Valley News Dispatch category, Page 556
Transfer of principal to teacher one of several Highlands personnel moves
Personnel moves approved Monday by Highlands School Board included transferring one principal to teacher, accepting the school board secretary’s resignation and signing off on a statement of charges against an unidentified employee. The board did not comment on any of the actions before approving them in a single motion. Samantha...
West Deer denies rezoning of Pittsburgh National Golf ClubVideo
West Deer has denied a request from a developer to rezone the Pittsburgh National Golf Club, preventing the developer from being able to build up to 352 homes on the golf course. Leslie Road Associates wanted to rezone the 189-acre property from rural residential and semi-suburban residential to suburban residential....
Gilpin farm to host fundraiser in place of Leechburg’s canceled Pink Day event
A Pink Day event has been held annually in Leechburg since 2011, raising more than $100,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, but the covid-19 pandemic forced organizer Sherry Price to cancel this year’s event. Leechburg-area businesswoman Linda Alworth stepped in to help when she found out about the cancellation....
Ghosts and goblins take over Camp Guyasuta for Halloween-themed event
Bubbling cauldrons, pumpkin patches and gory goblins will overtake Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara for one day only in October. Dubbed Haunted Guyasuta, tickets are on sale now for the Halloween-themed event. Haunted Guyasuta will be 3 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 17, with specially timed events for those who prefer...
Fox Chapel Area senior spearheading social justice workshop
A Fox Chapel Area senior is spearheading a social justice workshop for teens that aims to challenge discrimination and develop potential legislation. Abby Rickin-Marks said the remote conference Oct. 24 is meant to enlighten students about issues of inequality and arm teens with the know-how to write proposals and petitions...
Greensburg Catholic Charities to launch virtual fundraising appeal
When the global pandemic forced them to cancel their largest annual fundraiser, officials with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg decided to look online for support. A diocesan spokesman said a $50,000 goal has been set for the virtual fund drive, dubbed the Heroes of Hope Guardian Angel Appeal....
The Stroller, Sept. 21, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Food truck event planned Wednesday in Apollo The Wheel Good Wednesday food truck event sponsored by the Apollo Events Committee and...
Municipalities leaving 1 school district for another a rarity in Pennsylvania
If West Leechburg residents continue efforts to transfer the borough to another school district, it would become the fifth Pennsylvania municipality in recent years to seek such a move. And if the other four cases are any indication, the process wouldn’t be an easy one for West Leechburg. The state...
No injuries in Harrison porch fire
No one was injured Sunday in a porch fire on 1200 block of Argonne Drive in Harrison, according to Hilltop Hose Fire Co. Officials said the fire started around 8 p.m. Firefighters were able to stop the flames before they spread off the porch of the duplex, Chief Michael Krzeminski...
Parks man charged with stealing man’s truck, threatening to kill him
A Parks Township man accused of stealing and wrecking another man’s truck while driving under the influence threatened to kill the man if he reported the incident to police, according to a criminal complaint. Michael Joseph Crocker, 21, faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property, victim intimidation and terroristic threats,...
Tony’s Pizza Cafe renovates, expands menu during covid-19 closuresVideo
Not even a pandemic could hinder Andrea “Tony” Coppola’s passion for his restaurant. Coppola owns Tony’s Pizza Cafe in Buffalo Township. The restaurant offers an assortment of house-made gourmet pizzas, including Hawaiian, Greek, buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak. “We are a very gourmet pizza style,” Coppola said. The fan favorite,...
West Deer one step closer to enforcing stiffer penalties for false alarms
West Deer supervisors are one step closer to imposing harsher fines on people whose alarms accidentally go off three or more times per year. Supervisors on Wednesday approved advertising an update to the township’s false alarm ordinance, which could potentially be voted on and approved at the supervisors’ Oct. 21...
West Deer inches closer to tax deferral program for low-income residents, seniors
West Deer leaders are considering an ordinance that could prevent residents who make less than $35,000 a year from having to pay increased real estate taxes. Supervisors on Wednesday approved formally advertising an ordinance that would establish a township real estate tax deferral program. The program would add any township...
Car crashes over embankment on Route 56 New Kensington
A car crashed through a guardrail over an embankment on Route 56 in New Kensington Sunday morning, according to Westmoreland County 911. The single-vehicle crash happened around 8:30 a.m. near Craigdell Road. Route 56 westbound was closed as of 9 a.m. Nobody was trapped in the car, but first responders...
New Kensington starts demolition process on 10 more dilapidated houses
Another 10 dilapidated houses are on the path to demolition in New Kensington. That’s great news for Paula Tracz, who lives near one of them at 814 Ross Ave., which was damaged by fire. “It’s such an eyesore. I sit on my back porch, and I see the squirrels all...
New Kensington man struggling after parked car destroyed in shooting, crashVideo
Jay Geyer has heard the sound of gunfire in his New Kensington neighborhood. Sometimes, it’s only fireworks, but often, it’s the real thing. His life had never been touched by the violence surrounding him until the day it crashed into his car, destroying it. Now his niece, Nicole Geyer of...
The Stroller, Sept. 20, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Please include a daytime telephone number. Cornhole tournament fundraiser to benefit Highlands Youth Wrestling Highlands Youth Wrestling will host a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m. Oct. 11...
North Apollo goes for grant money to fix washouts of Hickory Nut Road
This week, Armstrong County officials went door to door to gather demographic information from residents on several streets in North Apollo to apply for a grant of nearly $6,000 to replace a catch basin on Hickory Nut Road. The faulty storm sewer catch basin has caused stormwater to wash out...
The Stroller, Sept. 19, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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. Please include a daytime telephone number. Virtual cash bash planned by Animal Protectors Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley will host a virtual cash bash at 7 p.m....
Camping World hosting virtual RV show amid massive renovationVideo
Camping World in Allegheny Township is buzzing with activity. Amid ongoing construction for a renovation project, the store is also one of 164 locations nationwide hosting the Ultimate RV Show, a virtual event taking place over the course of five days. The event started Wednesday and is running through Sunday....
Freeport Area School District Foundation golf outing to raise money for classroom grants
The Freeport Area School District Foundation is hosting a golf outing Sunday to support classroom grants for teachers in the district. The annual event raises money to support teachers’ initiatives in the classroom, said Bobbi Jo O’Shell, Freeport Area School District Foundation executive director. Teachers in any of Freeport’s schools...
Deer Lakes approves dual enrollment program with Grove City College
A Deer Lakes senior who wanted to take college courses at Grove City College has opened up that opportunity for other students at her school. The school board on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding for a Dual Enrollment Program between the school district and the college, which gives juniors...
Carnegie man accused of raping girl in Harrison more than a decade ago
Allegheny County Police charged a 66-year-old man with rape and other offenses after a 17-year-old girl accused him of assaulting her more than a decade ago in Harrison. In addition to rape, police charged Randolph Walker, of Carnegie, with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault, indecent...
Police: Phone sex company alerts police to alleged child sex abuse in Brackenridge
A tip from a phone sex company owner resulted in Allegheny County Police charging a 42-year-old Brackenridge man with sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, John Patrick Godfrey claimed his talk with the phone sex operator was only fantasy, but Allegheny County...
DA: Police justified in killing shotgun-wielding man in New Kensington
Police who fatally shot a man wielding a shotgun in New Kensington in March were justified in the killing, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck ruled Friday. Marc Morgan, 62, of Upper Burrell, threatened to shoot Black people March 13 and refused to put down the shotgun, lobbing expletives at...
