the new one-year contract between New Kensington and County Hauling, which council approved in December despite past concerns over...

The historic Addison House in Leechburg is set to reopen to the public after a five-year closure. The once-popular First Street eatery shut its doors in 2012 amid financial woes after the tragic death of co-owner Laura Stettmier in an October 2011 plane crash in West Virginia. John and Devra...

Deer Lakes School District will return to a hybrid instruction schedule Tuesday, with modified hours that will allow high school students to have nine periods of live instruction per day. Students have been learning remotely since November in response to rising covid-19 cases. Remote learning will still be available for...