Valley News Dispatch category, Page 675
Pittsburgh cartoonist collaborates on comic book series
Joe Wos often takes photos of paper napkins when he’s having a meal. He saves the pictures on his smartphone. Why? “Some of the best ideas are drawn on a napkin,” says Wos, an acclaimed cartoonist and founder of Pittsburgh’s Toonseum, a museum devoted to the cartoon arts. “If you...
New director of public works and parks starts in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell has a new director of public works and parks after the city’s longtime public works foreman moved on. Jeff Fleming, the city’s director of public works and parks, will earn $82,000 annually and started July 8. The former foreman, Scott Johnson, resigned to take a job in Colorado....
Lower Burrell announces partial road closures for milling work
Craigdell Road, Wachter Drive and part of Oregon Drive will be open only to local traffic as they are milled on Tuesday. Base repairs will be done on Tuesday and possibly paving, which is otherwise scheduled for July 17, weather permitting. There are flaggers to assist residents to reach their...
Vandergrift Councilman Pete Basile resigns for health reasons
Former Vandergrift Councilman Pete Basile told the Tribune-Review on Friday that he resigned from his elected position for health reasons. A retired Westmoreland County assistant police chief, Basile, 58, was elected in November 2017 to a four-year term. He also was a part-time Vandergrift police officer for 34 years. His...
Indiana Township’s Ice Cream World serves its last scoopVideo
Five days after Ice Cream World opened in Indiana Township, the Flood of 1986 cascaded down Harts Run Road and water climbed to the window where thousands of hand-dipped cones have since been served. “We had an employee standing on the roof,” said Joel DeBaldo, owner of the old-school ice...
Indiana Township road to remain open during bridge work
McClellan Road in Indiana Township will remain open while a bridge is being replaced, Allegheny County Public Works announced Friday. Work to replace Deer Creek Bridge No. 9 will start at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 22, according to the county. The work is expected to last four months. The...
Lower Burrell man unsure what to do about backyard sinkhole
Jim Davis is used to having a hole filled with water in the backyard of his Lower Burrell home. That’s his swimming pool. On Friday, he was trying to figure out what to do about another, unwelcome one — a sinkhole. Davis, 71, said he noticed an indentation in his...
Freeport’s Bower, Lichtenfels videos win money for charities
Two Freeport Area School District video makers won grants to help their favorite charities. The students participated in XTO Energy’s Community Leaders of Tomorrow contest, which encourages students to become involved in their communities. The contest runs at high schools throughout the region. Mara Bowser, who graduated from Freeport this...
State awards $719K in tax credits for Harrison senior housing project
A $10 million senior housing project in Harrison is getting financial help from the state. The development, in the former Highlands School District administration building on 11th Avenue, is among 39 multifamily housing developments getting part of $41.6 million in low-income housing tax credits, Gov. Tom Wolf announced. The Harrison...
Large tree blocks Riddle Run Road in Springdale Township
A large tree fell across both lanes of Riddle Run in Springdale Township on Thursday night, and the road remained closed to motorists Friday morning. PennDOT was called to handle removing the tree. “Usually firefighters handle it, but this one is too large,” said Allegheny Valley Regional Police Patrolman Craig...
Leechburg man killed in Route 66 motorcycle crash
The Armstrong County coroner said a Leechburg man was killed Friday morning when he lost control of his motorcycle along Route 66 in Gilpin. Coroner Brian K. Myers identified the victim as 55-year-old Ronald M. Mego. Myers said Mego was traveling north toward Leechburg just before 6:30 a.m.when he lost...
Arnold Council seeks ideas for spending $300K in federal money
Arnold Council is considering using a portion of its 2019 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for improvements to Roosevelt Park. Council approved Tuesday a CDBG proposal that provides about $16,300 for improvements to the park, located at the intersection of Constitution Boulevard and Drey Street. That amounts to about 5.5%...
Plum’s farmers market to now happen every Monday
A new farmers market program in Plum may have found its roots. The borough had its first Monday Market at Plum Creek Park along New Texas Road on July 8. At least 100 people stopped by from 3 to 7 p.m. to check out the event’s inaugural vendors, including Pappy’s...
Leechburg begins work on borough roadways
Leechburg Borough officials have announced streets that will be repaved or repaired this summer. Mayor Wayne Dobos said improvements will be done on parts of Main, First, Second, Pitt streets. This summer’s projects also include Kiski, Siberian Washington, Logan, Madison and Lincoln avenues. Crews have started some of the work,...
Tarentum Council meeting canceled
The Tarentum Council meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled, the borough announced. The meeting was called off because not enough council members would be present to conduct business. At least four of the council’s seven members are required. Council next will meet for an agenda meeting on Aug. 6...
Accused Arnold killer already was on the run from police
The man accused in a fatal Arnold shooting last month already was on the run from police before he became a murder suspect. Court records show Allen Duwayne Herring, 32, of Braddock was wanted for failing to appear in Westmoreland County Court in February to face drug possession charges filed...
FBI, police looking for man who robbed Brackenridge credit union
Federal agents and local police are asking for help identifying a man they say robbed a Brackenridge bank Wednesday afternoon at gunpoint. The robbery occurred around 2 p.m. at the Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Credit Union at 1131 Brackenridge Ave. According to the FBI in Pittsburgh, the robber displayed a gun,...
Torrential rain leads to widespread flooding across Western Pa.
Traffic on several roads remained affected in Allegheny County Friday morning after heavy rains pounded Western Pennsylvania Thursday, causing widespread flooding and hazards that shut down major thoroughfares throughout the region. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said those roads spanned from Frazer Township to Crescent Township: • A bridge on Kittanning...
Landslide, $45,000 fine didn’t stop Upper Burrell gas well drilling
Wells were drilled despite a state-imposed $45,000 fine against Huntley & Huntley for a landslide on a private road for the Zeus unconventional natural gas well pad in Upper Burrell along Guyer Road. The slide near the fracking well pad added to regulatory and legal challenges at the site but...
Walnut Street in Springdale reopens
Walnut Street in Springdale reopened Wednesday afternoon after being closed since Sunday. A portion of Walnut Street at the intersection with Porter Street was damaged after heavy rains Saturday caused water to get into a seam and lift and crack some of the asphalt. Borough crews had to dig up...
Hoboken church in Blawnox marks 140 years with ‘big party’
When Hoboken Presbyterian Church first opened its doors in 1879 — 140 years ago — parishioners turned out to worship in a small school building near the Allegheny County Work House. The congregation grew and moved to the cavernous red brick building on the corner of North Avenue, just off...
Kiski Township couple invites everyone to share fruits of their labor
The biggest, juiciest red raspberry of the season can barely contain itself, ripened to perfection but still hanging on the cane at a small farm along Kiski Township’s Old State Road. The perfection is by design as Martin Krezolek, 42, researched and planted what he believes are the best kinds...
Highlands hires new assistant superintendent from Wilkinsburg
Highlands School District has a new assistant superintendent. The school board hired Cathleen Cubelic, who has been an assistant superintendent in the Wilkinsburg School District since May 2017. She was hired with a starting salary of $126,000 under a three-year agreement. When she will start at Highlands is not yet...
2 fined, face license revocations for illegal fishing in Armstrong County
Two men accused of keeping illegal fish from the Allegheny River in Armstrong County could lose their fishing licenses for two years and be forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines. A state Fish & Boat Commission officer said another fisherman called the commission May 7 to report that...
Gilpin bicyclist injured in Route 66 mishap
A 71-year-old bicycle rider was injured Tuesday when his bike hit the side of an SUV in Gilpin, township police said. Sam Iusi of Gilpin was riding a bike on Route 66 north toward Bethel Township near Jack Road at about 10 a.m. when his bicycle collided with the side...
