Valley News Dispatch category, Page 659
Allegheny County Police warn of phone scams
Allegheny County Police want to warn people about a phone scam soliciting money with threats of arrest. County Inspector Andrew Schurman said multiple residents have reported receiving such calls the past few days. “In one reported instance the caller requested money from the recipient for prepaid calling cards,” Schurman said....
Animal Protectors’ new facility in New Kensington nears completion
The cement already is poured for the “catio” and framing installed for the addition of dog kennels at a former school in New Kensington’s Parnassus neighborhood that will soon be an animal shelter. Officials from Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley say the finish line is in sight for the New...
Skip Beal, retired VND and Trib newsman and voice of ‘The Stroller,’ dies at 81
Skip Beal was a passionate newsman who knew the Alle-Kiski Valley inside and out and wasn’t afraid to spark a little outrage when he wrote The Stroller column in the Valley News Dispatch. “He loved his job, there’s no doubt about it,” said his oldest son, Benjamin Beal III of...
Leechburg man accused of inappropriately touching girl
A 31-year-old Leechburg man is charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Mark Faiola was being held in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 4. According to a criminal complaint, Faiola is accused of touching the girl inappropriately on June...
Harrison’s Kaley Bastine spreading police fundraising efforts to New Kensington
A Harrison girl is branching out in her efforts to support police — even crossing a river. Kaley Bastine, 7, will be selling cupcakes from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Bird Dog’s Sports Bar & Grill in Harrison to raise money for New Kensington police Officer...
Cheswick church rallies behind pastor who needs heart transplantVideo
Clinton Blazevich was told he could live with his heart condition for maybe three to five years before needing a heart transplant. That was nearly 20 years ago. Blazevich, 42, suffers from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, and cardiomyopathy, a condition that makes it harder for the heart to...
Westmoreland 9/11 monument subject of Tarentum museum program
A group working to dedicate a monument to honor veterans of the war on terrorism 20 years after the 9/11 attacks will be holding an informational program in Tarentum. The Westmoreland County Veterans of the War on Terror will hold the free event at the Alle-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum at...
Harrison awarded 50 more trees for planting campaign
Harrison’s tree-planting campaign is growing, with plans for another 50 to be planted in the township this year. Those trees will bring the number planted in the township since 2016 to 140, according to Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard. The latest crop is expected to be planted in early November. The...
Farmer x Baker in Aspinwall gives different meaning to ‘food from a box’
A unique waterside dining option is open inside Aspinwall Riverfront Park. Farmer x Baker, a repurposed shipping container-turned-cafe nestled along the Allegheny River in the scenic 10-acre park, is the first of its kind in Pittsburgh. All 160 square feet of it. The eco-friendly creation of owner Jennifer Urich, Farmer...
Mercurio’s offers a little taste of Italy by the slice or in a coneVideo
Authentic Neapolitan pizza and award-winning gelato has landed in O’Hara. Mercurio’s, a family owned and operated Italian eatery in Shadyside since 2012, opened a second location in June at 1335 Freeport Road. Three sibling co-owners, Anna Crucitt and Michael and Joe Mercurio, were raised around the original family gelato business...
Harrison approves spending for war memorial restoration
Harrison commissioners approved spending a little more than $20,000 on a project to repair the township’s World War II Honor Roll memorial. A volunteer committee developed a plan to save the memorial at Freeport and Springhill roads that includes repairing its crumbling structure and replacing its panels of painted-on names...
Furniture, crafts, gifts come full circle at Vandergrift store
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 Czebiniak at mczebiniak@tribweb.com. At Full Circle Furniture & Gifts in Vandergrift, wood...
Search for body of missing Plum man continues in Lake Erie
Authorities on Monday started to examine the boat that capsized and caused the disappearance of a Plum man in Lake Erie. Raymond Burns, 58, went missing nine days earlier, on Aug. 17. The 21-foot recreational fishing boat was hit by a squall and swamped by massive waves just before 10...
New Ken-Arnold extends contracts for superintendent, athletic director, business manager
New Kensington-Arnold School District extended its contracts with Superintendent John Pallone and two other administrators. The extensions for Pallone and athletic Director William Colosimo come two years ahead of the end of their current contracts. The extension for Jeff McVey, director of administrative services, is one year early. The three-year...
New Kensington man takes guilty plea to lesser charges in fatal drug overdose case
A New Kensington man originally charged as the person who supplied drugs in two fatal overdoses two years ago on Monday pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Theodore Brown, 25, was facing two counts of drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the Nov. 5, 2017 overdoses of Malachai E....
Mosquito tests positive for West Nile Virus in New Kensington
A mosquito sample from New Kensington tested positive for West Nile virus, the state West Nile Control Program announced Monday. It came from a trap set by the Westmoreland County Conservation District, according to state Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Lauren Fraley. “Additional trapping will be conducted to gather more...
West Deer OKs hanging banners honoring military veterans on utility poles
West Deer officials have approved a program to honor veterans with banners hung from utility poles. The military banners program was approved in a 5-1 vote, with Supervisor Gerry Vaerewyck opposing it. Under the program, residents can honor a family member who served in the Armed Forces by buying a...
Charges withdrawn against New Kensington man accused of rape
Criminal charges have been withdrawn against a New Kensington man who police accused of raping a woman earlier this year. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office withdrew seven charges, including rape, that were filed against James Michael Tessauro, 38, in connection with an incident in January. The charges were withdrawn...
Retiring Plum Food Pantry director served others his whole lifeVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. Joe Utterback looks forward to evenings in a recliner with a good book after decades of serving Plum families in need. “It’s hard to describe the feeling,” said Utterback, Plum...
Aspinwall’s Farmer x Baker gives different meaning to ‘food from a box’Video
A unique waterside dining option is open inside Aspinwall Riverfront Park. Farmer x Baker, a repurposed shipping container-turned-café nestled along the Allegheny River in the scenic 10-acre park, is the first of its kind in Pittsburgh. All 160 square feet of it. The eco-friendly creation of owner Jennifer Urich, Farmer...
Buffalo Township Family Day brings community, first responders together
From turning on the sirens to climbing on the trucks, kids of all ages got to interact with local first responders up close and personal Sunday at the inaugural Buffalo Township Family Day. The free event was hosted by the Buffalo Township parks and recreation committee and the Friends of...
What you need to know about start of school year in the Alle-Kiski Valley
While several school districts in the Alle-Kiski Valley have already started classes, this marks the first full week of school for many of the districts. Here’s what you need to know about the year ahead. Allegheny Valley First day: Monday for first-12th grade; Tuesday for kindergarten Last day: Friday, June...
‘BEEP for B’man’ a great reason to lay on your hornVideo
Motorists have a great excuse to lay on their horns in O’Hara. Fourteen-year-old Bill Carney, also known as B’man, sits at the corner of Fox Chapel and Freeport roads in Fox Chapel Plaza several evenings a week. His mission? Soliciting honks, beeps and waves from the driving public. A large...
Kids enjoy sun, horses, helicopter at East Deer community celebration
Sandy Galie had her hands full Saturday keeping track of five grandkids — including two sets of twins — at the East Deer Township Summer Celebration in the Park. Galie, of East Deer, was helping four of them enjoy the seesaws at the township’s Memorial Park in Creighton. “They’re loving...
New Ken-Arnold School Board approves personnel actions
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board approved a number of personnel changes ahead of the start of the new school year. The board accepted five resignations: Kathleen Perkoski, elementary teacher; Anna Rogers, licensed clinical nurse; Tammie Bayne, Roy A. Hunt cafeteria monitor; Sheldon Simmons, middle school head football coach; and Bobbie...
