Valley News Dispatch category, Page 563
Westmoreland transit authority looks to bump up local bus service
A portion of Westmoreland County’s local bus service, slowed because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be restored in September. Westmoreland County Transit Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said that an informal survey of riders determined an interest in added public transportation for routes around the county. Specifics about which routes...
Leechburg man gets probation for Russian Roulette shooting
A Leechburg man will serve two years on probation after he was sentenced Tuesday for an incident that left his live-in girlfriend wounded after being shot in the face during a drunken game of Russian Roulette. Roy Edward Berry Jr., 50, was convicted of five misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment...
West Deer considers stiffer penalties for false alarms
West Deer Supervisors are considering imposing harsher fines on people who own or maintain alarm systems that accidentally go off three or more times a year. At a meeting last week, Supervisor Brandon Forbes suggested updating the existing ordinance to increase the fine for multiple false alarms to $100. “You...
Highland Tire’s rooftop Rhino dons face mask during pandemic
The yellow fiberglass rhinoceros that sits atop Highland Tire in Tarentum is donning a face mask in response to the covid-19 pandemic. The rhino, a local landmark, has been wearing its mask for about a month, according to Brad Bonnett, president of Highland Tire. “I just figured that people needed...
The Stroller, Aug. 25, 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. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link to The Stroller. Superheroes Believe In Miracles seeks calendar sponsors Superheroes Believe...
Oakmont retaining wall beautification project to be completed by OctoberVideo
A retaining wall beautification project along Allegheny River Boulevard near the Oakmont and Verona border might be completed within a few weeks. Apollo-based Santamaria Landscaping crews began their effort to restore the wall near the viaduct between the two boroughs in July. Senate Engineering Senior Inspector David Hodges was at...
Father of convicted cop killer gets time served in witness intimidation case
The father of the Allegheny County man sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of a New Kensington police officer was paroled Monday after being sentenced for the intimidation of a witness who was to testify against his son. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears ordered Gregory Baucum Jr....
Judge rejects appeal from man convicted of killing New Kensington cop
A Westmoreland County judge rejected the appeal of the man sentenced to death for the murder of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw. In a 42-page opinion made public Monday, Judge Rita Hathaway said jurors had sufficient evidence to convict Rahmael Sal Holt, 32, of Harrison, Allegheny County, of first-degree...
ScareHouse moving to Pittsburgh Mills mallVideo
The ScareHouse is moving to the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. “You know that Pittsburgh Zombies love shopping malls,” the haunted attraction said in announcing the move with a cheeky homage to George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead,” filmed primarily at the Monroeville Mall. “We think you will love...
The Stroller, Aug. 24, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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 time. Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they...
Technical schools grapple with hands-on learning as classes resume during pandemic
As traditional schools weed through reopening plans that largely include at least some online learning, career and technical centers across the region grapple with how to maintain predominately hands-on classes while keeping students and staff safe. Several of the 16 career and technical centers that cater to high school students...
Aspinwall seeking $500K from Alcosan for sewage system improvements
Aspinwall council is seeking financial help from Alcosan to target a sewer separation project along Western Avenue. Work would be similar to earlier projects completed on Eastern and Center avenues, borough Manager Melissa O’Malley said. Council applied for $519,200 through Alcosan’s Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW) program. If approved,...
‘Road to recovery’: Dealers say car sales brisk across Pittsburgh region
After the mid-March economic shutdown to halt the spread of covid-19, Paul Schimizzi didn’t know what to expect when his auto dealership reopened in May. “I didn’t know if we were going to sell 50 cars,” the president of Hillview Motors in Hempfield said. Instead, the dealership sold substantially more...
West Deer women open Free Store in Russellton to help those in needVideo
Don’t want it? Two West Deer women will take it. And give it to those in need. Sonya Dembowski and Nicole Docherty are moving their Free Store from East Deer to West Deer’s Russellton neighborhood. It will be at 9 Creighton-Russellton Road, stocked with items donated or thrown away by...
West Deer cop followed smoke to burning home, found man in front yard uninjured
Running up to a burning house to check for potentially trapped occupants is just a normal part of the job for West Deer police officer and volunteer firefighter Edward Newman. Newman had been on routine patrol last Saturday when he spotted smoke coming from the 250 block of Little Deer...
The Stroller, Aug. 23, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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 time. Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they...
Hundreds gather for Derek Kotecki golf tournament at Hill Crest Country ClubVideo
It was a great day for golfing and remembering Lower Burrell Police’s K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki on Saturday as 136 golfers and hundreds of patrons gathered at Hill Crest Country Club to raise money for scholarships. In its ninth year, the golf outing pays tribute to Kotecki, who was killed...
West Deer leaders discuss potential tax deferral program for low income residents, seniors
West Deer’s leaders are considering new rules that could stop low-income residents and senior citizens from having to pay increased real estate taxes. Township Supervisor Brandon Forbes is pitching an idea that would add any township real estate tax increase as a lien on a person’s property. It would not...
O’Hara Eagle Scout leads construction of special bench at the Sharpsburg Community Garden
O’Hara teen Braden McCormick combined his mom’s passion for gardening and his desire to help feed the needy to earn his Eagle Scout rank from the Boy Scouts of America. McCormick spent more than 43 hours constructing a potting bench for the Sharpsburg Community Garden, a Main Street spot that...
Vandergrift native to compete in virtual ‘East Coast Regional GrandSLAM’
Mariah Passarelli is going to share her story. The Vandergrift native who lives in Downtown Pittsburgh is one of eight people competing in The Moth’s first virtual East Coast Regional “GrandSLAM—A Multi-City Showdown” at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to...
4 arrested following fight at North Apollo bar
A man threatening to “shoot officers in the face with his gun” was one of four people arrested early Saturday morning following a fight at a North Apollo bar, police said. Officers with the Kiski Township Police Department responded to the R Bar, located at 418 16th St., in response...
The Stroller, Aug. 22, 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. Follow the Stroller on Twitter @VNDStroller for a daily link to The Stroller. Annual Mutts & Margaritas event goes virtual this year...
Motorcyclist hurt in Route 66 crash in Washington Township
A motorcyclist was injured late Friday night in a crash along Route 66 near the intersection of Route 356 in Washington Township, the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety said. Emergency responders set up a landing zone for a medical helicopter shortly after the accident was reported at 11:10 p.m....
New Kensington welcomes a new trendy restaurant/brewery: Voodoo at the RitzVideo
New Kensington native Phil Imm knows having new businesses in town can be a blessing for the local economy. So when the chance came up to help run a brewery near his backyard, he grabbed it. Voodoo at the Ritz is open for business in New Kensington. “It means a...
Car overturns on Route 356 in Allegheny Township
A motorist was trapped in a vehicle that went over a guardrail and overturned off Route 356 in Allegheny Township on Friday night, according to dispatches from Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Emergency responders were at the scene around 7:45 p.m. and were cutting brush around the vehicle to...
