Valley News Dispatch category, Page 12
Allegheny Valley approves $1.2M bids for lobby amid price concerns
Allegheny Valley School Board members unanimously awarded $1.2 million in higher-than-expected bids for lobby renovations at Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School. Between the four bids, the price was about $180,000 more than the board had initially anticipated, board President Nino Pollino said. Terry Thompson, vice president of Foreman Architects Engineers, said...
Blawnox considering tax credit for volunteer firefighters
Blawnox firefighters may soon get a tax break. Borough officials are drafting an ordinance that could slash hundreds of dollars from their earned income tax. There are many details that still need to be worked out with the fire department, borough manager Kathy Ulanowicz said on June 11, including criteria...
The Stroller, June 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. Easy Star All-Stars to...
Kiski Area bowler Veronica Flanagan wraps up high school career with medal at nationals
After finishing third in the U.S. High School Bowling National Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind., Veronica Flanagan is leaving behind a lasting impact as a Kiski Area bowler. “My teammates past and present have become my best friends,” Flanagan said. “We always said an individual win is a win for...
Rachel Carson Trail Challenge pushes hikers to the limit
While 99% of participants finish the Pittsburgh Marathon, the Rachel Carson Trail Challenge has an average finish rate of 75%. The Rachel Carson Trail will put more than 1,000 hikers’ physical and mental endurance to the test Saturday for the 28th annual challenge featuring three separate courses. The full challenge...
From gardening to lifeguarding, Highlands Camp Creativity helps stop ‘summer slide’
When Lincoln Sims chomped into a handful of kale at the Greg Blythe Friendship Garden in Tarentum, the 6-year-old gave it a thumbs up. Classmate Teigen Capozzoli followed suit — and promptly spit the bitter greens to the ground. “I didn’t care for it,” she said. “I liked the strawberries...
Oakmont wastewater treatment plant to enter construction phase
Progress is sweet, or as sweet as it can be when it comes to Oakmont’s wastewater treatment plant on Ann Street. Since 2021, borough officials have been overseeing a project to improve and modernize the plant for the first time since 2008. The project is being managed by consulting agency...
New ‘pawfficer’ program promotes dog adoption in Fox Chapel
Fox Chapel Borough officials and the Fox Chapel Police Department are looking to beef up dog adoption awareness with a new program. A rescue dog named Mr. Beefaroni was the first of many dogs that will hopefully find their furever homes through the “K9 Officer for a Day” initiative. The...
Allegheny Valley approves budget with small tax increase
Opting for a slight tax bump, Allegheny Valley School Board members passed the district’s 2025-26 budget Tuesday. Revenue generated from the 1.48% increase will go toward a projected $3.2 million budget deficit, though the majority of that deficit will be made up using the district’s fund balance. The new budget...
Fox Chapel Area School District celebrates the class of 2025
Fox Chapel Area High School senior Anna Mohn believes asking odd questions is among the best ways to get to know someone. As editor of the school’s weekly student newspaper, she has sought knowledge such as someone’s hype song, what they are most thankful for and their favorite word. Mohn...
The Stroller, June 19, 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. Annual Strawberry Festival on...
New Fox Chapel borough manager’s salary information obtained
The new Fox Chapel borough manager’s salary will be $185,000, according to borough records obtained by TribLive. Council unanimously voted May 19 to hire Julie Bastianini as its next top administrator upon the retirement of current manager Gary J. Koehler. Her salary was not listed in the May meeting minutes...
Pet owners demand justice, new laws to deal with funeral director accused of theft
Don’t mess with the pets. That was the resounding message from protesters outside the Allegheny County Courthouse Wednesday, demanding justice for deceased pets they fear were mistreated by Patrick Vereb at funeral homes he operated in Pittsburgh and Harrison. About 20 people were scattered along the sidewalk of the courthouse’s...
New Kensington man identified as Tarentum Bridge jumper
A man who jumped to his death from the Tarentum Bridge on Tuesday has been identified. The victim was Thomas Peter Link, 68, of New Kensington, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Link jumped into the Allegheny River shortly before 11:30 a.m. and died before he could be...
Shady Side Academy reportedly rethinking proposed west entrance to Fox Chapel campus
Shady Side Academy officials are expected to change their plans for an entrance on the west side of the Upper School campus. Fox Chapel Mayor Alex Scott, borough manager Gary Koehler, several council members and others met with academy leaders behind closed doors to discuss the project on May 21....
Fox Chapel Borough Manager Gary Koehler set to retire after 40 years of government service
Gary Koehler remembers being fascinated by project designs when he was growing up in Shaler. He would watch as his father, Jack, a township volunteer planning commissioner, reviewed various documents and architectural drawings. “As a little boy, 12 years old, he would bring home plans and put them on the...
Fox Chapel Area School Board approves 2025-26 budget with 2.3% tax increase
Fox Chapel Area School District officials have approved next school year’s budget with a 2.3% tax hike and no cuts to programs or services. The board voted unanimously on its 2025-26 spending plan on June 9. The millage rate jumps from 21.51 mills to 22 mills, about a 0.5-mill increase....
Oakmont Council passes food truck ordinances
A pair of ordinances regulating food truck operations in Oakmont passed without a peep after no residents attended Tuesday’s public hearings. The need for the ordinances arose after multiple borough businesses that don’t serve food contacted borough officials about hiring food trucks for special events.. There were no regulations in...
Colors for the carpet at Our Lady of Victory in Springdale
Our Lady of Victory parishioners filled bags of dyed sawdust Tuesday, June 17, at Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. Volunteers were preparing about 525 pounds of sawdust to be dyed in different colors for this year’s Feast of Corpus Christi, where sawdust carpets will be placed in the...
Offers but no buyers on 3 Guardian Angels churches still on the market
Three former churches, once part of the Guardian Angels parish, remain for sale three years after the parish cut seven churches to two, keeping open Most Blessed Sacrament in Harrison and Our Lady of Victory in Springdale Township. “We have people looking all the time,” parish Business Manager Tom Babinsack...
The Stroller, June 18, 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. Comedy show to celebrate...
Interest in skilled trades surges nearly 14%
At 15, Ryley Potlas already knows what she wants to do with her life. The Kiski Area School District freshman dreams of a career in welding, and she’s getting a jump on it by enrolling at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington. “There’s a big need for...
Plum officials happy with injection well decision, preparing for appeals
After Plum’s Zoning Hearing Board rejected the application for a second injection well in the borough last week, officials say they’re happy with the decision but preparing for the legal “long haul.” For years, Delmont-based gas company Penneco sought a zoning variance to convert a natural gas well into an...
Burrell School District mulls 3.8% tax hike to offset shrinking tax base, decreasing assessments
Burrell School District officials say a shrinking tax base and appeals that could lower property assessments are reasons they’re considering a 3.8% property tax hike. The increased taxes would support a budget the school board will consider Tuesday. The proposed budget totals about $37.7 million, said district Business Manager Jennifer...
Allegheny Valley Hospital opens Healing Garden, public wellness space
Rosemary Musolino said she couldn’t think of a more fitting project for Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison than the new outdoor respite garden. “It’s a beautiful design because it’s so welcoming,” said Musolino, an Allegheny Township resident and vice president of the hospital auxiliary. “It’s not only connected to our...
