Valley News Dispatch category, Page 551

You can’t browse the shelves yet but Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its affiliated Sharpsburg Community Library will open Monday for patrons to use computers, fax services and printers. Use is by appointment only. Jill McConnell, executive director of the libraries, said she is thrilled to be able to offer the...

Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link...

New Kensington-Arnold School District will delay the start of the school year by eight days to provide more time for officials to make coronavirus-related preparations and to help students and staff beat the heat, officials announced late Thursday. School will start Tuesday, Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day, rather...

Earlier this week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh received calls about a runaway barge hung up on the Allegheny River’s Lock and Dam No. 4 in Harrison. Sure enough, a 195-foot-long barge was on the dam, but it was strategically placed there for an important mission: to...

Upper Burrell Supervisors on Wednesday shelved a proposal to impose a fire tax to support the township’s volunteer department in response to concerns from residents. “The time for a tax increase is not now,” said resident Dan Myers. Others attending Wednesday’s meeting echoed Myers, saying many residents and businesses are...

O’Hara and Etna residents can take advantage of an Allegheny County program to fight blight and at the same time expand their property at a discounted price. The 2020 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program runs for a limited time through Sept. 30. It assists residents who want to buy...

John Pallone’s tenure as superintendent of New Kensington-Arnold School District ended July 31, but for the next four months he’ll collect twice as much money from the district as he did when he was district chief. A severance agreement approved as part of his resignation guarantees him a full-year’s salary,...

Oncology nurse-turned-author Danielle Ancona will take readers on an ethereal journey through history, science and Greek mythology in her upcoming release, “By Immortal Honor Bound.” It is the first book in the O’Hara resident’s “Of Alchemy & Angels” series and is due out Nov. 4. “My hope is this book...

Follow @VNDStroller on Twitter for a daily link to The Stroller. Small Acts of Kindness Did your neighbor call and check on you, or bring a face mask or groceries? The Stroller wants to recognize those around us who are performing small acts of kindness for others during this stressful...

As Burrell School District parents decide whether their children will learn at home online or attend classes in person, the school board is hoping not too many will choose a cyber school outside of the district. That could potentially cost the district several hundred thousand dollars. During a special meeting...

People watching the O’Hara Council meeting online via Zoom on Tuesday night erupted in cheers and applause following a vote to rename Squaw Valley Park. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw...

An Apollo man was sentenced to just over three years in prison following a conviction on marijuana distribution charges, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady announced Wednesday. Stephen Lerch, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV. Brady said Lerch was receiving packages of marijuana and THC vaping cartridges from...

The father of the man sentenced to death for the murder of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw was convicted Wednesday for the intimidation and retaliation of a potential witness at his son’s trial last year. After nearly six hours of deliberations, a Westmore­land County jury found Gregory Paul Baucum,...

New Kensington will urge its state representatives to repeal the law that legalized fireworks in Pennsylvania. In a resolution city council approved Monday, the city said it will make the request “since calls for more local control over the usage of commercial fireworks has been largely ignored by the Pennsylvania...

Fox Chapel Area School Board will vote Aug. 10 on its back-to-school plan, with the outside chance that elementary students would return to classes full-time. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac made a lengthy presentation during a special board meeting Monday, saying that plans currently include hybrid and online options for families...

Tarentum has increased by at least six times a penalty imposed on residents who have excessive calls for police and other emergency and public safety services. The ordinance council approved Tuesday replaces a 14-year-old ordinance, which had imposed a $50 “surtax” for each police response in excess of three every...

Follow @VNDStroller on Twitter for a daily link to The Stroller. Casino Theatre seeking donations The Casino Theater in Vandergrift is seeking donations to help with the upkeep and maintenance of the theater during the current pandemic. Since mid-March six shows at the theater have been canceled, but the costs...

People watching the O’Hara Council meeting online via Zoom on Tuesday night erupted in cheers and applause following a vote to rename Squaw Valley Park. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw...

A Delaware County man previously charged with domestic assault was arrested Tuesday after he was found hiding inside a North Apollo home where the assault occurred, according to police. Police said Devante Grant, 21, of Lansdowne isn’t allowed in the Allison Avenue home because he previously assaulted a woman who...

A project to replace part of the leaking roof at Roy A. Hunt Elementary has more than doubled in size and cost to include all of the school’s roof. New Kensington-Arnold School Board member Steven Sorch, who voted against the project’s enlargement, said he had no idea how the district...

A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday she fears for her safety after her cooperation with investigators was publicly disclosed during the prosecution of a man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer. Tasha Williams, 39, told a Westmoreland County jury her life may still be in jeopardy...

The West Deer Police Department plans to hold its annual golf outing this month despite the coronavirus pandemic that has prompted many organizations to cancel similar fundraising events. “We’re actually very excited,” police Chief Jon Lape said. “Whatever it takes and however we have to social distance and all that,...