Valley News Dispatch category, Page 203
Hometown Holiday Festival draws a crowd at Burrell High School
Hundreds of people visited Burrell High School on Saturday for its first Hometown Holiday Festival, featuring musical performances, local craft vendors, food trucks and family activities. Nicole Butler, supervisor of Lower Burrell EMS, spent the day filling an ambulance for Toys for Tots of Tarentum. She said the organization serves...
Fawn man accused of trying to grab cop’s gun while being arrested ordered to stand trial
A Fawn man who was wanted on an arrest warrant was ordered to stand trial on charges he tried to disarm a New Kensington police officer who took him into custody. Peter William Mlynar, 37, of the 300 block of Sugar Loaf Lane was charged Nov. 22 with a felony...
Woman accused by Lower Burrell police of selling crack ordered to stand trial
A woman accused of selling drugs after authorities said she let a Lower Burrell officer search her vehicle when she was pulled over has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court. Michelle Lynn Dzugan, 45, of the 1500 block of Horne Boulevard in Arnold was charged Nov. 13...
New playground equipment comes to ‘Hoops on Sixth’ in Tarentum, courtesy of Tripak Industries
The basketball court at Tarentum’s “Hoops on Sixth” park was barely usable before a local business owner stepped up to assist. Eric Hashim, owner of Tripak Industries in West Tarentum, donated heavy-duty hoops with steel nets and a new swing set with a toddler space and high-bucket seats. The equipment,...
Police: Apollo man accused of selling guitar he stole, biting state trooper who arrested him
An Apollo man charged with stealing an electric guitar from a home and selling it to a music shop last month is accused of assaulting a state trooper and biting him on the wrist while being taken into custody Wednesday. Jack Russell Frain, 34, of the 500 block of Crowe...
Christmas presents for Ukrainian orphans made possible by Arnold church and area high school students
Ten-year-old Nastya Shytnikova has a short Christmas list. She didn’t ask for an iPhone or a doll. “I’d really like Legos, candies and cookies, and a warm shirt,” Nastya wrote in a note to St. Nicholas. “My biggest dream is for the war to end.” The Ukrainian girl — orphaned...
Lower Burrell police training designed to de-escalate
Lower Burrell Mayor John Andrejcik wants more local police departments to undergo the training that officers from his city got Friday. “I wish this permeates throughout the (Alle-Kiski) Valley,” Andrejcik said. “If this saves one life — it’s all worth it.” Lower Burrell police were trained in a proactive approach...
The Stroller, Dec. 9, 2023: 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. Santa to visit Springdale The Springdale Volunteer Fire Department will escort...
Jury convicts teen of New Kensington man’s murder; 2 others found not guilty
A teenager was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the death of a New Kensington man while his two co-defendants were acquitted of second-degree murder for their alleged roles in the killing. After more than three hours of deliberations, 16-year-old Amir Kennedy was found guilty of the intentional killing of...
For sale: Brackenridge Heights Golf Course listed for $2.5M in Harrison
Ted Tomson remembers sneaking onto Brackenridge Heights Golf Course as a kid to gather errant golf balls from the course’s pond. “All the rich folks from here went there,” he said. “When I was a kid, I would sneak into there and get the golf balls out of the lake,...
Supporters start Christmas card campaign for Oakmont man imprisoned in Russia
Friends and family of an Oakmont native imprisoned in Russia on marijuana charges hope the holiday spirit can boost attention to his case and get the State Department to help bring him home. Marc Fogel has been detained in Russia for more than two years after he was arrested at...
In effort to rebuild, tours showcase historical significance of Natrona
From its early days as sacred salt-gathering grounds for Native Americans to the manufacturing of the pesticide DDT for war efforts in the 1900s to today’s steel mill, Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood oozes historical contributions to modern industry. Scandalous tales are a close second. Fanny Sellins, the first woman union organizer,...
Jimmy Buffett tribute band to kick off Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s summer concert series
A Jimmy Buffett tribute band will kick off next summer’s concert series at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s new amphitheater in East Deer. The band “Changes in Latitude” will take the stage Saturday, June 29 at the new facility, along with two opening acts yet to be announced, the brewery said in...
The Stroller, Dec. 8, 2023: 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. Concordia plans annual live Nativity event Concordia Lutheran Ministries will host...
Plum considering subdividing vacant Saltsburg Road land into 3 lots for houses
A proposed subdivision in Plum could lead to the construction of three new houses. Council will consider property owner Jim Meli’s request to subdivide a vacant lot at the corner of Saltsburg Road and Willow Village Drive into three residential lots, according to interim Borough Manager David Soboslay. Meli could...
Springdale Cemetery going digital with preservation efforts
As Springdale Cemetery approaches its 200th year, its leaders have tapped some professionals to help maintain the site’s history. The Springdale Cemetery Association sought the help of Amanda Peters, an archivist at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Lazarus Cemetery Mapping in its effort to preserve old genealogical documents, map...
Teen claims he feared for his life when he fatally shot New Kensington man
A New Kensington teenager told a Westmoreland County jury he feared for his life when he shot and killed an armed man as the victim fled from the lobby of an apartment building last year. Amir Kennedy, 16, testified he fired off 11 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle to protect...
Indiana Township officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s budget
Indiana Township property owners should not expect to pay more in real estate taxes as part of the township’s 2024 budget. Supervisors recently approved a preliminary spending plan for next year, which holds the line on taxes. There are no cuts to programs or services. The budget was scheduled for...
Westbound lane closure set on Crawford Run Road in East Deer
The westbound lane of Crawford Run Road, between Duffer Lane and Clarks Pike Road, in East Deer will close next week as crews begin work on a bridge. The single-lane closure will start at 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. Officials anticipate the lane...
2nd lawsuit targets Lower Burrell nursing home over death blamed on rogue nurse
A second lawsuit was filed Thursday against a Lower Burrell nursing home over the death of a resident injected with a lethal dose of insulin, one of numerous victims whom authorities said were targeted by a rogue nurse during a yearslong killing spree. The 15-count lawsuit against Belair Healthcare and...
No tax increase for Frazer property owners
Frazer property owners won’t see a township real estate tax increase in 2024. The township supervisors on Tuesday approved a $1.13 million budget for next year, said Township Secretary Lori Ziencik. The millage rate will remain at 3.5 mills. A Frazer property owner with the median property tax assessment of...
The Stroller, Dec. 7, 2023: 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. Kiski Township church to host drive-thru live Nativity A drive-thru live...
2 men accused of releasing alligator spotted this summer along Kiski River ordered to pay fines
Two men who sparked a series of alligator sightings along the Kiski River this summer have been ordered to pay fines for allowing a pet reptile to escape into the waterway. Austin Randall, 23, of Lyndora, Butler County, told investigators that he lost his pet alligator, Neo, when he tried...
New Kensington slaying co-defendant testifies shooting victim was feared
One of the seven people charged with robbery and murder of a man last year in New Kensington told a Westmoreland County jury that the shooting victim was a known drug user and thief who was feared in the community. Raquan Carpenter, 20, of Pittsburgh, testified Wednesday for the prosecution...
Bell ringers critical to Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, ringing opportunities exist in Pittsburgh’s North Suburbs
This updated version corrects the addresses of the Walmart and Kuhn’s stores where bell ringers can sign up for a shift. Back in the 1800s, when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was a sailor back in Liverpool, England, there was a big iron kettle called “The Simpson’s Pot” where passersby...
