Valley News Dispatch category, Page 711
Burrell School Board decides to fix parking lot and girls softball field at cost of $1.4 million
Burrell School District is seeking contract bids to repair Bon Air Elementary School’s parking lot and the girls softball field. The school board zeroed in on those two projects out of five proposed by the administration. Other projects included recrowning the football field or replacing it with a synthetic turf...
Buffalo Township housing development gets OK for 5th phase
The Buffalo Township supervisors recently approved the last phase of the Village at Sarver’s Mill housing plan. Phase 5 allows the developer to construct up to 13 houses. The property is not far from the Butler-Freeport Community Trail and Little Buffalo Creek. It’s in the Freeport Area School District. According...
Harrison commissioners accept resignations of 2 zoning, ordinance officials
Harrison commissioners will be considering how to rebuild the township’s zoning and ordinance office after accepting the resignations of two of its three officials. Commissioners voted 3-0 Thursday to accept the resignations of office supervisor Lindsay Fraser and department coordinator Jody Lamison. Both will be effective March 1. Commissioners William...
New Kensington business owner has big plans for Fifth Avenue buildingVideo
A New Kensington-based businessman has big dreams for a building he bought in November on Fifth Avenue. Sean Watson bought the building across Fifth Avenue from The Corner, an entrepreneur training center and co-working space that’s one of Penn State University’s innovation hubs it operates in association with its branch...
Construction of Allegheny Health Network’s mini hospital in Harmar stalled by land issuesVideo
Construction of Allegheny Health Network’s new neighborhood hospital in Harmar has been delayed as the company works to finalize leasing and land agreements related to the site. AHN officials initially hoped construction would start shortly after a ceremonial ground breaking last October, but the lot remains empty with no construction...
With 200th anniversary looming, Burtner House preservationists wonder if it’ll make itVideo
The number of volunteers at the historic Burtner House has dwindled to an alarming number. “We are in danger of having to close the doors,” said Sandy Jack, Burtner House Restoration Society volunteer and secretary. Fewer than 10 active members comprise the volunteer roster these days, and Jack said with...
West Leechburg events to honor Plum girl who remains upbeat despite cerebral palsyVideo
Four-year-old Maelynn Tribendis’ infectious smile turns to giggles when she’s asked about her hot pink wheelchair and the therapist who is training her to use it. “She has a crush on him,” Plum’s Kaitlyn Tribendis, 30, said of her daughter’s therapist. “She goes to (therapy) two days a week. She...
Fund set up to help couple who lost home, pets in Allegheny Township fire
A fund has been set up to help a couple who lost their home in a house fire in Allegheny Township last week. Mike and Suzanne Donnelly lost their home along Route 356 and several pets in a massive fire that closed the road and took firefighters hours to put...
Cheswick Council names longtime resident Brad Yaksich to fill board vacancy
Longtime Cheswick resident Brad Yaksich has been appointed to fill an empty seat on borough council through the end of the year. Council unanimously approved Yaksich’s appointment Tuesday. He will fill the seat previously held by Cathy Crail, who stepped down at the end of December. “His knowledge of our...
Highlands renews air monitoring agreement with Allegheny County
Highlands School Board has renewed a long-term agreement with Allegheny County for air quality monitoring. The county’s Health Department has been monitoring air quality in Harrison since the 1980s, department spokesman Ryan Scarpino said. The new three-year agreement for placement of an air monitoring station at Highlands High School runs...
Planned East Deer power outage rescheduled due to weather
A power outage that had been planned in part of East Deer on Wednesday has been rescheduled due to the weather, West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said. The outage is now set for between about 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday, he said. The utility will be upgrading facilities...
Highlands School District nixes new security agreement approved by school board
The Highlands School District will not be going forward with hiring a new security firm as the school board had approved on Monday, a district spokeswoman said Wednesday. The school board approved a contract between the district and Olympia Security Group, of Chartiers Township, Washington County, after voting to terminate...
2 men accused of multiple burglaries in Bell Township
Kiski Valley state police arrested two men this week in connection with a series of burglaries in which a utility vehicle, go-carts, cans of fuel, tools and auto parts that were reported stolen in December in Bell Township. Michael Lint, 36, of Armstrong County and David “Ziggy” Ziegenhagen, 36, an...
Riverview junior proposes solution to combat parking woes near Oakmont Bakery
Riverview High School junior Molly Collins wants to make sure her fellow students have a place to park while Oakmont Bakery officials work out some traffic issues. She launched an online petition to have about 30 spaces at Riverside Park, next to the high school, be designated student parking from...
Harrison zoning officials tender resignations
Two officials in Harrison’s zoning and ordinance office have submitted their resignations, and one is already gone. Office Supervisor Lindsay Fraser and department Coordinator Jody Lamison announced in an email to township officials on Friday their intention to resign effective March 1, according to township Commissioner Charles Dizard. Despite that...
Brackenridge officials eye restoration of honor roll memorial in wake of vandalism
Someone’s ill-advised attempt to improve the honor roll memorial in Brackenridge Memorial Park will speed up its proper restoration. Borough officials are considering going ahead with a full restoration of the 54-year-old memorial’s bronze and stone, including removing unwanted silver paint that was recently applied to it. The memorial, featuring...
Woman accused of fleeing police in Allegheny Township arrested in Tarentum
Allegheny Township police said they tracked down a woman who avoided arrest Sunday night. Cally Jade Mills, 26, was arrested Tuesday in a traffic stop in Tarentum. Mills is accused of climbing out of a window when police pulled up to a home in the 700 block of South Leechburg...
Cooper Station Restaurant abruptly closes in Winfield TownshipVideo
The landmark Cooper Station Restaurant has abruptly shut down. The popular restaurant along Route 356 in Winfield Township posted a closing notice Monday on its Facebook page. “Effective immediately, Cooper Station Restaurant will be closed indefinitely. Thank You, Management,” the notice read. The signs posted on the locked double doors...
Harmar supervisors to consider ordinance for wireless antennas, towers
Harmar supervisors are holding a public hearing Thursday to consider a new ordinance outlining regulations for installing wireless antennas and towers for 5G cellular service in township right-of-ways. Wireless communications companies are permitted by the Federal Communications Commission to place the antennas and towers wherever they want, but supervisors Chairman...
Harmar Supervisor Patricia Janoski stepping down
Harmar supervisors will be looking for a new board member after the resignation of Patricia Janoski. Supervisors Chairman Bob Seibert said Janoski submitted a letter of resignation effective Feb. 12. No reason was given. He expects the board to formally accept the resignation during Thursday’s meeting. “We will miss Pat...
Highlands School District places 2nd unidentified employee on unpaid leave
The Highlands School Board has fired one employee and placed another on unpaid leave. At its meeting Monday, the school board dismissed Iesha Griffin, a payroll and benefits secretary. In a separate action, it approved a statement of charges against another, unidentified employee and placed that person on unpaid leave...
Highlands School Board approves rain garden, tree planting projects
The Highlands School Board has approved the construction of a rain garden on district property and the planting of trees on its grounds in Harrison this spring. The rain garden that will be built at Highlands Middle School is part of a $125,000 project funded by a grant from The...
Ford City’s Layten Bowser, 2018 Rock for Life beneficiary, dies at 7
A Ford City boy who for three years battled an advanced form of nerve cancer died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was 7. Layten Bowser had been the beneficiary of the 19th Rock for Life held in August. His mother, Angelyn Waldor of Ford...
Woman missing from Kittanning found safe, police say
A woman missing from Kittanning was found safe in Lawrence County, according to police. Katie L. Stoner, 27, went to the New Castle police station Monday night to let authorities know she was OK, Kittanning police Officer Greg Koprivnak said early Tuesday. She had been missing since 6:30 p.m. Thursday....
Seeking exceptions gives Highlands ‘options’ for budget, business manager says
The Highlands School District is simply keeping its options open as it begins work on the 2019-20 spending plan, the district’s business manager told residents at a school board meeting Monday night. Although the district intends to seek permission from the state to increase taxes by more than its limit...
