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Valley News Dispatch category, Page 22

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Independence Day fireworks display won’t take place in Tarentum this year after public support fizzled
People looking for fireworks in the sky over Tarentum this Independence Day will see only stars and darkness. After 29 years of sponsoring the annual holiday pyrotechnics, Summit Hose Company members told borough council they no can longer sponsor it. Summit had held the fireworks display every July 3. “We...
Natrona trailhead to provide town gateway, safe access to kayak launch
A trailhead project in the Natrona section of Harrison could begin moving forward if all goes smoothly with design and permit approvals. The township commissioners awarded a $30,000 contract to GAI Consultants in January to begin work on the project, which will create designated parking with safer access to the...
1 shot in East Vandergrift police raid
Officials declined to identify the suspect shot by police during a raid at an apartment Friday morning in East Vandergrift. The man was shot during a police raid led by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force around 7 a.m. Friday, according to state police. Residents say the raid targeted an...
Plum awards road paving contract, seeking slide repair bids
Plum plans to resurface seven roads and six alleys in the borough this year, while also repairing a slide on another. Council on Monday accepted a bid of just over $680,000 from Tresco for the resurfacing work covering about 4 miles of road. Councilwoman Vicky Roessler was absent. The company...
Daunting equipment costs eased for Allegheny Township, Murrysville VFDs after $250K infusion from energy company
The Markle Volunteer Fire Department needs to make major repairs to its two trucks, but, like most of its peers in Western Pennsylvania, money is scarce. Spare cash will still be hard to come by for the foreseeable future, but a $100,000 grant from Olympus Energy is expected to at...
The Stroller, Feb. 14, 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. Happy Valentine’s Day! Don’t...
At fire academy, high school students earn class credit while training to be firefighters
Desiree Schramm wasn’t looking to become a firefighter when she was choosing electives during her junior year at North Hills High School. “I was scheduling for classes and, ‘What’s this?’ ” said Schramm, of Ross, now 18 and a senior. “This is actually pretty cool.” What Schramm stumbled across was the...
Westmoreland high school students pursue first responder certifications
Students in 10 of Westmoreland County’s school districts don’t have to wait until after graduation to pursue a career as a first responder. Through the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center’s Protective Services class, students in grades 10-12 at select Westmoreland schools can earn certifications in firefighting, policing, EMS and...
Weapons, drug charges against former Pagans member dismissed in New Kensington
Weapons and drug charges against a former member of the Pagans motorcycle gang have been dismissed. The charges, including prohibited possession of a firearm, against Bill Robert Rana, 44, of Sharpsburg were dismissed after a preliminary hearing Thursday before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. Rana and three...
Heroin or litter box: Arnold stabbing suspects don’t agree on cause of fight
Two men who police say stabbed each other in an Arnold apartment Sunday morning were fighting over either heroin or a dirty kitty litter box, according to a criminal complaint. Police charged Michael James Holliday, 43, of Arnold and William Johnson, 54, of Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood each with felony aggravated...
New rescue truck at Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services expands specialized response
While most fire departments across the state are struggling to stay afloat, Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services is finding itself on solid ground. A merger of Aspinwall and Sharpsburg, the department is expected to purchase a $1.3 million heavy rescue truck that not only will respond to local emergencies but...
Plum School District planning $270K replacement of tennis courts
Replacing the tennis courts at Plum High School is a matter of safety, Superintendent Rick Walsh says. The courts are in such bad condition that students will play this coming season on courts at Allegheny County’s Boyce Park. “A few years ago we put a Band-Aid on the tennis courts,”...
Sheriff: 2 stolen guns recovered at New Kensington home
Westmoreland County authorities recovered two stolen guns while serving protection from abuse and eviction orders in New Kensington on Wednesday morning. The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office charged Ralph Earl Scott Jr., 18, of New Kensington with two counts of prohibited possession of a firearm and two counts of receiving stolen...
Mercurio’s pizza chef takes home win competing in Italy
A trio of local Italian siblings are celebrating their sister’s pizza-making prowess and subsequent win in an international pizza competition. Anna Crucitt and Michael and Joe Mecurio co-own and operate Mercurio’s, known for authentic homemade Neapolitan pizza and artisan gelato, with locations in Shadyside and O’Hara. Crucitt recently won first...
The Stroller, Feb. 13, 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. Night at the Races...
Brackenridge sewing group, Holy Scraps, uses skills for community good
When life gives you scraps, make a quilt. That’s the motto of a weekly sewing group, Holy Scraps, run from the Salvation Army Allegheny Valley Worship and Service Center in Brackenridge. “These ladies have a tremendous heart for serving the community,” Capt. Selah Bender said. “They really use their talents...
Horror author, former Oakmont resident, continues story he started in Netflix ‘Residue’ series 
Pittsburgh-area native John Harrison was in the midst of writing his first novel when he was approached by an English film company interested in turning his book into a Web series. But they had a request — could he start his story a little earlier? “They liked the idea for...
Federal funding availability, other concerns lead some schools to cancel electric bus plans
Uncertainty over the availability of previously promised federal funding has some local school districts rethinking their plans to buy electric buses. The unpredictability of the funding is among several reasons Plum Superintendent Rick Walsh cited for pulling the plug on the district’s plan to purchase 25 electric buses. “With the...
New Kensington planners recommend changing Carl Avenue house to commercial use
While a New Kensington property owner wants to provide space for more small business near Tarentum Bridge Road, city planning officials want to draw a firm line between commercial and residential areas. Jack Bellone wants to change the zoning of a house between Tarentum Bridge Road and 759 Carl Ave....
Construction project presentation for Burrell School District anticipated next week
The Burrell School Board and the public likely will get a chance to hear from the district’s architect on possible construction projects during a meeting next week. Pittsburgh-based HHSDR Inc., Burrell’s architect, is anticipated to present drafts on possible capital improvement projects at the district’s schools during a board meeting...
Who is Steve Witkoff? The man behind Marc Fogel’s release
When teacher Marc Fogel returned to the United States on Tuesday after three and a half years’ imprisonment in Russia, he was accompanied by a figure many don’t know much about — Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. “What a dynamic man this guy is,” Fogel said of Witkoff during a press...
Riverview School Board pauses tuition discussions
It looks like Riverview School District won’t be accepting tuition students from outside the district anytime soon. School board members tabled any vote on the move until their March meeting, at the earliest, after administration officials said the idea seemed to have more risks than benefits. And the board doesn’t...
The Stroller, Feb. 12, 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. Armstrong Conservation District to...
Instructional time a priority for Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary as reconfiguration on tap
The most important schedule features at a reconfigured Bon Air Elementary School next year appear to be equitable minutes for instruction and maintaining integrity of support time for students. That’s what the Bon Air task force prioritized the most when asked by Superintendent Shannon Wagner during a meeting Tuesday. The...
Alabama, Jamey Johnson coming to Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in East Deer 
Pittsburgh Brewing Co. has another concert on tap later this year. Alabama, the Country Music Hall of Famers known for songs like “Mountain Music” and “Song of the South,” will headline the Iron City Stage at the company’s East Deer brewery on June 14, with country singer Jamey Johnson opening...


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