Valley News Dispatch category, Page 478
New Kensington runaway returns home safe, police say
A New Kensington teenage runaway is back home, city police said Wednesday. New Kensington police Det. Sgt. Dino DiGiacobbe said Patience Daniella Lynn Johnson, 16, returned home Tuesday and is safe. Johnson had last been seen at her home on July 6. Police asked for the public’s help in finding...
Harrison man jailed after police say he attacked woman at Brackenridge bar
A Harrison man whom police said attacked a woman at a Brackenridge bar is being held in Allegheny County Jail without bail, online court records showed. Brackenridge police charged Keith Robert Haslett, 37, with simple assault, strangulation and harassment following his arrest early Tuesday at Devil Dog Saloon. Police said...
The Stroller, Aug. 4, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Age of Aquarius concert to benefit Casino Theater Age of Aquarius, a concert of music of the ’60s and ’70s, will...
Community Health Clinic’s new medical van delivers health care to Westmoreland County residents
Community Health Clinic’s new medical van is bringing health care to people in Westmoreland County, offering covid-19 vaccinations and tests along with primary care. Headquartered in New Kensington with additional locations in Vandergrift and Greensburg, the Community Health Clinic provides low-cost health care, offering a sliding payment scale for residents...
O’Hara, Ben Avon women giving Joy Rides to people with limited mobility
Eleven-year-old Hailey Tucker of Penn Hills has multiple disabilities that have rendered her unable to speak. Still, there was no mistaking her excitement over recent bike rides at the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “She gets a great big smile on her face,” said Hailey’s mother, April....
West Leechburg’s ‘accidental’ garlic grower has been at it for half-century
West Leechburg’s Jack Froncek doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He prefers garlic. Froncek, 94, has been growing garlic at his Giron Street residence for 50 years. He said he got his start in garlic growing by accident. After noticing a large dirt excavation project near his home...
ATI reports $49.2M second-quarter loss, says worker strike cost $40.3M
Allegheny Technologies Inc. lost $49.2 million in the second quarter while incurring $40.3 million in strike-related costs, the company announced Tuesday. ATI said it had sales of $616 million in April through June. Excluding costs related to the strike, which was settled in June when the United Steelworkers approved a...
The Stroller, Aug. 3, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Shrine Center to host Steel Mill Rising in concert The Pittsburgh Shrine Center will present a free outdoor concert featuring the...
Northbound lanes of Route 28 in O’Hara reopen after vehicle fire
A ramp leading to the Highland Park Bridge in O’Hara did not sustain any damage after a vehicle caught fire along Route 28 Monday night, officials said. Crews responded to the northbound lanes of Route 28 near the exit leading to the bridge around 8:30 p.m., according to a tweet...
Masking plans draw ire at Fox Chapel Area School Board meeting
Fox Chapel Area students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade could be required to wear masks when they return to school Aug. 24. The school board Monday night was bombarded with pleas from parents who alternately demanded mask-wearing for students and those seeking mask choice. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said, under...
Harrison parent, injured W.Va. player describe harrowing escape from Lancaster sports facility
A 16-year-old boy from West Virginia required several stitches in his arm after getting hurt during the chaos of a frantic crowd fleeing a Lancaster County youth basketball tournament over the weekend. Rafael Barcinas of Morgantown — whose team included a dozen high-schoolers from the Alle-Kiski Valley, Penn Hills and...
Police accuse Arnold man of choking woman, burning officer, hurting child
An Arnold woman told police she thought a man was going to kill her when he grabbed her by the throat Friday night, according to a criminal complaint. Arnold police said Troyan Joseph Wilkins, 28, also burned an officer’s hand with a cigarette when the officer allowed him to have...
The Stroller, Aug. 2, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. National Night Out planned in Northmoreland Park A National Night Out celebration will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at...
Emergency crews rescue kayaker stuck in Kiski River in Bell Township
Emergency crews rescued a kayaker who got stuck on rocks in the Kiski River Sunday evening. Emergency units were helping the kayaker, who got stuck in Bell Township, around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. The kayaker was injured. “They located her and they’re helping her...
Vandergrift library to offer self-guided StoryWalk
Walking is about to get more interesting with a new self-guided family program offered by the Vandergrift Public Library. StoryWalk is a self-guided initiative encouraging the public to visit local parks, learn something new and spend time together. The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and...
Missing Vandergrift ArtFest painting returned to artist
A painting that was feared stolen from Vandergrift’s ArtFest last weekend has been found. ArtFest chairperson Lisa Dormire posted the update to social media Sunday morning. An ocean-themed 16x20 oil painting by Alle-Kiski Valley artist JoAnn Wesolosky disappeared from a pop-up gallery last Sunday and organizers took to social media...
Kittanning man arrested after police say he set fire to home in domestic dispute
State police arrested a Kittanning man Sunday morning for allegedly setting fire to a Buffalo Township home during a domestic dispute. Joseph A. Hawk, 20, was wanted for the incident, which Trooper Timothy Reilly said happened at 12:55 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Bunker Hill Road in the...
Longtime assistant to Apollo-Ridge superintendent retires, but work with education foundation continues
Whether it was increasing donations for the Apollo-Ridge Education Foundation to $250,000 or hooking up the school’s jazz-rock club with the top Led Zeppelin cover band, Cris Kostiuk was there. After 20 years with the Apollo-Ridge School District, Kostiuk, 62, of Kiski Township retired this week as the administrative assistant...
The Stroller, Aug. 1, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. West Leechburg to host National Night Out event West Leechburg Crime Watch Committee will hold a National Night Out celebration from...
To mask or not: School districts debate health, safety plans for year ahead
A split is forming among local school districts — those requiring masks for students in the coming academic year and those that leave the decision to personal choice — largely because of a lack of mandates from state or national health advisers. The Pennsylvania departments of health and education are...
Benefits of Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival goes beyond the musicVideo
The Pittsburgh Roots and Blues Festival is about more than good music — it’s also about supporting those on the autism spectrum. The event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Harmar, serves as a fundraiser. The groups benefiting are the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and...
Remote work is here to stay for some Pittsburgh-area companies
Tim Koziarski settled into his Upper Burrell home office a lot more since working partially remote during the pandemic. He had an advantage. Koziarski, 58, is co-owner of Kozi Media Design, a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in smart technologies for the home and office. Business has been brisk installing technology for...
West Deer police Sgt. William Bailey retires after 30 years with department
West Deer Supervisors this month accepted the retirement of police Sgt. William Bailey, effective Friday. Bailey served West Deer for 30 years, including 28 as a full-time officer. “We have great people and a great community,” BaiIey said. “I appreciate the department and the board of supervisors for their support.”...
Old Timers Game continues to be special tradition at Freeport International Baseball Invitational
Nate Good has come full circle with the Freeport International Baseball Invitational. He started out as a player in the event; now he’s playing in the Sonny Westerman Old Timers Game. Good was the winning pitcher and drove in a key run in the second inning Thursday night as Old...
Painting reported missing by organizers of Vandergrift ArtFest, feared stolen
Organizers of Vandergrift ArtFest are seeking help from the public to locate a missing painting they fear was stolen. ArtFest chairperson Lisa Dormire said the ocean landscape painting by Alle-Kiski Valley artist JoAnn Wesolosky was last seen Saturday night in the Decorator’s Workshop, a pop-up gallery and acoustic lounge on...
