Valley News Dispatch category, Page 668
Arnold man accused of punching New Ken police officer in face
An Arnold man will stand trial on charges that he punched a police officer in the face earlier this month in New Kensington. Chaz Anthony Hooper, 30, will head to Westmoreland County Court on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, defiant trespass and public drunkenness in connection to...
New restaurant owners look to infuze Brackenridge with flavorsVideo
Tim Emery has been in the restaurant business since he was 13. He’s been a busboy, a line cook and a chef. He’s opened hundreds of restaurants working for a chain. “I’ve been cooking almost my whole life. I’ve cooked every cuisine you could think of,” said Emery, 36, a...
Historic Brackenridge cemetery seeks help to make a comeback
Vegetation used to be a problem at Prospect Cemetery. Now, it’s an enhancement. The historic Brackenridge cemetery, where many prominent and notable figures from the area’s past are buried, was once being consumed by grass and weeds. That slide into disrepair was reversed. And now, a small hill in the...
Frosted Mug in Cheswick, soon to close, remembered for much more than good food
The freshly popped popcorn on the tables, the chicken wings and the fish sandwiches are just a few of the items regulars of the Frosted Mug in Cheswick will miss once it closes. Karen Black, 62, said the bar and restaurant will close its doors and she will retire later...
New Kensington-Arnold reports progress in teacher contract talks
New Kensington-Arnold School District officials are optimistic that teachers will have a new contract before classes resume next month. The district’s teachers have been working without a contract for almost two years. The last contract ended on Aug. 31, 2017. At a school board meeting Thursday, Superintendent John Pallone said...
6 things to do in and around Westmoreland: July 26-28
We are creeping toward August but there’s still plenty of summer fun yet to come. Here’s what’s going on in and around Westmoreland County this weekend. Ready for some football? Just like the swallows to Capistrano, the Pittsburgh Steelers return each summer to the Unity campus of Saint Vincent College...
Plum offering variety of help for residents with flood damage
Help is continuing to come in and be made available for Plum residents hit by flooding brought on by heavy rain earlier this week. That includes dumpsters for residents to dispose of flood damaged property; cleanup and hygiene kits; and a Facebook group where residents who can help and those...
Voodoo Brewery set for pop-up pub in New Kensington
Voodoo Brewery’s newest brew pub won’t open at its New Kensington location until this fall. But fans of Voodoo’s craft beer will have a chance to sample some of it Saturday. While work continues at Voodoo’s newest establishment inside the former Ritz Theater at 956 Fifth Ave., the brewery is...
Video: In 10 minutes, massive fire decimated historic Belvedere HotelVideo
It took only about 10 minutes for a massive fire to engulf the four-story Belvedere Hotel late Tuesday, according to the fire chief on the scene and a surveillance video from Naser Foods across the street. Firefighters on their way to the station could see that the blaze started behind...
Woman’s cross-country horse ride against domestic violence coming to Tarentum
A woman riding across the country on horseback to bring awareness to domestic violence will make a stop in Tarentum on Monday. Meredith Cherry and her horse, Apollo, are expected to be at Riverview Memorial Park at noon on Monday, according to the Alle-Kiski Valley H.O.P.E. Center, a domestic violence...
Vandergrift paints the town Saturday for Artsfest
A 5-foot painting of Albert Einstein, 25 original artworks on palettes throughout town, a gallery of fine artwork, food trucks, live music and more are all on tap for Vandergrift’s Artsfest Saturday. Festivities will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. along Grant Avenue, which will be closed to...
Police: Pizzeria worker stole $500 from Allegheny Township shop
A River City Pizza employee is accused of using a hammer to break into the Allegheny Township pizzeria in May and steal about $500. Police said the girlfriend of Muhammad Imran Hashmi, 20, of Apollo told police that he used the stolen money to buy food and instant lottery tickets,...
Penn State names road after Lower Burrell native
Joe Swanderski has made quite an impression in his 17 years working at Penn State University. So much so that the Lower Burrell native recently had a road named after him at the State College campus. Swanderski, 67, works as a supervisor for utility operations at the university. He has...
Ceremonial groundbreaking set for New Kensington apartment project
A ceremonial groundbreaking has been scheduled for the Pioneer Apartments project already under construction in New Kensington. The event for the Wesley Family Services project is set for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, at the site at 319 10th St. The $18.2 million, four-story, 36-unit building will provide affordable...
Washington Township man behind new sensory-friendly space at Pittsburgh airport
A sensory-friendly space for children and adults with autism and other special needs was unveiled Wednesday at Pittsburgh International Airport. The idea for the room, called Presley’s Place, came from airport employee Jason Rudge, a heavy equipment operator from Washington Township, Westmoreland County. Rudge and his wife, Sharon, have a...
Plan to realign Aspinwall’s Brilliant Avenue on hold
A project to realign Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall has been put on hold while additional funding is sought, officials said. Work to reconfigure the intersection is aimed at creating a safer entrance to Aspinwall Riverfront Park and the borough’s public works complex. It was initially proposed in 2013 at an...
Weather delays sewage plant in Freeport, Swartz stadium work
The weather hasn’t been kind to Freeport in regard to major projects the borough has in the works. Rain and unusually high water levels in Buffalo Creek have delayed at least two ongoing projects. The borough got a one-year reprieve on the deadline for finishing the design of its new...
Harmar cuts sewer line rehab to only 2 streets after grant standards change
Harmar officials planned on rehabilitating sewer lines along five township streets, but now will do only two. Township Engineer Matt Pitsch of Senate Engineering told supervisors that a change in federal Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) eligibility standards was the reason. “Harmar no longer meets countywide income guidelines,” Pitsch said....
‘Suspicious’ fire destroys historic Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough
Amid the rubble, the grandeur of the Swiss-chalet inspired Belvedere Hotel was still evident Wednesday morning after a fire ravaged most of the historic, five-story building late Tuesday night into early Wednesday. No one was injured. The cause of the blaze in the nearly 115-year-old abandoned building was under investigation...
Proposed trail linking Verona to Boyce Park gaining traction with residents
A proposed pedestrian/bike trail connecting Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum is gaining traction with residents. “I think it’s a great idea,” Verona resident Rhoda Worf said July 23 at a public meeting on the project. “Consolidation is key, and having all four municipalities contribute and help maintain (the trail)...
One injured in Allegheny Township BMX crash
One rider was taken by ambulance to the hospital after a crash at the Westmoreland BMX track in Northmoreland Park, Allegheny Township, Tuesday night, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash was reported around 8:15 p.m. A local race was scheduled at the track for Tuesday evening, according to the...
Penn Hills, Plum, O’Hara face costly repairs after floods
Penn Hills and Plum, two of the worst-hit communities from flooding Sunday and Monday, face steep costs to get things all back up to normal, according to officials. Penn Hills declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon in order to fast-track certain repair projects, said Scott Andrejchak, the municipality’s manager....
Highlands gets 4 bids to fix Tarentum clock tower
Highlands School District has four bidders and an array of options to choose from to fix the leaking clock tower at its elementary school in Tarentum. This is the second time the district has sought bids for the work at Highlands Elementary School. The school board rejected the two bids...
Former Knoch High School student won’t serve jail time in online threat case
A Butler County teen charged with making online threats about shooting classmates at Knoch High School won’t face any jail time after a plea agreement was reached Monday with the Butler County District Attorney’s office. Laura Pitchford, assistant district attorney for Butler County, said Tuesday that Jason Michael Bowen entered...
Sheetz seeks liquor license for New Kensington store
Sheetz is planning to remodel its store on New Kensington’s Freeport Street in a project that will qualify it for a restaurant liquor license. The company wants to transfer a liquor license into the city from New Stanton and use it to sell beer, according to a letter to city...
