Valley News Dispatch category, Page 653
Springdale councilmen irked by latest water project cost overrun
The cost of Springdale’s water system renovation has increased again, adding another $132,000 to a project already plagued by unforeseen expenditures. It is payment for additional paving to Kukurin Contracting Inc., the general contractor for installing the new water lines that are part of the project. The project, estimated at...
Alle-Kiski Valley’s marching bands have perfect night for 73rd band festival
High school marching bands showed off their season’s routines Wednesday night at the 73rd annual Alle-Kiski Valley Marching Band Festival. Organized by the Alle-Kiski Valley Band Directors Association, the festival allows area marching bands to perform their full routines outside the time constraints of football game halftime shows. Organizers have...
Judge rules New Kensington Elks can renew its liquor license
A Westmoreland County judge overruled a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board decision last year that rejected the license renewal for the Elks Club in New Kensington. In a ruling made public Tuesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr. found that evidence of repeated citations and criminal activity at or...
Traffic restrictions to occur on Gulf Lab Road in Harmar
Single-lane restrictions will take place on Gulf Lab Road in Harmar through next week so crews can perform drilling operations for a future project, PennDOT said. The restrictions will be between Old Route 910 and William Pitt Way. They will take place weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They...
Vandergrift pool finally lands $165,000 grant for new liner
State Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Washington Township, announced Wednesday that the Commonwealth Financing Authority awarded $165,000 for a much needed new liner and other improvements to the Joseph A. Petrarca Memorial Pool in Vandergrift, named in honor of his late father, also a state legislator. The pool grant also includes installing...
Grant to help handicapped access to Laube Hall in Freeport
A $240,000 state grant will add handicapped parking at Laube Hall in Freeport as well as improve the parking lot. The grant was announced Tuesday. When the hall was built in the 1960s it didn’t have handicap access. “It’s quite a distance from the parking lot to the front doors,”...
Alle-Kiski Valley group celebrates 7th year of thanking police officers
Police officer’s wife Felicia Junod knows just how much it means to her husband when someone shows appreciation for what he does or tells him “thank you.” That’s one of the reasons she decided to start a group that assembles and bring gifts to Alle-Kiski Valley police officers and state...
Kiski Area School District hopes to cash in on bond refinancing
The Kiski Area School Board is moving ahead with a bond refinancing that is expected to result in a major savings for the district. The board has agreed to issue just under $33 million in general obligation bonds. The purpose is to refinance bonds issued in 2010. Peggy Gillespie, the...
New Kensington’s Dattola Theater gets lifeline from business leaders
Three local business leaders on Wednesday announced their plan to buy the former Dattola Theater in downtown New Kensington. Corey Pistininzi, Sean Watson and Dante Cicconi, under the name “NK 50,” have an agreement to buy the Fifth Avenue theater from the city’s Redevelopment Authority. The purchase price is not...
Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh to throw free star-gazing party at Kunkle Park
The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, Inc. will throw a free star gazing party at Kunkle Park in Washington Township on Sept. 28, starting at dusk, weather permitting. If the skies are accommodating, observers can see brightly colored double stars, star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy, distant galaxies, the...
Northmoreland Park on deck for potentially millions of dollars in upgrades
Westmoreland County is asking the public what it wants at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township for phase one of a park master plan with an estimated $1 million to $1.5 million in improvements in 2021-22. A disc golf course? An amphitheater? A destination playground? All are possibilities and have become...
Freeport Community park gets $240K state grant
Freeport Community Park is getting a $240,000 Commonwealth Finance Authority grant to repair parking lots and walking trails. State Sen. Joe Pittman and Rep. Jeff Pyle said Tuesday some of the state’s Marcellus Impact fee was earmarked for community parks through the state’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation program. The repair...
Lower Burrell’s Veterans Central Park gets state money for upgrades
Lower Burrell will get $50,000 in state money to make repairs to Veterans Central Park. The city requested a little more than $172,400 to upgrade the park at Bethel and Schreiber streets. The park is one of several maintained by the city. The Commonwealth Financing Authority grant was announced by...
Harrison police arrest man after claiming to smell pot in his car
A Harrison police officer used his nose to thwart a potential drug deal Monday when he smelled what he suspected to be marijuana coming from a Tarentum man’s car. Police said they pulled over a car driven by Philip N. Narcisse, 44, on Garfield Street at about 8 p.m. A...
Middle school assistant principal among Highlands hires
Highlands Middle School has a new assistant principal. The school board approved hiring Rebecca Bragan, who started Tuesday. Her annual salary is $75,000. Bragan, previously dean of students at Highlands High School, replaces Debbie Beucker, who retired June 30. Bragan also was an assistant athletics director at Highlands. The board...
Allegheny Township house a complete loss after early-morning fireVideo
The smell of smoke woke Levey Lantelme before sunrise Tuesday morning. He went downstairs to find his kitchen engulfed in flames. Looking at the smoldering remains of his first home, Lantelme, 22, felt lucky that he woke up and was able to get out. “Another 10 minutes and I would...
Allegheny Township to sue sewage authority over unpaid bill collections
Allegheny Township officials have had enough of Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority’s inaction in collecting delinquent sewage bills. The supervisors last week voted to hire attorney Leslie J. Mlakar to represent the township in a legal action against the authority. Mlakar will be paid a $1,500 retainer and an...
Lower Burrell pet-sitting business more than just walks and treats
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. Babysitting cats and dogs isn’t all fun and games....
Trib newsman Dick Mears remembered for his creativity, problem-solving skills
Richard “Dick” Mears was always there for his friends and family, whether it was to lend a helping hand or offer a laugh. “He was always willing to help anybody at all and make a difference whether it was a co-worker, a family member, a neighbor or whoever,” said Frances...
Work on Highlands Elementary School clock tower to begin
Work on the clock tower at Highlands Elementary School will restrict access to the Tarentum school, according to a letter to district families from Principal Samantha Perlik. Contractors started delivering materials and assembling scaffolding Monday. Work is expected to take almost two months. The school board in August awarded two...
Allegheny Township officials hope roundabout will fix Route 356 woes
A new kind of road intersection will replace an old, problematic one in Allegheny Township: A “roundabout” intersection is in the works for Route 356 and La Belle Vue Road. A roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection where cars yield and merge. Roundabouts have proved to be safer than intersections...
Pull up a chair at Luke and Mike’s Frontporch in Aspinwall
Billy Rice of Aspinwall has owned 11 restaurants. But his last eatery endeavor, Luke & Mike’s Frontporch, is personal. “I named this last restaurant after my boys,” Rice said. “It’s a great outdoor spot and it’s been a great adventure.” “They will be the next generation to take over,” said...
Highlands choir teacher’s passion fueled by seeing his students shine
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. Michael Zeiler kept his end-of-the-school-year tradition a secret for nearly a decade. After his students had left, as Zeiler packed up his classroom for the summer, he’d take a seat...
Creation Cafe highlights Leechburg Area life skills studentsVideo
Students and snacks have combined at Leechburg Area High School for a cause. The Creation Cafe opened Sept. 3 in the school library. The space was specifically designed to house a cafe and provide a unique learning opportunity for students enrolled in life skills/learning support classes in the district. The...
Cheswick seeks full-time public works employee
Cheswick is looking for someone to join its public works department after its only full-time employee resigned to take another job. Councilman Michael Girardi said Dave Houston resigned last week and took a job with Tarentum’s public works department. “While he was the only full-time public works employee,” Girardi said,...
