Valley News Dispatch category, Page 384
New roof installed at near century-old Harrison church
A Harrison church that climbs four stories and is prominently along Freeport Road received a $44,000 makeover this month in the form of a new roof. “It was needed,” said Walter Rutkowski, trustees chairperson at Grace United Methodist Church. “Someone going through the drive-thru at CVS called the office on...
The Stroller, April 28, 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. Please include a daytime telephone number. St. Joseph HS plans summer camps St. Joseph High School, Harrison, will offer several summer camps for children at the school....
Baby at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh dies while awaiting liver transplant
Eileen Halloran cradled her grandson, Chance, on Friday night. She noticed something different about the baby boy who had lived his entire life in a neonatal intensive care unit, attached to a ventilator. The past year had been filled with operations, medical tests and drama. He was under consideration for...
Springdale power plant documented for history
Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society Board President James Thomas remembers when Springdale was called “The Power City.” The establishment of the Cheswick Generating Station in 1970, producing 565 megawatts of electricity, was part of the borough’s claim to fame. The location’s proximity to coal mines and the river was the perfect...
1 man injured in New Kensington shooting
A man is in stable condition after being shot Tuesday in New Kensington, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office. Police responded at about 7:45 p.m. to the 1300 block of Leishman Avenue for reports of shots fired. The victim, Garrick Marshall, no age available, suffered multiple gunshot wounds....
Aaron Kress was icon of Westmoreland County legal community
When Aaron Kress first met his wife, Dorothy, he told her he was a window washer. “He didn’t want her to get any preconceived notions about him being a lawyer,” said their daughter, Becky Fenoglietto of Penn Hills. “They were married very quickly,” she said. “My dad brought her back...
Scholarship set up to honor Plum motorcyclist who died in crash; family says justice system failed them
The family of a 20-year-old Plum man who died in August when his motorcycle collided with a car that pulled out in front of him has set up a scholarship in his memory at his high school alma mater. The Adam J. Garvin Memorial Scholarship, for seniors at Plum High...
Westmoreland Night of the Stars high school musical showcase returns
In 2019, John Noble said he was stepping away from Westmoreland Night of the Stars, the annual high school musical showcase he founded in 1997. After that year’s production, the Hempfield attorney and performer announced that he was turning over the reins to his daughter, Elly Noble Carr, who also...
The Stroller, April 27, 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. Please include a daytime telephone number. St. Joseph HS students to present, ‘Into The Woods’ The drama department at St. Joseph High School, Harrison, will present its...
Holiday light display expansion and more in the works at Freeport Community Park
As if Freeport Community Park hasn’t sparkled enough lately with renovations, park officials are trying to expand its drive-thru Christmas holiday light display. The 95-acre park was established in 1965 by Freeport Brick Co. owner Francis “Dutch” Laube Jr. but went downhill after he died in 2000, Freeport Mayor James...
St. Joseph students to stage ‘Into the Woods’ at Vandergrift’s Casino Theater
St. Joseph High School students have tapped into the expertise of professional directors for the spring production of “Into the Woods.” The guidance has taken them from “amateur to stars,” some of the theatrical teens said. “We’ve gone to a whole other level,” said senior Hannah Laskowski, 18, of Arnold....
Remember When: Female teacher coached 1943 high school football team at Bell Township
It was 1943, and World War II was raging. Thousands of Alle-Kiski Valley troops were away from home, fighting battles in Europe and in the Pacific. Locally, at Bell Township High School, all of the male teachers were serving in the military. As the high school football season approached, about...
Convicted sex offender charged with escape for leaving West Deer facility
A convicted sex offender was charged with a felony for leaving a West Deer behavioral facility where he was living under court order. Brandon Jamal Baker, 32, who last listed his address as Surrey Lane in Elizabeth Township, was charged with one count of felony escape along with making terroristic...
Pittsburgh man federally indicted on charges related to several robberies in Allegheny County
A Pittsburgh man arrested in connection with four armed robberies in March, including two in which people were shot, now faces federal charges. Eric Jones, 32, of the city’s East Hills neighborhood has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of robbery, attempted robbery and firearms violations, authorities...
Officials identify man, woman found dead in Springdale apartment
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the two people found dead Monday in a Springdale house as Robert Devaughn Williams, 36, of New Kensington and Morgan Kurpakus, 24, of Springdale. Their bodies were discovered after 3:30 p.m. Monday in a house in the 1000 of block of Pittsburgh...
Police: Man with 16 prior theft convictions faces felony charge for stealing from Frazer Walmart
A Homestead man who police say has 16 previous convictions for theft was charged with a felony and barred from all Walmarts because, authorities said, he tried to steal $134 worth of lighters, batteries and golf balls from the store in Frazer. Robert Carl Harris, 57, of the 100 block...
Vandergrift residents sought for Spring Cleanup on Saturday
Volunteers are needed for Vandergrift’s annual Spring Cleanup, scheduled for Saturday, April 30. The boroughwide community cleanup returns after a two-year hiatus caused by the covid-19 pandemic, said co-organizer and Vandergrift Councilwoman Marilee Kessler. Co-organizers include Vandergrift Police officer Joe Gray, the Vandergrift Improvement Program, Vandergrift Neighborhood Watch, borough officials...
The Stroller, April 26, 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. Please include a daytime telephone number. High school show choirs to combine voices at annual concert Highlands High School will host the annual Alle-Kiski Show Choir Festival...
Building the Valley: Upper Burrell’s new 3740 Cafe offers combo of coffee and community
It’s a family affair at 3740 Cafe in Upper Burrell. Located along the winding and rural Milligantown Road, 3740 Cafe seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere. It is anything but. Mike and Christy Albert strategically chose the one-story building at 3740 Milligantown Road because it is within two...
Tarentum Recreation Board touts exciting summer lineup
Tarentum Recreation Board has released its summer lineup, with a schedule of events aimed at drawing people to the borough’s riverfront park and beyond. “They have something for everyone,” resident Cathy Fajbik said. “The fact that it’s free helps a lot, but, really, to look out at the boats and...
Police: Harrison woman tries to bribe officers after DUI arrest
State police say a Harrison woman offered to pay troopers $60 if they’d take her home instead of to jail after arresting her for driving under the influence Sunday, April 17. State police said Tabatha Mae Jack, 33, of Village Green Drive resisted arrest that morning, injuring herself and a...
Mother describes ‘nightmare’ after blast destroyed her family’s Plum home
It was a normal Friday night for Laura Petty and her family at their new home on Hialeah Drive in Plum. It was shortly after 11 p.m. She was sleeping, and her husband, Jake Rabb, had fallen asleep in the living room. Of their three sons, Dean, 2, and Colin,...
Vandergrift woman’s murder trial ends with plea deal to lesser charge
A Vandergrift woman pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder, putting an end to her homicide trial during which prosecutors claimed she intentionally fired three shots, killing her cousin in 2018. Ashley Marie Croft, 38, will serve a 15- to 30-year prison sentence under terms of the plea deal. Croft did...
Brackenridge seeking money from Allegheny County to fight blight by razing vacant buildings
Brackenridge Council is seeking money from Allegheny County to launch an anti-blight effort. Council last week voted to apply for about $129,000 to raze several vacant or dilapidated structures. Most are residential properties, Borough Secretary Denise Tocco said. “All of them have been vacant a long time,” she said. Borough...
Deer Lakes High School students plan walkout Friday to protest bullying, discrimination
After what he called “countless empty promises by the administration,” Deer Lakes High School senior Kevin Hoffman said he is compelled to speak up about bullying against him not being handled by the school. Since middle school, he said, he has faced racism, sexual harassment and threats. Each time he...
