Valley News Dispatch category, Page 190
Springdale woman pleads guilty in connection to daughter’s death
A Springdale woman pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with the death of her 5-year-old daughter in June. Samantha Allison McMunn, 34, of the 40 block of Duquesne Court pleaded guilty to a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her daughter, Diem McMunn-Gereshenski, according to court records. Springdale...
Suspects still at large after police chase that locked down Kiski Area East Primary in Vandergrift
Kiski Area East Primary School in Vandergrift was locked down Friday while police conduct a manhunt in the area. The school went into lockdown early Friday before the school day began as police searched the nearby area for a driver who crashed and fled from a stolen vehicle. What started...
ATI retirees balk at pension changes
Some ATI retirees fear they’ve lost a pension guarantee after recent changes by the specialty metals company. ATI purchased group annuity contracts from New York-based Athene Annuity and Life Co. and Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Co., transferring about 85% of its U.S.-qualified defined-benefit pension plan obligations, ATI spokeswoman Natalie...
The Stroller, Jan. 26, 2024: 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. Drive-thru Valentine meal to benefit Peoples Library Peoples Library will sponsor...
New Springdale High School classes aimed at boosting student cooking, technical skills
When students begin the semester in one of Mandy Harrison’s family and consumer science courses at Springdale High School, they don’t know much about home economics or kitchen skills. Some aren’t sure which pots or pans to use to make a certain food. Others don’t know how to prep the...
2 others charged in traffic stop that resulted in assault on New Kensington police officer
Two other people involved in a traffic stop during which a New Kensington police officer was hurt have been charged. Lanai Rashawn Thrower, 25, of New Kensington arrived at the scene of the Jan. 13 traffic stop on Freeport Road and Elizabeth Street, according to police. She has been arraigned...
Apollo man identified as victim in Harmar car crash
Authorities identified an Apollo man as the victim in a Wednesday morning crash in Harmar. According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, Richard C. Bailey, 65, died just after 8 a.m. Wednesday. His car crashed into a creek near Gulf Lab Road and Anchor Drive in Harmar. It’s unclear...
Plans advance on proposed public dog park in Oakmont
Linda Merle of Arnold visits Oakmont often for medical appointments with her dogs, Mopsy and Nixon, in tow. Within the borough, dogs must be leashed and are not permitted to run at large. A proposed outdoor dog recreation site called Chateau Beach Dog Park would provide an unleashed area for...
Firearm stolen from New Kensington gun store found during arrest of 4 in Homestead
One of about two dozen guns stolen from a New Kensington gun store was recovered when four young men were arrested Wednesday in Homestead, according to court records. All four men arrested were illegally carrying loaded 9 mm handguns, Homestead police said in criminal complaints. Only one of the guns...
West Deer to revisit zoning ordinance draft
West Deer’s draft zoning ordinance isn’t necessarily going all the way back to the drawing board, but it will undergo some more editing. The township held a public hearing on the draft last week. Supervisors did not vote on the proposal. “Based in part on some of the comments that...
The Stroller, Jan. 25, 2024: 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. Evening of music to benefit Leechburg Pink Day The Leechburg Marconi...
Leechburg Area board appoints new interim superintendent, who also will find a permanent replacement
After eight years, Leechburg Area School District is getting new leadership, albeit in a temporary role. The school board voted 6-3 Wednesday to hire Peter Emery D’Arcangelo as acting superintendent. He will temporarily replace Superintendent Tiffany Nix, who will be leaving for Penn-Trafford early next month. D’Arcangelo served as superintendent...
Westmoreland tops 100 demolished properties as part of ongoing revitalization effort
Mayors in two Westmoreland County communities said demolition of dozens of dilapidated structures has improved the health and safety of local residents and set the stage for revitalization efforts in their cities. “It means we have reduced crime and reduced costs all around. It allows the concept of a reset...
Arrests reported in New Kensington gun store smash and grab
Federal investigators say they’ve arrested four men who may be connected to the theft of about two dozen firearms from a New Kensington gun shop. TribLive news partner WTAE first reported the suspects in the burglary were taken into custody Wednesday after police stopped an Audi at the intersection of...
West Deer man accused of recording secret videos of nude girl
A West Deer man was arrested Tuesday after, police said, he secretly video recorded a girl nude in Derry Borough, according to court papers. Coby C. Jones, 51, is facing charges of child pornography, invasion of privacy and sexual abuse of children filed by Westmoreland County detectives. Jones is formerly...
New Kensington shooting investigated; suspects in custody
Traffic was stalled briefly on the New Kensington Bridge Wednesday afternoon while police stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in a shooting in the morning. According to Westmoreland 911, a shooting was reported around 10:30 a.m. along Haser Drive in the city at a Westmoreland County Housing Authority apartment...
Special Olympics North America brings softball championship to Pittsburgh
The Special Olympics North America softball championship, featuring more than 30 teams from across the U.S. and Canada, is coming to Pittsburgh and the A-K Valley in September. The No Offseason Sports facility on Little Deer Creek Valley Road near Russellton will host the event Sept. 6-8. Officials from the...
New Kensington cat rescue investigates after 70-plus rabbits disappear from home
Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue spent days preparing to take in more than 70 rabbits trapped in squalid conditions outside a Butler County home. Workers gathered supplies and arranged for adoptions and transfers, with plans to execute a search warrant Saturday. But, when the New Kensington rescue’s humane agent visited the...
St. Ladislaus church’s Stations of the Cross moves to Most Blessed Sacrament
A piece of history from the now-demolished 120-year-old St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church in the Natrona section of Harrison has found a new home not far away. Fourteen Stations of the Cross, plucked from the walls of the old Polish church, were installed Tuesday at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, also...
New Kensington woman found hiding in discarded refrigerator in the woods after high-speed chase, police say
The search for a woman who police said they pursued in a high-speed chase through New Kensington and Lower Burrell led officers to a rusted refrigerator in the woods, court documents show. That’s where police said they found Rachel Mautino, 45, of New Kensington, hiding early Sunday after the pursuit...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting, threatening officer during arrest
A New Kensington man is accused of hitting and threatening a city police officer while he was being arrested on charges of strangling a woman Sunday. Charles Lavon Lewis, 27, is being held in the Westmoreland County jail on $25,000 bond. New Kensington police went to an apartment in the...
Leechburg forges ahead with regional police plans; state study supports move
Leechburg officials are moving forward with efforts to regionalize their police force with West Leechburg and Parks Township. A regional police study was completed in December, and it recommended consolidating the departments. Officials met Jan. 11 to review the study results. “The biggest thing is the coverage and the assistance...
Man whose car went into Harmar creek found dead in vehicle
A man whose car sped through a Harmar parking lot Wednesday morning before rolling over and landing in a creek was found dead in the vehicle, but it remains unclear what caused the crash or the man’s death. The crash happened just after 8 a.m. off Gulf Lab Road, near...
Harrison native has never missed a Super Bowl. He’s set to attend for 58th time
Harrison native and mega-Steelers fan Tom Henschel isn’t letting recent physical ailments deter him from continuing his streak of attending every Super Bowl. “It’s my 58th year going to a Super Bowl,” Henschel said Tuesday. “He’s determined to go and on a mission,” added Regina, his wife of 47 years....
The Stroller, Jan. 24, 2024: 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. Donations welcome for Leechburg PATH program The Leechburg Food Bank and...
