Valley News Dispatch category, Page 527
Police: Wilkinsburg man charged after shots were fired at Harrison housing complex
A Wilkinsburg man is charged with attempted homicide and other crimes after police said he tried to shoot another man and narrowly avoided shooting a 3-year-old girl at Harrison’s Sheldon Park public housing complex last week. Harrison police said after the shooting, Antonio Williams, 20, buckled the girl into a...
Old New Kensington newspaper surfaces, detailing the life of WWII veteran
A VFW post in Mercer County is trying to solve a mystery that might be answered in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Doug Scott was sifting through old photos and documents at the Cpl. James O. Jordan Post 3374 in Greenville, when he found several documents relating to Everett Goodiski, an Army...
Former Valley News Dispatch news assistant remembered for love of local news, family
Karen L. Stein Motosicky loved letting people know what was going on in the Alle-Kiski Valley. A longtime senior news assistant at the Valley News Dispatch in Tarentum, Motosicky, 68, of New Kensington, died of Lewy body dementia on Saturday, Jan. 2. She had been living at Belair Healthcare and...
Harrison native’s book encourages readers to climb to new heights
Paola Corso recalled a walk through her late father’s neighborhood in Brackenridge. “Luckily, it was windy that day, and I spotted a pair of concrete steps under some leaves,” said Corso, a poet, photographer, literary activist and Harrison native. “I thought about the days my father and grandfather walked those...
Independent chefs say pandemic has aided businessVideo
What’s for dinner? During covid times, that question became challenging for many as restrictions, lockdowns and mandated restaurant closures occurred more than once. Meet three Pittsburgh-area chefs — not affiliated with restaurants — providing home-cooked meals delivered to your door. JSMenusPGH Jake Stewart works out of a kitchen in Springdale...
The Stroller, Jan. 3, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s fundraiser or community event in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. HOPE Center requesting gas card donations The Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center is seeking donations of gift cards in $10 increments from Sheetz or Get...
More than 1,200 species and counting, free pocket field guide developed for Buffalo Creek watershed
The Buffalo Creek watershed might not be a national park, but it has enough wildlife and varieties of plants — more than 1,200 species — to warrant a pocket field guide developed by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Audubon, government agencies and other nonprofits have been working for years...
Ziccarelli asks state Senate to overturn Brewster victory
New Kensington lawyer Nicole Ziccarelli will ask the Republican-controlled state Senate to reject state certification and overturn the re-election of incumbent Democrat Jim Brewster in the 45th District. The district includes parts of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, and that fact is central to the disputed election results. According to official,...
New owners of Apollo’s Chambers Hotel look beyond pandemic to brighter future for historic business
The historic Chambers Hotel in Apollo is under new ownership. Jennifer and Walter Seniow purchased the hotel that dates to 1889 late last spring. They opened in November for about a month before facing covid-related shutdowns mandated by the state. “Some people say we’re crazy to buy a bar during...
Upper Burrell medical device company to expand and hire employees
A 35,000-square-foot expansion at Xodus Medical Inc. in Upper Burrell will increase production and warehouse capacity and create 20 to 30 jobs. Xodus invents and produces medical devices used in surgery to increase patient safety and improve surgical outcomes in medical centers worldwide. The Upper Burrell site, in the Westmoreland...
New Kensington woman takes traditional pierogi further, offering 20 flavorsVideo
New Kensington’s Patti Mazza Bieranowski has been pinching up a pierogi storm since 1984. Her homemade pierogies are sold and gifted to friends and family. More than 20 flavors are offered. including shepherd’s pie, buffalo chicken, kielbie kraut, sweet kraut, loaded baked potato and cottage cheese with chives. Her passion...
Brackenridge approves 2021 budget with no tax increase
Brackenridge residents won’t be paying more in real estate taxes next year despite a slight increase in spending. Secretary-treasurer Denise Tocco said council approved a $1.2 million budget for 2021 that keeps the property tax rate at 6.25 mills. The last time the borough raised taxes was in 2018, Tocco...
The Stroller, Jan. 2, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s fundraiser or community event in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Children’s charity conducting calendar fundraiser Superheroes Believe in Miracles, a charity that serves children facing illness, disability or limitations is selling 2021 calendars that...
New stimulus checks likely not enough for those facing financial crisis
A new round of stimulus checks may seem like a boost as covid-19 continues to cause widespread economic struggles — but these checks may be too little, too late for people who have faced significant financial hardship throughout the pandemic. The checks have been hotly debated, with Senate Majority Leader...
Freeport homeowners will pay the same in property tax in 2021
Freeport property owners won’t be paying more in taxes this year. Borough council passed the 2021 budget, which includes a general fund of around $550,000 and no tax increase. The tax rate will remain at 13 mills. Freeport residents haven’t seen a tax hike since around 2008, Treasurer Rich Hill...
1st Alle-Kiski Valley baby of 2021 is a Verona boy
The first baby from the Alle-Kiski Valley born in 2021 is a boy from Verona. Carter Magee made his debut at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital at 12:54 a.m. Friday, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long. Baby Carter’s parents are Jennifer Celender and Patrick Magee of Verona. Mom...
The Stroller, Jan. 1, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s fundraiser or community event in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Happy New Year! May the year ahead be a healthy and prosperous one for all our readers and their families! Animal Protectors seeking newspaper...
Harrison fire captain: Hoarding contributes to stubborn house fireVideo
Firefighters spent more than two hours knocking down a fire that broke out Thursday night at a Harrison home because of “very heavy hoarding conditions,” Harrison Hills Fire Captain Jules Beer said. No one was seriously injured in the fire that ripped through the house, according to Beer. Two firefighters...
Dogs, cats greeted with fanfare for opening of new $1.8 million Animal Protectors shelter in New Kensington
Puppy dog tails wagged, cats meowed and the staff and volunteers of Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley rejoiced on Thursday afternoon for the opening of its new $1.8 million animal shelter along Church Street in New Kensington. The facility is the lower Alle-Kiski Valley’s first major, large-scale animal shelter. In...
Covid-19 testing to be offered at First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum
Free covid-19 testing will be available at First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum on Monday. Testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Philip Beck, the church’s pastor, wrote on in a Facebook announcement. A van and tent will be set up for...
Fawn passes 2021 budget, no tax increase
Fawn Supervisors adopted a $1.9 million budget for 2021 that includes no increase in property taxes. The township hasn’t raised property taxes in at least 24 years. The budget keeps the tax rate at 3.04 mills. “We’re pretty prudent on our expenses,” Supervisors Chairman David Montanari said. “We don’t have...
Year in Review 2020: The top stories in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Alle-Kiski Valley faced an unprecedented year marked by a global pandemic and a historic presidential election. Although life went on in the Valley, the year was tumultuous from start to finish. We look back at some of the most memorable stories of 2020. Coronavirus hits the Valley The pandemic...
Pregnant during the pandemic: How a Gilpin family copedVideo
Editor’s note: This is the final story in a series highlighting five people whose lives were reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. When Shera Rugh-Arner and her husband, Jason, found out she was pregnant, they were a bit concerned. The January news was exciting because they were welcoming a new child...
The Stroller, Dec. 31, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s fundraiser or community event in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Cash bash to benefit North Apollo fire department North Apollo Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor a virtual cash bash at noon Jan.16 live on...
Leechburg Area School Board seeks resident to fill vacancy as Monday deadline looms
The Leechburg Area School Board is searching for a new school director, and the deadline to apply is noon Monday. Board president Neill Brady confirmed the board accepted Lisa Gregory’s letter of resignation during the Dec. 9 reorganization meeting. Attempts to reach Gregory for comment were unsuccessful. Gregory was elected...
