Valley News Dispatch category, Page 208
New Kensington man gets up to 23 months in jail for fleeing from police, endangering child
A New Kensington man who police said led officers on a chase with a child in the car was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight months to 23 months in the Westmoreland County jail. Benjamin Alexander Ploski, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated assault, fleeing from police, child endangerment and...
Oakmont celebrates 60th annual Hometown Christmas and Parade
The weather forecast called for no precipitation on Nov. 18, and the temperatures would be mild, too. On that front, everything was good news for the organizers of the 60th annual Oakmont Hometown Christmas and Parade, following a decidedly chilly 59th event last fall. This year, the parade took its...
‘Save Lucas’: 10-year-old Indiana Township boy in dire need of another liver transplant
Lucas Goeller is looking for another miracle. At age 2, Lucas received a lifesaving liver transplant on July 1, 2015, at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from a 3-year-old Nebraska girl, Olivia Swedberg. Olivia died of brain cancer a day earlier. Lucas had waited 18 months for a match. Doctors...
Sewage, refuse rate increases proposed in Cheswick budget
Cheswick taxpayers won’t seen an increase in their property taxes or water rates next year, but they can expect their sewage and garbage collection rates to increase. The borough is eyeing a $2.7 million budget for 2024. About $1.55 million of that is earmarked for the borough’s general fund, about...
Allegheny Township police latest to accuse contractor of taking money for work he didn’t do
A home remodeling contractor from Pitcairn who was charged five times in as many years with taking money for work he didn’t do has been accused of committing the same crime in Allegheny Township. Daniel Ronald Amodeo, 54, of the 600 block of Wall Avenue was charged Jan. 25 with...
West Deer approves Leto compressor station despite resident pushback
West Deer residents opposed to a gas compressor station in the Bairdford section of the township say they’re “exploring options” after supervisors approved the project last week. Supervisors on Nov. 15 approved the compressor station on the Leto well pad property, located off Oak Road. Hyperion Midstream, a subsidiary of...
The Stroller, Nov. 22, 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. Casino Theatre to offer annual Christmas show The Casino Theatre, Vandergrift,...
1 dead in South Bend Township crash
One person died in a head-on crash at the intersection of Route 156 and West Lebanon Road in South Bend, according to Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers. Myers said in an email that the person had not been publicly identified Tuesday night because their family had not been notified. They...
Western Pa. lawmakers call for increased service at locks and dams on Allegheny River
Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation is lobbying for increased maintenance and, in some cases, increased service levels for locks and dams on the Allegheny River. U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Centre County, and U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, and John Fetterman, D-Braddock, sent a letter Monday to the...
No tax increase in Oakmont proposed budget
Oakmont’s proposed 2024 budget calls for no tax raises. The budget includes over $5.4 million in expenditures with about $5.1 million in revenue. according to information presented at council’s Nov. 20 meeting. The proposal calls for the borough’s real estate tax rate to stay at 3.73 mills, with residents owning...
Bomb threat prompts Leechburg schools to go on ‘soft lockdown’
Leechburg Area School District buildings went under a “soft lockdown” Tuesday morning after a bomb threat was made against the district, officials said. Leechburg police Chief Jason Schaeffer said his department was dispatched at 9:04 a.m. for reports of a bomb at one of the district’s schools. Borough police, state...
Tarentum Council upping donations to town’s 3 volunteer fire departments
Tarentum Council is ramping up donations to its three fire departments, acknowledging the struggle volunteers face with decreased public aid. Direct contributions for each department will increase by $4,500 to $17,000 each for Eureka Fire-Rescue, Highland Hose and Summit Hose. Council approved the amounts in its preliminary $16.4 million budget,...
73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home were living in misery, New Kensington rescue president says
The 73 cats rescued from a North Huntingdon home in 2020 were living in a state of misery, according to Becky Morrow, medical director and president of Frankie’s Friends. Rescuers found the remains of nine cats on the Leger Road property and they were able to save 65 of the...
Attorneys say there’s no basis to remove ‘forgotten’ notebook in Springdale injunction case
Attorneys representing the Springdale residents seeking to stop an implosion of the boiler house at the former Springdale power plant question why the property owner’s legal counsel wants to prohibit photographs taken during a site visit as evidence to be considered in the hearing. Attorney John Kane, who represents the...
Pittsburgh detectives who took down Brackenridge chief’s killer lauded alongside their peers
Pittsburgh police Detectives Sean Stumpf and Mike Slatcoff still remember rushing to the city’s Homewood-Brushton neighborhood on Jan. 2 to chase the fugitive who killed Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire. The fugitive — Aaron Lamont Swan Jr., 28, of Duquesne — emerged from a wooded area after crashing a stolen...
The Stroller, Nov. 21, 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. Free shuttle service available for NK, Arnold residents The New Ken...
Woman accused of setting fire to Ford City house with people inside will stand trial
A woman accused of using gasoline to set a house on fire in Ford City while four adults and a 4-month-old child were inside has been ordered to stand trial. Joy Rosellie Lloyd, 42, of the 200 block of South McKean Street in Kittanning was charged by Southern Armstrong County...
Police: Stolen guns, cocaine found in New Kensington home of convicted felon
A SWAT team helped local and county detectives raid a home in New Ken Manor where, police say, three illegal guns, a half ounce of cocaine and evidence of drug dealing were seized. Detectives from New Kensington, Arnold and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office arrested Demetres Ellis Beck, 28,...
The Stroller, Nov. 20, 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. Apollo-Ridge Area Food Bank seeks donations November is Turkey Month at...
New Kensington resale shop, June Bug Babies, to help life skills students learn retail work
Burrell senior Violet Gamble’s favorite part of the school day is just after lunch when she departs for a new part-time job. “I get so excited,” said Gamble, 17. She is among life skills students from several Alle-Kiski Valley schools who got a part-time gig at new resale shop June...
Building the Valley: Frankie’s Sausage in Sharpsburg making its mark on local food scene one link at a time
Frankie Marckisotto and Mike Conte weren’t looking for business partners when they met after Conte’s sister, Macrae, and Marckisotto began dating several years ago. But their partnership quickly bloomed with the realization that the unfulfilled dreams they both had were remarkably similar. The result was the launch of Frankie’s Sausage...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Nov. 7-15, 2023
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, the Tribune-Review’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,...
Man accused of holding woman captive ordered to stand trial
A homeless man accused of forcing his way into a Tarentum woman’s apartment, beating her and holding her captive for nearly two hours before fleeing naked, has been ordered to stand trial. David Matthew Weston, 36, was charged with felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass along with counts of...
Tarentum Council scraps plans for town gazebo, citing rising costs
Plans for the corner lot at Corbet Street and Third Avenue in Tarentum are up in the air again. A gazebo that was expected to serve as a focal point in the business district is off the books, at least for now. Costs climbed higher than expected for the structure,...
Lower Burrell looks to establish rules for medical marijuana businesses
Lower Burrell is considering new rules to designate where medical marijuana dispensaries, and growers and processors, could set up shop in the city. Council approved preliminary readings of the proposal this month. A final vote is expected Dec. 11. Councilman Chris Fabry said the proposal was brought before council about...
