Valley News Dispatch category, Page 62
Threat made against Kiski Area unfounded, district officials say
Threats made against Kiski Area Intermediate School were determined to be not credible, according to district officials. A letter was sent to district families Wednesday informing them that the district was aware and investigating a threat allegedly made by a student and directed at the Intermediate School. The investigation is...
Tarentum woman says her family’s graves, and others, flooded for a decade at Mt. Airy Cemetery
Sola Samuels’ mother passed away in 2014, and, in nearly all that time, she’s not been able to find solace while visiting the gravesite. Buried at Mt. Airy in Harrison, Samuels’ mother is in a section plagued by flooding for about 10 years. “It’s a soupy mess,” said Samuels, of...
The Stroller, May 29, 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. Brackenridge community celebration to...
Oakmont officials detail parking restrictions near country club for U.S. Open week
Some Oakmont residents have received a letter from the USGA detailing parking changes during next week’s U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Borough officials released a map specifying 23 roads between Eight Street and the Pennsylvania Turnpike overpass that will be unavailable for on-street parking aside from residents...
Plum School Board passes final budget with 2.26% tax increase
The Plum School Board finalized a 2.26% tax increase on Tuesday in a unanimous vote to approve its final budget. The budget increases the tax rate from the current 23.3896 mills to 23.9159 mills. That’s partially the result of board discussions in favor of smaller incremental tax hikes rather than...
Burrell secretaries get raises under new 5-year contract
Educational secretaries in the Burrell School District will see a 3% pay increase annually over the next five years. School directors approved an agreement with the district’s 11 educational secretaries for the 3% salary raises for a period beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2030, said Superintendent Shannon...
River Rec Day set at Allegheny RiverTrail Park
Annie Tritsch and her children describe Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall as a magical place where they spend time collecting pinecones, exploring trails and roller skating. “It’s a beautiful place for kids to connect with nature and see the river, run and play,” Tritsch said. A summer kick-off at the...
ATI’s Specialty Rolled Products lands long-term Airbus deal
ATI has a multi-year contract with Airbus, the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer and largest producer of airliners. The majority of the deal will be served by Specialty Rolled Products, ATI’s Harrison facility, with other operations in Brackenridge, Vandergrift, Latrobe and Washington, Pa. The specialty metals manufacturer will produce Airbus’ titanium...
New Kensington-Arnold program improves attendance by 17%
Josiah Primus had a quick and simple answer when asked why it’s important to have excellent attendance. “You’ll do good in school,” said the 10-year-old, who is wrapping up fourth grade at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School. Josiah was one of 135 students from Hunt and H.D. Berkey schools in...
The Stroller, May 28, 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. Apollo bingo to offer...
Open for business: Restaurants, bars, shops ready for U.S. Open spectators, golfers
Located in Plum, Somma Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar and Zen Restaurant and Sushi Bar are just a chip shot away from Oakmont Country Club. The establishments are two of many gearing up to welcome an onslaught of golf fans during the upcoming U.S. Open from June 9 to 15...
Questions remain unanswered on 12th anniversary of Trib employee’s disappearance
Dan Niehaus preferred actions over words. Despite being prone to silence with the occasional “hello” and “thank you,” Niehaus of Penn Hills was known as a reliable man and a hard worker. “Dan was a nice guy, but he didn’t talk at all,” said Todd Besh, Trib Total Media production...
Feud among fire departments flares during Memorial Day blaze in Springdale Township
Seven fire departments and about 50 firefighters responded to a blaze that destroyed a home in Springdale Township on Memorial Day, but Springdale Volunteer Fire Department members, who were close enough to watch smoke rise from the fire, were not among them. According to Dan Copeland, a borough council member...
Threat of rain prompts Plum School District to reschedule graduation
The threat of rain has prompted the Plum School District to reschedule its graduation ceremony. The district announced Tuesday that it has pushed the ceremony ahead a day, from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Plum High School stadium. “While the extended forecast is still subject to...
Burrell students teach, mentor younger generation on environment
Chad Clair wants to make science fun. By the looks of students from Stewart Elementary and Burrell High schools at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park in Lower Burrell last week, mission accomplished. Students in Clair’s new Environmental Field Study course at Burrell, and members of the Environmental Club taught...
Prospect of Springdale data center meets mixed reactions among neighbors
Dale Remai likes the idea of a data center in Springdale where a power plant used to stand. A resident of Shady Avenue, adjacent to the former power plant site, Remai, 69, thinks it could be a boon to the borough in terms of attracting other employers. At least, it’s...
Lower Burrell man dead after motorcycle crash in city
A Lower Burrell man died Monday after his Harley Davidson motorcycle collided with a sedan in the city. The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. The motorcycle rider, William Hartman, 20, died about an hour and a half later, according to a report from the Westmoreland County Coroner’s office. The...
The Stroller, May 27, 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. Volunteers needed for Kick...
Allegheny County Parks create economic spillover in nearby municipalities
Dave Brooke spends at least three days a week at Harrison Hills Park, checking for nesting success in the wooden bluebird boxes that dot the lawns in the Allegheny County-owned space. Birding and conservation are among a number of activities that draw people to the 500-acre park off Freeport Road...
Communities mark Memorial Day with parades, salutes to honor those who died in fight for freedom
As a cacophony of marching bands Monday helped power Memorial Day parades that snaked through small-town streets — marchers and onlookers alike draped in red, white and blue — it was the small details that resonated loudest for one Alle-Kiski Valley veteran. Don Donahue, a Veterans of Foreign Wars commander...
Neighbor pulls man off property after blaze guts his Springdale Township home
Editor’s note: This story was updated to show the location of the fire is in Springdale Township. Della Mayfield didn’t think much Monday morning when she saw smoke starting to billow from her elderly neighbor’s Springdale Township home. She just looked out her window, then ran. “There was so much...
East Deer lays out steps for delinquent service payments
Employees and customers of East Deer’s water department are getting firm regulations to follow when it comes to delinquent payments. Commissioners approved a formal policy regarding such payments, not only for water bills but also for refuse collection and sewer maintenance payments. “It’s just a policy that (township Manager) Chrystal...
Leechburg Area students worked the polls thanks to innovative program
Leechburg Area students Rocco Vigna, 17, and Nevin Steele, 17, spent election day serving their community. The two juniors from West Leechburg were the first students to participate in a program that allows students living in Westmoreland County to work at polling places. The boys spent half a day at...
The Stroller, May 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. This Memorial Day, we...
Arnold woman opens The Battle Life, a transitional living home for women in the fights of their lives
An Arnold woman is remembering a friend who lost her battle as she prepares to help other women who are still fighting their own. Amanda Wheeler on Sunday celebrated the soft opening of The Battle Life, her transitional living home, which she is dedicating to her friend, Jon’Trae “JT” Mathis....
