Valley News Dispatch category, Page 217
Aspinwall man has a real gourd time giving back to Pittsburgh area charity
An Aspinwall man who started raising funds for a local charity using a giant pumpkin display years ago still has a gourd time giving back more than a decade later. Joel Keefer, 72, is in his 11th season collecting for WTAE’s Project Bundle-Up. The program is a partnership with the...
Woman warned about trespassing along railroad bridge over the Allegheny River in Harmar
A Brookville woman caused a bit of a commotion Friday evening when she was found hiking along a railroad bridge spanning the Allegheny River in Harmar. Township police Lt. Otto Gaal said officers received a call shortly after 5:30 p.m. from a motorist along the Turnpike about a person making...
Bullying, student safety, finances among topics on minds of Allegheny Valley School Board candidates
Voters in the Allegheny Valley School District will see three different races for the upcoming school board election. Six people — Democrats Amy Sarno, Paula Jean Moretti, Nicole Paulovich and Glenna Renaldi, and Republicans Kathleen “Jeanne” Haas and James Schiemer — will vie for five seats for four-year terms on...
Cause unclear for brief power outage in Lower Burrell/New Kensington area
About 600 West Penn Power customers, mostly in Lower Burrell and some in New Kensington, lost power for a brief period Friday morning. West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said an exact cause has yet to be determined, but a recloser on a pole in the 2300 block of Freeport...
Halloween happenings around the Alle-Kiski Valley
Residents participating in trick-or-treat should turn on their porch lights. Community events Allegheny Township: trick-or-treat, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. Apollo: trick-or-treat, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28. Arnold: trick-or-treat, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. Brackenridge: trick-or-treat, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. Buffalo Township: trick-or-treat, 6 to...
Hilltop Hose ‘sounding the alarm,’ doling out free smoke detectors to Natrona residents
A 2008 blaze in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood started in a century-old vacant apartment and, within minutes, tore through five buildings along Chestnut Street, including the township tax collector’s office. “Oh, I remember that one,” said Pat Walters, who has lived in the community for 60 years. “There was another bad...
The Stroller, Oct. 27, 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. Used paper-back books needed for troops, veterans Last Word Bookstore, Lower...
Proposed Lower Burrell budget has no tax increase, more money for firefighters
Lower Burrell’s proposed budget for 2024 includes no property tax increase for city residents and landowners. And, thanks to royalties from gas drilling at Burrell Lake Park, the city intends to provide additional funding to its volunteer fire departments. “What I’m going to propose today is that we got some...
Oakmont to host 2nd annual gourd drive for goats
Oakmont is preparing for its second annual gourd drive, a collection that will help settle a debt to some hard workers from earlier in the year. Over the summer, the borough partnered with Butler-based Capricious LLC, a goat rental company that specializes in clearing out or managing overgrown land. Eight...
Contractor already facing fraud trial accused of taking money, not doing work in Lower Burrell, New Kensington
A home remodeler who is awaiting trial for allegedly committing contractor fraud last year was accused this month of taking money from residents in New Kensington and Lower Burrell for work he never did. Jason Raymond Mager, 47, of the 400 block of Ridge Avenue was charged Tuesday by Lower...
New Kensington shooting victim dies; police seek bicyclist seen in area
A man shot in New Kensington last week has died, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Troy Vickers Jr., 31, was pronounced dead Saturday at a Pittsburgh-area hospital. The hospital was not identified. Vickers was airlifted to a hospital after he was shot about 3:20 p.m. Oct. 19...
2023 Veterans Day events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Veterans Day events are planned throughout the Valley. Note some events require reservations. Apollo • Curran Funeral Homes will host its 20th annual celebration of veterans at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Curran-Shaffer Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 100 Owens View Ave. Reservations required by Nov. 9. Reservations: 724-478-1244....
Prospect of $4 million a year for trash collection leaves New Kensington seeking new bids
The prospect of paying nearly $4 million a year for curbside trash collection — more than four times what it currently costs — has New Kensington officials holding their noses. At a special meeting Tuesday, council members rejected a trash collection bid from County Hauling and authorized the city’s clerk...
The Stroller, Oct. 26, 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. Fall festival set Saturday in Oakmont Oakmont Chamber of Commerce will...
Blawnox firefighters host 1st car cruise
Blawnox Volunteer Fire Co. hosted its inaugural car cruise Oct. 14. Organizers said they had a good turnout despite the cold weather. About 15 vehicles were on display including a GMC Suburban, a Mustang GT and a Chevrolet Chevette. There were commemorative t-shirts and other items available. Fire company members...
Fire that destroyed Eiler’s Hardware in Verona, displacing 5 people is not suspicious, fire marshal says
Five people are displaced and a longstanding Verona business was destroyed as a result of a fire Wednesday evening. Smoke and flames began to billow from the basement of the Masonic Building, a three-story structure along the 300 block of Center Avenue around 6:15 p.m., according to Verona fire Chief...
Armstrong County hospital considers affiliation with Indiana, Punxsutawney hospitals
Armstrong County Memorial Hospital said Wednesday it is considering a possible affiliation with the hospitals in Indiana and Punxsutawney, in another sign of Western Pennsylvania’s hospitals banding together in a difficult time for community health care systems. The Kittanning-based hospital said Wednesday it signed a nonbinding letter of intent “to...
Fox Chapel Police Department, Foxwall EMS host pumpkin-themed events at stations
Fox Chapel Police Department and Foxwall EMS each hosted pumpkin-themed events. Police officers transformed their station at 401 Fox Chapel Road into a pumpkin patch with about 90 children painting pumpkins on Oct. 21. There were other crafts and a costume contest. Children received glow sticks and glowing wrist bands...
‘Assassins’ production in Aspinwall takes audience into the mind of a presidential killer
In a dark glimpse of America’s often-twisted political history, Aspinwall native Jake Froehlich will bring to life the man who assassinated President James Garfield in a musical tale of greed, rage and irony. “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim will be produced by Riverfront Theater Company on Nov. 9-12 and 16-18 inside...
Ex-Fawn supervisor found guilty of harassing former township police officer at his new job
A former Fawn supervisor who was sued for allegedly orchestrating the firing of a police officer was found guilty of harassing the officer at his new job in Armstrong County. David A. Montanari, 64, of the 1600 block of Bull Creek Road in Fawn was issued a citation by Manor...
Judge sets protocol for upcoming Springdale power plant site visit
The judge presiding over the Springdale injunction case has established ground rules before a site visit at the former power plant there, as a decision on imploding the plant’s boiler house is pending. An order written by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr. outlines the protocol before...
Alumni group raises $500,000 in push against admission of girls at The Kiski School
Some alumni of The Kiski School have been raising money in an attempt to get the all-boys boarding school in Loyalhanna Township to reverse course on welcoming girls in fall 2024 — ending a storied 136-year tradition. Joseph Garcia, a 1985 alumnus, is the chairman of the Friends of Kiski...
The Stroller, Oct. 25, 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. Senior Expo planned in Lower Burrell A free senior expo will...
Hearing set for man accused in 2021 New Kensington raid that netted fentanyl, crack
A New Kensington man who was charged with selling fentanyl and cocaine nearly 18 months after his home was raided is scheduled to appear before a district judge. Christoper Simmons, 36, of the 1100 block of Constitution Boulevard was detained during a Dec. 30, 2021, raid by a team of...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in Allegheny, Washington townships
Two rural townships offer visitors history, agriculture commerce and nature pursuits in Westmoreland County. Allegheny and Washington townships have a combined population of fewer than 10,000 residents. Early settlers were drawn to the once-prosperous coal mining industry in Washington Township, which was founded in 1789 and named after George Washington....
