Valley News Dispatch category, Page 636
Police release photo of ‘person of interest’ in robbery of Harmar off-track betting parlor
Allegheny County Police are seeking the public’s help identifying a person of interest in the Nov. 25 robbery of the Meadows Off Track Betting parlor in Harmar. Investigators said a man claiming to have a gun forced an employee to open the cash room at the betting facility about an...
The Stroller, Dec. 4, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Graze Party to benefit Knead Community Cafe A Holiday Graze Party will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14 at Knead Community Café, 1011 Barnes St., New Kensington. The menu will include cured domestic and imported meats, hard and soft cheeses, spreads, vegetables and dips, hummus, roasted and grilled...
Longtime head of Highlands School Board loses bid to retain presidency
Debbie Beale has been a member of the Highlands School Board for nearly a quarter of a century, with half of that spent as its president. But the new school board that was seated on Tuesday ousted Beale from her post as president, and any other leadership position. The board...
Lower Burrell receives $91,000 in grants for parks
Lower Burrell will use several grants to pay for new playground equipment at Veterans Park, develop a city parks plan and make other improvements. Outgoing Councilman Chris Koziarski, who oversaw the city’s parks department, and City Administrator Amy Rockwell announced Monday that the city secured two state grants totaling $69,900...
New Kensington proposes tax increase to combat blight
An ambitious program to eliminate blight in New Kensington is one factor behind a proposal to raise real estate taxes in the city by 11%. Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve an $8.1 million preliminary budget that would increase property taxes for the general fund from 27 mills to...
Kiski Valley Community Band concert series to raise money for food banks
A holiday musical tradition continues as the Kiski Valley Community Band prepares to present its “The Sounds of Christmas” concert fundraiser series. Four performances are scheduled, starting with a concert Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church in Murrysville. Concerts also are scheduled in Buffalo Township, Leechburg and Apollo. All shows benefit...
Judge sends Tarentum billboard case back to borough’s Zoning Hearing Board
A company denied permission to place a billboard next to the Tarentum Bridge scored a victory Tuesday with an Allegheny County judge ruling that Tarentum’s Zoning Hearing Board must determine whether the borough’s zoning bans billboards. Common Pleas Judge Joseph James issued the single-sentence order in America First Enterprises’ appeal...
2 men suffer non-life-threatening injuries in 2-car collision in Springdale Township
Two men suffered non-life-threatening injuries when their cars collided Monday in Springdale Township, Allegheny Valley Regional police Chief Mike Naviglia said. The crash involving a gray Ford and a white Volkswagen occurred about 5:10 p.m. in the 2800 block of Freeport Road near John & Gerry’s Fruit Market. Both men...
The Stroller, Dec. 3, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Deer Lakes students to perform at Allegheny County Courthouse The Deer Lakes High School Concert Choir and Symphonic Band will perform Wednesday on the Grand Staircase inside the Allegheny County Courthouse, 436 Grant St., Pittsburgh. The band will play at 11:30 a.m. and the choir performance will start at 12:20...
Public performance part of Honor Band Festival at Valley High School
Valley High School in New Kensington will host the annual Westmoreland County Senior High Honor Band Festival on Friday. The concert is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. It is open to the public. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 10....
Cope named new president of New Kensington-Arnold School board
As he prepares to retire from his nearly 50-year teaching career, the new president of the New Kensington-Arnold School Board said he wants to be involved in the district’s schools as much as he can. “It’s an honor, it’s a duty, it’s a privilege,” John Cope said shortly after taking...
Freeport Road, Route 910 traffic signal work to start in Harmar
Work to improve traffic signals on Route 910 and Freeport Road in Harmar is scheduled to begin Tuesday, resulting in traffic restrictions, according to PennDOT. Single-lanes restrictions will be in place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays from Tuesday through June 2020 at intersections along Route 910 from...
An Arnold staple, Fazio’s Pizza & Italian Food lives onVideo
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com. Fazio’s Pizza & Italian Food in Arnold is still...
2 taken to hospital after 2-car crash in Springdale Township
Two people were taken to a hospital after a two-car crash Monday in Springdale Township. Allegheny County emergency dispatchers said the crash happened around 5:10 p.m. in the 2800 block of Freeport Road near John & Gerry’s Fruit Market. Two people were cut from vehicles. It was not immediately known...
Nick J. Petrishen, owner of Nick Chevrolet in Tarentum, dies at 77
The night before he suffered a stroke that would ultimately take his life, Nick Petrishen Jr. went with his only son to see the movie “Ford v Ferrari.” “He really enjoyed it the whole time,” said his son Nick S. Petrishen, 50, of Natrona Heights. “The ironic part is the...
Penn Hills man described by police as ‘one-man crime spree’ gets 5 years in prison
A Penn Hills man will serve at least five years in prison for two incidents described by Westmoreland County prosecutors as “strikingly similar” to one in which a New Kensington police officer was shot and killed two years ago. Brandon M. Jeter, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to firearms offenses and...
Springdale WIC office to reopen
The Springdale office for the Allegheny County Health Department’s Women, Infants and Children office will reopen Thursday after being closed for about two months. The office was one of two WIC locations unexpectedly shuttered at the beginning of October because of increased demand in other parts of the county. At...
Apollo Borough gets new offices, councilwoman, return of its Christmas parade
There are changes coming to Apollo this month and next, as the borough office is moving to a new location, its council vice president has resigned just after winning a new term, a new councilwoman has started a little early, and the Christmas parade returns Friday. Council expects the borough...
Alle-Kiski Valley gyms work out to raise more than $4,000 for Toys for Tots
Alle-Kiski Valley residents broke a sweat to raise money for less fortunate children this holiday season. Members of the Anytime Fitness locations in Allegheny Township and Cheswick participated in a Lift-a-Thon to raise money for Toys for Tots, a Marine Corps program that collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them...
Charges dropped against key witness who testified against convicted police killer Rahmael HoltVideo
Prosecutors on Monday dropped criminal charges against a man they said provided key testimony against convicted cop killer Rahmael Sal Holt, just weeks after insisting no deal had been promised for his cooperation. Tavon Harper, 29, had been in custody since his arrest following the November 2017 fatal shooting of...
The Stroller, Dec. 2, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Training for tax counseling offered AARP Tax Aide is recruiting volunteers for the upcoming tax preparation season. Tax Aide volunteers assist taxpayers with filing their federal, state and local taxes at no charge. Sites are located at senior centers, libraries, churches and the officers of state representatives in the Alle-Kiski...
Lower Burrell man learned plastering from his dad, turned it into career, nationwide union leadershipVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things they do. Dan Stepano would help his father plaster homes during what turned out to be, in effect, a very young apprenticeship. Ed “Peck” Stepano would wear stilts on the job. Every...
‘Misfits’ are anything but in this New Kensington kitchenVideo
A free class for teens is what’s cookin’ at The United Presbyterian Church of New Kensington. A new program dubbed “Misfits Cooking Class for Teens” launched in June, offering hands-on culinary experiences for teens age 13-17 in the church kitchen. “I believe one can make something good to eat out...
Route 56 between New Kensington, Lower Burrell reopened after multi-vehicle wreck
A stretch of Route 56 westbound between New Kensington and Lower Burrell reopened after being closed for several hours following a crash Sunday night. The wreck that involved multiple vehicles was reported shortly after 9 p.m. near the cloverleaf interchange where Route 56 meets Route 366. Authorities shut down the...
Chimney fire causes $45,000 in damage at New Kensington home
No one was injured when a chimney at a New Kensington home caught fire early Sunday morning, but the blaze caused an estimated $45,000 worth of damages, fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said. The fire was reported just before 1 a.m. at 1931 Meade Ave. All the occupants were able...
