Valley News Dispatch category, Page 506
Dollar General to open store in Freeport
A new Dollar General store is set to open in Freeport this spring, filling a need in the community. “It’s a big win for our town,” said Freeport Mayor James Swartz. Freeport doesn’t have a grocery store, Swartz explained. The closest thing it has to one is a gas station...
Aspinwall has joined the North Hills COG
Aspinwall is now a member of the North Hills Councils of Government (COG), leaving its longtime membership at the Allegheny Valley North group. Council green-lighted the move, saying the change was based largely on logistics. “The AVNCOG was great and served Aspinwall well,” council president Tim McLaughlin said. “However, we...
Squaw Run Road in Fox Chapel will become Hemlock Hollow Road
In a nod to the borough’s early years, Fox Chapel council voted on Monday night to rename Squaw Run Road to Hemlock Hollow Road, bringing an end to a nine-month conflict on how to remove the slur “Squaw” from place names. The change to one of the borough’s most heavily...
The Stroller, March 16, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, events and fundraisers in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Collection to benefit Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Women of the Alle-Kiski Engaging, a division of the Alle Kiski Strong Chamber of Commerce, is...
Burrell track not ready for meets until weather allows for painting to be done
One of the final details on Burrell School District’s $1.8 million renovation of Buccaneer Stadium — painting lines on the track — remains on hold until there’s a window of warmer and dry weather. “It’s a great surface,” said Drake D’Angelo, Burrell’s athletic director. “We will be excited to use...
Westmoreland DA candidate Ziccarelli a no-show for jury duty
Nicole Ziccarelli, a candidate for Westmoreland County District Attorney, was a no-show Monday morning for jury duty at the courthouse. Court officials confirmed Ziccarelli, a lawyer from New Kensington, was one of 160 prospective jurors summoned to appear the first day of the March criminal trial term. Ziccarelli, a Republican,...
Shamrock Shuffle raises nearly $15K in West Leechburg
The nonprofit Semper Gratus raised nearly $15,000 at Saturday’s Shamrock Shuffle in West Leechburg, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The 5K race/one-mile walk returned this year after being canceled in 2020 because of covid safety concerns. The event was adjusted with...
Allegheny County launches program to provide rent, utility relief
Allegheny County residents struggling to pay rent or utility bills can apply for help through a program that launched Monday. The program is a cooperative effort by the county, the City of Pittsburgh, Action Housing and Dollar Energy. It will distribute nearly $36 million in federal coronavirus appropriations to help...
The Stroller, March 15, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, events and fundraisers in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. HOPE Center offers shelter for families and pets The Alle-Kiski HOPE Center offers a Sheltering Animals and Families Together (SAF-T) Kennel to victims of...
Burrell Lake Park’s Fisher Hall will get much needed face-lift
The décor at Lower Burrell’s Fisher Hall was getting a bit too rustic for the times, so a city councilwoman and the public works department are working on a face-lift for one of the city popular social halls. Located in Burrell Lake Park, Fisher Hall is the go-to venue for...
The Hyde Park Museum may be small, but it’s packed with more than 2,500 local artifacts
Take a big trip down memory lane through three small rooms that comprise the Hyde Park Museum. Originally called the Hyde Park Museum Historical Room, volunteers Kathleen Baker and Maria Vokish have helped to expand the exhibits, adding rooms since opening in 2001. The museum is nestled inside the former...
Deer Lakes senior’s hopeful greeting card contest entry is a hit with voters
A Deer Lakes senior entered a national greeting card contest, and her uplifting message during the covid pandemic is striking a chord with the public. Annika Stankowski created her card design as a source of hope and motivation. Her artfully hand-drawn card includes an assortment of flowers and words of...
No matter how you slice it, today is Pi(e) DayVideo
To mathematicians, today is Pi Day — 3.14 is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle. Get it … March 14 … 3.14. But to bakers, it’s apple, cherry, cream or even a whiskey-infused Pie Day. “Every day is pie day here,” said...
The Stroller, March 14, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, events and fundraisers in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Raffle to benefit Burrell-New Kensington Rotary projects Burrell-New Kensington Rotary is conducting an online Win Our Wallet raffle to benefit the club community projects...
Fire destroys vacant house, damages nearby garage in Harrison, fire chief says
A fire was reported at a vacant house in Harrison on Saturday afternoon. Hilltop Hose Fire Company confirmed it responded to the blaze, as did volunteers from Citizens Hose. The fire was reported at 4 p.m. at 67 River Ave. in the Natrona neighborhood, according to an Allegheny County 911...
Craft, vendor show planned in Parks Township to benefit animal sickness research
Vandergrift’s Joni Bertelle once bought a severely neglected horse for $2 at a livestock auction and tried to nurse the animal back to health, but it died of colic six months later. After Bertelle’s dog of 16 years, Trixie Lee, died of cancer, she created Pawz for Cure in 2017...
Police: New Kensington man became unresponsive after swallowing heroin during arrest
A New Kensington man became unresponsive earlier this month after police said he tried to swallow a bag of heroin while being arrested and the bag broke open. Stacey O’Neal Jr., 31, faces a handful of felony charges, including possession with intent to deliver drugs and two counts each of...
3 times as many Deer Lakes students choosing in-person instruction over remote learning
Deer Lakes School District began offering full-time, in-person instruction again last week. The school board voted in February to eliminate the hybrid approach that had been in place, leaving families a choice between full-time, in-person instruction or fully remote instruction for their child. Deer Lakes now has 1,324 students receiving...
The Stroller, March 13, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, events and fundraisers in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Knead Community Café accepting donations Knead Community Café, New Kensington, is accepting donations to help the daily operation of the café, 1011 Barnes St....
Leechburg Area Junior/Senior High School reports another covid case, seventh this week
Leechburg Area Junior/Senior High School reported an additional positive coronavirus test Friday — the district’s seventh at the secondary level this week, according to Superintendent Tiffany Nix. Nix said that’s more than the school has seen all school year. The most recent positive test was a student who was most...
Mass vaccination programs pave the way for gradual return to school in Pennsylvania
Matt Jones breathed a sigh of relief Friday as he met with Jeannette High School Principal Joe Baker to chart the latest stage in a phased-in return to five-day-a-week in-person classes. Like fellow school administrators across the region, the superintendent of Jeannette schools has spent countless hours on the phone,...
Kitchen fire caused East Ninth Avenue blaze in Tarentum
The fast-moving blaze that engulfed a three-story home in the 300 block of East Ninth Avenue in Tarentum on Thursday started in the kitchen, according to fire officials. Two firefighters were injured, but discharged from Allegheny Valley Hospital within hours. Residents in the home were able to safely exit. The...
Gilpin supervisors look to update burning ordinance
Gilpin Township is considering changes to its decades-old burning ordinance. The updated ordinance, to be voted on next month, would allow residents more leeway when burning on their property. Supervisor Charles Stull said at a meeting this week that the township’s original ordinance was passed in 1997, and contains several...
Upper Burrell delays approving Dollar General plan over permitting, drainage issues
Upper Burrell is temporarily shelving Dollar General’s plans to build a store along Route 780 at Dewey Drive until the developer secures permits and other approvals. The township’s planning commission also raised concerns over drainage issues near the store. Although the proposed store is unpopular with many residents who would...
Leechburg’s former Siberian Iron Works 1 of 23 sites in Pa. receiving new historic markers
A site in Leechburg is one of 23 across the state receiving new historical markers from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. The site of the former Siberian Iron Works will soon receive the familiar blue sign with gold lettering that marks 2,300 historical sites across Pennsylvania. “For Leechburg, it...
