Valley News Dispatch category, Page 303
Harrison approves this year’s paving list
Nearly a dozen roads in Harrison are on tap to be repaved this year. Commissioners voted to spend about $311,000 for paving projects that include Broadview Boulevard, the busy street that runs parallel with Freeport Road. The contract was awarded to Shields Asphalt Paving of Richland. Work hasn’t been scheduled...
Freeport Area school meals to increase next school year
Editor’s note: The new cost of a secondary student’s school lunch has been corrected. Freeport Area School District students will shell out a little more cash for meals next school year. The school board approved the increases Wednesday. As a result of the increase, students will now pay $1.35 for...
‘We all have something to give,’ retired veterinarian says in book about therapy cat Scooter
A paralyzed cat led to retired veterinarian Dr. Betsy Kennon changing the way she sees her purpose in life. In 2008, Kennon was presented with a kitten suffering from a spinal cord injury and unable to use its hind legs. Her professional judgment told her to put the ownerless cat...
Kiski Area unveils state-of-the-art fitness facility
It’s out with the old and in with the new at Kiski Area High School. A state-of-the-art fitness facility was unveiled to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The equipment cost just over $202,000. The project was made possible by a hefty donation from the Kiski Area Education Foundation, which...
The Stroller, March 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. March 18 event to honor hometown heroes A Hometown Hero Thank...
Plum High School students prepare for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Plum High School’s upcoming spring musical brings a strong feeling of nostalgia for alum Bethany Loy. The 2004 grad played trombone in the orchestra her sophomore year for “Fiddler on the Roof.” A little more than 20 years later, now the pit director, Loy prepares instrumental students to perform those...
Fruit stand opens for season in Springdale Township
It would’ve been hard for motorists along Freeport Road in Springdale Township to miss Heidi Bair on Thursday. Dressed as a bright red strawberry, the owner of John & Gerry’s Quality Fruit Market danced along the roadside to alert people that the store is open for the season. The store...
Riverfront Theater Company opens season with dark comedy ‘True West’
A dark comedy about the complexities of family relationships will open the season for the Riverfront Theater Company. “True West” is the tale of two alienated brothers – one a well-educated screenwriter and the other a drifter – who might have more in common than they’d like to admit. “It’s...
Scouts experience district court in Allegheny Township
Some Scouts traded class time for courtroom time Wednesday in Allegheny Township. About 15 co-ed Scouts from Troops 501, 501G, 111 and 121 spent three hours observing civil and criminal hearings conducted in District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec’s courtroom. “This is my first time in a courtroom,” said Eli Booth,...
Vandergrift residents implore officials to unlock borough playgrounds
Taegen Caudle stood at the podium in front of Vandergrift officials during Monday’s council meeting to plead for playtime options in the borough’s still-locked parks. Taegen, 9, was one of about 20 residents in attendance in support of the playgrounds being unlocked April 1. “We really want some time outside...
Leechburg looks to crack down on speeding in borough
Speeders beware. Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo has a message for motorists using Market Street as their personal speedway. “Slow down,” he said. “I don’t want anyone injured or maimed. I don’t want any motorist/pedestrian accidents in our town. The speeding happens every day, and the police can’t be everywhere at...
The Stroller, March 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. Let us know about your Easter events The Valley News Dispatch...
Westmoreland ballot set with primary races for commissioner, sheriff
Westmoreland Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew will have three challengers in the May 16 primary election as the field of candidates for countywide offices appears to be set. Meanwhile, Democrats will have two candidates seeking the party’s two nominations in a bid to reclaim a majority at the...
Springdale Planning Commission holds off decision regarding Cheswick Generation Station rezoning
After listening to input from more than half a dozen residents Wednesday night, the Springdale Planning Commission decided it has more questions than answers regarding the future of the defunct Cheswick Generating Station. So, the commission voted 3-0 to postpone whether to consider, in effect, changing the 56 total acres...
Rep. Abby Major calls for broader ethics rules after harassment allegations
State Rep. Abby Major said she is committed to changing the culture and ethics rules for her colleagues in Harrisburg after relating a personal story Wednesday at a news conference that added to sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County. Zabel, a Democrat, on Wednesday submitted his...
Pro wrestling returns to Springdale with fundraiser for high school marching band
Pro wrestling fans looking for nonstop action and to support a local group of performers have just one place to be Friday night. It’s not PPG Paints Arena in Downtown Pittsburgh for WWE Smackdown. The venue is the Donald C. McGhee Fieldhouse for Keystone State Wrestling Alliance’s Springdale Slam 4....
Rags identified as cause of Plum house fire, owner plans to rebuild
Discarded rags were behind the cause of a fire that led to severe damage to a Plum house two weeks ago. Allegheny County Chief Fire Marshal Matt Brown said the Feb. 21 fire at 435 Millers Lane was accidental “due to spontaneous heating of discarded rags used for oil base...
Kiski Township supervisor Sherry Tamski resigning after alleging gender discrimination, ‘despicable treatment’
A Kiski Township supervisor who has accused other supervisors of discriminating against her because of her gender has submitted her resignation. Township supervisors were expected to vote on Sherry Tamski’s resignation during their meeting Wednesday night, according to an agenda for the meeting. The motion also authorizes advertising to fill...
Freeport residents expected to see 80% increase in sewage bills to pay for new treatment plant
Early estimates indicate residential customers tied into Freeport’s sewage system will see their monthly bill jump from about $50 to about $90 in order for the borough to build a new sewage treatment plant. That estimate was given Monday, when Freeport Council approved a bond issue to help finance its...
Pastor at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Church in Arnold fundraising to help youth group in native country
In the midst of rebuilding his fire-ravaged church in Arnold, the Rev. Yaroslav Koval of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church also is trying to help revive parts of his native war-torn country. He’s raising money to benefit the Emmanuel Youth Group of the Blessed Martyr Josaphat Kotsylovsky in Stryi, Ukraine....
Mother of suicide victim files wrongful death lawsuit against Washington Township, 2 officers
The mother of a 25-year-old man who took his own life in 2021 filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit accusing two Washington Township police officers of ignoring signs that her son wanted to harm himself when they arrested him on suspicion of DUI. Instead of arranging for medical and mental...
The Stroller, March 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. Cash bash planned by Pioneer Hose Auxiliary Pioneer Hose Auxiliary will...
Oakmont officials select Parkview EMS as borough’s new ambulance service
Oakmont has a new ambulance service provider. Council unanimously voted at a special meeting Tuesday night to part ways with Lower Valley Ambulance Service in favor of O’Hara-based Parkview EMS. Oakmont will pay Parkview $50,000 annually for services and allocate an additional $50,000 annually toward ambulance purchases, which are expected...
Springdale power plant property could be rezoned residential
Riverfront property in Springdale could look vastly different if council moves forward with a proposal to rezone a coveted piece of land. The partially dismantled Cheswick Generating Station, which is on 56 acres and includes an adjoining 27-acre parcel, will be the focus of discussion during a meeting Wednesday of...
Leechburg fire chief hopes to improve safety rating by replacing old equipment
Sometimes less is more. Especially when it comes to ISO fire safety ratings. Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Foster hopes to reduce the company’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating from a 6 to a lower number, after receiving a one-point increase during the last ISO inspection in 2020. The...
