Valley News Dispatch category, Page 340
Kiski Township supervisors will take more time to consider proposed changes in zoning boundaries, laws
A number of Kiski Township residents remain wary and confused about efforts to change and update township ordinances. The township’s planning commission held a public hearing on proposed changes Aug. 22, and the township supervisors held another Aug. 29. Both bodies took testimony from residents, but confusion remained as residents...
Aging volunteers, lack of replacements put Meals on Wheels programs in peril
For about a half-century, Ruth Donnell, 92, and Betty Smith, 89, have packed sandwich lunches and repurposed bread heels to dazzle Freeport Area Meals on Wheels clients with a culinary rarity — homemade bread pudding. “The reason I do it is to help people who haven’t been able to help...
The Stroller, Sept. 18, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Firemen’s carnival comes to Leechburg The annual Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company carnival...
Highlands Middle School offers clubs as way to grab and keep students’ interest
New Highlands Middle School Principal Becky Bragan started the school year with a goal to boost student engagement. So far, she’s crushing it. With support from the district administration, Bragan tweaked the class schedules so students end each day in an advisory period where several times a week they participate...
September by the River brings out visitors, residents in Freeport
Away from the sound of music and the scent of funnel cake in Freeport’s Riverside Park, Ariel Cypher was working on her chalk art on Fifth Street Saturday afternoon. Cypher of Harrison was among participants in the chalk art celebration that is part of this year’s annual September by the...
Leechburg’s Pink Day fundraiser/street party grows even larger, more popularVideo
Leechburg knows how to think pink. Pink Day, one of the largest annual fundraisers for breast cancer research in the Alle-Kiski Valley, celebrated its 11th anniversary Saturday under sunny skies and large crowds along Market Street in Leechburg. The event has grown every year and for founder and organizer Sherry...
Highlands High School could be ‘Going Green’ with proposed greenhouse project
By this time next year, Highlands High School students could be getting their hands dirty in the name of sustainable learning. Senior Eli Majocha proposed to the school board on Monday plans for a greenhouse to be constructed on the Pacific Avenue campus, saying the initiative would help tackle health...
Mother, friends launch search for missing Tarentum area woman
Friends and family of a Tarentum area woman who has been missing for three weeks went out looking for her Saturday. Tonya Lynn Sadecky, 43, was last seen in the area of Ninth Avenue and Morgan Street in Brackenridge on Aug. 28, according to police. She has not been seen...
Blooms, butterflies at Allegheny Township business honor late customer
An Allegheny Township salon is paying tribute to a former loyal customer with fondness and flowers. Employees at Fashions Ahead Salon & Grand Day Spa in Leechburg created a butterfly memorial garden this spring in honor of the late Leonard “Lenny” Rocco Calderone. Calderone died suddenly Jan. 16. He was...
The Stroller, Sept. 17, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Tickets on sale for Leechburg-Gilpin Lions purse bash Leechburg-Gilpin Lions Club will...
Judge adds $3.78 million to verdict in Westmoreland swimming pool injury case
A Westmoreland County judge awarded $3.7 million in delayed damages to a Vandergrift man who was left a quadriplegic after he jumped onto a raft in a friend’s swimming pool in 2013. After a trial in March, a jury issued a $19 million verdict, a record high in Westmoreland County,...
Allegheny Valley Hospital promotes healthy eating with first farmer’s market
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosted its first farmer’s market in Harrison on Thursday with a fresh array of veggies, meats and pastries. Hospital officials said the event was aimed at celebrating nearby farmers and bakers because the cafeteria uses locally-sourced items to supply its kitchen. Represented at the market were Old...
Tarentum police investigating Labor Day carjacking
Tarentum police are investigating after a woman told them she was carjacked at gunpoint just before 7 p.m. Sept. 5 along Heuser Way, not far from the Family Dollar store. No one was injured, according to Chief Bill Vakulick. The victim posted to social media about the incident, writing, “You...
New Oktoberfest Festival brewing in Vandergrift
Beers, bratwurst and German culture are set to collide with a new festival in Vandergrift. The area’s first Oktoberfest Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24. It is co-sponsored by Allusion Brewing Co. and the Vandergrift Business Association, and organizers are excited to close off Grant Avenue and roll out...
Allegheny Valley School Board votes, again, to tear down Colfax Elementary in Springdale
The adage claiming that history repeats itself is holding true for Colfax Elementary School in Springdale. Three years after the Allegheny Valley School Board voted to demolish the vacant building, it still stands. This week, the school board again voted to tear it down. That decision comes as the board...
Armstrong Trails lands $710,000 grant for design of Kiski River railroad bridge
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded $710,000 to Armstrong Trails to design the renovation of the old railroad bridge over the Kiski River in the village of Schenley in Gilpin. Earlier this year, Armstrong County landed a $3.5 million state grant to buy the Kiski Junction Railroad...
Kiski Area moving toward sports season tickets, all-sport passes for fans
Kiski Area High School sports fans could get a break when purchasing tickets to Cavalier games. The school board Wednesday gave Athletic Director John Peterman the green light, by consensus, to start designing season ticket programs for Kiski sporting events where admission is charged. The idea would be to offer...
The Stroller, Sept. 16, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Project SEED accepting donations to feed local children New Kensington-Arnold Project SEED...
2nd medical marijuana dispensary opens in New Kensington
Obtaining medical marijuana just got more convenient in the Alle-Kiski Valley, with the opening of another dispensary in New Kensington. Zen Leaf medical cannabis dispensary opened Friday at 215 Tarentum Bridge Road, in the former Papa John’s Pizza location. “It’s been great. A strong start,” said Joseph Kuches, Zen Leaf...
Natrona Heights woman, 80, struck by vehicle in Tarentum, condition unknown
A Natrona Heights woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle in Tarentum. The 80-year-old woman was transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to Tarentum police. Police did not release her name. Police said the woman was in a...
Public invited to honor loved ones for Monarch Hospice memorial walk on Saturday in Lower Burrell
Monarch Hospice is sponsoring its third annual Memorial Walk and Celebration of Life on Saturday. The public is invited to Kotecki Park in Lower Burrell to honor their lost ones. For years, the annual memorial service was held in a church to honor seriously ill patients and other loved ones...
Former State Rep. Jeff Pyle dies; legacy lives on with community college branch in Ford City
Former State Rep. Jeff Pyle, 57, died on Wednesday in Ford City after a long battle with cancer. A Ford City resident, Pyle was a former nine-term Republican state representative, Ford City mayor, and Ford City teacher. He is survived by his wife, Michele Pyle, and two daughters. Pyle battled...
Labrador retriever pup, Charlie, could be new staffer at Highlands Middle School
The Highlands Middle School in Harrison could have a new administrative staffer by next week — one with four legs and a wet nose. The school board is considering a proposal for a district therapy dog named Charlie, a 5-month-old Labrador retriever. Charlie belongs to Principal Becky Bragan. “The goal...
Hyde Park husband sentenced to up to 26 years in prison for wife’s death
Despite being convicted of her murder, Jeffrey Fondrk told a Westmoreland County judge Thursday that he misses his wife. “She was the world to me and I tried to take care of her the best I could. I regret her death and I miss her. She was a very good...
Squaw Run stream renamed as Sycamore Run
The federal renaming of a stream that runs through Fox Chapel, Indiana Township and O’Hara is a long-sought triumph for people who battled years against what is now a nationally recognized slur. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Sept. 8 announced that Squaw Run will be called Sycamore Run, striking...
