Joyce Hanz stories, Page 43
Butler man arrested on terroristic threat, aggravated assault charges after SWAT incident
A SWAT incident Saturday in Butler Township has resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Butler resident Kenneth Eugene Snyder Jr. Snyder is charged with terroristic threats and aggravated assault, according to a release from the Butler Township Police Department. Snyder is accused of stabbing a 39-year-old man multiple times in...
Good eats in downtown New Kensington showcased by Restaurant Ramble
Donna Hare of Upper Burrell hadn’t visited New Kensington in more than 20 years. But a new food and commerce-themed event held there Saturday changed that. Hare and five of her friends attended the 2022 Restaurant Ramble & Spring Fling. The group said they all were happy to support local...
Girl Scouts drive cookie sales with drive-thru option in Brackenridge
A drive-thru sale Saturday in Brackenridge offered motorists a convenient way to score their favorite Girl Scout cookie. Girl Scout Troop 28807 leader Jessica DePascale said the troop introduced the drive-thru option for purchasing cookies last year because of the pandemic. The 11-member troop braved snow showers and freezing temps...
Cast of ‘Shrek the Musical’ at Kiski Area High School holds breakfast fundraiser in full costume
Kiski Area High School drama students rolled out a swampy green welcome mat for a “Character Breakfast” fundraiser Saturday morning at the high school cafeteria. Guests were able to interact with numerous lead characters — in full costume — from the upcoming spring musical production of “Shrek the Musical.” More...
‘Save Ukraine’ T-shirts sold at Sprankle’s to raise funds for war-torn nation
Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market launched a T-shirt fundraiser Tuesday to help the people of Ukraine as they suffer under a Russian military invasion. The Sprankle’s chain, with locations in Leechburg, Saxonburg and Kittanning, hope to raise $5,000 for the Red Cross by selling the shirts. Co-owner Ryan Sprankle said an employee...
AHN sending ‘urgently needed’ portable X-ray machine, medical supplies to hospital in UkraineVideo
Allegheny Health Network is donating medical supplies and a mobile X-ray machine to war-torn Ukraine. AHN radiation oncologist Alexander Kirichenko, a native of Kyiv, Ukraine, said he fielded several phone calls and correspondence last weekend from Dr. Sergey Zemskov of the Ukrainian National Medical University, pleading for medical supplies and...
Donations sought for Kiski Area’s back-to-school backpack giveaway in August
The Kiski Area School District is collecting back-to-school supplies for a districtwide summer event. This year’s 2nd Annual Back-To-School Backpack Bash will be held on Aug. 10 at Kiski Area High School. The district is asking the public to donate backpacks, school supplies and general hygiene items at any of...
Set construction underway for ‘High School Musical, 2: On Stage!’ at Highlands
Set construction is on schedule at Highlands High School for the spring musical production of “High School Musical 2: On Stage!” Highlands musical director Michael Zeiler said a team of about 10 volunteers constructed the multi-level set in about 16 days. Co-tech director Mark Loya spent 16 hours programming the...
Bailey’s Junk Removal of Vandergrift puts family values to work, cleaning up any mess
The Bailey family of Vandergrift loves getting dirty helping others. Married couple Joshua and Richelle Bailey co-own Bailey’s Junk Removal on Grant Avenue in Vandergrift. The business, established in 2012, handled more than 650 junk removal jobs in the Alle-Kiski Valley last year. The couple’s five sons — Chandler, Cassius,...
Howdy partner: The Cadet Restaurant’s iconic cowboy welcomes patrons back to Kittanning eatery
An iconic roadside eatery is reopening after being shuttered for more than two years during the pandemic. The Cadet Restaurant, known for its hearty down-home diner fare and cowboy mascot “Sam” — a 30-foot-tall statue seen holding a giant hamburger along Route 422 near Kittanning — will welcome diners today....
Taco Bell opens in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township has a Taco Bell. The restaurant at 500 Hyde Park Road in Allegheny Plaza welcomed customers during a drive-thru-only soft opening Saturday and Sunday. Inside dining opens Monday. Customers lined up in their cars in the drive-thru portion of the eatery both days, awaiting the 11 a.m. opening....
Vandergrift police return to full staffing with 2 new officers
Vandergrift Borough has two new full-time police officers. Council approved hiring Danny Anthony and Steven Zemba at a starting salary of $59,692 each. Their salaries would increase to $71,075 after three years, Vandergrift police Chief Joe Caporali said. They will begin patrolling this month. The borough normally maintains eight full-time...
Weird, wild collide at exotic animal rescue, pet shop in SharpsburgVideo
A businesswoman from O’Hara is on a mission to find new homes for abandoned and surrendered exotic animals. Sara Smith owns Sara’s Pets and Plants, in Sharpsburg at 908 Main St. She tends to more than 100 animals at her shop, all of them rescued or surrendered animals. But Smith...
Tom Hanks takes break from filming in Ambridge to wave hello to a mom and her boyVideo
Ashley Glass of Ambridge had a surprise celebrity encounter Thursday morning. Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks took a break from filming on Merchant Street to wave to Glass and her 2-year-old son, Charles. Glass, 35, a homemaker and mother of five, said the actor spotted them while filming scenes for...
Allegheny Township police to be issued firearms, ending practice of carrying personal weapons
Since the 1960s, Allegheny Township police have carried their personal guns on the job, like officers at many small municipal police forces. Starting this year, however, the township’s police will be supplied with township-issued guns. At the March 14 township supervisors meeting, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli presented Allegheny...
Pivot to pasta: Inflation turns Lenten fish fry at Bell Township VFD into spaghetti dinner
There’s a new menu for the Friday Lenten fundraiser meals starting March 25 at Bell Township Volunteer Fire Department: The traditional fish fry has been replaced by spaghetti dinners. “The price of everything this year is crazy,” said Bell Township VFD president and organizer Cody Auden. With fish in short...
Arnold girl helps raise money for orphans in parents’ homeland of Ukraine
Shady Side Academy freshman Avery Litwin found a new friend when she began tutoring English online to a 14-year-old Ukranian girl named Daria. Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Litwin was shocked by the reality of Daria’s new living conditions. Litwin said Daria had to hang black curtains over her windows, and...
New Community Concern Portal well received by Fox Chapel residents
Fox Chapel has launched a new online portal for residents to submit concerns or requests 24/7 directly to borough officials for service in the community. Borough manager Gary Koehler said the Community Concern Portal launched last month on the borough website was created to help residents communicate with borough officials....
Faces of the Valley: Allegheny Township man steadfast in mission of cleaning up roadwaysVideo
A dedicated senior citizen is doing his part to tidy up roads in Allegheny Township. Dahrl Talmage, 84, of Allegheny Township began volunteering 14 years ago, collecting litter discarded along Route 56 and School Road. “I like the roads to look nice and clean,” Talmage said. Talmage said he travels...
3 new festivals approved for downtown Vandergrift
Vandergrift officials and the Vandergrift Business Association have partnered to bring three new community festivals to Grant Avenue. VBA is sponsoring a monthly vendor-focused event called Gathering on Grant, a Fourth of July festival and an Oktoberfest event this fall. Vandergrift Council members voted unanimously Monday to approve all three...
ACMH nurses go on 5-day strikeVideo
Nurses at ACMH Hospital near Kittanning walked off the job Sunday after months of stalled negotiations over staffing and wage issues. More than 100 employees, community leaders and strike supporters began picketing at 7 a.m. Many held handmade signs asking for respect, better wages, safe staffing and nurse retention. Sign...
Local Provisions, a ‘chef-driven’ market and cafe, to open in Fox Chapel Plaza
A well-regarded Pittsburgh restaurateur is opening an artisan market and cafe in the Fox Chapel area. Brian Pekarcik, a chef best known for operating Spoon in East Liberty, and his wife, Jessica, are launching Local Provisions Market & Cafe in late summer. The 4,000-square-foot venue in Fox Chapel Plaza in...
Aspinwall to get custom florist Fox and the Fleur on Brilliant Avenue
A new artisan floral business is coming to Brilliant Avenue in Aspinwall, thanks to a Fox Chapel woman with a passion for artistic floral expression. Anne Dickson, 41, is the force behind Fox and the Fleur, a custom florist specializing in weddings, events and holiday decorating and more. Dickson secured...
Port Authority reacts to high number of call-offs
A significant number of Port Authority employees called off from work Saturday, in what Port Authority officials called an apparent protest of the authority’s vaccine mandate. Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph declined to give an exact number of how many employees didn’t show up for work Saturday, adding a number...
Coroner: East Huntingdon man using snow blower killed by passing pickup
A man operating a snow blower was struck and killed by a pickup Saturday morning, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. County Coroner Timothy Carson identified the victim as Brian P. Hyde, of East Huntingdon. Hyde, 49, was struck around 10 a.m. by a Dodge Ram pickup traveling at...
