Valley News Dispatch category, Page 16
Elected officials eye Springdale data center proposal as borough council prepares to vote
The decision to approve or reject a developer’s proposal to build a massive data center in Springdale is ultimately up to its borough council. With a decision set to be handed down in just over a week, state and local politicians say they, too, have been keeping an eye on...
2nd community meeting planned in Springdale ahead of data center vote
Springdale residents and other locals will gather for a second community meeting ahead of borough council’s vote on a massive proposed data center at the site of the former Cheswick Generating Station. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at From Italy Pizza in Springdale. Organized by...
Highlands community shocked after popular teacher, photographer accused of sexually assaulting 2 boys
Sean Dicer was a familiar face in the Highlands School District community. He’d be seen at various sports events and activities, taking pictures of students. He was a popular teacher. That made the news that broke Friday about Dicer, 53, being accused of sexually assaulting and extorting two boys at...
1 dead in shooting outside New Kensington Elks Lodge
New Kensington and Westmoreland County police continue to investigate after a man was shot dead early Saturday morning, a spokeswoman for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said. County detectives were called to assist New Kensington police outside the Elks Lodge on Third Avenue around 3:30 a.m., said Melanie Jones,...
Substitute teacher shortages leave some districts scrambling to avoid ‘vicious cycle’ in schools
During Allegheny Valley School District’s two-month search for a consistent high school biology teacher, Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said other teachers, outside substitutes and even school principals stepped in to keep the science class going. Eventually, the district found a long-term substitute with an emergency biology certification to fill the role...
The Stroller, Dec. 6, 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. Festival of Trees raffle...
21% tax increase in Brackenridge attributed to rising costs, recent $1.2M bond
Brackenridge residents will pay 21% more in property taxes next year after council approved the borough’s $1.5 million budget Thursday. The plan calls for an increase in the tax rate from 7 to 8.5 mills. The owner of a home assessed at the median value of $50,900 will pay $432, an...
Man killed in Upper Burrell vehicle crash
An Allegheny Township man died Friday morning in a two-vehicle crash in Upper Burrell. Brian Edward McCormick, 60, was driving a Nissan Sedan at 6:56 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Manchester Hill Road and Route 780 when he collided with another vehicle, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office....
Former Leechburg police chief sees latest felony charge dropped
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold’s most recent felony charge, claiming he had not reported all of the internet sites and apps he had been using, has been dismissed. After pleading guilty in December 2018 to soliciting sex online from a state trooper who was posing as a 14-year-old girl,...
Upper Burrell teen’s project to fill ‘significant gap’ in Holocaust education
An Upper Burrell teenager’s efforts to educate the younger generation about girls’ roles during the Holocaust is coming to fruition. Lily Sassani, 18, will launch her Holocaust Education Patch from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Chatham University’s Mellon Board Room, 5799 Chapel Hill Road, Pittsburgh. The two-year initiative was...
Former Highlands teacher charged with sexually assaulting, extorting 2 minors
A former Highlands School District teacher is charged with sexually assaulting and extorting two young students at his Brackenridge home. Sean M. Dicer, 53, is accused of assaulting the boys, who are now 16, when they were 11 and 12 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday. One...
Long-time Pine resident keeps up exercise regimen, positive attitude at 98 years young
Esther VanCura is living proof the benefit of exercising has no age limit. The 98-year-old and her wellness coach, Nick Majoris, devote part of a morning each week to strengthening the senior’s core, maintaining muscle and keeping her mind sharp. “It’s never too late,” said Majoris, who designed a program...
Corey Comperatore Foundation will honor fallen firefighter, aid first responders, family says
About a year and a half after Corey Comperatore was slain during the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a political rally in Butler County, the former firefighter’s family plans to start a foundation in his name. The Corey Comperatore Foundation will be a 501(c)3 nonprofit aimed at financially...
The Stroller, Dec. 5, 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. Winter market to feature...
Even in digital era, in-person shopping is still a part of the holiday experience
In an era when people can buy gifts with the click of a mouse or push of a button, in-person retail shopping is still an important part of the American holiday shopping experience. A study from JLL, a real estate services company, found that only 16.3% of consumers plan to...
Residents get glimpse of proposed ambulance service authority in Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge
A consultant for the proposed Alle-Kiski Emergency Service Authority said the tentative cost for property owners would be comparable to a monthly Netflix subscription or two cups of Dunkin coffee. The plan to create a paid authority by merging Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum and Citizens Hose EMS in Harrison...
Ex-NBA player shares story of drug addiction, recovery to Westmoreland County high school students
As a McDonald’s All-American basketball player, Chris Herren remembers blowing off assemblies in high school about drug and alcohol abuse, thinking that negative impact would never happen to him. But years down the line, Herren’s professional basketball career — which included stints with the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics —...
Springdale tax rate to remain flat; sewage fees to increase in proposed budget
Editor’s note: This story was changed to reflect that garbage rates in the borough are not going up as was previously reported. Springdale residents may soon see an increase to their sewer bills, but property taxes are set to remain unchanged in the borough’s proposed budget. Sewer rates would go...
Upper Burrell to offer notification system for residents
A text notification app of Upper Burrell happenings and events will launch in the township sometime next year. Supervisors Chairman Ross G. Walker III said Upper Burrell plans to use the Savvy Citizen program, a mobile app designed to allow governments to communicate with residents. The app can be downloaded...
Oakmont considers new requirements for police officer hires
Oakmont is considering changes to regulations that would make the hiring process quicker and more accessible for prospective borough police officers. During Tuesday night’s council meeting, David Decker of the borough’s civil service commission proposed changes to the borough’s regulations for officer hires. “We want to look at the rules...
Leechburg Bridge remains dark, work progressing
Drivers are still being kept in the dark on Leechburg Veterans Memorial Bridge. Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal said borough leadership has been working with PennDOT for more than a year to try to get lights on the bridge working again. “They didn’t all go out at once,” Smeal said. There...
3 new directors take seats on Allegheny Valley School Board
The Allegheny Valley School Board welcomed three new members to its ranks Tuesday. Fred Derringer, Rebecca Mundok and Colleen Crumb took the seats they won in November’s general election. Nino Pollino, a longtime board member, retained his seat. The four were sworn in by District Judge Michael Girardi before immediately...
The Stroller, Dec. 4, 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. Christmas concerts planned by...
Inmate relieved of freedom for holding-cell assault
An Arnold man pleaded guilty to charges that he urinated on another inmate while in a holding cell earlier this year at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Tahnook Sewell, 23, was charged in connection to an incident on July 21 that police said was recorded on security cameras recorded video a...
Highlands School Board, teachers union could ratify 5-year deal in January
An early-bird contract that would shore up Highlands School District teachers’ salaries and other benefits through 2030 will be on the school board’s agenda in January. The board was hoping to vote during its meeting Tuesday, but the move was delayed. A tentative five-year contract previously was approved by the...
