Valley News Dispatch category, Page 99
Woman wanted on drug charges found with drugs in New Kensington hotel room, police say
More than 100 stamp bags of suspected fentanyl were among drugs and paraphernalia police from New Kensington and Lower Burrell said they found in a New Kensington hotel room Jan. 23 Police made the discovery while looking for a woman wanted on felony warrants out of Lower Burrell. New Kensington...
Funding comes through to replace roughly 1,000 lead water lines in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has the cash on hand to start ripping out approximately 1,000 lead water lines in its five-county network. The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority came through earlier this month with a $4.6 million grant and a $5.4 million loan to fund most of the project....
Donations sought for Arnold family of 5 that lost home to fire
Donations are being sought to help an Arnold woman and her four children who lost nearly everything they had in a fire over the weekend. Heather Burton, her three daughters, ages 2, 9 and 11, and her 6-year-old son are staying with relatives after their home in the 1800 block...
From Germany to Fox Chapel: A local attorney’s story
Oktoberfest is Arnie von Waldow’s favorite holiday — and for good reason. The Fox Chapel-based bilingual attorney was born in Germany and continues to embrace his German heritage professionally and personally. Traveling to participate in Oktoberfest in Munich is one of his favorite ways to dive into his German heritage...
Snow Angels volunteer program coming to Springdale
Elderly Springdale residents might be getting some help shoveling their sidewalks after snowstorms. Councilwoman Toni Robbins presented an idea for the borough to begin a program that would partner volunteers with seniors and disabled residents who need assistance shoveling their sidewalks and walkways. Robbins would also like to carry the...
Plum School District to put cameras on buses not already equipped with them
The Plum School District will be installing cameras on the remainder of its bus fleet. The district has received a state grant of roughly $164,000 that will pay for equipping the 34 vehicles with interior and exterior cameras. The district began the effort nearly a year ago, when it used...
Crews fight flames at Kiski Township home
Fire departments arrived early Monday morning to fight flames that engulfed a Kiski Township home. Crews were dispatched to the 400 block of Glorietta Hill Road just after 4 a.m., according to an Armstrong County 911 dispatcher. The home was fully engulfed by around 4:30 a.m. Kiski Township, North Apollo,...
The Stroller, Jan. 27, 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. Fun and Freedom Inc....
Grants are an imperfect lifeline for volunteer fire departments
Until a few weeks ago, some Vandergrift No. 1 volunteer firefighters would answer rescue calls in one-piece cotton jumpsuits ripped from decades of crawling into mangled vehicles and performing hillside rope rescues. The rescue gear wasn’t specially rated for safety — or especially well-fitting, according to Chief Randy Dunmire. “Just...
Westmoreland nurses form group to honor career of service
To Lynn Lawrence of South Greensburg, the solemn ceremony a group of area nurses conducted at a Greensburg funeral home to honor her late mother’s long career as a nurse, was “absolutely beautiful.” “We were so touched … the entire family. We were so grateful that we were part of...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Jan. 16-22, 2025
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Building the Valley: Apollo woman opens cafe and market in North Apollo
Megan Weigand wanted to create a place where people could gather. The Apollo woman’s ambition led her to open Indigo Market and Coffee, a cafe and personal goods shop along River Road in North Apollo. “I wanted to bring something to the community that wasn’t here,” Weigand said. In her...
4 people displaced after Arnold house fire
Emergency crews were called to an Arnold neighborhood Saturday night for a house fire that displaced four people. Westmoreland 911 said a call for a two-alarm fire on the 1800 block of Kimball Avenue came in just after 8 p.m. Dispatchers said everyone was out of the home by the...
Springdale Township mulls offer from Harmar Water Authority to buy Springdale’s system
The Harmar Water Authority is offering to buy the Springdale Township water system. Springdale Township officials said this week the Harmar offer was unsolicited and came in a letter dated Jan. 2, that was dropped off at the township office. The letter, signed by Harmar Water Authority Chairman Jason Domaratz,...
Students, faculty nervous for future of Penn State branch campuses
Gabrielle Green is in it for the long haul at Penn State New Kensington. The 18-year-old from Altavista, Va., is a second-semester freshman at the Upper Burrell campus. She is studying biobehavioral health and plans to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree at the school. So conversations among university leadership this...
The Stroller, Jan. 26, 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. Food drive planned Saturday...
Kids learn communication, problem solving, value of hard work through New Kensington program
Kim Louis told the kids gathered at United Presbyterian Church of New Kensington to pretend they were on a tropical island, somewhere green and warm. Then imagine an impending snowstorm threatened to wreak havoc on that island. Snowplows, Louis told the kids, would be key to clearing the snow. But...
Southern Armstrong police settling into Freeport headquarters
The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department now has a proper headquarters. After two years of performing key functions in a cramped Gilpin basement, the force moved this week to a roomy station at 235 Fifth St. in Freeport. “Finally, we found somewhere that worked, made sense, was big enough for...
O’Barto announces reelection bid for Westmoreland prothonotary
Republican Gina O’Barto will seek reelection as Westmoreland County prothonotary. O’Barto, 61, of Unity, was first elected in 2021. She replaced longtime prothonotary Christina O’Brien, a Democrat who served 12 years in office but did not seek reelection four years ago. O’Barto defeated O’Brien’s handpicked successor, former Recorder of Deeds...
Some districts turning to classic snow days after depleting virtual learning allowance
Old-fashioned snow days are no longer local superintendents’ first thought when the roads get slick, but they’re not quite a thing of the past, either. That’s mostly due to a code amended by the General Assembly in 2019 to allow public schools to develop a program to meet the 180-day...
Plans underway for transformation of 19th Street in Sharpsburg
A thriving community is possible only through engagement, according to Sharpsburg councilman Corey Ochai. He is urging residents to participate in a recently launched survey to help shape portions of the Main Street streetscape and access to the riverfront. “Community engagement is the best solution for us to find a...
The Stroller, Jan. 25, 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. Bishop Kulick to celebrate...
Steel-processing furnace confirmed as source of Lower Burrell explosion, but details remain scant
Few details have been released about a Lower Burrell steel plant explosion that killed a Tarentum man. Brennan Sites, chief of Lower Burrell No. 3 Fire Company, confirmed a steel-processing furnace was the source of the explosion. Daniel R. Vakulick, 20, died from injuries sustained in the blast just before...
Charges withdrawn against Arnold woman accused of shooting threat
Charges of burglary, terroristic threats and criminal mischief have been withdrawn in the case of an Arnold woman accused of trying to break into a New Kensington home. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office withdrew the charges Thursday at what was supposed to be a preliminary hearing before District Judge...
Teen charged in connection with shooting into New Kensington home in 2022
Police filed charges Friday against a teenager accused of firing shots into a New Kensington home in November 2022. The teen, now 19, was 16 years old when police responded to a shots-fired incident at 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2022, in the 1200 block of Taylor Avenue. “The investigation...
