Valley News Dispatch category, Page 523
Danny Monaco, owner of Hoffstot’s, Chelsea Grille in Oakmont, dies from covid complications
Daniel “Danny” Monaco, owner of Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco in Oakmont, died Sunday. He was 75. Monaco and his brother, Tom, started the business in 1971, taking over the Oakmont restaurant Hoffstot’s and featuring their grandmother’s Italian recipes. They later opened Cafe Monaco, a smaller restaurant with a different menu, next...
Fox Chapel Crew, started on whim with ‘crappy boat and ugly old trailer,’ marks 25 years of success
It started with 13 rowers, no equipment and a self-described inexperienced coach. Fox Chapel Crew, founded in 1995 by Mark Bellinger, has grown from a meager program into a thriving sport beloved and respected in the local rowing community. “My first boat was a used piece of junk but now...
The Stroller, Jan. 19, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Freeport Renaissance Association seeking volunteers Freeport Renaissance Association is seeking volunteer help to maintain the community gardens in the borough. The group recently...
Bell Township fire claims life of 80-year-old man weeks after blaze
An 80-year-old man has died after he suffered injuries during a fire at his Bell Township home last month, according to his obituary. Bernerd Andrew Zanavich died Friday at UPMC Mercy hospital, where he was taken following the Dec. 28 fire. His 52-year-old son, Frank R. Zanavich, also died in...
Arnold man accused of exposing himself to Westmoreland County Prison worker
An Arnold man already being held in the Westmoreland County Prison was arrested last week after, police say, he exposed himself to a female commissary worker at the jail. John D. Weathersby, 46, is charged with indecent exposure and open lewdness. The incident was reported to county detectives on Jan....
Signs in O’Hara Community Park called ‘wonderful nod’ to history after park name changedVideo
Educational signs to be erected this spring in O’Hara Community Park will deliver bits of the township’s history, tracing back to its origins when Seneca Indian Chief Guyasuta trekked through green valleys and tree-covered hills to settle nearby and serve as an advisor to George Washington. A small committee of...
The Stroller, Jan. 18, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Online bingo to benefit Animal Protectors Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley will host a virtual Bow Wow Bingo at 7 p.m. Feb. 10...
Fallen Officer Food Drive breaks records in Lower Burrell
Beset by an unpleasant snowy, gray Saturday, donors still came out in full force for a record-breaking Fallen Officer Food Drive in Lower Burrell. The food drive, in its third year, benefits the food bank at St. Margaret Mary Church in Lower Burrell. The fundraiser pays homage to two police...
Cheswick passes budget with no new tax increases
Cheswick Council has passed a budget of nearly $1.7 million for this year that has no property tax hike. Passed with a 6-0 vote, the budget keeps the tax rate at 5.85 mills. The total includes 5.60 mills with an additional 0.25 of a mill to pay for maintenance at...
Burrell School District to appeal $53,000 reduction in Siemens real estate taxes
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,...
New, growing businesses moving into Tarentum’s renovated Murphy Building
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 Ken’s start of new semester, enrollment event virtual this week
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...
Kiski Area officials: State Education Department contradicts themselves with new school guidelines
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...
One man’s mission to overhaul downtown New Kensington opening doors for new business ownersVideo
Amy Johnson’s earliest memories of downtown New Kensington include her grandfather, a doctor whose office was in the Shepherd Building on Fifth Avenue. “I remember walking down from my home in Parnassus to his office,” said Johnson, 47. “My great aunt worked at the Harts building. We’d walk to Harts,...
Jim Brewster looks forward after tight, tense Pa. Senate race: ‘At the end of the day, you’re supposed to shake hands’Video
State Sen. Jim Brewster knew the initial Jan. 5 swearing-in for members of his chamber could get dicey. He had been declared the winner of the 45th District race by the Pennsylvania secretary of State, and a legal ruling from the state Supreme Court concurred. But his Republican opponent, Nicole...
The Stroller, Jan. 17, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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...
Lower Burrell American Legion to hold Mexican dinner fundraiser next Saturday
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...
Former Best Buy store in Frazer renovated, has 2 new tenantsVideo
Two stores have moved in and are open for business at the site of the former Best Buy at the Village At Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. Township Zoning Officer/Building Inspector Edward Crates said the former consumer electronics store that closed in 2018 was renovated to accommodate multiple tenants, two of...
Social ‘climate,’ lagging pay could be fueling decline in municipal police applicants
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...
New play equipment coming for New Kensington’s Summit Street Park
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...
Riverview High School teacher pens 5th book with help from educators around the globe
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...
The Stroller, Jan. 16, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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...
Tarentum’s Manos Gallery to unveil new art exhibit
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...
2 Leechburg Area students test positive for covid
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 seeks volunteer for its water and sewer authority
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...
