Valley News Dispatch category, Page 609
Tarentum man jailed for allegedly chasing, shooting at moving vehicle in New Ken
A Tarentum man who police said fired four gunshots at two people earlier this month was sent to the Westmoreland County Prison on Wednesday without bond pending a preliminary hearing. Sean Marcus Talley, 21, is accused of attempted homicide and related charges. He has has various addresses in the Alle-Kiski...
Lower Valley emergency responders receive state gaming fund grants
Several Lower Valley emergency services will get a portion of $150,887 from the state gaming fund, officials announced this week. Fox Chapel, Parkview and Pleasant Valley volunteer fire departments, and Foxwall and Parkview EMS, each were awarded money through the state Emergency Management Agency and the Office of the State...
The Stroller, Jan. 31, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Lenten fish fries information wanted Today is the last day of January and Lent is just around the corner! The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of fish fries taking place Ash Wednesday and/or Fridays during Lent. If you would like to have your organization’s fish fry listed in...
Cheswick man sentenced for stealing stamps to pay drug debt
A former Cheswick resident was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in jail and ordered to pay $37,590 in restitution for a stamp theft scheme to pay a debt he owed to a drug dealer. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on John Martell, 39. According...
Rahmael Holt’s mother convicted of hindering son’s arrest after he killed Brian Shaw
The mother of Rahmael Sal Holt, who was sentenced to death last year for shooting and killing New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw, was found guilty Thursday in Allegheny County of helping her son elude police after the 2017 shooting. In a nonjury trial, Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski found Sherry...
Veterans banners being sold to support restoration of Harrison memorial
Banners honoring Harrison’s military veterans are being sold to raise money for the restoration of the township’s World War II Honor Roll memorial. The 75-year-old sandstone memorial at Freeport and Springhill roads was partially restored last year. That work — which included stone repointing and repair, pressure washing, and patching...
Leechburg’s newest council members hope to bring fresh perspective to borough
Ruth Bender and Megan Goedicke love Leechburg. The two women have no prior political experience, but wanted to make a difference in their borough. So they ran for council and were elected. “I wanted to take a more active role in town,” Bender said. Both women ran unopposed in November’s...
Winning Cash 5 tickets sold in New Ken, Pittsburgh; $400K jackpot will be split
There’s another lucky Pennsylvania Lottery winner in the Alle-Kiski Valley. One of two jackpot-winning Cash 5 tickets was sold at the Golden Dawn supermarket on Freeport Road in New Kensington, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced Thursday. The other ticket was sold at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. The ticket...
Tarentum rec board Valentine luncheon stars singer Nick Fiasco
Nick Fiasco’s singing career began in the car. It eventually drove him to the stage. The Monroeville resident, who grew up in Wilmerding, would listen to cassette tapes of iconic singers like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and others while driving around for his job as a...
Gordmans stores plan grand openings at former Peebles sites
Gordmans will hold grand opening events at several former Peebles store locations in the region, including giveaways and donations to area school districts, according to a release. Ribbon cuttings are set for 9 a.m. Feb. 18 at local stores including Belle Vernon, East Huntingdon, Ellwood City, Allegheny Township, New Castle...
Harrison man’s question sparks discussion on bettering communities
A Harrison man who started an online effort to improve his community is taking it into the real world. Dylan Seelnacht, who grew up in Brackenridge and now lives in Harrison, asked on Facebook what people in those towns and Tarentum would like to see happen to make them better...
Kiski Area Upper Elementary students carry on tradition of successful food drives
Students at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School donated a truckload of food to the Kiski Valley Food Bank last week. The school’s student council — made up of fifth and sixth graders — has held a week-long food drive every January for seven years, said Katey Hummel, a fifth grade...
The Stroller, Jan. 30, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Free performance by Sadecky’s Puppets set Saturday Sadecky’s Puppets will present a free performance at 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Presbyterian Church, 913 Lock St., Tarentum. All members of the family will enjoy their fun and positive message. Hospital auxiliary sponsors vacation raffle Allegheny Valley Hospital Auxiliary is sponsoring...
Roof repairs, HVAC work among Plum School District projects
Plum School District officials plan to spend more than $1.75 million on various facility upgrades this summer. School board members unanimously approved Cleveland-based Garland DBS to fix Center Elementary’s roof for nearly $400,000. R.E. Michael Co. was tapped to make HVAC rooftop units for Center and Oblock Junior High School...
Oklahoma Borough man who stole natural gas ordered to repay $2,000 to Peoples
A Westmoreland County judge has rejected a prosecution request that sought more than $900,000 in restitution from an Oklahoma Borough businessman convicted of stealing natural gas from an open well. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger, in a ruling made public on Wednesday, said Jeffrey W. Zinchini, 61, of Oklahoma...
Deer Lakes High School gets groovy with ‘Beehive: School Edition’Video
Get ready to be taken back to the 1960s this weekend at Deer Lakes High School. A cast, stage crew and live band of about 50 students in grades nine-12 will perform “Beehive: School Edition” from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 in the high school auditorium. The hour-and-a-half-long musical tells...
Kiski manager resigns; supervisors unsure if she’ll be replaced
The Kiski Township manager’s position is in limbo. Supervisors Wednesday afternoon accepted the resignation of Donna Piper, hired as the township’s first manager on Sept. 24, 2018. Supervisors Chairman Mike Bash said he didn’t know how the position will be filled. Piper had been paid $75,000 per year. The manager’s...
State awards Arnold $1.8M loan for sewer reconstruction
Arnold is getting a state loan of about $1.8 million to make improvements to its sewer system, Gov. Tom Wolf’s office announced Wednesday. The 20-year loan has a 1% interest rate for the first five years that rises to 1.743% for the remaining 15 years. The combined sewer system in...
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold faces additional criminal chargesVideo
Additional criminal charges were filed this week against Michael Diebold, a former Leechburg police chief, alleging he did not comply with registration requirements for convicted sex offenders. State police charged Diebold, 42, in Armstrong County with a felony offense in connection with allegations he used the social media site FetLife.com...
$1M instant lottery ticket sold at Harrison supermarket
A regular customer of Community Supermarket in Harrison won $1 million on a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket. “I was thinking, ‘Please don’t cry because I’m going to cry with you,’ ” said office clerk Niki Dickey, who talked with the woman when she brought her winning ticket back to the...
New Kensington-Arnold School Board approves preliminary budget with 8% tax hike
The new president of the New Kensington-Arnold School Board says they have no choice but to raise property taxes, but the board’s past president says it should consider cutting staff instead. “Education will not be sacrificed,” said board President John Cope, who was elected in November. “Isn’t that why the...
Police: Arnold man had gun, drugs near child that he held when arrested
An Arnold man accused of selling heroin and cocaine is also accused of keeping a handgun in a child’s bedroom , police said. Elbert Lewis Thompson II, 30, of Leishman Avenue was arrested Monday after allegedly pushing a police officer on a porch, fleeing upstairs, and coming out holding a...
Natrona man puts his lifelong love of trains, hometown on display
Mike Stawinski was 8 years old when his father, Stanly, brought home a model train he found while working for Harrison in 1965. Stawinski, now 60, took his father’s find and built it into a lifelong hobby. A 6-by-12-foot HO-scale model train layout sits in his Natrona basement. The train...
The Stroller, Jan. 29, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Banners being sold to honor Harrison veterans The Harrison Township Honor Roll Restoration Committee is selling banners to honor township residents who served in the Armed Forces. Proceeds will help raise funds to restore the memorial. The double-sided banners will be printed by Gray Signs and measure 24 x 30-inches....
Verona fires police officer accused of corruption of a minor
A Verona police officer accused of having child porn and corrupting a teenage boy has been fired. Council unanimously voted to terminate terminated the employment of part-time patrolman Anthony Ogline Tuesday night. He was suspended without pay Jan. 17 after borough officials were informed of an investigation involving Ogline, 34,...
