Valley News Dispatch category, Page 214
Concordia’s live Nativity draws hundreds in Jefferson Township
Concordia Lutheran Ministries hosted its 10th annual live Nativity program Sunday at its Haven II building on Marwood Road in Jefferson Township. Amber Walchesky of the Cabot section on Winfield, who attended the event with her husband, Jarod, and two daughters, Maylee, 3, and Braelynn, 1, said they were there...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2023
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, the Tribune-Review’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate,...
Building the Valley: The Teen Spot after-school program helps Highlands students connect to community
Organizers of an after-school program for Highlands teens peg it as a home away from home. But The Teen Spot, geared toward students in grades six through 12, is also a learning facility, life skills provider and extended family for many of the 70 participants. “These are my kids,” said...
Upper Burrell approves 2024 budget with no tax increase
Upper Burrell supervisors Wednesday gave the green light to the township’s 2024 budget, which includes no tax increase for residents. The budget totals $1.25 million. The tax rate will remain at 12 mills. “Everything balanced out. Everything looks good,” said Ross Walker, supervisors chairman. A homeowner with a property assessed...
Repair of Brackenridge sinkhole delayed until state funding comes through
Repair of a sinkhole on Roup Avenue in Brackenridge likely will have to wait until at least next month. Borough officials say they’re waiting for state funding to pay for the $1 million project. They expected the money in September, but the state hasn’t approved projects for funding yet. That...
Westmoreland County, state police search for teens who fled juvenile detention center
Two teenagers escaped from the Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center in Hempfield Saturday night. Robert A. Cogdell, 14, and Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, both of Connellsville, fled on foot from the detention center about 8:30 p.m., according to state police. Westmoreland County Park police are leading the investigation with assistance...
Gilpin looks to half-mill tax to help pay for ambulance, rescue service
Gilpin officials are throwing a financial lifeline to a local EMS service based in Leechburg. Supervisors unanimously approved an EMS tax to help fund Lower Kiski Ambulance Service in an effort to intervene with much-needed funds. “EMS is a mandatory service that townships must supply to its residents per state...
The Stroller, Dec. 10, 2023: 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. Drive-through food distribution set Tuesday at Pittsburgh Mills Allegheny Valley Association...
Hometown Holiday Festival draws a crowd at Burrell High School
Hundreds of people visited Burrell High School on Saturday for its first Hometown Holiday Festival, featuring musical performances, local craft vendors, food trucks and family activities. Nicole Butler, supervisor of Lower Burrell EMS, spent the day filling an ambulance for Toys for Tots of Tarentum. She said the organization serves...
Fawn man accused of trying to grab cop’s gun while being arrested ordered to stand trial
A Fawn man who was wanted on an arrest warrant was ordered to stand trial on charges he tried to disarm a New Kensington police officer who took him into custody. Peter William Mlynar, 37, of the 300 block of Sugar Loaf Lane was charged Nov. 22 with a felony...
Woman accused by Lower Burrell police of selling crack ordered to stand trial
A woman accused of selling drugs after authorities said she let a Lower Burrell officer search her vehicle when she was pulled over has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court. Michelle Lynn Dzugan, 45, of the 1500 block of Horne Boulevard in Arnold was charged Nov. 13...
New playground equipment comes to ‘Hoops on Sixth’ in Tarentum, courtesy of Tripak Industries
The basketball court at Tarentum’s “Hoops on Sixth” park was barely usable before a local business owner stepped up to assist. Eric Hashim, owner of Tripak Industries in West Tarentum, donated heavy-duty hoops with steel nets and a new swing set with a toddler space and high-bucket seats. The equipment,...
Police: Apollo man accused of selling guitar he stole, biting state trooper who arrested him
An Apollo man charged with stealing an electric guitar from a home and selling it to a music shop last month is accused of assaulting a state trooper and biting him on the wrist while being taken into custody Wednesday. Jack Russell Frain, 34, of the 500 block of Crowe...
Christmas presents for Ukrainian orphans made possible by Arnold church and area high school students
Ten-year-old Nastya Shytnikova has a short Christmas list. She didn’t ask for an iPhone or a doll. “I’d really like Legos, candies and cookies, and a warm shirt,” Nastya wrote in a note to St. Nicholas. “My biggest dream is for the war to end.” The Ukrainian girl — orphaned...
Lower Burrell police training designed to de-escalate
Lower Burrell Mayor John Andrejcik wants more local police departments to undergo the training that officers from his city got Friday. “I wish this permeates throughout the (Alle-Kiski) Valley,” Andrejcik said. “If this saves one life — it’s all worth it.” Lower Burrell police were trained in a proactive approach...
The Stroller, Dec. 9, 2023: 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. Santa to visit Springdale The Springdale Volunteer Fire Department will escort...
Jury convicts teen of New Kensington man’s murder; 2 others found not guilty
A teenager was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the death of a New Kensington man while his two co-defendants were acquitted of second-degree murder for their alleged roles in the killing. After more than three hours of deliberations, 16-year-old Amir Kennedy was found guilty of the intentional killing of...
For sale: Brackenridge Heights Golf Course listed for $2.5M in Harrison
Ted Tomson remembers sneaking onto Brackenridge Heights Golf Course as a kid to gather errant golf balls from the course’s pond. “All the rich folks from here went there,” he said. “When I was a kid, I would sneak into there and get the golf balls out of the lake,...
Supporters start Christmas card campaign for Oakmont man imprisoned in Russia
Friends and family of an Oakmont native imprisoned in Russia on marijuana charges hope the holiday spirit can boost attention to his case and get the State Department to help bring him home. Marc Fogel has been detained in Russia for more than two years after he was arrested at...
In effort to rebuild, tours showcase historical significance of Natrona
From its early days as sacred salt-gathering grounds for Native Americans to the manufacturing of the pesticide DDT for war efforts in the 1900s to today’s steel mill, Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood oozes historical contributions to modern industry. Scandalous tales are a close second. Fanny Sellins, the first woman union organizer,...
Jimmy Buffett tribute band to kick off Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s summer concert series
A Jimmy Buffett tribute band will kick off next summer’s concert series at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s new amphitheater in East Deer. The band “Changes in Latitude” will take the stage Saturday, June 29 at the new facility, along with two opening acts yet to be announced, the brewery said in...
The Stroller, Dec. 8, 2023: 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. Concordia plans annual live Nativity event Concordia Lutheran Ministries will host...
Plum considering subdividing vacant Saltsburg Road land into 3 lots for houses
A proposed subdivision in Plum could lead to the construction of three new houses. Council will consider property owner Jim Meli’s request to subdivide a vacant lot at the corner of Saltsburg Road and Willow Village Drive into three residential lots, according to interim Borough Manager David Soboslay. Meli could...
Springdale Cemetery going digital with preservation efforts
As Springdale Cemetery approaches its 200th year, its leaders have tapped some professionals to help maintain the site’s history. The Springdale Cemetery Association sought the help of Amanda Peters, an archivist at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Lazarus Cemetery Mapping in its effort to preserve old genealogical documents, map...
Teen claims he feared for his life when he fatally shot New Kensington man
A New Kensington teenager told a Westmoreland County jury he feared for his life when he shot and killed an armed man as the victim fled from the lobby of an apartment building last year. Amir Kennedy, 16, testified he fired off 11 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle to protect...
