Valley News Dispatch category, Page 720
Deteriorating Arnold building creates problems for neighboring property
Arnold Volunteer Fire Company 2 is asking city council to demolish a Fifth Avenue structure that is damaging a building it owns. Chris O’Leath, who recently stepped down as Company 2 chief after five years, spoke to council on behalf of the company to request 1708 Fifth Ave. be torn...
Rare snow goose, gadwall duck found during Christmas Bird Count
A snow goose in Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville and a gadwall duck in Harmar were among the rare finds for the Pittsburgh Christmas Bird Count, part of the annual census of the birds. On the Dec. 29 count day, Pittsburgh’s bird count tallied 24,877 birds of 71 varieties, according to...
Knoch High School student accused of Snapchat threat to stand trial
A Knoch High School student was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges of making online threats to shoot classmates. District Judge Sue Haggerty moved all charges against Jason Bowen, 18, of Middlesex, to Butler County Common Pleas Court during a preliminary hearing. He is accused of making terroristic threats,...
Cops: Philadelphia men stole iPhones worth $41K from Frazer Walmart
Two Philadelphia men are accused of stealing nearly $41,000 worth of cellphones last month from the Walmart store in Frazer, and they are suspected in similar thefts in at least two other states. “This is the biggest theft we’ve ever had at that Walmart by far. It is the largest...
Wave of resignations leaves Cheswick police short-handed
Cheswick officials say the resignation of seven part-time officers from the borough’s police department last month has led to shifts going unstaffed and a reliance on neighboring police departments to respond to calls. The resignations come as the department adjusts to the loss of former Chief Bob Scott, who retired...
Extended No Wake Zone proposed at Pittsburgh’s Point
Relief is on the way for boaters who know the bump and grind of wakes from speeding boats when they dock along the Allegheny River as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has proposed an extension to the No Wake Zone at Pittsburgh’s Point. The change is intended to create...
3 new police officers hired in New Kensington
New Kensington council Monday hired three new police officers to fill vacancies created by retirements, city Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti said. Michael A. McSherry of Leechburg, Jerry Hobeck of New Kensington and Jeffrey Vertullo of Export were selected from a list approved last week by the city’s Civil Service Commission. They...
New Kensington authorities raise water, sewer rates
Water and sewer bills are going up this year for people who live in Arnold, Lower Burrell, New Kensington and portions of Plum. The 15,000 water customers of the Municipal Authority of New Kensington, which also serves Upper Burrell and parts of Allegheny and Washington townships, will see a 12...
Lower Burrell Police looking for participants for Citizen Police Academy
Lower Burrell police are accepting applications from city residents for its Citizen Police Academy. Classes start in March and will be limited to 25 residents, who must be 18 or older. Topics of discussion include criminal and drug investigation, patrol techniques, firearms, juveniles and our youth commission, crime prevention, community...
$12,000 reward offered for info on man last seen in South Buffalo
The family and personal care home of a missing elderly man last seen in South Buffalo on Christmas is offering a $12,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. Police have been searching for Kenneth L. Himes, 70, since he left his brother’s home along Cadogan-Slate Lick Road sometime between...
Keeping up with the Joneses means tapping some maple sap for syrupVideo
The Joneses prove that the family that makes maple syrup together sticks together, and then some. The family of eight soon could bring to local markets their private label maple syrup made at their Washington Township home. For Ryan Jones, growing up in New Hampshire, everyone knows someone who produces...
Wayward West Leechburg turkey has new home, new nameVideo
A displaced domesticated West Leechburg turkey has a new home. And a new name. Meet “Hot Sauce,” the newest fowl resident of Gilpin. Hot Sauce was adopted Monday by the Karpinski family of Gilpin after weeks wandering around West Leechburg — roosting on porches, wandering through yards and seemingly having...
Police ask for public’s help in search for man missing from South Buffalo since Christmas
State police are running out of leads in the search for an elderly autistic man who disappeared from South Buffalo on Christmas. Kenneth L. Himes, 70, left the home of a family member along Cadogan-Slate Lick Road in South Buffalo sometime between 11:30 p.m. Dec. 25 and 8 a.m. Dec....
Arnold woman charged with assaulting her autistic son
Police charged an Arnold woman with assaulting her 6-year-old autistic son after he soiled his pants. Elena Lovorn, 27, of Fifth Avenue faces felony charges of strangulation and endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and simple assault. She remained in Westmoreland County Prison on Monday...
Harrison man accused of sexually assaulting 2 teenage girls
An 18-year-old Harrison man is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls over the last two years. The girls were 14 and 13 at the time, according to police. Jason Richard Martin faces felony charges of aggravated incident assault and misdemeanor indecent assault in connection with the alleged incidents, which...
Tarentum wage increases follow pay freezes for some
Some Tarentum employees are getting pay raises in 2019 after having their pay frozen last year. The salaries hikes are included in the borough’s $3.58 million 2019 general fund budget. There was no increase in property taxes, which remain at 5.48 mills. The borough’s public works, water plant and office...
Leechburg library reopens after major 8-month tech renovation
Although the renovated Leechburg Public Library opened last week, residents are invited to attend a grand re-opening at 6 p.m. Jan. 22. The library has been closed since May for extensive renovations. It now boasts a more open space with comfortable seating and technological upgrades, including a media center and...
Richland woman uses rare cancer diagnosis to help others, spread awareness
Ten years ago, Jean Diesch finally got the answer she had been looking for after suffering for years from chronic pain and fatigue. Diesch, then in her early 50s, was diagnosed with a form of a rare blood cancer called a myeloproliferative neoplasms — or MPN for short — that...
Armstrong County commissioners chairman, Pat Fabian, seeking re-election
Pat Fabian has announced that he will seek re-election for Armstrong County Commissioner. “I feel I am a proven leader, have made the tough decisions and am confident in my ability to produce positive results for the tax payers of Armstrong County,” said Fabian, 42, of Manor Township. “I come...
New Kensington working to require emergency lock boxes on new commercial buildings
New Kensington is on the way to becoming the latest municipality in the region to require new or newly-renovated commercial buildings to install a lock box to help first-responders gain access in emergencies. City council laid the groundwork this week to enable it to pass an ordinance Feb. 4 that...
Lane closures on Route 356 start Monday in Allegheny Township
Motorists can expect delays on Route 356 in Allegheny Township because of single lane closures starting Monday and running until Feb. 18 for core drilling between White Cloud Road and Pleasant Hill Road. The lane closures will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, according to PennDOT District...
Heights Plaza receiver reports early progress righting ‘sinking ship’
A receiver appointed to take over operation of the Heights Plaza shopping center in Harrison reports making early progress “to right the sinking ship.” An Allegheny County judge in October named Pretium Property Management of White Plains, N.Y., as receiver of the distressed shopping center, also known as Harrison Town...
Allegheny County Police charge man in Plum shooting
A 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with a shooting Thursday in Plum. Malik Hawkins, no address given, was arrested without incident, Allegheny County Police said Friday. He was being held in the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh without bail on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, weapons...
Tarentum water valve installation finishes early
The installation of new water valves in Tarentum has been finished early. The work, initially expected to take two weeks, was completed on Thursday, Borough Manager Michael Nestico said. Residents were warned on Jan. 3 that the work could cause brief water outages. Nine new valves were installed as part...
4 Tarentum Council seats to be up for election this year
Four seats on Tarentum Council will be up for election this year instead of the usual three. The extra race comes about because of the resignation of 3rd Ward Councilwoman Rhonda Dzugan. The six remaining council members accepted her resignation Thursday. In her resignation email Tuesday, Dzugan cited family matters...
