Valley News Dispatch category, Page 10
100th family reunion held in West Deer, but their roots came from Scotland — so did the clan’s leader
It’s in the Scottish nature to want to get together and meet up, says Madam Pauline Hunter, the 30th clan chief of Clan Hunter. Often that sees members of the clan, now scattered around the globe, returning to their roots and visiting Hunterston Castle, which is located southwest of Glasgow,...
The Stroller, June 28, 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. Golf scramble planned by...
Opa! Oakmont Greek Food Festival continues through weekend
Bob Zazac and his daughter Mia braved the elements in order to keep their father-daughter tradition of attending the Oakmont Greek Food Festival alive. The huge fundraising weekend at Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church kicked off Friday. The hot and humid afternoon gave way to thunderstorms shortly before...
Kittanning teen to be charged in connection with stealing $10,000 in goods from Harrison, Fawn
At least two homes in Harrison and another in Fawn appear to have been targeted for thefts after residents posted items for sale on social media. Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said charges are pending against a 17-year-old boy from Kittanning in connection with all three incidents, which occurred June...
No injuries in Blawnox train-truck crash
A 195-car train and a tractor trailer collided Friday morning in Blawnox. Crews were dispatched just before 8:30 a.m. to the Fairview Avenue rail crossing, near its intersection with Papercraft Avenue, according to first responders. Blawnox Deputy Fire Chief Matt Kauper said the tractor-trailer was leaving the American Beverage Company...
A-K Valley High school class reunions, June 27, 2025
Publicize your high school’s class reunion for free for free in The Stroller. Send information as soon as possible 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. • Ken Hi Class of 1959 will...
The Stroller, June 27, 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. Hartwood Acres to host...
Vinci Winery coming to downtown New Kensington in old-school Italian style
A new establishment in downtown New Kensington brings together three of Sam Iovino’s passions: wine, cigars and food. “I’m old-school Italian. I believe in entertaining,” said Iovino. “I love entertaining and getting people together.” Iovino, 56, of Monroeville plans to open Vinci Winery at 1021 Barnes St. on July 9....
Public school districts, cyber charter schools grapple with tuition costs
Greg Egnor, Burrell School District’s director of Student Services, wants to change the district’s relationship with the 27 families that live within Burrell’s boundary lines but elect to send their children to a cyber charter school. Previously, the district had no relationship with its growing cyber charter population — which...
Cyber school’s flexibility and support help West Tarentum boy thrive
Brook Stitt is keeping a close eye on the state budget vote this year. The West Tarentum mother is concerned about a proposal to limit per-student payments to Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools. The bill, which also calls for changes to how cyber charters operate, narrowly passed the state House last...
Burrell property owners to pay 3.8% more in school taxes next school year
Burrell School Board this week approved a budget for next school year that increases property taxes for homeowners by 3.8%. The spending plan totals roughly $37.4 million. It begins to pay off a $10 million bond for proposed infrastructure projects at district buildings, adds an armed security guard at Charles...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit makes immediate route changes, including in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Bus routes in the Alle-Kiski Valley are among those that are affected by changes being made by Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT). The changes include 20 altered routes, like those of the P16 Penn Hills Flyer and the P78 Oakmont Flyer, and 39 other routes with bus stop changes, like the...
Hearing for Plum’s O’Block addition sees little comment; district still accepting suggestions
A public hearing to discuss improvements to Plum’s O’Block Elementary School drew only one resident to the podium as the multimillion-dollar project inches forward. The building, which a study commissioned by the district claimed to have “extensive deficiencies,” is set to receive a 15,000-square-foot addition and extensive interior renovations. According...
Indiana Township officials vow to continue safety efforts on 128-year-old bridge and tunnel
A very old railroad bridge has a new look in Indiana Township, as township officials continue their efforts to restore the Rural Ridge tunnel along Little Deer Creek Valley Road to ensure optimal public safety for motorists. Rebecca Mink of Indiana Township has witnessed the deterioration of a 128-year-old railroad...
The Stroller, June 26, 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. Back the Blue concert...
Perking up: How the arrival of a coffee shop can get a small town buzzing
Avonmore has long chased an economic renaissance that never quite arrived. If anything, the dream of a bustling business community slipped further out of reach when the town’s rolling mill closed in 2019, taking more than 100 jobs with it. But the borough has a coffee shop among its small...
Housing for foreign high school students could be coming to Oakmont
The former site of the Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation could become a student housing center for private school students from Europe and Asia. A petition to obtain a special exemption to use the property as dormitory-style housing for high school students was passed in a 2-0 vote by...
Riverview School District introduces robotics initiative for 2025-26
Cathy Favo wants her students to be equipped to explore any job they might want to pursue when they get older. In her sixth grade STEAM classes at Riverview School District, Favo teaches her students about topics such as coding, engineering and design. “(The class) is meant to give the...
Freeport sports card shop headed to Buffalo Township
After three years in Freeport, G&T Sports Cards Plus will soon have a new home a few miles north. Specializing in sports trading cards and collectibles, the shop is set to relocate to 309 South Pike Road (Route 356) in Buffalo Township, according to owner Tyler Huth. The reason for...
Season’s final Funnel Cake Friday set in Sharpsburg
A Sharpsburg summer tradition that mixes funnel cake batter with a powdered sugary sprinkle of community spirit will soon come to a close. This season’s final Funnel Cake Fridays is set for June 27 from 5-8 p.m. at Kennedy Park. It is expected to be packed with musical performances by...
Buffalo Supervisors mull limits to public comment at meetings
At an early morning special meeting on Wednesday, Buffalo Township Supervisors tabled a resolution that would place limits on public comment at meetings amid recent community objections to proposed solar farms. A public hearing for the farms earlier this month took several hours as around 35 residents voiced opposition to...
The Stroller, June 25, 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. Monthly Fridays on Fifth...
Pickleball popularity presents sustainability problems with plastic balls
When pickleball exploded in recent years as America’s favorite sport, the pastime came with collateral damage — plastic neon-colored balls piling up in landfills. More than 500 million pickleballs are manufactured each year, seemingly with nowhere to go, said Jeff Pepper, an avid player from Verona. “The number is huge,”...
Highlands School District holds tax rate steady as budget is approved
Property owners in the Highlands School District won’t see a tax increase for next school year after the board approved its $54.5 million budget. The plan holds the property tax rate steady at 25.13 mills. The median household income for the district is about $60,000. The owner of a home...
Despite rain and heat, Springdale turf field set to be complete by fall
The path toward high school football games being played at Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School continues to move forward. Crews are stripping layers of topsoil at the site, near the school, that’s set to become the new home of Dynamos football this fall. That soil is being cleared to make way...
