Valley News Dispatch category, Page 552
Freeport nixes Halloween parade and trick-or-treating
Freeport canceled its annual Halloween parade and trick-or-treating in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. “We do not condone informal trick-or-treating,” Freeport Mayor James Swartz said. “Understanding that families and close friends may visit with each other, we recommend that you follow CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines.” The...
Lancer the emotional support dog provides smiles, comfort to Deer Lakes middle schoolers
Lancer the emotional support dog is settling into her new role at Deer Lakes School District. The now 15-month-old doodle was introduced to district families in March, but didn’t make her in-person debut until Friday because of the coronavirus. Deer Lakes Middle School Assistant Principal Samantha Abate, who owns Lancer,...
The Stroller, Oct. 6, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Creatures of the Night event planned at Beechwood Farms The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will host its annual “Creatures of the Night,” event Oct. 15 to...
Oakmont officials to act on cycling, off-leash dog issue in Dark Hollow Woods
Oakmont council is prepared to act on an ordinance that would permit cycling and off-leash dogs in Dark Hollow Woods. A trial period for the activities in the publicly owned park near Crystal Drive has gone on for more than a year. The park was split into two sections in...
Hospice memorial walk planned for those who lost loved ones during pandemic restrictions
Erin Klems could not visit her mother, Mary Lou Flavin-Stumpf, before she died alone of an infection on April 28 in a Pittsburgh-area hospital. At that time, covid-19 restrictions prevented any visitation by the public to local hospitals. Many other people died alone. Then, the survivors mourned alone. But no...
Police: New Kensington woman suffers cut on arm during domestic dispute
New Kensington police said they heard a woman screaming for help when they responded to a domestic dispute on Sixth Avenue early Saturday morning. Police charged Richard Joseph Mautino Jr., 19, with simple assault and a summary count of harassment. In a criminal complaint against Mautino, police said they went...
New Kensington man charged with threatening to kill woman during fight
New Kensington police on Sunday charged a 32-year-old man with strangling a woman, who claims the man threatened to kill her. Police said they responded to a fight in the 400 block of Fourth Avenue around 2:15 p.m. Saturday. Police said, while heading there, they were told that the man,...
Police: New Kensington man strangles woman, dog during argument
A New Kensington man grabbed a woman by her neck and lifted her off her feet during a fight Monday morning, according to city police. New Kensington police said that Damian Ryan Terrace, 23, also choked one of the woman’s dogs and threatened to kill them. According to a criminal...
Facade collapse at Praha building prompts Corbet Street closure in Tarentum
Part of Corbet Street in Tarentum was closed until further notice Monday after bricks from the facade of the Praha building fell onto the street and sidewalk. A borough police officer found the damage around 1:25 a.m. Monday, code enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni said. The 115-year-old building sits at and...
The Stroller, Oct. 5, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Haunted Hustle planned Oct. 31 in Lower Burrell The Valley Points Family YMCA Haunted Hustle 5K and 2K Spooky Sprint will be from 9 a.m. to noon...
Frazer police arrest 2 alleged drug dealers, charge 1 with sexual assault, at Pittsburgh Mills hotel
Frazer police arrested two alleged drug dealers at a hotel inside the Pittsburgh Mills mall complex after an employee called 911 to report a woman screaming for help, according to a criminal complaint. Michael Joseph Battaglia, 44, of Wilkinsburg and Andrew Gilbert, 27, of Pittsburgh remained Sunday in the Allegheny...
West Deer couple, neighbor invite people to come and see their haunted housesVideo
If you ask Greg McWilliams why his West Deer house looks like a Halloween paradise, he’ll give you a simple answer: It’s for the kids. “If it was just me and (my wife), we probably wouldn’t do it. It’s all for our kids,” McWilliams said. “We love seeing the smiles,...
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley holds pet blessing ceremony as new building nears completionVideo
Construction of Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley’s new $1.9 million shelter is nearing completion after being delayed because of the coronavirus. On Sunday, about two dozen dogs and their owners turned out for a pet blessing ceremony at the shelter’s new home along Church Street in New Kensington. Officials with...
Retired Gilpin couple’s hobby keeps them busy as beesVideo
Life is sweet for Jim and Sylvia Walters of Gilpin. The retired couple took up beekeeping as a hobby about five years ago. “We heard of the honeybees being in decline and wanted to do something. It wasn’t about the honey in the beginning. It was about helping the bees...
The Stroller, Oct. 4, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Volunteers needed Saturday to work on stream project Kiski Watershed Association is seeking volunteers to help with a stream restoration project set for 9 a.m. to noon...
Renshaw Farms PumpkinFest offers fall-themed activities, attractions for all agesVideo
What began as a roadside stand is a sprawling, pumpkin-themed destination in South Buffalo Township. The 12th annual Renshaw Farms PumpkinFest continues Fridays through Sundays during October, offering fall-themed activities and attractions for all ages. Established in 1834, Renshaw Farms is owned and operated by sixth-generation Renshaws. “We have thousands...
Zoom exercise classes being offered to Allegheny County seniors, including those at West Deer senior center
Maggie Larrow is no stranger to Zoom, the video-conferencing software that has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Larrow and other seniors in Allegheny County have been using the technology to take online exercise classes offered by the Catholic Youth Association, which has senior citizen activities centers in...
Allegheny Township’s Great Pumpkin, Olga, goes to state weigh-offVideo
Olga the 1,174,5 pound pumpkin was severed from her stalk in an Allegheny Township patch Friday evening and loaded into a truck bound for the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association weigh-off Saturday in Cambria County. Olga beat Justin Reiter’s personal pumpkin best of 1,136.5 pounds during Saturday’s weigh-off. This great...
The Stroller, Oct. 3, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Burtner House Restoration Society selling commemorative Christmas ornaments Burtner House Restoration Society is selling handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments to celebrate the 200th birthday of the homestead in...
‘Ms. Mary’ retires from New Kensington Eat ‘n Park after 35 years with company
Servers at Eat ‘n Park in New Kensington never had to worry about the food they took to diners when Mary Burke was in the kitchen. “When she was doing prep and cooking, her food was always amazing, perfect,” server Kristy Reid said. “She cared about how she sent food...
Free trees, shrubs, native plants to Buffalo Creek watershed residents
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is offering free trees, shrubs and native plants to residents of the Buffalo Creek watershed, particularly those who live along a creek or stream. Considered to be one of the wildest, untouched natural areas in the Pittsburgh region, the Buffalo Creek watershed covers about...
Lower Burrell police to be among 1st to undergo ‘legitimacy’ training at IUP
The Lower Burrell Police Department will be among the first in the region to take a new seminar at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Police Academy focusing on the concept of police legitimacy. The concept deals with the degree to which the public is willing to support and cooperate with police...
Freeport Area High School receives National Blue Ribbon School distinction
Freeport Area High School has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Blue Ribbon School distinction recognizes top public and non-public schools annually. Freeport Area High School was one of 367 schools nationwide to earn the title for this year. Principal...
Lower Burrell artist auctioning Josh Bell drawing to help KDKA reporter’s daughter injured in accidentVideo
A Lower Burrell artist who in 2018 auctioned off a portrait of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby to benefit a scholarship fund honoring a slain police officer is at it again. This time, he’s turned his sights toward helping a young girl’s recovery from a terrible accident. Larry “Klu” Klukaszewski’s...
Dry weather yielded smaller pumpkins, but Myers Pickle Farm in Gilpin has plenty
The roadside blaze of orange along Route 66 in Gilpin means one thing this time of year. Pumpkinpalooza. Every September, Alle-Kiski Valley residents in search of the perfect pumpkin can find their fix at Myers Pickle Farm, a popular produce stand in continuous operation since 1925. Family owned and operated...
