Valley News Dispatch category, Page 546
Wild turkey chase around Murrysville tree may look crazy, but it’s normal, expert saysVideo
At first glance, the three wild turkeys chasing one another around a tree in Murrysville look crazy, but what seems like silly play is really a struggle for dominance, according to a state turkey expert. PixCams captured the clip on a webcam trained on a field in Murrysville earlier this...
Renovation plans in the works for Vandergrift Public Library
Repairs are likely to come at Vandergrift Public Library. Library Director Vanessa Groholski said Vandergrift Council members and a structural engineer have visited the building to assess damage caused by longstanding water seepage, which has caused interior paint to bubble and walls to crumble. “It’s going to be a really...
Burrell lands prestigious arts designation by state group
The Burrell School District was selected as one of 26 in the state as a Visual Arts Outstanding Community. The Pennsylvania Art Education Association bestows the recognition to highlight “exceptional schools that support their visual arts programs,” said Lisbeth M. Bucci, association president. “Burrell’s arts programs demonstrate rigor, using standards-based...
New Kensington fire department hosting open houses at all 5 companiesVideo
All five New Kensington fire companies will host open houses Tuesday in observance of October as Fire Prevention Month. Residents are invited to tour the stations with their children, Assistant Chief Matt Sobecki with Company No. 1 said. Open houses will run from 6-8 p.m. Station locations are Company No....
Salvation Army faces more need, fundraising challenges as Red Kettle season nears
The covid-19 pandemic is presenting a challenge to the Salvation Army and its iconic Red Kettle campaign. “We’re kind of up against needing to raise more money but it’s also harder to raise money with everything that’s going on,” said Lt. Alex Senak with the Allegheny Valley Salvation Army in...
The Stroller, Oct. 25, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a free Thanksgiving Dinner? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. New Kensington Fire stations to host open house events The New Kensington Fire companies will welcome children and adults...
Biden supporters caravan around the A-K Valley, rally in Harrison
A caravan of about 140 cars, trucks and SUVs adorned with decorations touting support for the Biden-Harris presidential ticket paraded around the Alle-Kiski Valley on Saturday, then parked at Harrison Hills Park for a social distance-friendly political rally. The event marked an opportunity for supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden...
Fall version of Oakmont Greek Food Festival going on this weekendVideo
A shortened version of the Oakmont Greek Food Festival is going on this weekend. The Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church is hosting Greek Food To-Go Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. or while supplies last at 12 Washington Ave. Co-chair Andy Gavrilos said they hope to...
Leechburg Public Library to reopen with expanded hours at new location
Leechburg Public Library has a new location and reopening date. The library is set to welcome patrons Tuesday at 139 Market St., the former site of The Gifted Garden gift shop. Formerly housed within Leechburg Area High School for more than 93 years, the library closed abruptly in May for...
The Stroller, Oct. 24, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a free Thanksgiving Dinner? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Annual Red Kettle 5K and Fun Run planned Nov. 14 Allegheny Valley Salvation Army Corps and Community Center will...
Freeport apartment building evacuated due to gas leak
A Freeport apartment building was evacuated as several fire departments responded to a gas leak Thursday night, according to Armstrong County 911. The leak inside the building on the corner of Fifth Street and Market Street was reported just before 11:30 p.m. Further details were not immediately available....
Plum High School student tests positive for covid-19
A Plum High School student has tested positive for covid-19, according to a district letter sent out Friday. Families of three other students, identified through contact tracing, were notified that they had been in close contact with the student, the letter read. All must quarantine for 14 days, according to...
Burrell parents organize homecoming dance for high school students
As coronavirus-related restrictions limit large indoor gatherings, school districts are not offering all of the traditional events they normally would. So parents of Burrell High School students took matters into their own hands, organizing a homecoming dance Saturday evening in the ballroom of the Quality Inn in New Kensington. “When...
With granite shop relocated to Gilpin, former corporate exec’s future set in stone
Lisa Akscyn of Manor Township has risen from a place of adversity. Akscyn, 54, received life-changing news in 2011 while caring for her terminally ill brother. “I got a letter in the mail informing me I was let go,” Akscyn said. She had lost her her lucrative, long-term corporate job...
Alcoa aluminum smelter moving from Station Square to New Kensington’s Voodoo Brewery
A 39,000-pound piece of Alcoa history is coming to New Kensington. A retired aluminum smelting pot that has been displayed near the Gateway Clipper ramp at Station Square since 1990 will be placed in the beer garden outside Voodoo Brewery at Fifth Avenue and 10th Street. “We are in the...
Burrell staying with in-person learning for now as covid-19 cases increase in Westmoreland
Burrell School Board is monitoring Westmoreland County’s recent increase in covid-19 cases, but hasn’t decided whether it will make any changes to the way it’s delivering education to its students. Burrell students now have the option to go to school in-person or attend virtual classes. The percentage of students taking...
Palmer Pharmacy in West Deer wants to get children reading moreVideo
Teaching children to read and developing an interest in books from a young age is important. That’s why Palmer Pharmacy in West Deer is starting its “Ready to Read Program.” “Our goal really is to partner with parents and educators to develop literacy skills and foster a love of reading...
West Deer appoints acclaimed educator as township supervisor
West Deer has a new township supervisor. Supervisors on Wednesday unanimously appointed Jennifer Mann, 59, to fill the seat formerly held by the late Shawn Maudhuit. Mann was one of 10 residents who applied for the position. “I’m honored to be part of this organization and this community, and I’m...
The Stroller, Oct. 23, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a free Thanksgiving Dinner? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Donations being accepted for holiday vouchers Allegheny Valley Association of Churches is accepting donations to help with the food...
Legionella found in both Allegheny Valley schools
Testing revealed elevated levels of legionella in several sinks at both Acmetonia Elementary School and Springdale Junior-Senior High School in Allegheny Valley School District, officials announced Thursday. Water fountains in the affected schools have been shut down and students will drink bottled water until the problem has been resolved, Superintendent...
Police: North Huntingdon cat hoarder said animals took over his house
Police said a North Huntingdon man told them he stopped staying at his township home because cats had overrun it. In September, authorities rescued 73 cats from the property on Leger Road and removed 11 that died. Since being surrendered to Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington, another 22 cats died...
Natural gas project to detour West Seventh Avenue traffic in Tarentum
A Peoples Gas project will affect traffic in Tarentum beginning Sunday night. The company will be working in the area of West Seventh Avenue and Mill Street. Work will be done between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and is expected to last through Friday. Peoples Gas spokesman Barry Kukovich said...
Westmoreland County schools could face difficult closure decisions as coronavirus risk remains high
Westmoreland County school districts face difficult choices as the county’s coronavirus transmission risk is expected to remain “substantial” for at least another week when the state updates its three-tiered Early Warning Monitoring System. Leaders will need to weigh student safety and legal liability as they decide whether to close schools...
O’Hara manufacturer named Small Business Administration Exporter of the Year
A third-generation O’Hara manufacturer was named the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Western Pennsylvania Exporter of the Year. Sauereisen, Inc., along Gamma Drive in RIDC Park, is a locally owned coating company that, since 1899, has produced corrosion-resistant materials commonly used in household appliances. “We’re not a commodity material provider but...
Westmoreland County: Almost 70,000 mail-in ballots approved
The Ohio company processing mail-in ballots for Westmoreland County has sent more than 64,000 to the post office and is up-to-date with its processing, a county election official said Thursday. Midwest Direct of Cleveland, which prints and mails the ballots, handled 64,604 ballots as of Tuesday, with an additional 3,800...
