Valley News Dispatch category, Page 537
New Kensington man, a convicted felon, accused of possessing shotgun, drugs
New Kensington police said they found guns, ammunition and drugs in a man’s home Monday after responding to a fight allegedly brought about by his girlfriend trying to catch him with another woman. Police said Albert Earl Taylor, 49, is a felon who is not legally permitted to possess firearms....
Highlands postpones winter sports until January
Around the WPIAL, schools have delayed the start of winter sports season. Whereas teams were set to begin practice last Friday, some schools pushed their start dates to Dec. 7. On Monday, the Highlands School District announced it was postponing winter sports until Jan. 15, though athletic director Drew Karpen...
Western Pa. bar, restaurant owners rankled over ban on Thanksgiving Eve alcohol salesVideo
Bar and restaurant owners across Western Pennsylvania reacted Tuesday to the news of a statewide 15-hour ban of alcohol sales in such establishments beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday. David Magill, owner of Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell, said business the night before Thanksgiving is traditionally his third-highest grossing holiday,...
Ziccarelli asks Pa. Supreme Court to reconsider decision to count undated Allegheny County ballots
The Republican challenger in the 45th Senatorial District that includes parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties has asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider its Monday order allowing undated mail-in ballots to be counted. Nicole Ziccarelli, of Lower Burrell, filed an emergency application for reargument Tuesday morning. She is running...
The Stroller, Nov. 24, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Annual holiday celebration planned Saturday in Leechburg The Luminate Leechburg celebration will be Saturday on Market Street. The community tree lighting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the garden across the street from the Twisted Thistle Restaurant. Toy donations will be accepted for Toys for Alle-Kiski Kids. A family friendly...
Pittsburgh region stood up to ‘Big Snow’ during 1950 Thanksgiving weekendVideo
Carl Huszar’s father and uncle had to walk several miles to get milk from a North Huntingdon farm because the roads were impassable. Faye Dames Matty, who now lives in Fort Myers, Fla., learned her father made it all the way from the Virginia military base where he was stationed...
Highlands moving all students to remote learning
Highlands School District will move all students to full remote instruction beginning Dec. 1 and continuing through Jan. 15, the district announced Monday. All extracurricular activities and sports will be suspended during that time. The announcement comes a week after the district closed its middle school through the Thanksgiving break...
Man accused of robbing New Kensington store, then asking for a job
A 20-year-old man is accused of demanding employees at a New Kensington Family Dollar store fill a bag with money, or give him a job, according to police. Police charged Marcus Tyquan Walker of New Kensington with two felony counts of robbery. He was arraigned before District Judge Frank Pallone...
Springdale couple charged with assaulting police officer responding to domestic incident
A Springdale couple is charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct, accused of attacking a borough police officer called to their apartment for a domestic incident, according to a criminal complaint. Springdale police Officer Larry Bonazza said he was punched and bitten during the incident and was taken to a...
Tarentum Station Grille delays reopening amid coronavirus surge
The owner of JG’s Tarentum Station Grille said Monday he made the difficult decision to postpone the restaurant’s reopening, which had been set for Dec. 1. The restaurant, in a historic train station in the heart of Tarentum’s business district, has remained closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic....
Toys for Tots distribution begins in Harrison as program struggles for donationsVideo
A Toys for Tots program serving part of the Alle-Kiski Valley began distributing gifts to needy families Monday, but could use more donations and some help to make sure children have a merry Christmas. More than 630 families have signed up to receive toys from the Allegheny Valley Marine Corps...
Tarentum shooting leaves 18-year-old dead, other teen injured
The sound of gunfire, and her dog barking, woke Yvonne Scarselli in her Tarentum home around midnight Monday morning. What Scarselli heard was a shooting that left an 18-year-old man dead and another, 19, wounded. Scarselli said she heard what sounded like gunfire being exchanged near her home on Conroy...
Kiski Area High School reopens, district introduces online covid tracker
Kiski Area High School reopened Monday after a week-long closure, allowing students to attend class in person for up to four days a week. Students had moved online last week after seven cases of covid-19 were reported among students and staff. The school district had just reported two new cases...
New Kensington woman charged with firing gun into occupied hotel room in Harmar
Police arrested a New Kensington woman at a Harmar hotel last week after, they say, she fired a gun inside her hotel room during an argument and a bullet went into another occupied hotel room. Angelia Anderina Waszkiewicz, 30, remained in the Allegheny County Jail on Monday afternoon after failing...
Deer Lakes switches to fully remote learning as covid-19 cases rise
Deer Lakes has moved to fully online learning in response to rising covid-19 cases in Allegheny County and a shortage of teachers. Students will learn remotely until at least Monday, Dec. 7, according to district spokeswoman Coby Detar. Deer Lakes includes the Allegheny County communities of East Deer, West Deer...
O’Hara residents not likely to see property tax increase in 2021
O’Hara residents aren’t likely to see any property tax increase next year after council approved its tentative 2021 budget. The plan totals $13.9 million and maintains a tax rate of 2.1 mills. If approved, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay $210. Council is expected to...
Armstrong County wife who attacked husband with an ax can’t beat murder rap
A Manor Township woman who attacked her husband with an ax in front of their three children will keep serving a 20- to 40-year prison sentence for his murder. A state Superior Court panel ensured that by denying an appeal in which Melanie Sue Snyder claimed there wasn’t enough evidence...
Forest Hills pre-kindergartner earns Shady Side Academy scholarship
A Forest Hills pre-kindergartner was awarded full tuition for his entire Shady Side Academy education, through his senior year. It is worth more than $300,000. Abram Amos-Abanyie was named the school’s newest EQT Scholar, providing a full-ride education at the school which was recently named the Best Private School in...
Man dead, another in stable condition after shooting in Tarentum
One man was killed and another was in stable condition after a shooting early Monday morning in Tarentum, police said. Allegheny County Police, who assisted borough police, said officers were notified about the shooting victims around midnight after they were driven to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. An 18-year-old man...
The Stroller, Nov. 23, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Clothing Closet at Central Presbyterian Church accepting donations The Clothing Closet at Central Presbyterian Church, Tarentum, is accepting donations of clothing for men, women and children, as well as purses, shoes and belts. Donations will be accepted during Closet operating hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the...
West Deer wants to tear down dangerous, blighted duplex
The West Deer supervisors want to tear down a condemned duplex that has been deemed a public nuisance. The duplex is at 3-5 Oak St. in the township’s Russellton neighborhood. Supervisors approved seeking bids to demolish the structure. Bill Payne, West Deer’s zoning and code enforcement officer, inspected the building...
Plum closes school buildings through Dec. 1 because of covid-19 outbreak
Plum School District is closing its buildings and moving to remote learning to contain a covid-19 outbreak, district officials announced Sunday. Four employees and three students notified the district they tested positive for covid-19, the district said in a news release. One high school employee and two students were among...
Tarentum teen continues to provide turkeys to those in need
A Tarentum teen is doing his part to prove that hockey players are good people. Wesley Westerman, 15, started collecting turkeys for needy families last year after he read an article and saw a YouTube clip of “The Social” co-host Jessica Allen describing hockey players as conceited and rude. Wesley...
Aspinwall residents, business owners doing their part so everyone enjoys Thanksgiving
Aspinwall is experiencing a turkey trifecta of Thanksgiving generosity. Three separate groups in the borough — two close friends, business owners and a borough official — are on turkey-themed holiday mission to make Thanksgiving Day special, more convenient and meaningful for the Pittsburgh public. Friendly Turkey Time Molly O’Brien, 39,...
Allegheny County releases schedule for Springhill Road project in Harrison
A new path for people to walk and bike safely up and down Springhill Road in Harrison is now scheduled to be completed by the end of July, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. Construction on the $1.3 million project is expected to start in March, public...
