Valley News Dispatch category, Page 679
Funding for Pennsylvania family centers restored for 2 years
Funding for family centers in Pennsylvania has been fully restored for the next two years, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services said Thursday. A change in how state money is allocated that would have caused eight of Allegheny County’s 10 centers to close generated widespread concern and...
Public can see Highlands budget that would raise property tax
Highlands School Board has approved a proposed final $46.2 million 2019-20 budget which includes a 3.3% property tax increase, the maximum the state allows for the district without a referendum or special exceptions. The school board approved the proposed final budget Monday. The 0.81 mill increase would raise the district’s...
Highlands comment policy causes confusion, raises concerns
Residents are confused and a legal expert is concerned after the Highlands School Board approved changes to its policy on public comment at its meetings. As revised, residents now are only able to comment on agenda items at the end of the school board’s planning meetings, and at the beginning...
Newspaper delivery driver killed in New Kensington shooting
A newspaper delivery driver was shot and killed while out on his route early Thursday in New Kensington, police said. Gregory L. Smith, 69, of New Kensington was shot in the head, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The coroner’s office ruled the death a homicide. New Kensington police...
16-year-old accused of Sheldon Park arson staying in Shuman Detection Center
A 16-year-old Harrison boy accused of setting fire to a Sheldon Park apartment building that caused about $500,000 damage last month was ordered by juvenile court Tuesday to stay in the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center until his hearing is held, an Allegheny County detective confirmed. Two women and a wheelchair-bound...
New Ken-Arnold School Board: 2 incumbents out, another tied
At least two incumbents of the New Kensington-Arnold School Board are on their way out, and another’s tenure appears to be hanging in the balance, according to Westmoreland County’s unofficial election results. In the Democratic Party race for Region I, two candidates received the same number of votes for one...
Memorial Day happenings around the Alle-Kiski Valley
All events are on Monday unless otherwise noted. Allegheny Township The Pennsylvania Hero Walk Team, also known as Kiski Valley Veterans and Patriots, will sponsor a service at 10 a.m. Saturday at the War Memorial, 21 Towne Center Drive. The event will honor the late Sgt. Jason M. McClary, and...
Close Lower Burrell council race sees 1 incumbent dumped, mayor loses bid as well
Attorney Steve Yakopec Jr. squeaked by in the 11th hour — literally — of election night Tuesday to win a Democratic nomination for one of two city council seats up for grabs in November. Yakopec edged out incumbent Democrat Christopher Koziarski by just five votes, but only after absentee ballots...
Highlands assistant middle school principal retiring
After 25 years in education, Debbie Beucker is ready to call it a career. Beucker has worked in the Highlands School District for 16 of those years, split evenly between serving as assistant principal of the district’s high school, then in the same job at the middle school. She’ll retire...
Cheswick primary comes up 2 candidates short for council spots
The race for Cheswick Council appears to have still come up two people short after Tuesday’s primary election. Republican incumbents Michael Girardi and Brad Yaksich were the only two running for three open four-year seats and one open two-year seat. Girardi got the nomination for both the two-year seat and...
2 Tarentum council members lose seats in primary
Two incumbent Tarentum council members lost their seats in Tuesday’s primary, according to unofficial election results. In the Democratic race for a four-year, at-large seat, Councilman Tim Cornuet lost his bid for re-election to 3rd Ward Councilwoman Carrie Fox, who also won her party’s nomination for her four-year seat in...
Vandergrift house fire was arson, police say
A Tuesday morning house fire in Vandergrift was arson, state police Tpr. Seth Hellman said Wednesday. The intentionally set blaze caused about $3,500 in damage, mostly to flooring to a vacant house at at 924 Holland St. , Vandergrift fire Chief Steve Potoka said. There were no injuries. Patrolman Willie...
Hope Run brings in record amount for UPMC St. Margaret patients
More than 500 runners, walkers, strollers — and even four-legged participants — came out May 19 for the St. Margaret Foundation Brian Demchak Hope Run. In its 31st year, the family friendly 5K raises money to help underserved patients at UPMC St. Margaret, near Aspinwall. Streets are filled with people...
Babysitter to be charged after toddler found alone in Tarentum park
A 2-year-old boy found alone at a Tarentum park on Tuesday is home safe but a babysitter will be charged with child endangerment, WPXI reported. Police had posted a picture of the toddler on social media asking for the public’s help in identifying him or his family. They said he...
Andrejcik tops Callender for Democratic Lower Burrell mayor nomination; Yakopec gets shot at council
First-time political candidate John Andrejcik clinched a victory over incumbent Lower Burrell Mayor Richard Callender in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, preliminary vote tallies show. Andrejcik, 60, a Navy veteran and retired Allegheny County Common Pleas court reporter, secured 55% of the vote to Callender’s 45%, with all nine precincts reporting, according...
Incumbent, challenger earn Democratic nods for Harrison commissioner
The husband of a district judge edged out an incumbent Harrison commissioner in Tuesday’s Democratic Party primary, while another incumbent on the ballot cruised to victory. In Harrison’s 3rd Ward, challenger Eric S. Bengel defeated incumbent Robin Bergstrom by 18 votes, 182-164, according to unofficial results. Bengel, who had never...
Plum School District Republican committee members earn sweep for party nods; Dem newcomers get nods
Plum School District’s packed primary race resulted in Republican committee-endorsed candidates sweeping their party nods with several Democratic newcomers on the November ballot, ensuring a contested general election for six seats. Incumbents Steve Schlauch (14.13 %), Sue Caldwell (13.18 %) and Karin Acquaviva (11.92 %), along with fellow Republicans Jacqueline...
Democrat Joe Bia ousts embattled Arnold Mayor Karen Peconi
The challenger who defeated incumbent Arnold Mayor Karen Peconi in Tuesday’s primary called her actions last summer “an embarrassment” to the city, and it appears many Democratic voters agreed based on Joe Bia II’s victory by a three-to-one margin. Bia, an Arnold councilman with two years left in his first...
Highlands incumbent Michelle Peters ousted by challengers
Two challengers sent an incumbent packing Tuesday in primary races for Highlands School Board, according to unofficial results. All three candidates cross-filed to seek two nominations up for grabs in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Highlands’ Region 3. Kristie J. Babinsack, 46, won the GOP and Democratic races, collecting...
Joe Pittman wins big in state Senate special election
A longtime aide to former state Sen. Don White will replace his former boss in Harrisburg, according to unofficial election results. Republican Joe Pittman collected nearly two-thirds of the votes cast in Tuesday’s primary to defeat Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Susan Boser in a special election race in the...
Apollo-Ridge and Burrell school districts awarded nearly $50,000 for security equipment
The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded a $25,000 Safe Schools Targeted Grant to the Apollo-Ridge School District and nearly $25,000 to the Burrell School District for security equipment. Apollo-Ridge was among 39 school districts that did not receive other competitive grants from the Department of Education last fall. Information on...
Army Corps to cut hours at Lock 4 in Harrison
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cutting service at lock and dam No. 4 in Harrison by nearly a full work shift per day because of dwindling barge traffic and federal dollars to operate the locks and dams on the Allegheny River. Beginning Friday, the lock in Harrison’s Natrona...
Kunco retrial arguments to drag into summer months
On Tuesday, nearly a year to the day after they secured an order overturning John Kunco’s 1991 rape conviction and ordering a new trial, lawyers from the Innocence Project were back in Westmoreland County. And Kunco, 53, who had been released from prison amid a celebration May 23, 2018, was...
Tarentum spray park open, movie series starts Thursday
With spring firmly in place and the first day of summer just a month away, life is returning to Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park. The spray park in the First Avenue park has reopened, and a free monthly movie series will start Thursday. The first showing for “Movies by the River”...
Allegheny Valley School Board OKs pre-K program
Allegheny Valley School Board unanimously gave the go-ahead Monday for the district to create a pre-kindergarten program that will begin next school year. The decision came after lengthy discussions about the number of students the program will serve and what students will be eligible. The district’s plan calls for two...
