Valley News Dispatch category, Page 17
Republican Springdale mayor faces Democratic challenger
Two men are vying to be mayor of Springdale on Nov. 4. Democrat John Murray is challenging incumbent Republican Joel Anderson, who has served as mayor since 2023. Anderson declined TribLive requests to comment for this story. A resident of the borough since 1996, Murray, 66, ended up on the...
New Kensington native Jonna Banko to be part of Rockettes’ 100th anniversary
Jonna Banko told her peers in Valley High School’s Class of 2022 to follow their dreams. “In my (valedictorian) speech, I said, ‘Don’t wish for it; you have to work for it,’” Banko said. “I put my mind into being a Rockette, and I was able to make that happen....
The Stroller, Oct. 23, 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. Hatchet-throwing event to aid...
5 candidates seek to fill 4 open Leechburg Area School Board seats
The Nov. 4 ballot will feature some familiar faces vying for four open seats on the Leechburg Area School Board. Incumbents Darius Lovelace, 74, and Candi Stewart, 69, are seeking to keep their seats. They are being challenged by Neill Brady, 76, and Danielle Reinke, 45, who are looking to...
O’Hara man charged with attempted homicide in connection with domestic incident
An O’Hara man is facing charges including attempted homicide after police say he attempted to set a pool deck and a relative on fire Oct. 10. Township police Superintendent Jay Davis said officers from O’Hara, Sharpsburg and Etna responded to a report of an assault and uncontrolled fire at a...
Deer Lakes School Board delays decision on relocating bus stop near sex offender’s home
Residents were left unimpressed Tuesday night after Deer Lakes School Board members voted to table a motion that would set a policy that would require all school bus stops to be at least 300 feet away from any Megan’s Law offender’s residence. The motion comes after state Rep. Jeremy Shaffer,...
Cherrie Mahan’s family, friends hopeful after property searches in South Buffalo
Friends and family of Cherrie Mahan believe law enforcement is zeroing in on the location of the young girl who disappeared in 1985 near a rural bus stop in Winfield. Hopes have skyrocketed one day after state police and FBI conducted a search along River Road in South Buffalo, about...
The case of Cherrie Mahan: What you need to know
The disappearance of Cherrie Mahan 40 years ago is making headlines again as authorities apparently run down leads and conduct searches related to the case. Cherrie’s is one of the longest running missing persons cases in state history. Here’s what you need to know about the case: • Cherrie Mahan,...
The Stroller, Oct. 22, 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. Lower Valley Community Food...
State police, FBI begin digging operation in South Buffalo
State police crews, with assistance from the FBI, began an extensive digging operation Tuesday near a private residence in South Buffalo. Police used a backhoe to excavate a small section of the private plot along River Road in the township’s Clinton neighborhood. Several law enforcement vehicles were on-site, including one...
Route 28 patching work near Freeport delayed
Originally scheduled to begin Wednesday, patching work on Route 28 in Butler County will now begin Oct. 27. The work, which will restrict north and southbound traffic to single lanes, will end the following day. Set to take place between Exit 16 (Freeport/Millerstown) and Exit 17 (Route 356 Butler/Freeport/Sarver), the...
Manos Gallery owners plan cultural hub in New Kensington
A historic New Kensington building that once housed a recreation center for manufacturing powerhouse Alcoa will become a hub for creative arts early next year. The vision by Tarentum businessmen Ernesto Camacho and Brian DeFelice, owners of The Manos Gallery, strives to provide inclusivity for all creative types. “It will...
Fire breaks out at Fox Chapel house near Beechwood Farm Nature Reserve
Firefighters from multiple departments battled a house fire near the site of the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel on Tuesday morning. The fire was reported around 10 a.m. at a residence on Dorseyville Road that is not associated with the nature reserve. It was mostly knocked down by...
Family of late oncology nurse starts CCAC endowment for non-traditional students
Barbara Kelly was in her late 30s when she decided to return to school. The mother of four earned her nursing degree at the Community College of Allegheny County and went on to serve at West Penn Hospital’s oncology ward for 25 years. Kelly, a lifelong resident of Plum, died...
The Stroller, Oct. 21, 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. Free holiday grief support...
Allegheny Township artist featured at Murrysville library art gallery
Allegheny Township artist Peter Cehily prefers putting his art directly on paper, usually with a paintbrush. But over the past decade, he’s also discovered the joy of digital photography, particularly through the use of his iPhone. “It has become my photo companion, accompanying me on my daily trips and errands...
Gilpin purchases $175K tractor for mowing operations
Gilpin has acquired a new 2024 Massey Ferguson 4x4 tractor equipped with a Mowmaster boom and 50-inch deck. The machine replaces the township’s 1997 Massey Ferguson, which in recent years has required various costly repairs, officials said. Kevin Miller, township supervisor and chair of road maintenance, said the new equipment...
Former Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison to become new location of local health clinic
A new business is set to operate out of the former Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison. Allegheny Health and Physical Medicine will move into the facilty at 1007 Freeport Road. The funeral home closed earlier this year just before its previous owner was accused by the state attorney general of...
Arnold councilman calls for spending freeze as city faces $200k shortfall
Concerns about Arnold’s finances prompted one councilman to call for a halt to spending. Councilman Phil McKinley, the city’s director of accounts and finance, made that pitch at a recent council meeting. It came amid a projection by City Manager Mario Bellavia that Arnold is facing a $200,000 deficit as...
Staffing, infrastructure top of mind for Allegheny Valley School Board candidates
After the May primaries slimmed the candidate pool by two, the five remaining contenders for Allegheny Valley School Board say the main issues they’ll seek to tackle are teacher retention and infrastructure improvements. The five — two of whom have previous board experience — will compete for four open seats....
Harrison, Plum need poll workers for election day
Harrison and Plum are among 13 Allegheny County municipalities in need of poll workers ahead of Election Day. The county is seeking workers for what is typically a 15-hour day spent helping people at the voting booths. Workers are paid $150 to $175 for the day and also receive paid...
The Stroller, Oct. 20, 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. Fundraising gala to benefit...
Tarentum home damaged in fire deemed uninhabitable, council considers demolition
A Tarentum home damaged by fire in mid-September has been deemed unsafe and could be demolished, along with two neighboring properties. Fire crews battled a blaze at 917 Porter St. on Sept. 16. No one was injured but two dogs died. The cause of the fire was accidental, said Kasey...
Unique wares, people the draw of Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society’s ‘Flea-Tique’
Jenn Schneider spent Sunday morning setting up her vendor booth at the Tour-Ed Mine grounds in Fawn with items varying from ornaments, toy trucks and Christmas Village collections. “We have a little bit of everything,” said Schneider of New Kensington. “It’s everything you didn’t know you needed.” Quipped her brother,...
Faces of the Valley: Tarentum pastor marks 50 years in ministry, counts puppets, baseball as passions
Pastor, puppeteer and avid Red Sox fan. That’s how the Rev. Bob Dayton describes himself. Parishioners at Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, however, go further in their descriptions: supportive, worldly and well-rounded. “I have nothing but good things to say about him,” Barb Diller said. “When he first came to...
