Valley News Dispatch category, Page 691
Hearing postponed for Pittsburgh man accused of Arnold murder
A preliminary hearing for a Pittsburgh man accused in an April 5 murder in Arnold has been delayed until next month. Shawden L. Ross, 33, of North Braddock Avenue is accused of fatally shooting Lamont Simmons, 27. Ross’ hearing was moved to May 6 because a witness wasn’t available to...
Police: Ohio women shoplifted clothes at Pittsburgh Mills, sold them on Facebook
Two Akron, Ohio women are accused of driving to the Pittsburgh Mills and other Pennsylvania malls almost daily to shoplift clothing later sold on Facebook, Frazer police Chief Terry Kuhns said. Ocean Rain McDay, 22, and Stasha Lashell Heller, 23, are accused of stealing clothing from Victoria’s Secret and JCPenney...
Kiski Area School District inks new 5-year deal with secretaries
Kiski Area School District and its secretaries have a new, 5-year contract calling for average 2.35 percent raises over the life of the contract, according to Peggy Gillespie, the district’s assistant to the superintendent for finance and operations. The new contract takes effect July 1 and covers 19 secretaries represented...
Spraying to control black flies to begin along Pennsylvania waterways
State officials are hoping the buzz of helicopters will prevent the buzz of black flies around area waterways. Within the week, the state Department of Environmental Protection will start aerial and backpack spraying to control black flies on about 1,700 miles of waterways in 35 counties, including Armstrong and Westmoreland....
Alcohol played a role in fatal Apollo crash in February, coroner says
Alcohol played a role in the Feb. 27 death of a North Apollo woman whose car crashed into a utility pole in Apollo and flipped over several times, according to the Armstrong County Coroner. Jacqueline C. Hellein, 64, was alone in the car and died at the scene. She was...
Springdale mulls battery back-ups for new traffic signals
Springdale officials want to make sure their soon-to-be-installed traffic signals continue operating during a power outage. The borough received grants through PennDOT’s Green Light Go Program for traffic signals to be installed on Pittsburgh Street, at the intersections with Butler Street and Colfax Street. Gordon Taylor, the borough engineer, was...
Clean up, beautification days coming to Vandergrift
Plans are underway to paint the pavilion in Vandergrift’s Franklin Park as part of a beautification day May 19, according to the nonprofit Vandergrift Parent Project. The group said it is looking for volunteers and donations of money and supplies for the beautification day, which also will include installing a...
Harrison residents learn about rain garden projects, tree benefitsVideo
There is a plan to speed up construction of two rain gardens in Harrison that are designed to help control stormwater runoff. They were unveiled Wednesday at a meeting at the municipal building. The first and smaller of the two will be built this year on the grounds of Highlands...
Free paper shredding event scheduled in Plum
State Sen. Jim Brewster is hosting a free shredding event in Plum. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at the Plum Community Center, 499 Center-New Texas Road. The event, held in partnership with the Plum Library and the Plum Community Center, is...
Outstanding Young Citizens honored at Trib Total Media banquetVideo
Valley High School senior Joseph Guzzo and Highlands High School senior Marissa Callender were awarded $5,000 scholarships Wednesday during Trib Total Media’s Outstanding Young Citizen Awards banquet at the Quality Inn in New Kensington. The awards are presented by Trib Total Media with support from Seton Hill University and Penn...
Charges reduced in knife, gun confrontation outside Praha Hotel
A Tarentum man involved in a disturbance at the Praha Hotel earlier this month pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday. Misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person were withdrawn against Felix Brun Sondova Blancarte, 34. He pleaded guilty to summary offenses of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness....
School board sacks request for new Springdale football uniforms
Allegheny Valley School Board rejected a request from Springdale High School’s head football coach to buy new uniforms the coach said are needed because there’s a shortage of ones that fit. “I only have about 15 to 20 uniforms that fit properly,” head coach Seth Napierkowski wrote in a letter...
Forum set for Harrison, Highlands primary candidates
The Harrison Township Democratic Committee is hosting a non-partisan public forum for township commissioner and Highlands School Board candidates. The forum will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Natrona Heights Veterans of Foreign Wars, 894 Veterans Drive. It’s off of Freeport Road near Harrison Hills Park....
Scholarship fund honoring Lower Burrell Officer Kotecki continues to grow
The Officer Derek Kotecki Scholarship Fund will have distributed $42,500 to area students when awards are presented this spring at graduation time. Kotecki, a Lower Burrell native, a husband and father of two, served his hometown as a police officer for 18 years, including many as its police dog officer....
Kittanning trooper honored for drugged, drunken-driving arrests
The Kittanning state police station’s Trooper of the Year has prevented numerous tragedies on the roads in his part of the Alle-Kiski Valley, his supervisors said. Trooper Nick Elliott, of Butler, helped arrest about 100 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol last year. “That’s 100 potential...
New Highlands superintendent resigns previous post as assistant
Highlands School District’s new superintendent formally resigned from her previous post with the district. Monique Mawhinney started as the district’s assistant superintendent in April 2018. She became substitute superintendent in place of former Superintendent Michael Bjalobok, who went on medical leave July 2 last year and retired on April 1....
New Kensington men deny stealing items from unlocked Lower Burrell cars
Two New Kensington men who police said went into unlocked vehicles in Lower Burrell last month told police they were drunk and looking for a lost cellphone, but denied going into cars to steal items inside, according to a criminal complaint. Isiah C. Mangol and Darius Rasavn Johnson, both 19,...
Watchers finally get a peek at Harmar bald eaglet
It doesn’t take much to bring out the cadre of wildlife photographers who faithfully follow the whereabouts and activities of the region’s bald eagles. After more than a week of watchers and photographers trying to get a peek of the eaglet in the Harmar nest, Fox Chapel’s Gina Gilmore managed...
Deer Lakes school board member resigns citing problems with leadership
Gary Torick has had enough of Deer Lakes School District leadership. The longtime school board member made that clear with his resignation, ending a total of 24 years on the board. “With all the misleading statements and all the untruths being told, I can no longer be a part of...
Armstrong County woman charged with child endangerment after EMTs find loaded heroin needles
An Armstrong County woman is facing child endangerment and assault charges after an encounter with emergency medical technicians Tuesday, according to State Police in Kittanning. Ashley Hiles, 31, of Cowansville, shoved emergency medical technicians and became aggressive as they responded to a call for a possible overdose on Hollow Road...
Washington Township OKs another gas well near Beaver Run Reservoir
The gas company that had to plug a problematic gas well earlier this year in Washington Township got approval from township supervisors for a new well pad along Turack Road. CNX Resources of Canonsburg is applying for permits for a new well pad on property owned by the Municipal Authority...
New Kensington police nab 27 drivers in speeding crackdown
A crackdown on speeding by New Kensington police resulted in more than two dozen traffic stops Tuesday morning, including one involving a motorist who police said was traveling more than twice the speed limit on a city road. New Kensington police Chief Bob Deringer said the crackdown is in response...
Harrison commissioners may cut back to 1 meeting per month
Harrison commissioners are going to try to get by on one meeting per month instead of two. Commissioners President Bill Heasley said he is recommending the five-member board cancel its agenda meetings through August to see how it works. Those meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month....
Leechburg couple recounts horror of Monday shooting
Janelle Stankiewicz and Dennis Gronski II don’t know why an armed man shot his way into their Leechburg home early Monday or what might have happened if the man hadn’t died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in their kitchen. Stankiewicz said she does know the incident will be hard to...
Highlands delays busing vote under pressure to keep Roenigk
Highlands School Board has postponed choosing a busing company from two bidders for the district’s transportation contract, while facing immense pressure to keep its long-time provider. The school board appeared set to vote Monday on approving a five-year agreement with ABC Transit. It would replace WL Roenigk, which Highlands has...
