Valley News Dispatch category, Page 100
The Stroller, April 10, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Tarentum event to mark...
Tarentum mourns public works supervisor Mark Anuszek
Tarentum officials are remembering the borough’s longtime public works director for his staunch commitment to town. Mark Anuszek, 55, died Tuesday following a brief illness. “For 35 years, Mark was an unwavering pillar of our community,” the borough posted to social media. “He was not just a dedicated public servant...
Former Indiana Township man who induced sexually explicit images from minor sentenced to 20 years
A former Indiana Township resident was sentenced Wednesday to two decades in prison for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, according to federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh. Cam John Zmenkowski, 28, persuaded a minor to send him nude and sexually explicit images and videos from August to September...
Deer Lakes parents push for recording, posting school board meetings
Some parents want Deer Lakes School Board meetings to be video recorded for the public to see. The topic caused tension in an otherwise routine board meeting Tuesday. Leonard Verdetto III, a West Deer resident elected to the board almost two years ago, said his priority is transparency, and he...
‘It is a public hazard’: Waste-filled New Kensington sinkhole alarms neighbors
What started as a sewer repair in a New Kensington alley has devolved into a public safety and health hazard, neighbors say. “It’s technically not a sinkhole, but it turned into one,” said Vince Davis, who owns property nearby. “The hole originally was like (the width of) a manhole, 13...
Valley biology teacher wins grand prize in National Science Teaching Association competition
A Valley High School biology teacher has been nationally recognized for her efforts in the classroom. Kathy Jo Sagwitz, who has taught at Valley for 17 years, was selected as the grand prize winner in the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge, administered by the National Science Teaching Association. “Great teaching...
The Stroller, April 9, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Adult egg hunt planned...
‘An officer-wellness move’: Local police departments transitioning to longer shifts
When Washington Township police officers had the idea more than a year ago to work longer shifts, Chief Jason Montgomery was all ears. Since January 2024, Montgomery has been scheduling officers for three 12-hour shifts per week instead of five eight-hour shifts. Officers say they have a better work-life balance...
Tarentum man not guilty of assaulting police officer, guilty of lesser charges
A Tarentum man accused of slapping a borough police officer in 2023 was found not guilty of charges of aggravated assault, a felony, and stalking and terroristic threats, both misdemeanors. Bryaunt Williams, 40, instead was found guilty of two summary counts of disorderly conduct at a trial in Allegheny County....
Police shooting in East Vandergrift justified, says DA
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has found police were justified in fatally shooting a suspect during a February raid in East Vandergrift. Ziccarelli announced her ruling Tuesday, marking the first official public account of why authorities opened fire on Lyle Cessna, 52. TribLive previously obtained court documents detailing the...
App aims to help drivers avoid potholes
A New Kensington man and his business partner are taking pothole matters into their own hands … or phones. George Brian has partnered with City Bucket List, an app that helps people get around Pittsburgh while also highlighting attractions and places to eat and drink. He wants the app also...
Scrapping $200 fee, Vandergrift instead hopes to enforce existing $50 charge on landlords
Vandergrift backed off a fourfold increase to its rental licensing fee on Monday but pushed ahead with the rest of a proposal to rein in unscrupulous landlords. The draft ordinance calls for annual inspections on rental properties and a $50-per-unit fee for their owners. Only after a code enforcement officer...
The Stroller, April 8, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Free rides available to...
Police: Man stabbed woman, assaulted another in Arnold
A McKeesport man faces 16 criminal charges after being accused of stabbing one woman and assaulting another over the weekend in Arnold. Arnold police charged Maurice Tymeer Johnson, 26, with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, reckless endangerment, simple assault and flight to avoid apprehension, among other charges. Early Saturday morning,...
Buffalo Township mega-development on hold as builder, municipal authority hammer out water, sewage deal
A planned 627-unit subdivision in Buffalo Township is on hold until the developer and the local water and sewage authority agree on how quickly to hook up homes. For the third time in as many months, the township’s planning commission Wednesday withheld approval for Charter Homes & Neighborhoods to break...
Couple hopes new candy and ice cream shop becomes a ‘centerpiece’ of Downtown New Kensington
While other businesses had approached Mike Malcanas and Michelle Thom over the years to lease the space at 1001 Fifth Ave. in downtown New Kensington, the Olde Towne Overhaul crew held off for visions of an ice cream or candy store there one day. Now, consider them lucky ducks. Mark...
The Stroller, April 7, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. 5K race and vendor...
Mayors with merged police forces find freedom, frustration in altered roles
Zack Gent’s final council meetings as mayor of Freeport were tense. The energetic young Republican took office in September 2022 with the aims of supporting local businesses, promoting recreational assets and improving government transparency. He would hold the post during crucial years for the quiet river town as it hired...
Monthly reptile show draws thousands to Pittsburgh Mills mall
Thousands of people dodged the potholes plaguing the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex in Frazer Sunday to attend the monthly Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale. Some 200 vendors were offering a selection of reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets. The show, held on the first Sunday of each month, draws about...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from March 27-April 2, 2025
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard....
Faces of the Valley: East Deer’s Linda Blackmore keeps Tarentum Easter tradition alive
If it’s the day before Easter, Linda Blackmore will be at Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum. It’s been that way for 71 years — ever since her parents, Alfred and Shirley Perroz, began organizing the borough’s annual egg hunt. “My parents were part of the (now defunct) Tarentum Moose, and...
Remember When: Stewart Elementary School’s impending closure stirs memories of previous schoolhouses
The Burrell School Board voted unanimously in October to close Stewart Elementary School, a local landmark that served the community for more than 90 years, at the conclusion of the school year. In 1930, a 6.4-acre tract of vacant farmland in Lower Burrell was acquired for the school from the...
Alle-Kiski Valley Senior Citizen Centers calendar: April 6, 2025
Armstrong County Senior Centers Apollo Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m., bingo. Friday: movie day. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Tuesday and Thursday: bingo. The center is at 102 Fifth St.,...
Tarentum park survey reveals people want access to riverfront
Tarentum residents have made their voices heard, and the most requested upgrade to Riverview Memorial Park is an overlook on the Allegheny River. That was the top answer in a borough survey, focused on the park, that drew more than 130 responses. That suggestion was followed by adding a fishing...
The Stroller, April 6, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Cleanup to focus on...
