Valley News Dispatch category, Page 566
West Deer inches closer to tax deferral program for low-income residents, seniors
West Deer leaders are considering an ordinance that could prevent residents who make less than $35,000 a year from having to pay increased real estate taxes. Supervisors on Wednesday approved formally advertising an ordinance that would establish a township real estate tax deferral program. The program would add any township...
Car crashes over embankment on Route 56 New Kensington
A car crashed through a guardrail over an embankment on Route 56 in New Kensington Sunday morning, according to Westmoreland County 911. The single-vehicle crash happened around 8:30 a.m. near Craigdell Road. Route 56 westbound was closed as of 9 a.m. Nobody was trapped in the car, but first responders...
New Kensington starts demolition process on 10 more dilapidated houses
Another 10 dilapidated houses are on the path to demolition in New Kensington. That’s great news for Paula Tracz, who lives near one of them at 814 Ross Ave., which was damaged by fire. “It’s such an eyesore. I sit on my back porch, and I see the squirrels all...
New Kensington man struggling after parked car destroyed in shooting, crashVideo
Jay Geyer has heard the sound of gunfire in his New Kensington neighborhood. Sometimes, it’s only fireworks, but often, it’s the real thing. His life had never been touched by the violence surrounding him until the day it crashed into his car, destroying it. Now his niece, Nicole Geyer of...
The Stroller, Sept. 20, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Cornhole tournament fundraiser to benefit Highlands Youth Wrestling Highlands Youth Wrestling will host a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m. Oct. 11...
North Apollo goes for grant money to fix washouts of Hickory Nut Road
This week, Armstrong County officials went door to door to gather demographic information from residents on several streets in North Apollo to apply for a grant of nearly $6,000 to replace a catch basin on Hickory Nut Road. The faulty storm sewer catch basin has caused stormwater to wash out...
The Stroller, Sept. 19, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Virtual cash bash planned by Animal Protectors Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley will host a virtual cash bash at 7 p.m....
Camping World hosting virtual RV show amid massive renovationVideo
Camping World in Allegheny Township is buzzing with activity. Amid ongoing construction for a renovation project, the store is also one of 164 locations nationwide hosting the Ultimate RV Show, a virtual event taking place over the course of five days. The event started Wednesday and is running through Sunday....
Freeport Area School District Foundation golf outing to raise money for classroom grants
The Freeport Area School District Foundation is hosting a golf outing Sunday to support classroom grants for teachers in the district. The annual event raises money to support teachers’ initiatives in the classroom, said Bobbi Jo O’Shell, Freeport Area School District Foundation executive director. Teachers in any of Freeport’s schools...
Deer Lakes approves dual enrollment program with Grove City College
A Deer Lakes senior who wanted to take college courses at Grove City College has opened up that opportunity for other students at her school. The school board on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding for a Dual Enrollment Program between the school district and the college, which gives juniors...
Carnegie man accused of raping girl in Harrison more than a decade ago
Allegheny County Police charged a 66-year-old man with rape and other offenses after a 17-year-old girl accused him of assaulting her more than a decade ago in Harrison. In addition to rape, police charged Randolph Walker, of Carnegie, with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault, indecent...
Police: Phone sex company alerts police to alleged child sex abuse in Brackenridge
A tip from a phone sex company owner resulted in Allegheny County Police charging a 42-year-old Brackenridge man with sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, John Patrick Godfrey claimed his talk with the phone sex operator was only fantasy, but Allegheny County...
DA: Police justified in killing shotgun-wielding man in New Kensington
Police who fatally shot a man wielding a shotgun in New Kensington in March were justified in the killing, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck ruled Friday. Marc Morgan, 62, of Upper Burrell, threatened to shoot Black people March 13 and refused to put down the shotgun, lobbing expletives at...
Large, costly hole appears on Leechburg street
Leechburg Council has a unexpected road repair on its hands, and all they know right now is that it’ll probably be expensive to fix. A gaping hole on Second Street and Center Avenue is the result of what Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos called a “storm sewer issue.” “The brick manhole...
Meet Hazelnut, a ‘spunky’ calf bought for $13 by Gilpin familyVideo
Hazelnut is a pet with a purpose. The weeks-old baby Brown Swiss calf recently was purchased for $13 at auction by the Karpinski family of Gilpin, with the sole purpose of raising her as a pet dairy cow. “Hazelnut will be here for the long haul,” Kira Karpinski said. The...
Several construction projects underway in O’Hara business district
Construction continues at the Chase Bank along Fox Chapel Road in O’Hara, with company officials saying the branch is on track to open later this year. It is one of several businesses under construction in the township’s retail corridor. Also underway are a Chick-fil-A in Fox Chapel Plaza and an...
Fox Chapel Area freshman developing app to detect x-ray abnormalities
Before he even started high school, Fox Chapel Area freshman Adhitya Thirumala was using his technological prowess to develop potential advancements in the medical field. Thirumala, 13, was named among the Top 300 middle school innovators from across the country in the 2020 Broadcom MASTERS, a prestigious STEM competition. The...
Ladles restaurant in Springdale closes, possibly for good
The future is uncertain for the popular Springdale eatery Ladles. The storefront on busy Pittsburgh Street still looks inviting, but the restaurant is closed. And while a sign on the front door reads, “We plan on reopening very soon,” Ladles’ future actually remains very much in doubt. “The future is...
East Deer to use $100K state grant to tear down 10 blighted buildingsVideo
East Deer is using state grant money to tear down 10 blighted buildings. Residents of Marion Street, which has three of the targeted properties, were happy to hear the news. “Hopefully soon they come down,” said Stephanie Headley, who has lived on the street for 15 years and calls the...
The Stroller, Sept. 18, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Memorial bike outing planned Sept. 26 A bike run in memory of Jerry “Bull” Baylor will be Sept. 26 at Mogie’s...
73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home up for adoption at New Kensington shelterVideo
More than 70 cats rescued from a house in North Huntingdon are being cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue in New Kensington. It did not appear anyone was living in the house on Leger Road where the cats were found, Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director and president of...
New Kensington-Arnold may go to hybrid schedule if too many students want to return to schools
New Kensington-Arnold School District will be forced to go to a full hybrid schedule if too many students now learning from home choose to come back to school next month, Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said. Under a hybrid schedule, students would be in school only two days a week, Banko...
Driver loses control, crashes car into Tarentum house
A woman lost control of her vehicle on Thursday night and crashed into the corner of a house in Tarentum. The unidentified woman was driving toward Brackenridge on E. 10th Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. when she suddenly lost control of the car. The car, a two-door compact, bounced off...
New artificial turf field at Burrell’s Buccaneer Stadium nearly ready for actionVideo
The new artificial turf field at Burrell School District’s Buccaneer Stadium is expected to be ready for game action next week, and sports could return to the stadium with a soccer tripleheader on Oct. 1. “The field is beautiful and a great surface for all sports,” said Burrell Athletic Director...
Freeport Renaissance Association hosting free outdoor concerts
Freeport Riverside Park will be filled with the sounds of music Friday and Saturday. The Freeport Renaissance Association — a community organization that works to beautify and promote Freeport — will host this weekend’s outdoor concerts. Let’s Duet, a classic rock show, will start at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s Country...
