Valley News Dispatch category, Page 219
Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall hosts fall festival, showcases recreational development
Rainy weather could not dampen the spirits of the dozens of families at Allegheny RiverTrail Park’s fall festival in Aspinwall. “We definitely wanted to experience some local community activities,” Alyson Frick of O’Hara said at the event Oct. 20. “It’s been a little rainy today, but wanted to make sure...
South Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department’s benefit truck and tractor pull benefits Sarver boy
Two-and-a-half-year-old Christian Stiehler of Sarver doesn’t know much about truck and tractor pulls, but he sure seemed happy to be with his parents on Saturday morning for the start of the fifth annual South Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department charity tractor pull. Christian has cerebral palsy, which is a congenital disorder...
Man dies after fire in New Kensington home
A man died in a fire late Saturday morning in New Kensington, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The fire was reported about 11:45 a.m. Saturday at 723 Kennedy Ave. A man and a 4-year-old child were inside, according to Ed Saliba Jr., chief of the New Kensington Fire...
State police accuse Parks Township man of firing shot at woman during dispute about funeral arrangements
State police accused a Parks Township man who gathered with family members to make funeral arrangements for his father of firing a shot at a woman in the group after they began arguing. Jeffrey Lynn Walker, 38, of the 1200 block of Ridge Road was charged Oct. 2 with a...
Write-in winner Gary Hines challenges incumbent Eric Bengel for Harrison commissioner
Voters in Harrison’s 3rd Ward will get a repeat of a heated commissioners race between incumbent Eric Bengel and newcomer Gary Hines. The Democrats competed in the spring for a four-year seat, with Bengel edging Hines by seven votes. Hines won the write-in nomination on the Republican ticket for the...
The Stroller, Oct. 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. Donations being accepted for holiday turkey vouchers Allegheny Valley Association of...
New Kensington man pleads guilty in federal tax fraud case
A New Kensington man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court on charges that he prepared false tax returns, collecting more than $130,000 in fees in the process. Harvey Smith Jr., 58, of New Kensington, pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns through multiple clients by way of his tax preparation...
Police continue to investigate New Kensington shooting
A man remained hospitalized Friday morning after being shot Thursday afternoon in New Kensington. The shooting in the 1000 block of Kenneth Avenue, near McCargo Street, was reported to Westmoreland County 911 around 3:20 p.m. No arrests had been made as of Friday afternoon, said Melanie Jones, a spokeswoman for...
Cope, Felack on ballot for New Kensington-Arnold School Board seat
The only contested race in the New Kensington-Arnold School Board election this fall will pit an incumbent board member against a state representative’s legislative aide in the district’s Region 3. Incumbent board member and retired teacher John Cope and Eric Felack, a legislative aide for state Rep. Abby Major, will...
Nationally recognized magician to perform at Casino Theatre
Spending countless hours practicing magic in his bedroom as a youngster growing up in West Kittanning paid off for Tim Kutch. “I’d lock myself in my room practicing my magic tricks and then test them out on my family,” said Kutch, 39. Kutch, a practicing minister and part-time professional master...
The Stroller, Oct. 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. Plum Education Association to host Festival of Honor fundraiser The Plum...
Leechburg Area School Board candidates weigh in on biggest issues facing the district
Voters in the Leechburg Area School District will select from seven candidates in the Nov. 7 election to fill five seats on the Leechburg Area School Board. An eighth name on the ballot, former school board member Karen Freilino, resigned Sept. 20. Although her name remains on the ballot, Freilino...
Man shot in New Kensington, airlifted to hospital
A middle aged man was shot in New Kensington on Thursday afternoon, according to police. About 3:30 p.m., police blocked off the 1000 block of Kenneth Avenue for a shooting. A landing zone was set up at Valley High School. Investigators at the scene directed all inquiries to the Westmoreland...
Residents question Aspinwall media policy, officials say it streamlines communication
Aspinwall residents questioned why borough officials implemented a policy that regulates how the borough responds to inquiries from news outlets. Council never formally adopted the policy, which was released in July and posted on the borough’s website. Resident Steve Kochanowski at the Oct. 4 workshop meeting asked why it was...
Former Kiski Area athlete Kyrell Hutcherson suing school district, WPIAL, PIAA, claiming racial discrimination
A former high school athlete who defeated the WPIAL and PIAA in court almost three years ago has sued the organizations again, this time saying they violated his civil rights by racially discriminating against him. Kyrell Hutcherson filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court against the WPIAL, the PIAA, attorneys...
Man accused of having illegal gun during 2021 New Kensington traffic stop ordered to trial
A New Kensington man accused of giving his father’s name when a trooper pulled him over in late 2021 and found an illegal pistol in the vehicle has been ordered to stand trial. Aaron Brandon Lingard, 34, of Peach Court was charged by New Kensington police with felony counts of...
Springdale residents add Sunshine Act violation claim to reasons for stopping power plant implosion
Plaintiffs in the Springdale injunction case filed a motion in court Wednesday alleging that the issuing of a demolition permit for the former Cheswick Generating Station violated the state’s Sunshine Act. The complaint, filed by attorney John Kane, claims the violation is sufficient to block the implosion of the power...
Milltown Road reopens in Plum after slide remediation
PennDOT announced the reopening of a portion of Milltown Road (Route 2084) on Thursday in Plum. The section between Shearer and Barnes roads was closed to traffic July 31 to allow crews to conduct slide remediation. The closure originally was expected to last 55 days while workers from A. Liberoni...
Police accuse Brackenridge man of dealing drugs after 13 ounces of cocaine confiscated
A man was accused of being a drug dealer after agents raided an apartment in New Kensington and then his home in Brackenridge and found nearly 13 ounces of cocaine along with packaging material and paraphernalia. Chaz Terryl Wilburn, 41, of the 800 block of Brackenridge Avenue was charged with...
Brackenridge woman accused of trying to break through bedroom door with knife to get to man inside
A Brackenridge woman is accused of trying to break through a bedroom door with a kitchen knife so she could stab a man after he threatened to report her to child protective services. Haley Rain Rakes, 22, of the 1000 block of Broadview Boulevard was charged with a felony count...
Industrial development venture finalizes $10.7M acquisition of New Kensington manufacturing park
Two industrial development corporations announced Wednesday that they have finalized their acquisition of the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park. The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. and the Regional Industrial Development Corp. acquired the park from New Kensington’s redevelopment authority by assuming $10.7 million in park-related debt held by the redevelopment...
The Stroller, Oct. 19, 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 planned by Leechburg Area Community Association Leechburg Area Community...
High-speed fiber internet expansion announced for several Armstrong County communities
More than 2,200 homes and businesses in Armstrong County are now eligible for high-speed fiber internet, through broadband provider Kinetic by Windstream. Kinetic’s Armstrong County fiber project is part of a $2 billion multiyear investment strategy by Kinetic to expand gigabit fiber service across the company’s 150-community, 18-state fiber footprint....
Allegheny Township man spent 5 months in Ukraine, ‘helping the people who need it most’
The train ride from Krakow, Poland, into Ukraine was dark and cold. When the engine pulled into the Ternopil station, Allegheny Township truck driver Mark McLure immediately felt the terror of a war-torn territory. “The military gets on the train and they are armed with assault weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs,”...
Man accused of crashing SUV into motorcycle in New Kensington, seriously injuring driver
A Hempfield man accused of seriously injuring a motorcyclist when he crashed into his bike in New Kensington was taken into custody nearly a year after charges were filed. Yahor Ramanau, 20, of the 800 block of College Avenue was charged Nov. 4, 2022 with a felony count of aggravated...
