Valley News Dispatch category, Page 557
Fox Chapel Area freshman developing app to detect x-ray abnormalities
Before he even started high school, Fox Chapel Area freshman Adhitya Thirumala was using his technological prowess to develop potential advancements in the medical field. Thirumala, 13, was named among the Top 300 middle school innovators from across the country in the 2020 Broadcom MASTERS, a prestigious STEM competition. The...
Ladles restaurant in Springdale closes, possibly for good
The future is uncertain for the popular Springdale eatery Ladles. The storefront on busy Pittsburgh Street still looks inviting, but the restaurant is closed. And while a sign on the front door reads, “We plan on reopening very soon,” Ladles’ future actually remains very much in doubt. “The future is...
East Deer to use $100K state grant to tear down 10 blighted buildingsVideo
East Deer is using state grant money to tear down 10 blighted buildings. Residents of Marion Street, which has three of the targeted properties, were happy to hear the news. “Hopefully soon they come down,” said Stephanie Headley, who has lived on the street for 15 years and calls the...
The Stroller, Sept. 18, 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. Memorial bike outing planned Sept. 26 A bike run in memory of Jerry “Bull” Baylor will be Sept. 26 at Mogie’s...
73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home up for adoption at New Kensington shelterVideo
More than 70 cats rescued from a house in North Huntingdon are being cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue in New Kensington. It did not appear anyone was living in the house on Leger Road where the cats were found, Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director and president of...
New Kensington-Arnold may go to hybrid schedule if too many students want to return to schools
New Kensington-Arnold School District will be forced to go to a full hybrid schedule if too many students now learning from home choose to come back to school next month, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said. Under a hybrid schedule, students would be in school only two days a week, Banko...
Driver loses control, crashes car into Tarentum house
A woman lost control of her vehicle on Thursday night and crashed into the corner of a house in Tarentum. The unidentified woman was driving toward Brackenridge on E. 10th Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. when she suddenly lost control of the car. The car, a two-door compact, bounced off...
New artificial turf field at Burrell’s Buccaneer Stadium nearly ready for actionVideo
The new artificial turf field at Burrell School District’s Buccaneer Stadium is expected to be ready for game action next week, and sports could return to the stadium with a soccer tripleheader on Oct. 1. “The field is beautiful and a great surface for all sports,” said Burrell Athletic Director...
Freeport Renaissance Association hosting free outdoor concerts
Freeport Riverside Park will be filled with the sounds of music Friday and Saturday. The Freeport Renaissance Association — a community organization that works to beautify and promote Freeport — will host this weekend’s outdoor concerts. Let’s Duet, a classic rock show, will start at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s Country...
Burrell spectator policy keeps out visiting fans for football, indoor events
Burrell School District’s spectator policy for football and indoor sporting events, adopted this week, allots two tickets to every senior participant and one ticket for each underclassman. There isn’t enough room to accommodate everyone who wants to attend games given guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and...
Leechburg food truck festival looks to raise money for ailing fire company
A new food truck festival is coming to Leechburg. The “Food Truck Rally on the River,” sponsored by the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company, is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday on the fire company grounds on Canal Street. The outdoor foodie fundraiser is needed more than ever, said Brian...
The Stroller, Sept. 17, 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. Leechburg food truck rally to raise money for new river rescue boat Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company will host a Food Truck...
New Kensington man accused of lying about his age to get involved with 13-year-old girl
A New Kensington man is accused of indecent assault in connection with an alleged incident involving a 13-year-old girl in Brackenridge. Police said Kristopher Skufca, 19, met the girl through a friend on social media, but he told her that he was 16. A criminal complaint filed in the case...
Lower Burrell police nab 5 boys trying to break into cars, say one had stolen gun
Five boys were scoping out cars to break into in Lower Burrell over the weekend, and one of them was carrying a stolen handgun, according to city police. Another one of the boys had a key fob matching a vehicle that was stolen out of New Kensington, police said. Police...
2 garbage haulers vying for East Deer contract
East Deer could potentially choose a new garbage hauler after working with the same company for roughly a decade. Vogel Disposal Service of Adams, Butler County, and Bankosh Sanitation of Loyalhanna Township submitted bids to handle the township’s garbage collection from 2021 to 2024. Vogel has been the township’s garbage...
Fox Chapel Area student-led documentary on Fred Rogers airs on YouTube
A student-produced documentary on legendary Pittsburgher Fred Rogers taught Fox Chapel Area senior Jean Daniher to aspire to be better simply by slowing down. “We all have the opportunity to be as kind and understanding as he was if we just slow down,” said Daniher of O’Hara. She worked as...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education goes remote for fall semester
For someone who values movement as much as Pilates instructor Cara Metallo, the covid-19 pandemic has taught her a newfound appreciation for words. Moving to an online platform for her classes forced Metallo, an O’Hara resident, to find “an eloquence and connect with students deeper in regards to goals with...
Peregrine falcon nesting on the Graff Bridge near Kittanning and elsewhere subject of free discussion
While the handsome and formerly federally endangered peregrine falcon is known for nesting on Pittsburgh skyscrapers, the Cathedral of Learning and the Tarentum Bridge, a pair has been quietly nesting above the Allegheny River spanning Manor and North Buffalo townships. Kate St. John of Pittsburgh, the region’s expert on the...
Man arrested in Kiski Township after police say he tried to swallow drugs
An Apollo man faces charges in connection with an incident last month in which police said he tried to swallow two baggies of methamphetamine. Police said they responded to a house on Sugar Hollow Road around 8 p.m. Aug. 21 after receiving reports about possible drug activity there. When officers...
Gilpin plans ‘trunk-or-treat’ event
Gilpin plans to hold a Halloween “trunk-or-treat” event from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 31. Township supervisors approved holding the event with a 4-0 vote Monday night. Supervisor Charlie Stull said Gilpin’s rural landscape can pose challenges for traditional trick-or-treating. “It’s hard to trick-or-treat … with homes not visible from...
The Stroller, Sept. 16, 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. Free concerts planned this weekend in Freeport Freeport Renaissance Association will sponsor two free outdoor concerts this weekend in Riverside Park,...
‘Weenie Wagon’ reopens in Leechburg
Weenie season is back in Leechburg. People who operate the popular Weenie Wagon, parked on a lot on the borough’s Market Street, usually start selling hot dogs from the wagon on Memorial Day and continue on Saturdays through October. Covid-19 restrictions and unusually hot summer temperatures presented problems this year,...
Highlands administrators ask parents for patience with online elementary program
Highlands administrators acknowledged at a meeting Monday that they are having problems with the district’s online elementary curriculum, but did not directly address a mother’s concern that its content is religious. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said she has gotten a handful of emails about the Accelerate Education program the district is...
Fawn police chief testifies officer altered report to include false accusation against supervisor
Fawn’s police chief testified Tuesday a now-suspended officer who is suing the township altered an incident report to say a supervisor threatened to assault his neighbor for having a fire at his home. Fawn Supervisors wrapped up an employment hearing for suspended Officer Keith Lazaron II, but took no action....
Yakopec is back as Lower Burrell solicitor
Lower Burrell is bringing back longtime Solicitor Stephen Yakopec Jr., more than a year after he was let go by the previous administration. City council unanimously approved contracting with Yakopec as solicitor Monday night. “I am grateful and thankful to be back and to continue to help the community in...
