Valley News Dispatch category, Page 677

No one was injured when fire broke out in the attic of a Buffalo Township house early Wednesday, Sarver Volunteer Fire Company Chief Mike George said. The fire broke out just before 4:30 a.m. in a newer home on Ashton Court in the Woodberry neighborhood behind the movie theaters, George...

New Kensington police are seeking the public’s help in locating a missing teen. Officers said Patience Johnson, 13, was last seen Monday morning in the city wearing a black hoodie, black and white pants, brown knee-high boots and silver hoop earrings. She’s described as a black female with shoulder length...

Arconic, the Alcoa spinoff with roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley, told retirees in recent letters it is making drastic cuts to their health care benefits and eliminating life insurance it had provided. Arconic told retirees about the move in letters dated March 29. Arconic has about 300 employees in a...

Cheswick Council is expected to vote Thursday on the creation of a regional police department with Springdale Township. After more than a year of discussion and studying the options, both municipalities in March began advertising an ordinance that would make the consolidation official and rename the departments as the Allegheny...

Two generals and other current and retired soldiers are among the U.S. Army contingent in Pittsburgh today who will honor a Kiski Township man who died saving other soldiers’ lives. The family of Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker, who was killed in Iraq 16 years ago today, is being presented the...

Cheswick officials will hold a final question and answer session Wednesday on the proposed police merger with Springdale Township. The session will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the borough building, 220 South Atlantic Ave. Councilman Michael Girardi said council sent out a five-page letter to all...

Highlands School District is refusing to identify a teacher placed on unpaid leave in February or disclose the charges approved against the employee. The Tribune-Review filed a Right to Know request for the employee’s name, job title or position, length of employment and salary with Lori Byron, the school district’s...

An ecological assessment of Hartwood Acres recommends methods to combat invasive plant species in the park — including the use of goats. The Allegheny Parks Foundation released the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s ecological assessment of Hartwood Acres, a county park straddling Indiana and Hampton townships. Seems that pesky Japanese stiltgrass, a...

The transfer of a liquor license to a planned New Kensington bed and breakfast/events center has been approved by city council. Unanimous approval of the transfer of a liquor license located in Loyalhanna Township and currently owned by Marchitelli Enterprises Inc. to Bloser Mansion LLC, 479 Sixth Ave., came despite...

An Apollo man will serve up to four years in prison for burglarizing a Vandergrift home. Matthew Carl Hubert, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, theft and receiving property in connection with a heist last summer. According to court records, Hubert was detained Aug. 5 by a Vandergrift homeowner...

New Kensington officials have approved a three-year contract with the city’s union employees that gives them 2.5 % pay raises in each year of the contract. City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti said it’s the first contract negotiation and agreement that combines both the public works employees and the mostly clerical workers...

Cheryl Stover says her Tarentum bar, Barley, is kind of like the fictional Boston bar in the sitcom “Cheers.” “It’s just great. Everybody is so nice,” she said Wednesday. “I know everybody that walks in there.” Stover is celebrating the fifth anniversary of her bar at 319 E. 6th Ave....

Arnold’s spring cleanup day will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 4 next to the police station at 601 Drey St. City residents can bring items they want to dispose of free of charge. No paint, propane, hazardous materials, building materials or shingles, oils, chemicals, batteries or...

Harmar residents who want to get rid of old furniture or appliances can have them hauled away for free next month during the township’s annual spring trash collection. Morrow Refuse will be traveling to different parts of the township each Friday in May to collect large items. The township will...

The tallies are in, and a West Leechburg charity has 30,000 reasons to be always grateful. The Shamrock Shuffle 5K race, 1K fun walk and dance held in West Leechburg last month raised $30,000, with the money going to help a Plum girl living with spastic cerebral palsy and for...

A Lower Burrell man accused of robbing a woman last month while on a drug-fueled, naked rampage is headed to Westmoreland County Court. Robert E. Brown, 48, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on numerous charges, including robbery, before District Judge Cheryl J. Peck Yakopec in Allegheny Township on...

Tarentum isn’t giving up on the idea of getting into the building demolition business — but it won’t be this year, according to Borough Manager Michael Nestico. Council President Erika Josefoski in March suggested the borough use part of the money budgeted for demolitions this year to buy equipment, such...

A truck crashed a into pole Tuesday night in O’Hara Township, knocking out power and closing part of Freeport Road overnight. The crash was reported at 11:45 p.m. at the intersection of Freeport Road at Fairview Avenue, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said. The crash sheared the pole and took wires...

District Court is in session most weekdays at 1100 Fourth Ave. in New Kensington. It’s the address of District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. And, while those who frequent the chambers may be fighting a rap with the law, the building’s basement will soon be a haven for hardcore music...

Plum School District officials have resolved a graduation issue that could have prevented many seniors from attending commencement. Graduation is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 6 at the high school, 900 Elicker Road. The ceremony was originally planned that day, but was bumped to June 10 due to cancellations and...

The Oakmont Shade Tree Commission wants to bring back some green and other colors to Hulton Road. Duquesne Light recently removed 28 trees from the main thoroughfare so crews could replace an aerial cable. The company funded the removal and offered to contribute $150 toward replanting each tree. Borough Manager...

Tarentum is gearing up for a major waterline project on West Eighth Avenue this year. The borough got six bids to replace the waterline along almost all of the road, borough Manager Michael Nestico said. One block was not included because of cost. Ron Gillette Inc. of Harrison submitted the...

Tarentum officials are considering a policy reversal and resuming cutting grass on vacant private properties. Last year, council agreed with its then-new borough manager, Michael Nestico, that the borough should not be cutting grass on vacant properties it doesn’t own. That position was a break with the borough’s long-running practice...

Plum School District and teachers union officials have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract. Details of the new contract may be released once both parties have formally signed off on it. Plum Borough Education Association members are expected to vote on the agreement Thursday. The school board...

An Apollo woman admitted to defrauding the federal government of more than $25,000 in Social Security benefits by lying about her marital status, prosecutors said Tuesday. Tara Jo Frain, 33, pleaded guilty to a theft charge for pocketing Supplemental Security Income benefits that she knew she wasn’t entitled to receive,...