A-K Valley , Page 5

Highlands School District is mapping out its lunch menus a week at a time, rather than monthly, because disruptions in the nationwide food supply chain are impacting the availability of some food items, officials said. As a result, Highlands food service employees are being forced to think quickly to plan...

Rachel Schrock Valley girls tennis Rachel Schrock has grown accustomed to winning tennis matches this season. The senior is 10-0 playing at second singles. It’s not a coincidence the Vikings (10-0 overall, 6-0 in Section 1-AA) also have won all of their matches, thanks in part to the play of...

West Deer will be hold a fall festival for the first time in place of its annual summer community days event that has been held for more than 15 years. The festival will be held Oct. 16 at Bairdford Park. Amy Stark, chairwoman of the West Deer Parks and Recreation...

Attendees of the River Rocks fundraiser at Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall will get a first-ever glimpse at 6 acres of newly acquired property that is expected to further transform the site into a regional gem. “ARP is using its 10th anniversary party to raise funds to achieve a long-held...

Over the last couple of weeks Highlands girls volleyball coach Caroline Bain could sense her team was on the cusp of breaking through. When her players walked into the gym Thursday night with a confident look in their eyes it affirmed her belief. “They just came in and said they...

Lola Abraham Class: Sophomore School: Riverview Sport: Soccer Report card: Abraham scored four goals and had three assists to lead Riverview girls soccer to its first victory of the year in a 7-0 win over Jeannette on Sept. 20. Abraham trains at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy and had an opportunity...

Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue will have a new veterinarian when it resumes spaying and neutering cats for the public this week. West Deer native Dr. Brandy East is replacing Dr. Becky Morrow, who founded the New Kensington nonprofit in 2010 and left in June to become a clinical assistant professor...

Damani Clemons took the title of a Freeport community celebration to the next level earlier this month as he swam about near the Allegheny River bank. The Vandergrift boy was accompanied by his grandmother, Rosa Clemons, and her 5-year-old Chihuahua, Diva. Clemons recently had moved to Freeport from Tarentum. When...

Cam Reigard Class: Sophomore School: Highlands Sport: Soccer Report card: Cam Reigard scored twice, including the winning goal, to help Highlands secure its first Section 1-3A win of the year in a 3-2 victory over Armstrong. They were Reigard’s first two goals of the season. He also has one assist....

South Buffalo firefighters plan to bring back a Halloween event designed to keep children off the streets and still go home with bags full of sweets. The second annual Trunk-or-Treat at 100 Fire Hall Road is schedule for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 30, the same time as the...

There was the Roaring Run trail’s Race to the Moon 5K most years in July when Apollo celebrated the first moon landing. But that race was canceled two years in a row because of the pandemic. Now resurrected with a spooky theme is the Howl at the Moon 5K and...

Burrell girls volleyball hit the victory column for the first time last Wednesday under new coach Alyson Shirey. The Bucs defeated Highlands, 3-0, in a Section 5-3A contest on the Burrell floor. While the upcoming schedule is daunting with Hampton, Knoch and perennial contender Freeport — all in an eight-day...

An upcoming roundtable on communication is part of the New Kensington-Arnold School District’s goal of improving the district’s culture. The roundtable is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 27 in the cafeteria at Valley Junior Senior High School, 703 Stevenson Blvd. It is intended to bring together parents, business owners, community...

Visitors to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be able to swim — virtually — with some pretty big fishes when the National Geographic Society traveling exhibition, “Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants,” opens Oct. 8. Based on the Nat Geo WILD show, “Monster Fish,” the...

Lucas Pittman Class: Junior School: Plum Sport: Soccer Report card: Pittman scored four goals for Plum in a 9-0 win over Obama Academy on Sept. 13 and had an assist in a 3-0 win at Penn Hills on Sept. 15. Through the first six games, Pittman had six goals and...

Tahlon Kirkland knew he was in for a challenge when he took over the Freeport boys soccer coaching job. The long-term substitute in the school district also was pretty familiar with the players he was inheriting. “I know most of them already from working at the school. So that was...

Retired Highlands teacher Jody Shumaker still has a passion to educate. The Harrison resident is bringing back her wildly popular Book Walks in person this fall at Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum. “We have done many of them there at the park, but none since covid-19,” Shumaker said. “They were...

Burrell’s Marching Band is holding its first Car and Motorcycle Show on Oct. 2 to raise money and to offer a community event with live student music. About than 100 cars and motorcycles will be on display, said Michael Pagnotta, a music teacher and Burrell’s band director. “It will be...

Training is of paramount importance for first responders, whether they’re new to the job or have decades of experience. In an effort to extend its outreach to emergency service workers in Westmoreland County, the county’s community college is offering a variety of public safety training courses at its centers in...

If you wanted a reason to dress your cat like William Shakespeare, Harry Potter or even Batman, now’s the chance. The Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Harrison is hosting the “Love Your Library Pet Costume Contest” on Saturday, Sept. 25. It will be outdoors from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m....

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission recently released results from multiple studies that again show that the best place to catch legal-sized walleye in the three rivers is in the Allegheny River close to Pittsburgh. “The Three Rivers have a reputation for producing trophy-sized walleye, with the lower Allegheny probably...