Valley News Dispatch category, Page 649
Trials delayed for 2 accused of helping man charged in Brian Shaw’s death
Trials for the father and a cousin of the Harrison man accused in the fatal shooting death two years ago of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw were postponed until December. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Tuesday a scheduling conflict made it impossible to try the case against Gregory Baucum Jr....
Lower Burrell man ordered to stand trial for fleeing police, reckless endangerment
A 42-year-old Lower Burrell man accused in multiple cases of fleeing police at high speed will stand trial in the latest alleged chase. Chad Ebel of Falcon Park Road is accused of leading police on a short, high-speed chase on June 7 from Shearsburg Road to Route 56, Route 356...
Kiski Area High School marching band wins regional band competition
Members of the Kiski Area High School Marching Band are once again regional champions. For the second consecutive year, the band placed first in the annual Music for All’s Bands of America Central Ohio Regional Championship. This year’s competition took place Saturday at Fortress Obetz in Obetz, Ohio. “To say...
Belvedere ruins begin to disappear in Oklahoma BoroughVideo
If you were hoping for a memento from the former Belvedere Hotel, you’re out of luck. “The borough must have received at least 50 calls from people wanting door knobs, hinges and, of course, the tin ceiling and wall tiles that famously adorned the hotel’s first floor,” said Lee Schumaker,...
Principal: Bomb threat made to Highlands Middle School not credible
A bomb threat made Tuesday morning to Highlands Middle School was not a credible, the school’s principal said in a statement. Middle School Principal Kimberly Price said in a statement that police swept the school after the call was received and found no dangers. “Police escorted students back to the...
State trooper from Harrison wins national award for efforts to reduce DUIVideo
A state trooper from Harrison who made almost 500 evaluations of suspected drunken or drugged drivers won a national award for his work. State police Cpl. Chris Robbins is the first Pennsylvania state trooper to receive the Excellence in Drug Recognition award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police....
Demolition of Belvedere Hotel begins; Orr Avenue in Oklahoma Borough closedVideo
After a postponement almost three weeks ago, the demolition of the charred remains of the Belvedere Hotel along Route 66 in Oklahoma Borough will begin Tuesday morning, according to an Oklahoma official. Orr Avenue was closed Monday as preparation for the cleanup began. The demolition is expected to take several...
Police: Homeowners stop would-be burglar, hold him at gunpoint
A Harrison couple didn’t wait for township police to arrive to deal with an attempted burglary at their home Saturday night, according to a criminal complaint. Police said one of the homeowners held the suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived. Casey Hill, 30, of Buffalo Township, is charged with burglary,...
Plum man dies in motorcycle crash
A 24-year-old Plum man died early Saturday after a crash on Unity Center Road. Allegheny County Police said Brandon Hugh Patton was on a motorcycle that slid across the road into a Nissan SUV driven by a 25-year-old woman, who was not identified, in the 1000 block of Unity Center...
West Leechburg police chief retires after 32 years with departmentVideo
West Leechburg police Chief George Lebetz has retired after more than three decades with the department, including the past four years as chief. “It was a bunch of things, little things, that added up to a good career,” said Lebetz. “Everything from helping different people, especially kids, and talking with...
New Kensington woman organizes sock drive to benefit homeless sheltersVideo
People are generous when it comes to donating new and gently used clothing, says Michelle Gibb, executive director of the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center. “The things that don’t show up in clothing pantries or clothing closets are new socks and underwear, which is really something you can’t have used,” Gibb...
Seeds to start Brandy Marie’s Gymnastics in Buffalo Township were sown at young ageVideo
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com. A birthday party at the former Champion Gymnastics in...
Germany’s Oktoberfest to become Leechburg’s ‘Octoberfest’ beer and food festivalVideo
Munich’s famous annual Oktoberfest beer festival is the inspiration behind a new event coming to Leechburg. Sprankle’s Markets will host an inaugural “Octoberfest”-themed beer and food festival Saturday, Oct. 5 on the grounds of Lingrow Farm in Gilpin. “Our goal is to champion local talent, businesses and organizations to celebrate...
Vandergrift butcher takes ‘homemade’ on the roadVideo
Vandergrift native Tommy Scanga grew up above a butcher shop and corner grocery store. He hails from a family of butchers. Scanga, 59, worked for the family business, Del Vecchio’s Market, until 1993. “My uncle Neddie taught me the way to make sausage,” Scanga says. “This is how we’ve made...
New Kensington, Arnold agree on handling of code, zoning matters at industrial park
New Kensington and Arnold both approved an agreement giving New Kensington complete control of code and zoning matters at Schreiber Industrial Park, which spans both cities. New Kensington’s Redevelopment Authority bought the park for about $8 million in 2018. It stretches for more than a mile along the Allegheny River....
Harrison Township refuses to address police union’s pension enhancement request
Harrison commissioners will not entertain a request from its police officers union to enhance their pensions under the existing contract. Teamsters Local 249, which represents the township’s 12 rank-and-file officers, asked the township to consider enhancements to their pensions as they had for police Chief Mike Klein, said Keith Frank,...
Harrison girl, 7, raises thousands of dollars for police — again
Harrison’s youngest reigning fundraising queen was at it again this weekend. Kaley Bastine, 7, raised nearly $3,000 for New Kensington police Officer Joe Martino and his police dog, Deuce. The dog was donated to the police department by the Officer Brian Shaw Foundation. Shaw was killed while on duty in...
Residents bring items to Tarentum antique store hoping to find treasureVideo
Allegheny Township residents Robert and Elaine Bargerstock knew the items they brought into an antique appraisal event Sunday were worth a lot in sentiment, but they had no idea how much they would be worth in dollars. The photos feature Robert Bargerstock’s grandfather, who was an Allegheny Ludlum worker during...
Passion for computers inspired St. Joseph High School senior to volunteerVideo
Michael Smith needed only 100 hours of community service to meet the requirement to graduate from St. Joseph High School next spring. But he liked his time at Computer Reach so much, he just keeps running up the hours. Smith recently was named “Volunteer of the Year’’ by the Pittsburgh...
‘Ghost Tour’ to bring local history to life at Brackenridge’s Prospect Cemetery
The past will come to life through the voices of the dead at Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge. But it is history, not fright, that is the focus of the cemetery’s annual Historical Ghost Tour, being held this year Oct. 10. From the cemetery’s more than 17,000 graves, 13 belonging to...
Big-box stores take law into their own hands in fight against shoplifting
It wasn’t the first time Tyler Shuey saw this. The Walmart asset protection associate watched as a woman on multiple days around a year ago underrang merchandise at self-checkout registers at the Unity store. The woman hid mints and gum under more expensive merchandise like meat, clothing and frozen food....
Private criminal complaints bypass police as cases head to courtVideo
In August 2018, a woman directly asked prosecutors to charge her ex-boyfriend, a resident of McKeesport, with witness intimidation. She accused the man of threatening to come to her apartment, kick in the door and kill her or throw bricks through her windows. She said he wanted her to drop...
South Buffalo’s tractor pull galvanizes community in support of girl, 6, with cancerVideo
At 6 years old, Ella Conroy has plenty in common with kids her age. The South Buffalo girl likes to build houses of Legos and make friendship bracelets. She is a Girl Scout and cheers for youth football players across the Alle-Kiski Valley. But Ella has to spend at least...
‘Silent Ride’ Sunday to honor O’Hara man who died while riding to work in Harmar
About 100 bicyclists will ride on a busy Harmar road Sunday morning to honor an O’Hara man who died a month ago while riding his bicycle to work. Thomas Haykin, 57, died Aug. 31 after he was struck by two vans on Freeport Road near Route 910, investigators said. Haykin...
1 hospitalized in connection with head-on crash in Washington Township
Washington Township police are investigating a crash Friday evening that sent one person to a local hospital with injuries. Westmoreland County dispatchers said calls for the two-vehicle, head-on crash at Route 66 and Silvis Road came in shortly before 6:30 p.m. North and southbound lanes of Route 66 were closed...
