Valley News Dispatch category, Page 98
Trading pin design by Deer Lakes senior Morgan McCloskey among top 3 in state
Deer Lakes senior Morgan McCloskey was tasked with drumming up an advertising design to best represent Pennsylvania, and her first thought was a bright yellow chick. Specifically, she chose a marshmallow confection chick better known as a Peep, manufactured by the Just Born company in Bethlehem. “It’s bright and colorful,...
Armstrong County Children, Youth and Family Services caseworkers hold 1-day strike
Union members who work for Armstrong County Children, Youth and Family services and the county Assessor’s Office staged a one-day strike Friday. Over a dozen union members of the Service Employees International Union Local 668 union workers walked the picket line outside of the Armstrong County Courthouse. They gathered at...
The Stroller, Jan. 31, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Free transportation available to...
Plum High School students introduced to various careers during 3rd Career Day
Plum High School students were introduced to new careers or able to learn more about ones they are already interested in Thursday during their school’s annual Career Day. About 160 speakers from the community were expected. They were split up among 45 rooms, with three to five presenters each, with...
This year’s 18 Under Eighteen helping to shape the future
Deer Lakes senior Zier Williams has earned a reputation for his toughness on the football field, rushing for nearly 2,900 yards as a Lancer. Off the field, the teen has become known for compassion and promoting positive change. Williams, 18, has made it a mission to fight for the underdog...
Cold snap stresses waterlines, authority workers in New Kensington
Water authority crews in New Kensington are among those run ragged this month fixing leaks and breaks caused by the region’s severe cold snap. Though the recent sub-zero weather caused a lot of waterline breaks, it wasn’t quite as bad as some social media posts make it out to be....
Fox Chapel public works gets 1-year contract extension, police department talks start in spring
Fox Chapel officials approved a one-year extension of their public works contract, solidifying terms with its nine full-time laborers through the end of 2026. The original deal was from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025. The vote to extend the contract was 6-0 on Jan. 20. Council vice president...
Pa. student scores on national testing lower than pre-pandemic, results show
Pennsylvania public schools still may be grappling with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a national report on reading and math proficiency among fourth grade and eighth grade students. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress — released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics — shows...
The Stroller, Jan. 30, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Musical alumni concert planned...
Penn Hills resident seeks solution to high water bills
Alarm bells went off in Andrew Slavin’s head when he looked at his latest bill from the Oakmont Water Authority. “There is no way that my wife and I used 40,000 gallons of water like this bill says we did,” Slavin said. The Penn Hills man said he is being...
Trial begins for Taco Bell manager charged with killing employee from Harrison
Both sides agree Zairyre Simmons fatally shot Dorian Carver of Harrison after the two argued at Taco Bell in Scott where they worked. But the prosecution and defense disagree about why. Simmons, 26, is charged with criminal homicide, receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license. His trial...
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio pushes rail safety bill with visit to Tarentum
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is hoping he can persuade President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress to support his renewed push for railroad safety. Deluzio, of Fox Chapel, is reintroducing his Railway Safety Act, a trio of bills aimed at improving federal oversight of railways. It’s an issue he...
Former Plum resident pleads guilty to federal drug trafficking charges, illegal possession of guns
A former Plum resident pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, federal officials announced Wednesday. Solomon S. Givens, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, para-flurofentanyl and a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl...
Worker at Allegheny Township assisted living facility accused of stealing nearly $60K from resident
A woman working at an Allegheny Township assisted living facility is accused of stealing nearly $60,000 from a resident and permitting him to stay in the facility without paying rent, according to police. Allegheny Township police filed 19 charges against Tanya Lynn Palmer, 50, of Apollo that include theft, theft...
Kiski Area High School student injured by school bus while crossing road
A Kiski Area High School student was taken to a hospital Wednesday morning after walking into the side of a moving school bus. The 16-year-old boy was attempting to cross three lanes of traffic to reach the On The Fly convenience store, according to Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher,...
New Kensington Bridge construction worker charged in crash that injured motorcyclist
A Herminie man is facing felony aggravated assault charges stemming from a traffic accident last year in New Kensington. Police on Tuesday filed charges against Matthew James Slobodnik, 24, in the crash that happened Aug. 10 at Ninth Street and Industrial Boulevard, which is the intersection just before the New...
Kiski Township planning massive public sewage expansion
Public sewage in Kiski Township could go from a rarity to standard in most well-populated areas of the township before the end of the decade. A draft comprehensive sewage plan introduced this month details intentions to hook up nearly 1,000 homes in and around the township’s Orchard Hill and Spring...
The Stroller, Jan. 29, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Pet food, supplies needed...
Lower Burrell man convicted of using neighbor’s credit cards sentenced to probation in federal case
A Lower Burrell man will serve three years on probation after being convicted in federal court of fraudulent use of a neighbor’s credit cards. Senior U.S. District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence Thursday on Jonathan Fry, 44, acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced Tuesday. Fry pleaded guilty in...
South Buffalo couple set to open Crispy Cones ice cream shop in Hampton, first in Pennsylvania
A new Crispy Cones location, the first in the state, is set to open this spring along Route 8 in Hampton. The ice cream shop offers soft serve in a sugary rotisserie-baked dough cone rather than a traditional hard cone, which it says is inspired by similar confections in the...
Allegheny Township Big Lots appears to be in jeopardy as partial liquidation unfolds
The future of Big Lots’ footprint in Western Pennsylvania remains unclear, but it’s not looking good for the Allegheny Township location. Its lease was recently available for transfer, which is a sign it could close as part of the struggling bargain retailer’s acquisition by a Boston-based asset liquidation firm. Locations...
Allegheny River ice raises concerns over safety and flooding
No matter how tempting, people should not walk or play on the area’s frozen-over rivers. Especially because things will be warming up soon. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service expect temperatures to be above freezing Thursday through Sunday, said Alicia Miller, a hydrologist with the weather service. “That, in addition...
The Stroller, Jan. 28, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Free advice available for...
A.W. Beattie Career Center to acquire classroom ambulance simulator, thanks to $85,000 infusion from state
The A.W. Beattie Career Center soon will have a “true-to-life” ambulance simulator in one of its classrooms. The school, a technical high school open to students in nine North Hills school districts, was among dozens of institutions awarded with competitive equipment grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Beattie received...
Westmoreland water authority calls for reduction of use as winter freeze, thaw impacts supply
Nearly 122,000 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers have been urged to conserve water as work crews identify leaks and service line breaks that resulted from last week’s cold snap. Officials said the frigid winter temperatures and this weekend’s thaw stressed the water system’s infrastructure and supply. Water line breaks...
