Valley News Dispatch category, Page 578
Standoff in Vandergrift ends peacefully with man’s arrest
A Vandergrift man was taken into custody following a standoff at a borough house Friday night. Officers were dispatched to 331 Chestnut St. shortly before 8 p.m. for a domestic dispute. “Prior to arrival, Westmoreland County 911 advised us the male was possibly armed with a handgun and a shotgun,”...
New Kensington woman accused of threatening Westmoreland County worker
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a New Kensington woman accused of threatening a Westmoreland County caseworker Friday morning after a child custody hearing at the county courthouse in Greensburg, police said. The suspect, Ronica S. Paine, 46, of Leishman Avenue, allegedly threatened the female caseworker by...
Lernerville Speedway holds opening night with pandemic restrictions in place
Racing returned to Lernerville Speedway in Buffalo Township on Friday with thousands of fans eager to see the green flags waving — in spite of the covid-19 pandemic. “It feels great to be back here again,” said Pat Snow of Bruin, Butler County. “We’ll be camping here next week for...
Allegheny Valley Regional Police to expand; hiring new full-timer
Allegheny Valley Regional Police is adding a full-time officer to fledgling force, that already has two full-time and about six part-time officers. The regional police force was formed last year when the police departments of Cheswick and Springdale Township merged to provide 24-7 coverage in both while saving money. Support...
Kiski Area School District approves guidelines for sports, band to resume
Kiski Area School Board on Wednesday approved a health and safety plan for student-athletes and band members to resume practice during the summer. The guidelines, outlined on the district’s website, include restrictions and safety measures aimed at preventing the spread of covid-19. “We wanted to do it in a way...
The Stroller, June 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 or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Apollo-Ridge reschedules kindergarten registration Registration for children in the...
Fire destroys garage on Bull Creek Road in Fawn, no injuries reported
A garage in the 3300 block of Bull Creek Road in Fawn was destroyed by fire late Thursday night. Township and Tarentum firefighters responded to the blaze shortly before 11 p.m. Fawn No. 1 Deputy Fire Chief Dave Collings said the one-story storage facility was a total loss. No injuries...
ATF agent shot at home involved in ’11 Hunnit’ gang investigation, 12 suspects indicted
The house in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood where an ATF agent was shot Thursday morning belongs to one of a dozen people charged with drug trafficking in a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. A dozen defendants from Allegheny, Westmoreland and Lawrence counties have been charged with drug trafficking following a lengthy wiretap...
Allegheny Township open to idea of merger with West Leechburg
Allegheny Township officials said they would be willing to explore a merger with neighboring West Leechburg, where residents are frustrated because Leechburg Area School Board is proposing a tax increase for borough property owners but not in other district municipalities. Combining with Allegheny Township would place the area that is...
Moving truck takes down power lines in Lower Burrell, knocks out power to 3,500 customers
A 30-foot box truck took down power lines running across Puckety Church Road in Lower Burrell on Thursday afternoon, breaking two utility poles, igniting a transformer fire and knocking out power to about 3,500 customers. Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 responded about 2:40 p.m. and put out the...
Oakmont Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation evacuated due to chemical spill
Oakmont Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation was evacuated Thursday afternoon because of a chemical spill. Oakmont Fire Chief Dave Carroll said the spill occurred in a second-floor washroom, and there was a strong ammonia smell seeping down to the first floor. He said all patients were evacuated safely and no...
Cheswick looking for new council member after president resigns
Cheswick is looking for a new council member to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of President Paul Jack. Jack, who had 1½ years remaining on his term, resigned May 21. He said he had worked through his goals of seeing the borough through its past financial and organizational...
Oakmont Greek Food fest goes on, with major changes
The annual Greek Food Festival in Oakmont will take place this month, but in a different way. The event is scheduled for 2 to 8 p.m. June 26-28 at the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church at 12 Washington Ave. Organizers said much had to change for the celebration’s...
The Stroller, June 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 or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Free produce distribution planned Saturday in Natrona Building Block...
West Leechburg residents discuss what to do about repeated Leechburg Area tax increases
West Leechburg residents will sign a petition asking the Leechburg Area School District not to raise their property taxes this year and will look into the option of potentially being absorbed into Allegheny Township. These are some of the solutions borough residents came up with to address an ongoing taxing...
Highlands High School seniors show appreciation to Allegheny Valley Hospital workers
At Highlands High School, it’s tradition for the graduating class to donate to a charity of their choosing. But in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, this year’s graduating class wanted to something extra special. A group of high school seniors visited Allegheny Valley Hospital on Wednesday to show their...
Gas line work delays Lower Burrell’s paving program by several weeks
The start of Lower Burrell’s summer paving projects will be delayed for several weeks as Peoples Gas work on gas lines before repaving Violet Drive, Violet Place and California Drive. The two-day project was to begin on Friday, but the schedule changed late Wednesday because of scheduling of the gas...
Drivers excited for return of racing at Lernerville Speedway
At last, the drivers can start their engines. Friday night will be an exciting time in Sarver because for the first time in 2020, race car drivers will take to the track at Lernerville Speedway. “Absolutely through the roof,” Lernerville track announcer Eric Westendorf said about the excitement level heading...
The Stroller, June 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 or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Volunteers needed for highway litter cleanup Volunteers are needed...
Oakmont wall restoration project to start in early July, traffic to be altered near Verona border
A portion of Allegheny River Boulevard near the Oakmont-Verona border will be reduced to one lane for about two months as part of a retaining wall restoration project. Crews from Apollo-based Santamaria Landscaping are expected to start work July 1 on the wall near the viaduct. Oakmont Council awarded the...
Wardens track 2 black bears in 2 towns, including a sighting in Arnold
The Pennsylvania Game Commission tracked two bears Tuesday, one in Arnold and a second one in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood. Anthony R. Sawl snapped photos of a black bear sauntering along Alcoa Drive in a dense residential area. One of the photos shows the bear walking along a garden sidewalk,...
Highlands administrators refine budget that does not increase property taxes
Highlands School District’s budget for the upcoming school year remains a work in progress a week ahead of its scheduled approval, but no property tax increase is expected. Business Manager Lori Byron told the school board Monday that administrators have continued to refine the budget, resulting in a roughly $283,000...
ATI to lay off union, nonunion workers, cites covid-19 pandemic as reason
Allegheny Technologies Inc. anticipates laying off union and nonunion employees between now and late September because of declining customer demand during the coronavirus pandemic, a company spokeswoman said Monday. ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie said the company would not disclose how many hourly and salaried employees will be affected. “In response...
The Stroller, June 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 or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Backyard habitat program helps birds, wildlife Many people than...
Oakmont agrees to 1-year contract extension for street, sewage plant workers
Oakmont officials approved a one-year extension to a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 249 for the borough street department and waste water treatment plant workers. The CBA was set to expire at the end of the month. The deal affects six people, three at the treatment plant and three...
