Valley News Dispatch category, Page 636
Opera singer returns to Brackenridge church to raise money for food bank
Mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti began singing at local churches, including Brackenridge’s Trinity United Methodist, as a teenager before making her professional debut with the Pittsburgh Opera and singing professionally for three decades. On Sunday, she returned to Trinity United Methodist to hold a concert to raise money for the Allegheny Valley...
Police: Venango man topped 120 mph on Route 28 after driving away from traffic stop
A Venango County man drove more than 120 mph while holding a woman against her will in his car as police pursued him on Route 28, according to state police. Kirk Edward Heath, 43, was arraigned Monday on 19 charges, including kidnapping to facilitate a felony and fleeing or attempting...
New Kensington cop killer’s cousin charged with stashing murder weapon
Just four days after Rahmael Holt was sentenced to death for the Nov. 17, 2017, killing of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw, Westmoreland County detectives charged his cousin, Lisa D. Harrington, with hiding the murder weapon and hindering apprehension. Assistant District Attorney James Lazar said the decision to charge...
American Legion oratorical, essay contests open to high school students
Westmoreland County high school students looking for college scholarships might want to sharpen their public speaking and essay skills for the 2020 Pennsylvania American Legion oratorical and essay contests. The contests are open to all county students in grades 9-12, including home school and charter and private school pupils. Applications...
The Stroller, Nov. 18, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Deer Lakes Middle School to present, `The Lion King Jr.` Deer Lakes Middle School will present the musical, “The Lion King Jr.,” at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the high school auditorium, 163 East Union Road, West Deer. Admission is $10 at...
80 units in cluster homes planned for South Pike Road in Buffalo Township
An 80-unit residential development planned along South Pike Road (Route 356) in Buffalo Township is moving forward. The housing plan, to be known as Heritage Crossing, would be on a 25-acre site across from the Rosebrook assisted living center. The plan will be built by Weaver Homes. The company hopes...
Artist Cyril Assad has left his mark with fanciful murals at Oakmont Carnegie LibraryVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. It’s been a while since Oakmont artist Cyril Assad had to pick up a paint brush or do design work, but his creations live on at the Oakmont Carnegie Library...
Freeport Area’s swim team is a club sport, so board won’t pay for buses
Freeport Area High School swim team’s major concern may not be as much winning meets as getting to the pool to compete. That was the message Sheryl Schrecongost, a volunteer coach for the swim team, presented to the board Wednesday. It stems from the district not paying for buses to...
200 show love Sunday for Leechburg Community LibraryVideo
The Leechburg Community Library has only been reopened about 2½ months, but its growing community support was easy to see at a fundraiser Sunday. At least 200 people bought $8 tickets to take part in a benefit spaghetti dinner. By 2 p.m., a gigantic 50-50 container was more than half-full...
Search for time capsule at former Riverview Elementary School in Harrison comes up empty
The whereabouts of a time capsule buried on the grounds of a former elementary school in Harrison remains a mystery. During the 1950s, 10-year-old Edward Zembrzuski stood outside near a flagpole at Riverview Elementary in Harrison, watching as each class presented an item for inclusion in a school time capsule...
Rahmael Holt joins list of Southwestern Pa. men on death row
On death row There are 136 men on death row in Pennsylvania, including the following from Southwestern Pennsylvania: ALLEGHENY • Richard Scott Baumhammers, 54, sentenced in September 2001, convicted of killing five people in 2000 shooting spree. • Leroy Fears, 57, sentenced February 1995, pleaded guilty to molesting and strangling...
Cop killer Rahmael Holt’s execution could be years away, experts say
Convicted cop killer Rahmael Holt’s appeal of his death sentence to the state Supreme Court could take a year to 18 months to resolve, says a Westmoreland County attorney representing another convicted killer on Pennsylvania’s death row. It may take even longer to be carried out, as there are people...
‘Dynamic’ pastor from Detroit taking over at First Baptist Church in TarentumVideo
Felicia Brock had no intention of leaving Detroit, where she was born and had lived her entire life. That changed when she said “God’s spirit’’ led her to Western Pennsylvania to become pastor of First Baptist Church in Tarentum. She will be officially installed at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The service...
The Stroller, Nov. 17, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Casino Theatre to offer annual Christmas show The Casino Theatre, Vandergrift, will present the 24th annual Hometown Christmas production, “Counting Down to Christmas,” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets are $17and $10 and are available at Pomfret’s Paint and Variety, 149 Farragut Ave.,...
Runners ignore cold day to kick off Red Kettle season for Brackenridge Salvation ArmyVideo
Chassity Mays has a goal of racing in every state. On Saturday, Mays of Brownsburg, Ind., turned in the best time for a woman racing in the inaugural Red Kettle Run for a Reason. The 5K race is a fundraiser for the Salvation Army Allegheny Valley Worship and Service Center...
Springdale family’s 50-foot tree ready to be spruced up for Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night
A 50-foot blue spruce that grew in the yard of a Springdale couple was moved to the City County Building in Pittsburgh on Saturday to be decorated for Christmas. Lindsay and Dennis Malinowski donated the tree, which, in 1987 was a 5-foot-tall Christmas tree of the property’s previous owner, who...
Medical examiner: Penn Hills man whose car crashed into Plum pool drowned
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday said a driver whose car crashed into a backyard swimming pool in Plum last August drowned. William Gibson, 49, of Penn Hills was driving along Repp Road at about 7:40 a.m. on Aug. 21 when his car went off the road, crossed...
The Stroller, Nov. 16, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
HOPE Center seeks support for Christmas program The HOPE Center is seeking support for its annual Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program to benefit HOPE Center families. This program is an opportunity for individuals, families, community groups, businesses, churches, schools, or anyone looking to do something for those in need and give back...
High-tech equipment, land leasing, age-old practices keep today’s farmers growingVideo
By looking at a computer screen in his new $500,000 combine, Andrew Kimmel knew his yield was about 225 bushels-per-acre of feed corn for one of the Burrell Township fields he was harvesting Thursday afternoon. It’s harvest time, modern style. On Thursday, Kimmel climbed a six-rung, steel ladder to reach...
Burrell School Board president appears to win reelection with write-in campaign
The Burrell School Board will have the chance to appoint a new school board member at its Dec. 3 reorganization meeting because of the lack of candidates and a win by board President Tricia Shank for a seat she didn’t seek and can’t accept. Shank won two seats — both...
50-foot blue spruce from Springdale to become Allegheny County’s Christmas tree
The 50-foot blue spruce on the corner of Lindsay and Dennis Malinowski’s yard will come full circle this Christmas season. In 1987, the five-foot Christmas tree was displayed in Ron Renaldi’s house. Instead of being discarded, it was planted at his mother’s home on Garfield Street in Springdale. This year,...
Man sentenced to at least 12 years in prison for child rape incident in Arnold
A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced Friday to serve up to 34 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of an Arnold teenager. Following a jury trial in August, Delonte Haynes, 28, was convicted of four charges, among them rape of a child and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,...
Google tools help enhance learning at Kiski Area schools
Social studies teachers in Kiski Area School District no longer rely solely upon textbooks and newspaper articles to talk about current events. Now they can tell students to pull up CNN on their Chromebooks. Dave Williamson, chairman of the district’s social studies department, said that’s been one benefit of becoming...
Allegheny River lock reopens after $6.6M fix
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday reopened the Allegheny River’s Lock 2, which has been closed most days for three months because of a $6.6 million renovation project. The land wall in the 87-year-old lock chamber near the Highland Park Bridge had been deteriorating for years at what...
Arguments in Tarentum billboard case rescheduled
An Allegheny County judge has rescheduled oral arguments in the case of a company fighting to put up a billboard in Tarentum. Arguments are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21 in Courtroom 7 on the 7th floor of the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh, according to an order signed by...
