Valley News Dispatch category, Page 562
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley holds pet blessing ceremony as new building nears completionVideo
Construction of Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley’s new $1.9 million shelter is nearing completion after being delayed because of the coronavirus. On Sunday, about two dozen dogs and their owners turned out for a pet blessing ceremony at the shelter’s new home along Church Street in New Kensington. Officials with...
Retired Gilpin couple’s hobby keeps them busy as beesVideo
Life is sweet for Jim and Sylvia Walters of Gilpin. The retired couple took up beekeeping as a hobby about five years ago. “We heard of the honeybees being in decline and wanted to do something. It wasn’t about the honey in the beginning. It was about helping the bees...
The Stroller, Oct. 4, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Volunteers needed Saturday to work on stream project Kiski Watershed Association is seeking volunteers to help with a stream restoration project set for 9 a.m. to noon...
Renshaw Farms PumpkinFest offers fall-themed activities, attractions for all agesVideo
What began as a roadside stand is a sprawling, pumpkin-themed destination in South Buffalo Township. The 12th annual Renshaw Farms PumpkinFest continues Fridays through Sundays during October, offering fall-themed activities and attractions for all ages. Established in 1834, Renshaw Farms is owned and operated by sixth-generation Renshaws. “We have thousands...
Zoom exercise classes being offered to Allegheny County seniors, including those at West Deer senior center
Maggie Larrow is no stranger to Zoom, the video-conferencing software that has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Larrow and other seniors in Allegheny County have been using the technology to take online exercise classes offered by the Catholic Youth Association, which has senior citizen activities centers in...
Allegheny Township’s Great Pumpkin, Olga, goes to state weigh-offVideo
Olga the 1,174,5 pound pumpkin was severed from her stalk in an Allegheny Township patch Friday evening and loaded into a truck bound for the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association weigh-off Saturday in Cambria County. Olga beat Justin Reiter’s personal pumpkin best of 1,136.5 pounds during Saturday’s weigh-off. This great...
The Stroller, Oct. 3, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Burtner House Restoration Society selling commemorative Christmas ornaments Burtner House Restoration Society is selling handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments to celebrate the 200th birthday of the homestead in...
‘Ms. Mary’ retires from New Kensington Eat ‘n Park after 35 years with company
Servers at Eat ‘n Park in New Kensington never had to worry about the food they took to diners when Mary Burke was in the kitchen. “When she was doing prep and cooking, her food was always amazing, perfect,” server Kristy Reid said. “She cared about how she sent food...
Free trees, shrubs, native plants to Buffalo Creek watershed residents
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is offering free trees, shrubs and native plants to residents of the Buffalo Creek watershed, particularly those who live along a creek or stream. Considered to be one of the wildest, untouched natural areas in the Pittsburgh region, the Buffalo Creek watershed covers about...
Lower Burrell police to be among 1st to undergo ‘legitimacy’ training at IUP
The Lower Burrell Police Department will be among the first in the region to take a new seminar at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Police Academy focusing on the concept of police legitimacy. The concept deals with the degree to which the public is willing to support and cooperate with police...
Freeport Area High School receives National Blue Ribbon School distinction
Freeport Area High School has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Blue Ribbon School distinction recognizes top public and non-public schools annually. Freeport Area High School was one of 367 schools nationwide to earn the title for this year. Principal...
Lower Burrell artist auctioning Josh Bell drawing to help KDKA reporter’s daughter injured in accidentVideo
A Lower Burrell artist who in 2018 auctioned off a portrait of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby to benefit a scholarship fund honoring a slain police officer is at it again. This time, he’s turned his sights toward helping a young girl’s recovery from a terrible accident. Larry “Klu” Klukaszewski’s...
Dry weather yielded smaller pumpkins, but Myers Pickle Farm in Gilpin has plenty
The roadside blaze of orange along Route 66 in Gilpin means one thing this time of year. Pumpkinpalooza. Every September, Alle-Kiski Valley residents in search of the perfect pumpkin can find their fix at Myers Pickle Farm, a popular produce stand in continuous operation since 1925. Family owned and operated...
Freeport Area confirms covid-19 case among middle school staff
Freeport Area School District officials confirmed Friday that a staff member at Freeport Area Middle School tested positive for covid-19. The individual was last at the school on Sept. 23 and contact tracing did not reveal any close contacts among students or staff. The school will not be closed because...
Mom, nurse, cancer survivor, singer: ‘Miss Freddye’ soothes in all aspects of her lifeVideo
When Freddye Stover learned she had breast cancer in 1998, the tears flowed.“Receiving the ‘C’ diagnosis is heartbreaking,” said Stover, known in the regional music scene as “Miss Freddye.” “I cried for 24 hours straight. I went to bed crying. I woke up crying. I cried in the shower. I...
Halloween activities in the Alle-Kiski Valley – Oct. 2, 2020
To have your event listed, send information to Carol Pinto-Smith, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084; or email cpinto-smith@triblive.com Community events Trick-or-treat and events open only to residents of the designated community include: • Allegheny Township: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 • Apollo: Trick-or-treat: 6 to...
The Stroller, Oct. 2, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Leechburg Area Food Bank seeks volunteers Leechburg Area Food Bank is looking for volunteers to pack and carry food to cars on the monthly distribution day. A...
Harmar Village Care Center workers picket for better wages, health careVideo
Caryn Nelson stood along Freeport Road in Harmar on Thursday afternoon holding a sign that read “Heroes Deserve Health Care.” Nelson, 31, of Lower Burrell, is a certified nursing assistant and part of a group of employees of Harmar Village Care Center picketing in front of the facility. “We aid...
United Way expands regional volunteer efforts with Week of Caring
Volunteers are needed more than ever while area organizations cope with the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic. The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has responded by organizing its first Week of Caring, running through Oct. 10. More than 700 volunteers have signed up to participate in 75 in-person and virtual...
Indiana man, others facing assault charges after brawl at North Apollo bar
An Indiana County man faces felony charges after police say he struck another man in the head with a beer bottle during a brawl at a North Apollo bar. Police charged Ian Russell Lamison, 42, of Indiana, with two felony counts of aggravated assault and additional offenses in connection with...
Arnold man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in teen’s 2016 shooting death
Aaron Waters said he will never forgive the man who shot and killed his 16-year-old daughter nearly four years ago in Arnold. “That person stole my joy, he stole my sunny days. I don’t see forgiveness in me at all. Acceptance, I have to,” Waters said Thursday during a hearing...
New Kensington woman appeals conviction on charges of helping cop killer
A New Kensington woman is appealing her conviction on charges she helped her cousin avoid capture after the 2017 killing of a police officer. In court documents filed this week, the lawyer for Lisa Harrington contends jurors should not have been allowed to watch video that depicted the Nov. 17,...
First tenants begin moving into New Kensington’s Pioneer Apartments
Erik Williams was expected to be among the first five tenants to move into New Kensington’s new, $18.2 million Pioneer Apartments on Thursday afternoon. “I just want to get in my apartment, period. It’s time for a change,” said Williams, who has lived at the nearby Arnold Towers for the...
Police: Harrison man solicited another person to join in on sexual assault of boy
A Harrison man is accused of inviting another person to join him in sexually assaulting a young boy. Police said they arrested Brandon Jones, 27, on Wednesday. A criminal complaint filed against Jones said a witness in the case reported receiving text messages from Jones in which he described sexual...
Freeport confirms athletics staff member has covid-19, cancels football game against Valley
Freeport Area School District on Thursday confirmed that a high school football coach tested positive for covid-19. The school will not be closed because of the case, but Freeport officials said Friday’s football game against Valley has been canceled and the district was considering shutting down football activities for two...
