Valley News Dispatch category, Page 218
3 incumbents among 10 vying for 5 seats on Plum School Board
The Plum School Board is likely to have at least two new members after the Nov. 7 election. Five of the board’s nine seats are up for election this year. The May primary saw 14 candidates vying for the seats on the Democratic and Republican ballots. The whittled the field...
West Deer man receives national science medal from President BidenVideo
A West Deer man and University of Pittsburgh professor was awarded one of the nation’s highest science honors on Tuesday by President Joe Biden, just a few days before he is inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on Thursday. Rory Cooper was among 10 recipients of the National...
Brackenridge man accused of stalking estranged girlfriend ordered to stand trial
A Brackenridge man who police say violated a court order to stay away from his estranged girlfriend when he hid in the back seat of her car and terrorized her has been ordered to stand trial. On Oct. 16, state police charged Zeya Icquise Dixon, 26, of the 100 block...
St. Mathias in Natrona gets 2nd life from father and son with passion for old buildings
Growing up in Lower Burrell, Tom Bertus often visited family in Natrona and can recall the harmonies of the carillon chimes that rang from the bell tower at St. Mathias. “It was the most beautiful sound,” said Bertus, who with his son, Peter, purchased the 118-year-old vacant building on Pond...
The Stroller, Oct. 24, 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. West Deer dog shelter requests donations The West Deer Dog Shelter...
Gilpin officials look to expand business district
Gilpin officials have drafted a proposed zoning ordinance with a goal of modernizing the township’s 38-year-old rules in hopes of attracting businesses to the rural township. “The board is hopeful new, less restrictive and more inclusive zoning will help spur development within the township,” said Charles Stull, chairman of the...
Wilkinsburg man gets 25 to 50 years for killing Tarentum woman
A Wilkinsburg man will serve 25 to 50 years in prison for killing the mother of his child in Tarentum in 2021. DaShawn Frederick, 28, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder, making terroristic threats and endangering the welfare of children. The sentence was negotiated. Investigators said Frederick had been in...
$250,000 improvement project slated for Aspinwall Park
More pickleball courts are coming to Aspinwall. But it’s going to take a while. A large-scale park refurbishment is being financed with a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Plans include adding four pickleball courts, constructing a pedestrian walkway and a multipurpose court, installing fencing,...
Fatal New Kensington fire ruled accidental
A house fire that claimed the life of a New Kensington man over the weekend was accidental, the city’s fire chief said Monday. Scott Fularz, 45, died Saturday at Allegheny Valley Hospital, where he was taken for treatment of smoke inhalation. A neighbor reported the fire at 723 Kennedy Ave....
Remember When: Elizabeth Smith steamboat left historic mark in nearly 30-year run
For those who love history, one of the great treasures in the Alle-Kiski Valley is an antique shop on Market Street in Leechburg named Ruman & Kraft. This summer, the shop acquired a framed photograph of the steamboat Elizabeth Smith. The Elizabeth Smith became famous in 1936, when she sank...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Oct. 12-18, 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,...
Building the Valley: Lelulo’s Pizzeria owner deepens roots in Plum with expansion into full restaurant
Patyn McCune started working at a Plum pizza shop in 2011, answering the phone and cleaning dishes. “I had no idea how to make pizzas,” she said. One night, with an hour left in the day, she was left alone with a driver. Instead of an easy end to the...
Highlands Region 3 race decided in spring, but voters in regions 1 and 2 have multiple options
Highlands School District voters will have an array of options in the upcoming election, with eight candidates seeking five positions on the board. In Region 3, the race was all but decided in the spring when 18-year-old Democrat Eli Majocha and Democratic incumbent Kristie Babinsack won the top two nominations...
Morabito responds to criticism of Allegheny Township’s Community Days management
A newly formed nonprofit plans to ensure Community Days remains an annual event in Allegheny Township. James Morabito, a township supervisor and one of the organizers of the festival, responded to criticism from some residents and fellow supervisors Rennick Steele and Michael Korns, who allege financial wrongdoing concerning the summer...
The Stroller, Oct. 23, 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 holiday grief support workshop offered Good Samaritan Hospice, a mission...
St. Ladislaus in Natrona gives people chance to claim keepsakes, say goodbye
Rachel Brown doesn’t have the energy for social media. But the Natrona resident has a keen eye for what might go viral. Her interest in the architectural salvage of St. Ladislaus Church, shuttered in 2022, has drawn people from across the country to Spruce Street to rescue items before the...
‘We’re all coming together’: Plum teachers revive festival to support Rustic Ridge families
After stopping by the airbrush booth and trying their hand at carnival games, it was time for the Betancourt family and their friends to swing by the food trucks. The group had donned their Halloween costumes to attend the Festival of Honor Sunday at Plum Senior High School. The event...
New Kensington house fire victim identified
A man who died after he was trapped in a New Kensington house fire on Saturday has been identified. Scott Fularz, 45, was the homeowner at 723 Kennedy Ave. The fire was reported about 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Fularz and a 4-year-old child were inside. Police officers were able to find...
New Kensington police accuse man of scuffling with officers during traffic stop, bringing drugs into jail
New Kensington police accused a man of injuring two officers while resisting arrest after a traffic stop and then bringing drugs into the jail where he was being detained. Michael Paul Beer, 32, of the 1000 block of Cleveland Avenue in Brackenridge was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault...
Man who police say invited New Kensington officer to search him ordered to stand trial on drug charges
A man who New Kensington police say admitted to smoking marijuana and then invited an officer to search him has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County on drug charges. Brandon Allen Iapalucci, 30, of the 200 block of South Good Street in Jeannette was charged with a felony...
5 candidates vying for 3 council seats in Plum
Voters in Plum will have five people to choose from to fill three council seats in November. Those seeking to vote a straight Democratic ticket will elect a Republican. Three seats on the seven-member council are up for election this year. Two incumbents, Dave Vento and Dan Hadley, are not...
November date set for West Deer well pad public hearing
West Deer supervisors have set a Nov. 9 public hearing date for another proposed deep well in Bairdford. Cecil Township-based Olympus Energy is looking to build the Tyche well pad at 201 Bairdford Road, west of the Pittsburgh National Golf Club. The property is zoned rural residential. If approved, it...
Upper Burrell supervisors to consider township’s 5th well pad proposal
Upper Burrell residents can weigh in on the township’s fifth proposed well pad next month. A public hearing for the Artemis well pad, which would be at 931 Merwin Road, will follow the Nov. 1 supervisors meeting, said supervisors Chairman Ross Walker. Olympus Energy of Cecil Township is seeking approval...
The Stroller, Oct. 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 concert postponed The Chris Higbee concert scheduled for Friday...
‘A miraculous painting:’ Traveling exhibit discusses da Vinci’s Last Supper at St. Mary’s in New Kensington
Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of the Last Supper may be the most famous depiction of Jesus’ final meal with the disciples before his crucifixion. But it is only one of many paintings interpreting that moment from the New Testament. This weekend, the community is invited to St. Mary of Czestochowa...
