Valley News Dispatch category, Page 51
New Kensington man identified as Tarentum Bridge jumper
A man who jumped to his death from the Tarentum Bridge on Tuesday has been identified. The victim was Thomas Peter Link, 68, of New Kensington, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Link jumped into the Allegheny River shortly before 11:30 a.m. and died before he could be...
Shady Side Academy reportedly rethinking proposed west entrance to Fox Chapel campus
Shady Side Academy officials are expected to change their plans for an entrance on the west side of the Upper School campus. Fox Chapel Mayor Alex Scott, borough manager Gary Koehler, several council members and others met with academy leaders behind closed doors to discuss the project on May 21....
Fox Chapel Borough Manager Gary Koehler set to retire after 40 years of government service
Gary Koehler remembers being fascinated by project designs when he was growing up in Shaler. He would watch as his father, Jack, a township volunteer planning commissioner, reviewed various documents and architectural drawings. “As a little boy, 12 years old, he would bring home plans and put them on the...
Fox Chapel Area School Board approves 2025-26 budget with 2.3% tax increase
Fox Chapel Area School District officials have approved next school year’s budget with a 2.3% tax hike and no cuts to programs or services. The board voted unanimously on its 2025-26 spending plan on June 9. The millage rate jumps from 21.51 mills to 22 mills, about a 0.5-mill increase....
Oakmont Council passes food truck ordinances
A pair of ordinances regulating food truck operations in Oakmont passed without a peep after no residents attended Tuesday’s public hearings. The need for the ordinances arose after multiple borough businesses that don’t serve food contacted borough officials about hiring food trucks for special events.. There were no regulations in...
Colors for the carpet at Our Lady of Victory in Springdale
Our Lady of Victory parishioners filled bags of dyed sawdust Tuesday, June 17, at Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. Volunteers were preparing about 525 pounds of sawdust to be dyed in different colors for this year’s Feast of Corpus Christi, where sawdust carpets will be placed in the...
Offers but no buyers on 3 Guardian Angels churches still on the market
Three former churches, once part of the Guardian Angels parish, remain for sale three years after the parish cut seven churches to two, keeping open Most Blessed Sacrament in Harrison and Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. “We have people looking all the time,” parish Business Manager Tom Babinsack...
The Stroller, June 18, 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. Comedy show to celebrate...
Interest in skilled trades surges nearly 14%
At 15, Ryley Potlas already knows what she wants to do with her life. The Kiski Area School District freshman dreams of a career in welding, and she’s getting a jump on it by enrolling at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington. “There’s a big need for...
Plum officials happy with injection well decision, preparing for appeals
After Plum’s Zoning Hearing Board rejected the application for a second injection well in the borough last week, officials say they’re happy with the decision but preparing for the legal “long haul.” For years, Delmont-based gas company Penneco sought a zoning variance to convert a natural gas well into an...
Burrell School District mulls 3.8% tax hike to offset shrinking tax base, decreasing assessments
Burrell School District officials say a shrinking tax base and appeals that could lower property assessments are reasons they’re considering a 3.8% property tax hike. The increased taxes would support a budget the school board will consider Tuesday. The proposed budget totals about $37.7 million, said district Business Manager Jennifer...
Allegheny Valley Hospital opens Healing Garden, public wellness space
Rosemary Musolino said she couldn’t think of a more fitting project for Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison than the new outdoor respite garden. “It’s a beautiful design because it’s so welcoming,” said Musolino, an Allegheny Township resident and vice president of the hospital auxiliary. “It’s not only connected to our...
Man dies after jumping from Tarentum Bridge
A man who jumped from the Tarentum Bridge into the Allegheny River on Tuesday morning died before he could be taken to a hospital, according to paramedics at the scene. River rescue units were launched after the man apparently jumped from the bridge shortly after 11:30 a.m. Motorists had reported...
Federal money to benefit Arnold’s firefighters, parks, sewage system
Two of Arnold’s recreation sites are in line to get some improvements though the city’s latest Community Development Block Grant allocations. They are among seven projects likely to get funded from about $300,000 in federal cash. Katie Robson, a part-time financial clerk for the city, outlined the possible uses of...
Knead Cafe outreach model catches on in other states; pay-as-you-can network being created
Michael Phillips came upon Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington by accident. An Arnold native, he was visiting his hometown in the fall of 2023 and stumbled across Knead. The pay-what-you-can restaurant was closed, but owner Kevin Bode saw Phillips scoping out the place via his security cameras. Bode came...
The Stroller, June 17, 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. Plum Summerfest to feature...
A long goodbye: For U.S. Open crew, the show starts when the golf endsVideo
For Leighton Schwob, operations director for the U.S. Open, last week’s golf tournament technically could be considered a lull in his work schedule. Sure, there was overnight maintenance on the course and pedestrian pathways, and the rainy weather exacerbated things somewhat. But Schwob’s small army of staff, contractors and vendors...
Organizers hope Freeport’s 6th annual Pride celebration can be a low-key safe space for LGBTQ+ people
Pittsburgh’s boisterous Pride parade may soak up a lot of attention, but Freeport Pride Stroll and Festival is a chance for LGBTQ+ people in the Alle-Kiski Valley to feel supported in their own community, organizers say. “You don’t have to go to a big city to feel safe,” said Sidney...
Familiar face seeks return to Tarentum Council; unclear whether incumbent wants GOP nod
A familiar face could be returning to Tarentum Council. Two years after stepping down from local government, Carrie Fox has found herself in the political mix again. She secured the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Ward by write-in votes during the May primary election. “I do miss having a voice,”...
The Stroller, June 16, 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. Annual night race scheduled...
Better than a tie: Dads celebrate Father’s Day at U.S. OpenVideo
Every Father’s Day, Larry Piko plays a round of golf. Each year Piko’s wife, Valerie, and his sons, Larry Jr., 8, and William, 4, meet him at the 18th hole with signs and take him to lunch. “At this point, I don’t think it’s a surprise anymore, but we make...
From bruises to cardiac arrest, U.S. Open medical personnel care for fans
When a fan collapsed and entered cardiac arrest at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, Director of Operations for Plum EMS Brian Maloney said medical personnel at the tournament were prepared. A nearby police officer began chest compressions within seconds, and a physician arrived soon after. By the time medics loaded...
Despite mud and rain, U.S. Open fans say tournament ‘a dream come true’
Luca Fussaro, 14, came out of the U.S. Open with something to show for it. The Philadelphia native earned a new Apple Watch after sinking a 100-foot putt on his first try as part of a contest at Oakmont’s fan area. With his binoculars-clad father, Luca said, he had spent...
Harmar police use cameras to identify, find suspect in Freeport Road hit-and-run
Police used a variety of cameras to identify and find the driver of a car that did not stop after hitting and seriously injuring a pedestrian Thursday night on Freeport Road in Harmar. Harmar police charged Richard Yost Jr., 59, of McCandless on Friday with accidents involving death or personal...
Leechburg man seriously hurt in Route 28 crash in Tarentum
A Leechburg-area man suffered life-threatening injuries in a single-vehicle crash on Route 28 in Tarentum last week, according to state police in Kittanning. The crash happened just before 10 p.m. Wednesday at Exit 14, state police said in a release issued Saturday. According to state police, Barry G. Bernard, 41,...
