Valley News Dispatch category, Page 492
National championship boat racing at Riverbration in Kittanning Aug. 20-22
Speedboats will hit 90 mph or more as they slice through the Allegheny River for national championship boat races during Riverbration, Aug. 20-22 at Kittanning Riverfront Park. Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Post 896, the free public riverside event is expected to draw boat racers from across the...
The Stroller, Aug. 8, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Highlands band slates Pie Night The Highlands High School Varsity Marching Band annual Pie Night will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday...
Litigation prevented earlier demolition of Arnold’s former Ida’s Place building, family says
The former owner of the old Ida’s Place building in Arnold has been harassed since it collapsed late last month, according to her daughter. Ida Peluso turned out authentic Italian food along Fifth Avenue for about 36 years until a kitchen fire severely damaged her restaurant and a neighboring building...
Leechburg to get new restaurant at familiar location
A new restaurant is coming to Leechburg. Frankie’s on 2nd St. will occupy the former Pappy’s restaurant, at 81-83 Second St. Before closing, Pappy’s was a staple eatery in downtown Leechburg. Before that, it was home to another popular restaurant, Bonello’s. “I’m thrilled,” Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos said. “It’s good...
Relay for Life of Riverview surpasses fundraising goal despite less participation
The past few months have been a roller coaster of emotions for Springdale borough resident Jamey Lavelle. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in April. Within a few weeks, he was promoted from supervisor to operations manager at Lower Valley Ambulance Service, where he has worked for about 24 years....
Western Pa. Firemen’s convention kicks off in New Kensington with parade, car cruise
Dozens of fire trucks from throughout the state made their way through New Kensington streets Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t for an emergency. Instead, it was to celebrate the start of the 128th annual Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association’s convention. Festivities kicked off with a car cruise and a parade. The convention...
River Road in Armstrong County set to close Aug. 15
A multi-million dollar construction project in Parks and Kiskiminetas Townships is the reason for a road and bridge closure on Route 56 scheduled for Aug. 15. The affected area is near the intersection of River and Gravel Bar roads, from Vocelli’s Restaurant to Taps and Caps on River Road (Route...
Tarentum mulling refinancing bonds, borrowing $2M for projects
Tarentum Council is moving forward in refinancing two old bond issues and possibly adding several million to the borough’s debt. With municipal bond rates around 2% , council this week authorized Borough Manager Michael Nestico to contact the borough’s bond underwriters about refinancing two old bond issues from 2011 and...
The Stroller, Aug. 7, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Armstrong outdoor center to host program about elk The Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek will offer a live interactive program...
New Kensington woman jumps from 2nd-story window to escape assault, police say
A woman in New Kensington jumped out a second-story window, hurting her back, to get away from a man she was fighting with, according to city police. New Kensington police charged Jerome Michael Dussia Jr., 34, of Haser Drive with simple assault following the Thursday morning incident. Police said Dussia...
Grant money to help Vandergrift’s historic Casino Theatre replace crumbling fire escape
A crumbling fire escape at Vandergrift’s historic Casino Theatre that dates back nearly a century will be replaced with the help of grant money. “It’s rusty, attached only in one location and the steps are not up to code,” said Janice Oberdorf, treasurer of the nonprofit Casino Theatre Restoration Management....
Washington Township woman missing
Washington Township police are asking for the public’s help to find a township woman who has been missing since Monday. Amber Rowan, 40, was last seen at her home along Greensburg Road. Rowan may be with David Payton, a 41-year-old white man, police said. The two could be traveling in...
Ladles restaurant to reopen in Springdale
The popular Springdale restaurant Ladles is set to reopen soon, according to a Facebook message from the owner of the eatery. “Since the building has not sold and we haven’t had any interest (from) potential buyers, I have decided to reopen because I do not want to lose my employees...
Filterbuy opens New Kensington facility, plans more hiring
Air filter manufacturer Filterbuy opened its facility in New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park this week with nearly 30 full-time employees, and it plans to hire more workers this month, the company announced Friday. The family-owned and operated company based in Alabama said it aims to have three full production lines...
Kiski Area poised to hire new superintendent
A woman appears to be in line to become Kiski Area School District’s next superintendent. Kiski Area officials wouldn’t identify the top candidate late this week, but Business Manager Peggy Gillespie said the district’s website would be updated Monday to announce the choice. The school board is expected to vote...
ATI moving Pittsburgh headquarters from Downtown to new Strip District building
Allegheny Technologies Inc. will move its Pittsburgh headquarters from Downtown to the Strip District next summer, the company and Burns Scalo Real Estate announced. Burns Scalo said the specialty materials manufacturer is the first tenant to sign a lease for “The Vision on 15th,” an eight-story, mixed-use building under construction...
2 hurt in 2-vehicle crash in New Kensington
Two people were hurt in a crash in New Kensington on Thursday night. The two-vehicle crash happened at Tarentum Bridge and Leechburg roads around 9:30 p.m., a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher said. One person was taken by ambulance to Allegheny Valley Hospital; the other was taken by ambulance to Allegheny...
The Stroller, Aug. 6, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Free concert scheduled Sunday at Christ the King Church The Kiski Valley Community Band will perform a free concert at 1:30...
Confession challenged in New Kensington police shooting case
The lawyer for an Allegheny County man contends his client’s confession that he fired shots at three New Kensington police officers last year was illegally obtained because the now 19-year-old didn’t have a parent with him during official questioning. According to court documents filed Friday, defense attorney Emily Smarto said...
Second suspect in armed robbery at Tarentum home arrested
A second person wanted in connection with an armed robbery at a Tarentum home in June is in custody. Wilnal Anthony Reddix, 21, of Harrison was arrested Wednesday night during a traffic stop in the township, Tarentum police Chief William Vakulick said Thursday. Vakulick said Reddix was arrested without incident....
Freeport officials trying to determine how to pay for sewage plant, make it affordable
Freeport Council has authorized its engineer to apply for grants to finance the estimated $15 million Freeport sewage plant construction project. On Monday, council unanimously gave the green light for project engineer Kevin Creagh of KLH Engineers to start applying for as many grants as possible. Creagh told council he...
Former Fox Chapel cardiologist gets 6½ years in prison for health care fraud
A former Fox Chapel cardiologist convicted of health care fraud for falsely billing more than $13 million in specialized treatment his patients didn’t need asked for mercy at his sentencing Thursday. Dr. Samirkumar J. Shah, who failed to show at his original sentencing hearing last month, and for whom the...
Renowned Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café returns after 15 years
All it took was one bite of a fresh maple-cinnamon roll for a patron to know he was in the right place. Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café, a descendant of the iconic Harmar bakery Periwinkle’s, has finally opened the doors at its new location in O’Hara along Route 28, at Exit...
Fox Chapel author’s debut novel tells story of resiliency, self-acceptance
Fox Chapel resident Carolyn Skowron spins a tale of triumph and chips away at the stigma of mental health in her debut novel, “Unbreakable.” A story of acceptance, self-discovery and the value of being “perfectly imperfect,” the book follows Skowron’s struggle with mental health issues and her path to self-improvement....
Neighbor Spotlight: Oakmont conversations always a delight for historical society president
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
