Valley News Dispatch category, Page 714
Arnold father and son subdue, tie up would-be robber in their home, police say
An alleged armed robbery attempt in Arnold didn’t turn out so well for the suspect. According to police, a father and son subdued a man they say pulled a gun in their home while trying to rob the son. The accused robber, Raiquan Shakeem Banks, 19, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was...
New Kensington-Arnold district, teachers’ union making progress on contract
More than 18 months after their last teachers’ contract expired, negotiators in New Kensington-Arnold School District may be closing in on a new labor pact. Officials from both the teachers’ union and the district say they are making progress in resolving their differences. “We’ve been working without a contract for...
Police: Apollo man gave pot and booze to children, one as young as 7
An Apollo man is accused of giving marijuana to two children, in one case starting when the boy was 7. Police said they received a Childline complaint about Dale Edward Bash, 33, in January. A woman told investigators that Bash had been giving marijuana to her children, ages 15 and...
Deer Lakes shortens spring break for make-up snow days
Deer Lakes School District students will have a shorter spring break thanks to snow make-up days. The district announced it will use three of its scheduled spring break days — April 18, April 22 and April 23 – as three of its four snow make-up days. The other will be...
Highlands to repair, not remove, clock tower atop Tarentum school
There’s apparently no reason to recreate the “Save the clock tower!” scene from the movie “Back to the Future” in Tarentum. Highlands School District is moving forward with repairing the landmark tower atop Highlands Elementary School, formerly known as Grandview, school board President Debbie Beale said. The district also will...
Brackenridge church sees increased fee for Easter egg hunt on Highlands property
It’s going to cost a Brackenridge church a lot more to use Highlands School District facilities for its annual Easter egg hunt, but not as much as church members first thought. Generations House of Worship, which is planning its third egg hunt at the district’s middle school, initially thought it...
Annual hard-to-recycle event at Pittsburgh Mills mall coming this spring
If you’ve been de-cluttering after the holidays and have a pile of old electronics you don’t know what to do with then you’re in luck. The annual hard-to-recycle event will be coming up this spring at the Pittsburgh Mills mall. Residents can recycle items such as televisions, computer monitors and...
Route 356 in Allegheny Township reopens after truck hits utility pole
Route 356 in Allegheny Township was closed for several hours as crews repaired a utility pole cracked by a tractor-trailer Tuesday morning, according to Westmoreland County 911. The truck was attempting to turn when it got stuck in mud shortly after 4 a.m. As the driver tried to get back...
Pittsburgh Mills store owner accused of selling counterfeit items says charge is racially motivated
The owner of a Pittsburgh Mills mall store went from asking police to investigate a suspected burglary there to being charged with selling counterfeit merchandise. The lawyer for Tommy Wang, the Asian-American owner of the store, now wants the charge against Wang thrown out, calling the investigation a “racially charged...
Highlands School District residents call for transparency on school closure, budget
Facing the proposed closing of a school and the possibility of a property tax increase, frustrated Highlands School District residents are demanding greater transparency and more information from the district’s elected leaders and administrators. At a public hearing Monday, Susan Bajack of Harrison said residents were pleading for greater transparency...
Thieves targeting unlocked vehicles in at least 5 communities
It’s been a busy month for thieves who target unlocked vehicles. Police in at least five communities in Armstrong and Westmoreland counties have reported car break-ins involving dozens of vehicles. In the latest rash of thefts, a pistol, drivers license, debit cards, cash and change were stolen from a number...
Vandergrift Dollar General open, free $10 gift cards given for Saturday grand reopening
The new Dollar General in Vandergrift, located in the former Sprankle’s building, opened this weekend with a grand reopening set for Saturday. Sprankle’s, with stores in Leechburg and Kittanning, sold their Vandergrift site to Dollar General last year after they learned the national low-priced market was interested in locating there....
Allegheny Township Eagle Scout makes enduring contribution to Roaring Run TrailVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle- Kiski Valley people and the notable things that they do. Kiski Area senior Cody Endress wished for a project with enduring benefits when he set out to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. “I spend a lot of...
Despite guns and schools debate, participation on high school rifle teams is increasingVideo
Landon Badac first picked up a gun at around 4 years old. “My grandpa, who was a big influence in my life in the outdoors, taught me how to shoot very early, gun safety, and how to live in the outdoors, pretty much,” the Armstrong High School senior explained. “He’s...
John Regoli’s son raises money for childhood cancer in honor of late father
Watching his father, former New Kensington Councilman John W. Regoli Jr., fight for 14 months and then lose his life at the age of 54 to brain cancer “still hurts a lot,” said Nico Regoli, a Penn State New Kensington student. But Regoli has taken his grief and applied it...
Raw sewage floods unit at McMurtry Towers in Vandergrift
A clogged sewage pipe in the McMurtry Towers in Vandergrift forced one resident out of her apartment and a cleanup of raw sewage, some of which was reported in the lobby of the Westmoreland County-owned high rise. Late Friday evening, McMurtry Towers resident Tammy Trentin, 45, heard gurgling coming from...
Horror film in Leechburg looking for extras to be bar patrons for Mia Z performance
A horror film that is shooting a scene in Leechburg and featuring singer Mia Zanotti is seeking extras to play bar patrons. The scene is slated to be shot sometime in April. The website for the movie, “Occurrence at Mills Creek,” describes the film’s premise as: “Cassandra awakens to a...
2 state legislators hear from proponents of Sunday hunting at Penn State New Kensington event
About 30 residents gathered at Penn State New Kensington on Sunday to learn more about a bill being considered in the state Legislature that would allow hunting on Sundays during hunting season. Most, if not all, of those in attendance were already in favor of such a change, but wanted...
Megan’s Law shines light on Alle-Kiski Valley sex offenders
Former Leechburg police Chief Mike Diebold’s headline-grabbing release from the Westmoreland County jail two weeks ago concerned some residents who felt he shouldn’t live near three schools because he’s a registered sex offender. Sex offenders rarely garner such attention when they get out of jail. Often, their neighbors are unaware...
Handicapped parking in Vandergrift now limited to 15 percent of any block
Vandergrift Council has adjusted the borough’s handicapped parking policy. Now, up to 15 percent of any block of a street can be set aside for handicapped parking. Previously, it was a maximum of two cars per block. Borough officials continue to grapple with the needs of an aging population in...
East Deer woman battling rare cancer put in tough spot by UPMC’s hardline insurance stanceVideo
An East Deer woman has a potentially life-altering decision to make in the next four months: keep her UPMC oncologist but pay more for a secondary insurance plan, or risk finding another whose knowledge of her rare form of cancer is not as sophisticated. Brittany Eckert, 32, was diagnosed with...
Longtime Valley News Dispatch sports editor remembered for his keen eye for young talent
During his 26-year tenure as sports editor for the Valley News Dispatch, Bob Schank oversaw a drastic transformation of the local sports scene. From the mergers of Alle-Kiski Valley high school sports programs to the elevation of the Pirates and Steelers from punchlines to world champions, Schank saw it all....
Ice causes crashes across Alle-Kiski Valley
Ice on a sunny, but cold afternoon apparently caused two accidents within 20 minutes in the Alle-Kiski Valley and numerous others across the region. An Apollo man was driving down a small car down South Leechburg Hill in Allegheny Township at about 5:40 p.m. when he hit a patch of...
Highlands changes location of school closure hearing, school board meeting
The Highlands School District has changed the location for a public hearing and school board meeting on Monday. The hearing and meeting, previously set to be held in the library at Highlands High School in Harrison, will instead be held in the high school auditorium, according to a notice on...
Northbound lane re-open after multi-vehicle crash on Route 28
A multiple-vehicle crash on Route 28 near the Heinz plant briefly closed a lane of northbound traffic on Friday, according to PennDOT. PennDOT sent an alert about the crash shortly before 2 p.m. The lane was back open shortly before 2:30 p.m. Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You...
