Valley News Dispatch category, Page 2

Riverview School District taxpayers could see a 2.23% tax increase next school year under the district’s proposed budget. The 0.5591-mill real estate tax hike for 2025-2026 would be used to cover expenses including anticipated increases for technology due to tariffs and “mandatory” security guard staffing, said district Business Manager Sheila...

People looking to bone up on water safety skills ahead of summer can check out an upcoming class in Sharpsburg by Friends of the Riverfront. The introductory level program will give an overview of kayak and canoe basics, foundational non-motorized safety and general approaches to launching and paddling the three...

Terry Carcella worked for several municipalities, in different capacities, while constructing a 42-year municipal government career. Now, he can add the Springdale Borough manager position to that list, as borough council hired him with a unanimous vote Tuesday. On May 27, he’ll assume his new post, which has been vacant...

Three men seeking two Democratic Party nods in the New Kensington Council primary say they want to continue the business growth and development in the city. Nicholas DiCarolis, Randi Shank and Phillip Toney are the Democratic candidates in the May 20 primary. The top two vote-getters will face off against...

A group of about 30 volunteers from four Norwin area and Penn Township churches will be on a mission this week to help about 15 low-income and elderly residents in need of home repairs so they can live in a safe and secure environment. The Carpenter’s Apprentice will send volunteers...

Larry Chifulini was meant to serve on Brackenridge council. Newly appointed for a second stint, Chifulini follows in his family footsteps, continuing decades of service to the borough where he was born and raised. His father, grandfather and grandmother all served on council. “The first time I was around, my...

Penn State officials expressed disappointment over — but failed to refute — a report that disclosed seven commonwealth campuses are slated to be eliminated as part of a university austerity plan. The Fayette and New Kensington campuses in Southwestern Pennsylvania were among the seven. “It is regrettable that our communities...

Penn State New Kensington has “struggled to maintain relevance and scale” in the Pittsburgh region’s competitive higher education environment. And Penn State Fayette has enrollment, demographic and operational challenges that make it unsustainable. That’s the reasoning behind the Penn State administration’s recommendation to close those two campuses — and seven...

A custom-made rescue engine for Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3, once deployed in 2028, will lower the number of vehicles in the company’s fleet but increase efficiency of emergency responses, its fire chief says. Company leaders last week signed a contract with Ohio-based Sutphen Co. to build a...

It’s a new dawn for the old East Vandergrift Elementary School following its conversion into Morning Sun Senior Lofts. The $17 million, 42-unit affordable housing complex recently welcomed its first tenants. It came after more than five years of planning, design and construction, transforming the historic building from a crumbling...

Penn State’s trustees will meet Thursday morning, but a decision on branch campus closures will not be made then, according to a university spokesman. The board of trustees tentatively scheduled a public meeting Thursday to discuss President Neeli Bendapudi’s recommendation regarding the possible campus closures. University administrators in February announced...

Tarentum has been called out by the state Department of Environmental Protection for the second time in six months for violations at the borough’s water plant. Borough officials said the water is safe to drink. “If there were a serious health risk, DEP regulations would require us to take much...

More than 130 Fox Chapel Area families received emergency food this month thanks to the quick work of volunteers at the Sharpsburg-based St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Doors were open to all who needed help from the pantry, which was run out of the St. Mary Church along Garnier...

A new partnership at New Kensington’s Advanced Manufacturing Park will put the city in the heart of the country’s growing hydrogen economy, area business leaders say. New York-based Ecolectro, a hydrogen production manufacturer, announced last week it has partnered with Re:Build Manufacturing to build next-generation electrolyzers. Ecolectro Chief Commercial Officer...

Rebecca Burns recently made a trip to The Pawn and Jewelry Exchange to find out how much her gold jewelry is worth. Skyrocketing gold prices, which have reached over $3,300 for a troy ounce of the precious metal, piqued her interest. Burns brought a necklace and other gold pieces of...

East Vandergrift officials have long seen potential in Kiskiminetas River Park, a small greenspace tucked in the borough’s eastern corner that for years was plagued by vandals. Discussions about a revival kicked off in 2020. Five years later, that work has paid off. Now, instead of a swingless swingset, there’s...

To Millie Pipman, the key to a missing piece of area history lies within a pioneer cabin in Upper Burrell. If it was even there in the first place. Pipman, a member of the Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is working with the Tri-City...

The Allegheny Valley School Board moved forward on a tax hike of around 2% on Tuesday ahead of a formal vote next week. The revenue generated from the millage increase would go toward a projected $3.6 million budget deficit, though the majority of that deficit would be made up using...

Brackenridge officials will get $6 million in help from the state to address problems at the borough’s water plant flagged by the Department of Environmental Protection. The borough’s water is safe to drink, according to DEP spokesman Brandon Glass. Concerns are for the lack of automatic shut-offs for low chlorine...

When Tom Giotto learned the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame would be inducting the 1971 Kiski Area football team, he started calling his former teammates. One of the players on that WPIAL Class AAA championship squad responded to the news with a bit of exasperation. “He said: ‘What took...

Residents of Oakmont, Verona and Plum are bracing for the onslaught of out-of-towners the U.S. Open will bring. However, before the prolonged rush-hour traffic and battles for parking begin, residents are invited to party. The Oakmont and Verona Chambers of Commerce have teamed up to plan an Open-themed block party...

A man was hospitalized in critical condition after being stabbed in Sharpsburg. Allegheny County Police said the incident took place shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday at the Lafayette Bar & Hotel along South Main Street. Police said the man is expected to survive. No information about suspects was released. No...

UPS is shipping out of North Apollo. The borough’s package distribution center is among the three UPS facilities in Pennsylvania and 73 nationwide closing as the company leans into automation and cuts back on Amazon shipments. The facilities are used to receive, store and send packages with delivery drivers. Saturday...

Contractor Brad Rowan parked his work van overnight at Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison this week in advance of a job at the building. He never dreamed, however, that it would be vandalized in the building’s parking lot along Freeport Road. “I understand everyone is upset about the situation,” said...