Valley News Dispatch category, Page 45
A year after their father’s death, Corey Comperatore’s daughters still looking for their new normal
Each Valentine’s Day, Allyson Comperatore said, her father brought home flowers for her and her sister. This February, the first without their dad, friends and neighbors came together to shower the daughters with flowers. “We’ve had people there for us every step of the way, whether it was shoulders to...
Nighttime traffic restrictions planned for Coxcomb Hill, Logans Ferry roads
Overnight work to repair Coxcomb Hill and Logans Ferry roads through Plum is scheduled to begin Monday night and continue through late November, PennDOT announced. Traffic will be restricted to a single, alternating lane between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly on Coxcomb Hill Road between Hulton and Logans Ferry...
AI-powered heart scans transform care at Allegheny Valley Hospital
Cardiovascular analysis that used to take hours can now be done with the click of a button at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. As artificial intelligence seeps into almost every aspect of life, the technology is helping to revolutionize medical care at the Allegheny Health Network community hospital. “When you...
Construction of Valley High School pedestrian bridges continues
Plans are underway to complete construction of the two pedestrian bridges over Pucketa Creek at Valley High School. Initial school board approval occurred in October 2023. These bridges served as the main pedestrian access to the school from its student parking lot. Students have been using alternate building entrances during...
The Stroller, July 12, 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. Women’s golf outing scheduled...
Building the Valley: My Garden Floral in Indiana Township celebrates 25 years
Pamela Vrabel was a teenage Springdale Dynamo when she started working at the now-defunct Peterson’s Greenhouse. The high school job in the early 1970s sparked a passion for plants that has led to a 53-year career in the floral industry. “I think I was born with an eye for design,”...
Verona manager resigns from post
Verona officials will soon be in the market for a new manager. Council member accepted Stefanie Woolford’s resignation during this month’s council meeting. During the meeting, council Vice President Trish Hredzak said Woolford’s last day will be Aug. 8. She was not present at the meeting. “Stefanie, on behalf of...
Deer Lakes and A.W. Beattie students recognized at national skills competition
Two Deer Lakes and A.W. Beattie Career Center graduates got a taste of the national spotlight after placing in SkillsUSA national competitions. SkillsUSA is a workforce development organization for students that helps develop personal, workplace and technical skills. Paiton Yeager, 18, of West Deer competed on a team with two...
Brackenridge section of Three Rivers Heritage Trail important for ‘bigger picture’
Small but mighty. That’s what officials are saying about the recently completed half-mile segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Brackenridge. The path along First Avenue provides a significant amenity for the small borough, but it is an even bigger deal for the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront. The...
The Stroller, July 11, 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. Cycling team to host...
Safe to splash? State parks, watershed associations monitor rivers for E. coli contamination
When it rains, it pours E. coli. That’s what water quality testers across Western Pennsylvania might tell you right now. Every week during the summer months, volunteers and employees monitor the region’s public waterways for E. coli, which can flow into lakes and streams from agricultural and sewer systems overwhelmed...
Riding for Corey: Memorial cruise, concert celebrate fallen firefighter’s legacy
Corey’s Cruise, an all-day memorial event for Buffalo Township firefighter Corey Comperatore, is set to hit the road Saturday ahead of a concert in West Deer. The event marks a year since Comperatore was shot and killed during the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a political rally in...
Vote to appoint new Fawn supervisor ends in tie
Fawn is still without a fifth supervisor after a vote to appoint someone on Tuesday ended in a tie. Three residents — Carrie White, Shannon Rummel and Bryan Ward — applied to fill a vacancy created in June when Phillipi Smozski resigned. But the vote ended in a draw, Secretary...
Arnold seeks bids for new fire engine
Arnold officials have taken the first step toward replacing a 31-year-old fire engine. Council on July 8 voted to advertise bids for a new fire engine, to ultimately replace its 1994 fire engine. “The maintenance side of it, it’s getting increasingly costly to maintain that vehicle,” said Chris O’Leath, fire...
New Kensington’s Sankofa Mansion sets grand opening date
Laurie Johnson-Wade sets high expectations for those who will attend the grand opening of the new Sankofa Mansion — formerly the Bloser Mansion — in New Kensington on Thursday. “They’ll be treated like royalty,” said Wade, who owns Sankofa with her husband, VonZell Wade. The grand opening will be the...
Man accused of armed robberies in Ohio, Crafton now faces similar charges in New Kensington
Authorities have linked a New Kensington man, already in jail in connection with armed robberies in Crafton and Ohio, to a May 2024 incident where, police say, he stole $47,000 of electronics from the AT&T store off Tarentum Bridge Road. Trey Bell, 31, is charged with robbery, theft, unlawful restraint,...
The Stroller, July 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. Free community picnic set...
Mexican national pleads guilty to ‘Kingpin’ role in drug ring linked to New Kensington
A Mexican national pleaded guilty this week in Pittsburgh federal court to charges related to a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy. Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza, 55, who was illegally residing in Phoenix, Ariz., is one of 35 people charged in an indictment unsealed in January 2024 in a conspiracy...
Buffalo Township supervisors hold off on solar farms vote amid residents’ concerns
The Buffalo Township supervisors are holding off voting on controversial solar farms again as residents continue to voice opposition. Board President Ron Zampogna said the move was at the request of the project’s developer, Atlanta-based SolAmerica, whose representatives could not attend this week’s supervisors’ meeting. It’s the second voting delay...
Buffalo Township solicitor recommends changes to proposed public comment limit
Buffalo Township’s solicitor has recommended substantial changes to its current draft of an ordinance that would place limits on public comment. The resolution, which was tabled at an unusual morning meeting late last month and again at Wednesday’s township supervisors meeting, came after a public hearing for two proposed solar...
Plum mayor pushing for borough deer cull; council president skeptical
Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel says the borough needs to kill more deer. Allegheny County’s seventh-largest municipality, he said, is suffering from whitetail “overpopulation” that is causing public safety concerns and proving to be a nuisance to residents. Schlegel said this week he would like to see borough council move forward...
Want to be Arnold’s city controller? Petition the court, solicitor says
Arnold’s next city controller — whomever that may be — already needs some help from residents. City Solicitor Jaclyn Shaw said 10 interested registered voters need to petition the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas to fill the vacancy for city controller. Arnold has been without a controller since Toni...
Arnold resurrects Civil Service Commission, Redevelopment Authority
Arnold reactivated its civil service commission and redevelopment authority after all members of both groups resigned last month. “They both collapsed at the same time,” Mayor Shannon Santucci said. “I just made phone calls and asked people if they’d be interested.” Santucci estimated she made about 24 phone calls to...
Yoga and working out go hand-in-hand at New Kensington studio
Leah Delaney thinks the peace of yoga and the strenuous exercises of a fitness boot camp are a perfect mix. That’s why Delaney, owner of AngelWing Yoga and Wellness in New Kensington, is expanding her studio to incorporate exercise and fitness classes, including kickboxing, weight training circuits, body sculpting and...
Sharpsburg Market Garden is a growing opportunity for volunteers
People don’t need to have a green thumb to help out at the Sharpsburg Market Garden. Tucked away near the intersection of Middle and 13th streets is where free fresh vegetables can be found. A handful of volunteers on Friday evenings tend to 25 beds each about 3 feet wide...
