Valley News Dispatch category, Page 668
Lower Burrell gets parking lot; century-old cemetery gets needed upkeepVideo
A parking lot surrounded by graves might seem odd at a city hall, but in Lower Burrell, it’s benefiting the living and honoring the dead. The new parking lot — situated between graves next to the current police station along Bethel Street — is part of a $3.1 million renovation...
FirstNet communications network to be topic at W. Pa. Firemen’s Convention
Volunteer firefighters attending the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Convention business meeting Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Arnold will hear about the nation’s first special communications network for police, fire and emergency services crews. The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) overseeing the communications network selected AT&T to provide the broadband network. Michael Varney,...
Pet of the week: Max, a shepherd mixVideo
Everyone, meet Max! This fun-loving guy is TribLive’s very first Pet of the Week, and he’s available for adoption at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in New Kensington. Age: 4 or 5 years old Breed: He’s a shepherd mix who came to the shelter with some pretty bad allergies but,...
State police seize marijuana from Apollo buildingVideo
State troopers Thursday morning removed marijuana plants and related items from a former funeral home in Apollo. The building at the corner of South Pennsylvania Avenue and North Second Street is next door to the First Evangelical Lutheran Church and across the street from a former school. The brown building...
Route 910 bridge in West Deer to close until October
The Route 910 Bridge in West Deer Township will close beginning at 6 a.m. Monday for replacement work. The bridge spans a branch of Deer Creek between Oak Road and Frontier Drive. Traffic will be detoured through mid-October. It’s a $1.09 million dollar project, which also includes approach roadway work,...
Harrison Recreation Board seeks residents to help with community events
Harrison’s Recreation Board is already looking ahead to the holidays and seeking residents interested in helping put together the township’s annual Christmas festival and other community events. The seven-member board isn’t looking for new, formal board members, just those able to lend a hand, Commissioner Chuck Dizard said. In addition...
Ceremonial groundbreaking pauses work on New Kensington’s Pioneer ApartmentsVideo
An $18.2 million apartment and office building under construction in New Kensington is the latest example of the city’s revitalization, Mayor Tom Guzzo said at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Wesley Family Services project Thursday. Work on Pioneer Apartments, a four-story building that will house 36 apartments and offices for...
Boater dies in Allegheny River near Harmar
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect hometown of the victim. Officials have identified the man who fell out of his boat and into the Allegheny River and died Thursday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as John Franklin Kenawell, 76, of Ballwin,...
Fallen tree blamed for power outage for 1,300 in Lower Burrell, Allegheny TownshipVideo
A fallen tree along Route 56 in Lower Burrell Thursday morning caused a power outage for about 1,300 customers in Lower Burrell and Allegheny Township, according to West Penn Power and city officials. At about 9:30 a.m. a tree fell into the power lines near Midas Muffler on Route 56....
SBA loans approved for damage from July storms in Allegheny County
Residents in Plum and other Allegheny County communities may be eligible to receive disaster loans for damages to property from late July storms, the county’s Department of Emergency Services on Thursday said. The U.S. Small Business Administration declared a disaster in Allegheny County after communities were hit with flooding on...
Man critically injured in fiery Allegheny Township crash
A 59-year-old man was critically injured Wednesday when his car crashed and burst into flames in Allegheny Township, police Chief Duane Fisher said. The crash happened about 11:40 p.m. in the 4000 block of Leechburg Road. Fisher said Richard Schmidt of East Pittsburgh was traveling south on the roadway, also...
Crashes snarl morning commute on Route 28
Multiple crashes Thursday along Route 28 slowed the morning commute into Pittsburgh, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. A motorcycle crashed near the Etna Bypass shortly after 6 a.m., halting inbound traffic, WPXI-TV reported. State police in Kittanning said one person was injured in that crash and taken to UPMC...
Fox Chapel Farmers Market enjoys success in 9th season
The smell of freshly baked pizza wafted across the campus of Shady Side Academy Senior School on a Wednesday afternoon while the sounds of jazz played in the background. Dozens of people strolled between vendors at the Fox Chapel Farmers Market, in its ninth season, near the school’s McIlroy Center...
Freeport Theatre Festival performs classic ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’
“Arsenic and Old Lace” is one of those killer classics. Written by Joseph Kesselring, two maiden aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, have a curious charity. They poison lonely, elderly gentlemen with homemade elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, in order to put them out of their misery. Set in 1941, the...
New $245,000 section of Tredway recreational trail in Allegheny Township opens
The new 1.75-mile extension of the Tredway recreational trail winding along the River Forest golf course in Allegheny Township from the marina to under the Freeport Bridge is just about complete. This week, the recreational trail flanked by manicured greenery was ready for walking and biking. Allegheny Township and Senate...
Harrison man headed to trial on assault charges
A Harrison man was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on assault and other charges in connection with a July 31 incident in which police said he beat a woman inside their Walnut Street home. Dominic Pelligrini, 43, faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of simple assault,...
Blackburn’s to raze Tarentum building for parking lot
Blackburn’s Physician’s Pharmacy plans to tear down a building it recently bought on East Fourth Avenue in Tarentum and use the lot for employee parking. The Tarentum-based company is working on getting the required permits from Allegheny County and bids from contractors to take down the building at 326 E....
In wake of recent shootings, Fox Chapel pastor aims to ‘build community’
In the wake of a deadly weekend during which 32 people were killed in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, a local preacher is stretching out his arms and inviting people of all denominations to his Fox Chapel church. “We need to build community,” said the Rev....
Fox Chapel’s Kerr Elementary ready to welcome students back to school
The countdown is on. In just about a week, Fox Chapel Area students will head back to class. District officials have been busy readying new courses, programs and building upgrades for the Aug. 22 start. Kerr Elementary students will start the year in the new $21 million building that was...
‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette,’ filmed in New Kensington and Pittsburgh, coming to theatersVideo
After several delays, a movie filmed in New Kensington and other Pittsburgh-area locations two years ago is coming to theaters. ”Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is being released Aug. 16 but will hit area theaters — including Cinemark at the Pittsburgh Mills, AMC at the Waterfront in West Homestead, and Regal...
Donations sought for 2020 New Kensington fireworks
The Fourth of July wasn’t that long ago, but organizers of New Kensington’s fireworks display already are thinking about next year. And they’re worried. Proceeds from a basket raffle during a block party preceding this year’s display were supposed to help pay for next year’s fireworks. Rain on July 6...
Asbestos could limit Tarentum demolitions
Asbestos could reduce the number of dilapidated buildings that Tarentum will be able to tear down this year. The borough expects to receive the results of asbestos testing on 28 properties this week, code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said. The borough paid Corwin Inspections $11,175 to do the testing. That...
Plans being made for removal of Belvedere Hotel’s charred remains
State Rep. Joe Petrarca confirmed his office is leading efforts to kick off the cleanup of the charred, asbestos- laden remains of the Belvedere Hotel along Route 66 in Oklahoma Borough. A July 24 blaze swiftly destroyed the abandoned, almost 115-year-old hotel. The fire still is under investigation by state police....
New Kensington cops revive 2 men who overdosed, then charged 1 of them
New Kensington police revived two men with the opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan and then filed drug-related charges against one of them, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. Police said they found the men unconscious just before 8 p.m. Friday in a car parked at Sheetz on Freeport Street. The...
Vandergrift hopes block grant money will cover paving costs
Vandergrift officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the borough can obtain more than $200,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money next year. The only money available this year went toward paving Oregon Avenue. Work to improve drainage on Oregon started Monday, and milling and paving work is expected...
