Valley News Dispatch category, Page 588

Allegheny Township’s sewage authority plans to start interviewing engineering firms for potential upgrades to the community’s pump stations. Preliminary estimates from the township’s engineering firm, KLH, put the cost of the project around $1.5 million. The Municipal Authority of Allegheny Township met Wednesday to decide whether to move forward on...

Feral cat spay and neuter clinic planned for Feb. 1 Homeless Cat Management Team will host a no-charge spay and neuter clinic Feb.1 at the clinic, 207 Allegheny St., Tarentum. No-charge clinics are free for feral cats only and are sponsored by individual donors and fundraising events. The Feb. 1...

Paul Moylett said he’s fished the Allegheny River plenty of times at a spot under the Tarentum Bridge — but never in January. Moylett, 44, of Tarentum was among scores of Western Pennsylvania residents taking advantage of Saturday’s unseasonably balmy weather as temperatures soared to a record level. “I have...

Vandergrift Public Library seeking board secretary Vandergrift Public Library is accepting applications for the position of secretary on the Board of Trustees. This is a volunteer position and applicants must live in Vandergrift or the communities served by the library. Responsibilities include attending the meeting at 6:30 p.m. the third...

Police arrested three men Friday in connection with a burglary in Verona. The burglary took place Dec. 17 on East Railroad Avenue. Among the items stolen were two handguns, Allegheny County Police said. During an investigation, county police identified James Caldwell, 26, and Zachary Rogowski, 20, both of Verona, as...

Vandergrift Council will redo its reorganization meeting after it came to light that five members hadn’t signed paperwork required by state law. The council will hold a special meeting Monday, Jan. 13, to reorganize, despite having already held a meeting for that purpose a week before. At the first meeting...

A Kittanning businessman, councilman and former church pastor was found guilty Friday of sexually assaulting a boy about four years ago. David John Croyle, 61, was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and related charges. Armstrong County District Attorney Katie Charlton said the jury deliberated...

A 48-year-old man Friday appeared to dispute accusations that he raped two girls in Allegheny Township and Vandergrift. Eric Wright, who had been living in Allegheny Township, shook his head “no” each time a district judge read the 23 charges filed against him during his preliminary arraignment. Wright is accused...

If you’re noticing more American robins lately — flocks of them — so did residents counting birds in the Pittsburgh area for the 120th annual National Audubon Society Bird Count. Volunteers tallied a little more than 28,000 birds among 72 species in the Pittsburgh area count circle during a Dec....

A Springdale man is accused of drunken driving and intentionally crashing through the garage door attached to his North Street house Thursday night. Anthony Hallo, 65, is facing numerous charges, including causing or risking a catastrophe. The 11:50 p.m. collision and fire posed a danger to Hallo’s wife inside the...

There aren’t many places you can go to pet a snake, but here you can touch hundreds. The Pittsburgh Reptile Show and Sale is held every month at the Harmar House in Cheswick. It brings together thousands of reptiles — from snakes to lizards to frogs — all in one...

Christmas tree recycling offered Allegheny County is offering its annual Christmas tree recycling program from 8 a.m. to dusk through Tuesday at all nine regional parks. Local parks include: • Boyce Park, Plum: soccer fields parking lot • Deer Lakes Park, West Deer: Veterans Shelter parking lot • Harrison Hills...

Not everyone can have a bird feeder, let alone one that attracts the pretty, prized birds like Eastern bluebirds. Without so much a kernel of corn or a sunflower seed, residents can take a nature break to watch all the action at a live webcam trained on six feeders and...

Arlind Karpuzi was sworn in this week as the first chairman of the revamped board of supervisors in West Deer. Township voters in a 2018 referendum chose to reduce the board’s size from seven members to five. The change took effect this year. Other members sworn in this week include...

A new mayor and council member who were elected last year in Lower Burrell were sworn in during a reorganization meeting Monday. A political newcomer, Rosina Albanese, 27, was sworn into office Monday by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Chris Scherer. The city’s new mayor, John Andrejcik, also was sworn...

HOPE Center seeking volunteers The Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center has many opportunities for volunteers to help the organization in its quest to eliminate domestic violence. Volunteers are needed to work with children, drive to Pittsburgh to courier food to Tarentum, organize events, present programs in schools and assist in the...

The newest member of Apollo Borough Council is heading up a new citizens’ advisory board and public relations committee. Apollo’s newest council member isn’t really so new. Jen Mullins was appointed to council late last year to fill the seat of Diane Bradshaw, who resigned in November shortly after winning...

Sue Hartford was constantly working on something. Her husband, Kevin Hartford, said she continued walking their dog regularly, even when she was wearing a chemo pump. She kept playing tennis and golf until last summer. She completed her final audio project for a client last Jan. 1, before going to...

Cheswick Council is looking to appoint someone to fill an empty two-year seat. Michael Girardi, who won two seats in the Nov. 5 election, said Monday during a council reorganization meeting that he would take the seat he won with a four-year term. That leaves the two-year seat he won...

A suspected drunken driver allegedly drove into oncoming traffic in Harmar — right at the police car summoned to look for her. Police say Michele Sweet, 52, of West Deer, missed the patrol car driven by Officer Ryan Valasek that time, but not long afterward tried to ram it. Valasek...

The CEO of a Pittsburgh-­based specialty steel producer that operates 10 plants in the region and others across the country is lobbying federal officials for an exclusion to the 25% tariff on imported steel that’s been imposed by the Trump administration. “We can’t allow our hardworking Pennsylvania employees to be...

Devin Myers was determined to serve his country, and nothing was going to stop him. The decision is one that brings a sense of worry — and extreme pride — to his mother, Kathy. Devin Myers, 20, is a member of the 420th Engineer Company (Clearance), U.S. Army Reserve, based...

New Arnold Mayor Joseph Bia’s assessment Monday of the city’s top priority remained unchanged since he defeated former Mayor Karen Peconi last May. “Our roads are horrible,” Bia said. “Many of them have fallen into disrepair.” Getting them repaired is the challenge facing Bia and city council members because the...