Valley News Dispatch category, Page 682
Vandergrift officials pondering options for abandoned structure
Officials in Vandergrift are looking to Westmoreland County to begin the process of getting rid of a deteriorated structure. On Monday, Melissa Adams, who lives near the deteriorated property at 113 East Adams Ave., asked council if there is something more that can be done about it. She said although...
National Weather Service to lift Pittsburgh boating advisory this weekend
Boating season might begin after all. The Allegheny and Kiski rivers are expected to clear and settle down this weekend as the National Weather Service lifts a weeklong recreational boating advisory in Pittsburgh. More than 3 inches of rain soaked the region within three days last week and the significant...
Inner Groove Brewing in Verona promises suds and sounds
A new brewhouse in Verona promises to be the place for sounds and suds. Inner Groove Brewing along East Railroad Avenue is expected to open at noon on June 15 with eight beers on tap. It’s located in a former interior design shop near the borough building and owned by...
Tarentum Farmers Market nearing opening date
The Tarentum Farmers Market returns for the 2019 season beginning next week. The market’s opening is set for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12, in the upper parking lot of First United Presbyterian Church at the corner of Lock Street and East 10th Avenue. The market will be open from...
Benefit concert to honor New Kensington Officer Brian Shaw
A dozen bands will play Friday and Saturday for the Back the Blue benefit concert honoring fallen New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw at the Quality Inn ballroom in New Kensington. Tickets are $10 at door, which opens at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The first band plays at 6...
Man found in Arnold basement with illegal gun to serve at least 3 years in prison
A Mercer County man found hiding in an Arnold basement two years ago was sentenced Wednesday to serve up to six years in prison for the illegal possession of a gun. Detric Wood-Palmer, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts, including one that involved an allegation that he was a convicted...
Washington Township police charge man following alleged bar assault, chase
An Irwin man is accused of firing at least one gunshot into a hillside outside a Washington Township bar Tuesday evening and then leading police on a high-speed chase. Michael Habura, 45, faces multiple charges including assaulting a woman. According to police, patrons of Shootin’ Bull Tavern told them they...
Frazer woman sentenced to at least 6 years in prison for killing husband
A Frazer woman was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for fatally shooting her husband after a drunken argument involving money, sex and a burned tuna casserole more than two years ago. Teresa M. Drum, 40, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of her husband,...
Tarentum eyes 33 properties for demolition this summer
Tarentum is preparing for the demolition of at least a dozen abandoned and dilapidated buildings later this summer. The borough recently sent 33 letters to owners of the properties; 19 came back marked “return to sender.” Officials said the owners who did reply showed no interest in reclaiming the properties....
Deer Lakes senior takes set design all the way to Point Park University
Just three years ago, Noah Glaister never thought he’d enjoy working on the plays and musicals at Deer Lakes High School. But with a little encouragement from his parents, he got involved in the behind-the-scenes work of the school’s productions. He quickly rose up through the ranks to work on...
Eagle Scout project, dedication ceremony planned at Tarentum garden
Two events are taking place this weekend at Tarentum’s community garden. A ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday to rededicate the garden, now known as Tarentum’s Greg Blythe Friendship Garden. The Tarentum Recreation Board is sponsoring a plaque. The garden was renamed for Blythe, one of its founders,...
Burtner House hosting annual Strawberry Festival in Harrison
If you missed the strawberries in Cheswick, or just can’t get enough, there’s another opportunity coming up. The Burtner House will hold its annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 15. The festival is one of the major fundraisers supporting the historic landmark in Harrison. It will run from 11 a.m....
Kiski Area graduates march into their futures
Here is the Kiski Area High School Class of 2019: Bethany Danielle Abbott, Amber Nicole Aikins, Miranda Stella Akerley, Hope Joie Albert, Summer Ann Allshouse, Collin J. Andree, Megan Riley Andree, Evan John Anker, Drake Steven Armitage, Alaina Mary Aulerich Jessica L Ayres, Alaina Lynn Baker, Zachary M. Baker, Erin...
1 injured in hillside crash near Freeport Road in O’Hara
A man was injured Tuesday afternoon when his car veered across traffic and rolled onto a hillside just off Freeport Road in O’Hara Township, officials said. Rescue workers used special tools to cut the man from his vehicle, O’Hara Township police Officer Keith Carney said. Emergency dispatchers received a report...
‘By Land Cleanup’ along Kiski River set for June 15
The Kiski Watershed Association will hold a “By Land Cleanup” on June 15 from 8 a.m. to noon, starting at the River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak, 3158 River Road in Gilpin. The cleanup along the river will be coordinated with the larger River Sweep, a region-wide cleanup along the banks...
Washington Township man loses 4th appeal in child sex assault conviction
A Washington Township man serving a 16-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a young child lost another appeal. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway, in a ruling released Tuesday, said the fourth appeal filed since 2016 by Paul Frank Katonka, who acted as his own lawyer,...
Lane closures to begin on Hite Road in Springdale Township, Harmar
Traffic along Hite Road in Springdale and Harmar townships will be reduced to a single lane in each direction beginning at a 7 a.m. Wednesday as crews start a bridge repair project, PennDOT said. Crews will do demolition work, deck replacement and road reconstruction through late August on one side...
Trial begins for Hyde Park man accused of molesting teen
A trial that had been delayed for more than a year against a Hyde Park man accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl from Vandergrift got underway Tuesday in Westmoreland County Court. Assistant District Attorney Judy Petrush told jurors that Larry Lee Redmond, 40, had sexual contact with the girl on...
Kittanning state trooper lauded for anti-drugged driving work
If you drive while under the influence of drugs, you’re likely to meet Chris Robbins. It won’t turn out well for you. A state trooper from the Kittanning station, Cpl. Chris Robbins is one of fewer than 200 police officers in Pennsylvania certified as drug-recognition experts. In other words, he’s...
Pennsylvania’s new class of drug recognition experts hopes to make roads safer
Years of responding to deadly crashes along Route 28 spurred O’Hara patrolman Benjamin Wolfson to seek additional training in the hope it might help save lives. “Almost all of (the deadly crashes) had some type of driving-under-the-influence cause,” Wolfson said, adding that PennDOT statistics show nearly half of all crashes...
Wesley Family Services to start $18.2M project in New Kensington
Work is set to start this month on a long-awaited complex in New Kensington that will provide affordable housing and behavioral health services under one roof. The Pioneer Apartments is being built by Wesley Family Services on a former parking lot between 10th and 11th streets and Fourth Avenue and...
Boyce Park wave pool closed for emergency repairs
The wave pool at Boyce Park will be closed for up to 10 days for emergency repairs, according to an Allegheny County news release. The pool began losing water May 31 due to a malfunctioning “hydrostatic relief valve.” The valves are designed to maintain pressure between water in the pool...
Cat spay, neuter clinics scheduled in Tarentum
The Homeless Cat Management Team will be offering several free and low-cost spay and neuter clinics from June to December in Tarentum. No-charge clinics for feral cats only will be held on June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, Oct. 5, Nov. 9 and Dec. 7. “Fast track” clinics, which cost...
Police: Shots fired at men cutting grass in Armstrong County
An Armstrong County man accused of firing half a dozen rounds at two men cutting grass near his Plum Creek home on Monday was found to be growing marijuana there, according to state police. Police said they investigated a report of someone firing shots at two landscapers as they cut...
Fawn pet resort treats animals like familyVideo
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. Years spent working in the pet food industry forced...
