Valley News Dispatch category, Page 658
Memorial planned for veterans who attended Valley High School
Before going on to serve their country in the military, they walked the halls of Valley High School. A new memorial standing in front of the New Kensington-Arnold high school will recognize and honor their service and sacrifice — in not only the past, but also the future. The Veterans...
Freeport welcomes all to enjoy September by the River this weekend
Long before patrons reached the 13th annual September by the River festival in Freeport, they could hear a chainsaw roaring and tap shoes clicking in the park gazebo along the Allegheny River. Pungent smells of popcorn, haluski and homemade wedding soup lingered for blocks. Hosted by the Freeport Renaissance Association...
Arnold to aggressively pursue unpaid garbage, sewage bills
Arnold is going to get aggressive when it comes to collecting the money it is owed for city services. The city is owed about $131,000 in unpaid garbage and sewage bills, City Clerk Mario Bellavia said. Garbage collection costs $22 per month. Mayor Karen Peconi said residents not paying for...
Raise a glass at the New Kensington Wine & Beer Festival
For Jimbo Jackson, it’s about giving back. The entertainer, who lives in Arnold but was born in New Kensington, will take the stage at the second annual New Kensington Wine & Beer Festival. The event is from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 20 along Fifth Avenue. The event is free...
No debate about the greatness of these former WPIAL stars
Who are the top high school football players in the WPIAL’s rich history? That debate could rage on until next high football school season or the one after that. But there’s no debating the greatness of these former WPIAL stars from the Tribune-Review’s coverage area, listed alphabetically below: LaVar Arrington,...
Removal of Belvedere Hotel fire rubble halted due to higher, unexplained costs
Officials won’t say exactly what the problem is, but they are seeking bids for the demolition of the Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough after halting the project this week just a day before the removal of the charred remains was scheduled to begin. After a July 24 fire decimated the...
Freeport home considered total loss after late night fire
A fast moving fire at a Freeport home late Thursday damaged it beyond repair, the borough’s fire chief said Friday. Tom Sweeny Jr., chief 1 of the Freeport Volunteer Fire Department, said the 2-story house at 214 2nd St. is a total loss. “The fire vented itself through the roof,...
Highlands superintendent schedules ‘Coffee Talks’ at schools
Highlands Superintendent Monique Mawhinney will be holding a series of “Coffee Talks” this year to improve communication between parents and school district administration. It will be an opportunity for parents with children in the district’s schools to discuss any issues or concerns related to their building or to share news...
ATI employees give Tarentum’s Dreshar Stadium a new look on Day of CaringVideo
Out with the red, in with the beige. Tarentum’s Dreshar Stadium is sporting a new look thanks to volunteers from ATI. Thirteen employees from the steel company painted the back wall of the bleachers at the First Avenue field as part of its participation in the United Way of Southwestern...
Understanding, recovering from addiction the focus of New Kensington programs
Substance abuse and addiction will be covered Tuesday in two separate programs at Westmoreland County Community College in New Kensington. The programs are being held as part of the college’s observance of September as National Recovery Month. Both are free and open to the public. “We want to have students...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 13-15Video
TGIF! Take a step back in time. Try some exotic fare. Twist and shout. There’s truly something for everyone this weekend. (And the forecast is looking pretty good, too.) Time for scutching Flax scutching is something of a lost art — everywhere but in Stahlstown, that is. What is flax...
Family re-creates 16-year-old photo featuring Valley News Dispatch
Years ago, the Valley News Dispatch would print photos of people holding the newspaper while they were on vacation. It’s still doing that today. At least in one family’s case. Cristine Kostiuk, 60, of Kiski Township said her family thought it would be fun to re-create a photo taken 16...
Fire destroys Freeport home, no injuries reported
A fire ripped through the upper half of a Freeport home shortly before midnight Thursday, drawing dozens of neighbors out of bed and onto their porches and front yards to watch firefighters extinguish the flames. The fire damaged the house beyond repair, said Tom Sweeny Jr., chief 1 of the...
Westmoreland judge awards Allegheny Township woman $600K in slip-fall case
An Allegheny Township woman has been awarded $600,000 for injuries she suffered two years ago outside of a township mini-mart. Following a two-day trial, a Westmoreland County jury ordered Graft Oil of Oci Inc., the owners of the Honey Bear Mini-Mart on Route 356 in Allegheny Township, to pay for...
Armstrong County man tells police he’s ‘too fat’ to run from arrest
An Armstrong County man suspected of driving under the influence Wednesday in New Kensington told police he tried to run away because he was wanted on a warrant, but was “too fat” to get away. Now, Danial James Hilton Dopson, 31, of Cadogan, faces charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest,...
Chick-fil-A wants to be in O’Hara
A Chick-fil-A restaurant soon could be coming to the Alle-Kiski Valley. Chick-fil-A last month filed for a building permit in O’Hara for construction in Fox Chapel Plaza along Freeport Road where the now-closed Rita’s Italian Ice building is located. “We look forward to working through the approval process with …...
Don’t look now, but Fawn is keeping an eye on illegal dumping
Fawn Township is about to go high-tech in trying to combat illegal dumping in the township. The township will employ cameras at one of several locations throughout the community where dumping has occurred, according to supervisors Chairman David Montanari and Township Secretary Pam Ponsart. Ponsart said the set of three...
Longtime Kiski Township Supervisor Jack Wilmot Jr. steps down
After 35 years as a Kiski Township supervisor, Jack Wilmot Jr. has stepped down, though he still remains interested in public service. Wilmot turned in his resignation Monday, and supervisors on Wednesday started the process of getting a replacement for the longtime township fixture. “I’m not happy with the way...
Harrison blocks billboard along Alter Road, visible from Route 28
A man wanting to place a billboard visible from Route 28 in Harrison says he may try to do it in another municipality after being denied a variance to put one on land in the township. Harrison’s zoning hearing board denied the variance requested by John P. Oliver of Oliver...
Traffic snag on Brackenridge side of ATI’s steel mill wreaks havoc for its Stieren neighbors
Stieren Avenue in Brackenridge is just too dangerous for Katy Thies to let her children play in front of her home. Because nearby Mile Lock Lane is one-way in the opposite direction between Stieren and First Avenue, more traffic comes down the narrow one-way street. “We used to let them...
West Leechburg man accused of bank robbery waives charges to court
Leechburg police say that when Carlin Mitchell Quinn allegedly dug through two building walls to rob a bank, he made off with — change. No bills, about $1,400 in coins. “That’s my understanding,” Patrolman Mark Pollick said. Quinn, 27 of West Leechburg, is charged with robbing the Leechburg First Commonwealth...
Belvedere Hotel demolition postponed, Orr Avenue remains open
The demolition of the Belvedere Hotel, aka the Tin Hut, in Oklahoma Borough, is postponed, according to PennDOT. Demolition was to begin this week with the closure of Orr Avenue at Route 66 but was called off at the last minute. Demolition was expected to last through the month of...
Gilpin police adding body cameras, computers
Gilpin police officers are updating their on-the-job technology. The department was authorized by supervisors Monday to buy four body cameras for officers. Police Chief Chris Fabec also was authorized to install computers in the two patrol vehicles. He also will buy two desktop computers for use by officers in the...
Arnold man charged with assaulting woman, leaving blood trail to apartment
An Arnold man is accused of beating a woman so severely Sunday she left a puddle of blood on a sidewalk, according to police. Arnold police said they responded to a reported domestic dispute in the 2200 block of Leishman Avenue at about 7:20 p.m. A caller told police she...
Hiring part-time officer sparks debate between Arnold mayor, council
Arnold City Council voted Tuesday to hire two police officers over an objection from Mayor Karen Peconi. Council, including Peconi, voted unanimously to hire Bruce Wigton as a full-time officer. But Peconi cast the lone dissenting vote against hiring Frederick Hockenberry as a part-timer. Both officers will earn a starting...
