Valley News Dispatch category, Page 49
Indiana Township officials vow to continue safety efforts on 128-year-old bridge and tunnel
A very old railroad bridge has a new look in Indiana Township, as township officials continue their efforts to restore the Rural Ridge tunnel along Little Deer Creek Valley Road to ensure optimal public safety for motorists. Rebecca Mink of Indiana Township has witnessed the deterioration of a 128-year-old railroad...
The Stroller, June 26, 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. Back the Blue concert...
Perking up: How the arrival of a coffee shop can get a small town buzzing
Avonmore has long chased an economic renaissance that never quite arrived. If anything, the dream of a bustling business community slipped further out of reach when the town’s rolling mill closed in 2019, taking more than 100 jobs with it. But the borough has a coffee shop among its small...
Housing for foreign high school students could be coming to Oakmont
The former site of the Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation could become a student housing center for private school students from Europe and Asia. A petition to obtain a special exemption to use the property as dormitory-style housing for high school students was passed in a 2-0 vote by...
Riverview School District introduces robotics initiative for 2025-26
Cathy Favo wants her students to be equipped to explore any job they might want to pursue when they get older. In her sixth grade STEAM classes at Riverview School District, Favo teaches her students about topics such as coding, engineering and design. “(The class) is meant to give the...
Freeport sports card shop headed to Buffalo Township
After three years in Freeport, G&T Sports Cards Plus will soon have a new home a few miles north. Specializing in sports trading cards and collectibles, the shop is set to relocate to 309 South Pike Road (Route 356) in Buffalo Township, according to owner Tyler Huth. The reason for...
Season’s final Funnel Cake Friday set in Sharpsburg
A Sharpsburg summer tradition that mixes funnel cake batter with a powdered sugary sprinkle of community spirit will soon come to a close. This season’s final Funnel Cake Fridays is set for June 27 from 5-8 p.m. at Kennedy Park. It is expected to be packed with musical performances by...
Buffalo Supervisors mull limits to public comment at meetings
At an early morning special meeting on Wednesday, Buffalo Township Supervisors tabled a resolution that would place limits on public comment at meetings amid recent community objections to proposed solar farms. A public hearing for the farms earlier this month took several hours as around 35 residents voiced opposition to...
The Stroller, June 25, 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. Monthly Fridays on Fifth...
Pickleball popularity presents sustainability problems with plastic balls
When pickleball exploded in recent years as America’s favorite sport, the pastime came with collateral damage — plastic neon-colored balls piling up in landfills. More than 500 million pickleballs are manufactured each year, seemingly with nowhere to go, said Jeff Pepper, an avid player from Verona. “The number is huge,”...
Highlands School District holds tax rate steady as budget is approved
Property owners in the Highlands School District won’t see a tax increase for next school year after the board approved its $54.5 million budget. The plan holds the property tax rate steady at 25.13 mills. The median household income for the district is about $60,000. The owner of a home...
Despite rain and heat, Springdale turf field set to be complete by fall
The path toward high school football games being played at Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School continues to move forward. Crews are stripping layers of topsoil at the site, near the school, that’s set to become the new home of Dynamos football this fall. That soil is being cleared to make way...
Pittsburgh Mills quietly being shopped by owner Namdar
It appears the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills mall property in Frazer is in search of a buyer. An email received by some local real estate agents from mall owner Namdar Realty Group’s chief operating officer, Dan Dilmanian, says Namdar is “quietly exploring an off-market sale.” “We’re not looking to...
Student-led garden at Fox Chapel Area High School to help feed community
An organic idea by two rising Fox Chapel Area seniors is expected to make a lasting impact on their larger school community. James Manges and Aavree Hill are creating a community garden at the high school, the crops from which will help feed those in need. Fruits and veggies will...
The Stroller, June 24, 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. Cancer awareness day planned...
Springdale Council tables action on proposed parking ordinance near high school
Springdale residents expecting a proposed parking ordinance will have to wait until at least next month. Council voted 4-2 to table any action on the matter to the July 15 meeting. Residents living near Springdale Junior-Senior High School are concerned about how the ordinance will affect them, family members and...
Springdale Township diner for sale offers turn-key perks including recipes, staff
The owners of David’s Diner are looking for someone ready to sink their teeth into the restaurant business. Shawn and Pam Morrow-Wolfe are co-owners of David’s and hail from Freeport and Tarentum, respectively. The couple recently decided to sell the Springdale Township diner. It was listed last week by Coldwell...
West Leechburg Fireman’s Festival a go for 2025
Members of the West Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company are gearing up for the annual Fireman’s Festival. A revived tradition, the festival will be returning for its fourth year, said Morgan Swank, a member of the department’s fundraising committee. “It continues to grow every year, and everyone couldn’t be happier,” Swank...
Leechburg Area opens annual summer food program
Tess Diehl’s job is her passion. “We’re ready to feed the people,” she said. As Leechburg Area’s food service director, Diehl is in charge of feeding students during the week in the school year and through the summer. This summer is no exception. On June 9, the high school cafeteria...
The Stroller, June 23, 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. Garden strolls rescheduled in...
Tractor Supply Co. expects fall opening for Lower Burrell store
A new Tractor Supply Co. store could open in Lower Burrell as early as this fall. Tractor Supply spokeswoman Tricia Glenn said construction on the store, located at 108 Greensburg Road (Route 366), started in April. The store, located in the Kinloch section of the city, will be near a...
Sawdust carpet creations shine in Springdale, honoring the Feast of Corpus Christi
A creative and colorful display of Christianity filled up a parking lot in Springdale Township on Sunday: the ritual of “sawdust carpets” at Our Lady of Victory Church. The Benedict family of Cheswick created their first sawdust carpet this year. “We’ve intended to do this for so long. We finally...
Pride Stroll & Festival celebrates and supports LGBTQ community in Freeport
Growing up gay in rural Freeport was not easy for Joe Weltner. “There were no rainbow flags in the shop windows, no support groups in schools, no drag story hours at the library,” said Weltner, who now lives in Harrison. “There was just fear, confusion and for me and many...
Springdale’s Veterans Field to host Lower Valley Little League
After sitting vacant since 2023, Springdale’s Veterans Memorial Field will have a new occupant next spring. Springdale Council approved use of the field by Lower Valley Little League’s 120 youth athletes for its games and practices starting next season. The organization currently plays at neighboring Lampus Field but recently experienced...
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell musician on her way to Berklee College of Music
Even if you haven’t heard of Elliana Koulouris, if you’ve attended a live event in the Alle-Kiski Valley, you’ve probably heard her voice. The Lower Burrell teenager has made a name for herself over the past six years singing at events, games and festivals, performing in theater, and writing and...
