Valley News Dispatch category, Page 5
West Deer fracking well raises concerns about noise, air quality in Bairdford
Vicki Austin says her West Deer neighborhood can get pretty loud. Austin’s home is about 850 feet from EQT’s Leto fracking well, near the heart of the West Deer community of Bairdford. EQT took over the well from Olympus Energy LLC last year. “It’s like living in an industrial site,”...
The Stroller, April 20, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. ‘Jesus Rising’ to be...
Proposed legislation would redefine emergency dispatchers as first responders
Sharpsburg resident Jon Jaso called his job as an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher rewarding but laden with emotional baggage. “Listening to tragedies every day doesn’t get any easier,” said Jaso, who started in 1990 at McCandless municipal dispatch before operations were folded into regional centers in 1998 and then into...
The Stroller, April 19, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Community Library seeks new...
Alle-Kiski Senior Citizen News: April 18, 2026
Armstrong County Senior Centers Apollo Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m., bingo. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Monday, Wednesday and Friday: cards. The center is at 102 Fifth St., Freeport. Leechburg...
The Stroller, April 18, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. 5K run and walk...
Allegheny Valley School Board to discuss daylong phone ban for students
Allegheny Valley students are barred from using their cellphones during classes, but the school board plans to discuss a new policy that would ban phone use throughout the school day. Students would not be allowed to access their phones at lunch, between classes or during study halls. The board will...
Parking restrictions to take effect in Tarentum on Monday
Parking will be restricted on Freeport Road in West Tarentum while PennDOT crews work in the area from Monday to Wednesday. Restrictions will be in effect from Nick Chevrolet to Greco’s. The work is planned in advance of a scheduled paving project....
Harry Potter-themed Airbnb brings the magic in New KensingtonVideo
Calling all muggles. Harry Potter fans — and those just looking for whimsical digs — can book a stay in a two-story Harry Potter-themed Airbnb rental created by uber-fan Kim Waits and her boyfriend, AJ Rassau, both of New Kensington. It’s the latest creative Airbnb endeavour for the couple, who...
Peoples Library gets sensory spaces for neurodivergent inclusivity
Though libraries are typically quiet spaces, they aren’t always the most sensory friendly spots for people with special needs, according to Elle Kisiday, an occupational therapist at nonprofit Achieving True Self. Now, though, visitors might find the New Kensington and Lower Burrell People’s Libraries a bit more serene following the...
Burrell officials consider adding vending machines to schools
Burrell School Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to install vending machines in school buildings. The board is considering a three-year contract with New Kensington-based Iron City Vending Co. Food Service Director Megan Mlinarcik and Business Manager Jennifer Callahan recommended the contract to the board as a possible...
Trash mounds along Allegheny River in Braeburn to be cleaned up
Illegal trash dumping has always been a problem along the Allegheny River in Lower Burrell’s Braeburn neighborhood, said Wade Schantz, a resident who adopted a stretch of Lowe Road. The past week has been no exception, with large piles of abandoned furniture and scattered waste along the road, accumulating mostly...
The Stroller, April 17, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Tickets on sale for...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from April 9-15, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Brackenridge awarded $13.2M from state for water plant upgradesVideo
Brackenridge got a major boost from the state this week to upgrade its water filtration plant and rectify previous concerns from the Department of Environmental Protection about aging mechanisms. The borough landed more than $13 million — a $5.7 million grant and a $7.4 million loan — through the Pennsylvania...
Sharpsburg chili cook-off fundraiser postponed until October
A beloved Sharpsburg Community Library food-themed fundraiser has been postponed. The annual Robert “Snakeguy” Habegger Chili Cook-off was originally planned for April 18 at Roots of Faith. It has now been pushed to early October. Organizers are working to confirm a new date and time. “We’re cooking up something bigger...
Southwestern-themed cantina expands with dinner and bar hours in O’Hara
Brunch, dinner and cocktails are now on the menu at Gordo’s Cafe & Cantina in RIDC Park, O’Hara. Owner Brian Gorder is looking to spread the news that there’s something for everyone at the Southwestern/Mexican-themed eatery featuring made-from-scratch food and cocktails. “We’re so excited to launch our cantina menu,” he...
Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup expected to take 6 to 8 yearsVideo
To residents, cleanup at a Parks Township nuclear waste dump will look like a few trucks leaving the site every week, said Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Behind the site’s electric fence, 10 trenches containing about 33,000 cubic yards of materials will...
Leaky roof at Plum High School requires emergency repairs
Plum School District seems poised to replace sections of its high school roof after recent leaks into the building. “It’s 30 years old, it’s beyond repair, it’s out of warranty,” Superintendent Rick Walsh told school board members at a planning meeting Tuesday. The emergency repairs, set to be completed by...
New Kensington’s Willie Thrower family to join Bears brass at NFL Draft to honor league’s 1st Black quarterbackVideo
This fall marks 73 years since Willie Thrower’s monumental moment in football history when he became the first Black quarterback to take a snap in the modern NFL. Legendary Chicago Bears coach George Halas called on Thrower, a New Kensington native, in a game Oct. 18, 1953, against the San...
Lawyer for Mills mall a no-show, hearing on citations from Frazer postponedVideo
Lawyers for the limited liability companies that operate the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills did not show up for the scheduled court hearing on Thursday. District Judge Michael Girardi continued, or postponed, the hearing until early May. Girardi was supposed to hear arguments regarding 32 continued citations stemming from the condition...
Vandergrift street improvement project to boost mobility and downtown aesthetics
McKinley Avenue in downtown Vandergrift is reaching the final stage of a makeover that started last year. The McKinley Avenue Improvement Project will boost mobility, access to local businesses and neighborhood beautification, said Aleesha Kelly, a resident who helps nonprofits with improvement projects. Kelly led the McKinley Avenue effort, which...
Vandergrift fire departments resume operations after 6-day service gapVideo
Vandergrift’s two fire companies are back in business. The volunteer fire departments returned to normal operations Thursday after a six-day service pause, said Mayor Lenny Collini. The gap was caused by lapsed workers’ compensation insurance, which the mayor said was reinstated at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. Vandergrift officials noticed the lapse...
The Stroller, April 16, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Taste of Two Towns...
Alle-Kiski EMS Authority gets state approval
Property owners in Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum will learn in the coming weeks how much they’ll pay for ambulance service next year. The Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority, voted into existence March 25 by the three municipal governments, was officially approved this week by the Pennsylvania Department of State. The newly...
