Joyce Hanz stories, Page 52
Police seek public’s help to locate missing Vandergrift man
Vandergrift police said Thursday they were seeking the public’s help to locate an 85-year-old man last seen Wednesday. Robert W. Horner, 85, of Vandergrift’s Emerson Street, is believed to have left his residence between 2 and 4 p.m., according to police. Police said they believe he was driving a white...
Signature Dish: Prime rib at proudly ‘old-school’ Grieco’s Carefree Inn of Indiana TownshipVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com Prime rib still rules as the signature dish at Grieco’s Carefree Inn Restaurant in Indiana Township. Grieco’s opened in 1981...
Vandergrift police arrest 4 men, 1 on heroin, meth charges and the others charged with burglary
Vandergrift police arrested four suspects Monday when a search warrant turned up 1,897 stamp bags of presumed heroin in East Vandergrift. Police say they also recovered three ounces of suspected methamphetamine. Vandergrift Borough Police Officer Nate Rigatti estimated the street value of the drugs at $15,000. The suspects are Ryan...
It’s official: Kiski Area School District hires 1st female superintendent
Kiski Area School Board has hired the district’s new superintendent. Misty Slavic, 44, is the first woman to be named to the district’s top post. The board voted 8-0 to approve Slavic’s three-year contract. Her starting salary is $153,000, which will be pro-rated for the 2021-22 school year. School Director...
4 Gilpin workers test positive for covid, 1 hospitalized
Workers for an entire department in Gilpin have tested positive for covid-19. Supervisor Charlie Stull confirmed Tuesday that four full-time employees — an administrative employee and all three workers in the public works department — have tested positive. That represents nearly half of the township’s full-time workers. Gilpin, a township...
East Vandergrift making headway on rat problem
East Vandergrift officials appear to be making progress in the ongoing war against a rat infestation in the borough. Council voted last June to hire a commercial division of Terminix in Bridgeville for 10 weeks at a cost of $1,525 after fielding numerous complaints from residents about rats. The Terminix...
Allegheny Township working to fix sewage issues on Labelle Vue Road
Allegheny Township officials are taking steps to tackle a sewage problem affecting multiple residences on LaBelle Vue Road. Eight houses on the rural road in Westmoreland County have what township Manager Greg Primm described as failing septic systems. An unidentified female LaBelle Vue Road resident filed a complaint June 28...
Dozens of steel jobs coming to Alle-Kiski Valley in new venture at old Hyde Park FoundryVideo
A vacant warehouse in a historic Hyde Park foundry is about to get busy. Three Alle-Kiski residents with almost a century of combined mill experience working in the Valley’s steel industry have partnered to open a new metal toll processing business in the former hot metal section of the former...
Charity event in Vandergrift to offer free back-to-school haircuts for kids
A new charity event in Vandergrift is making the cut with area students. The Kiski Valley Lancers & Ramsey’s Place Cuts 4 Kids will offer free back-to-school haircuts to any student in prekindergarten through 12th grade at the borough’s Kennedy Park on Aug. 23. “There’s a lot of underprivileged people...
State police seeking information about stabbing outside Oklahoma Borough bar
State police are investigating a stabbing that happened early Thursday outside an Oklahoma Borough bar. Two people went outside the Oklahoma Inn at 1544 Hancock Avenue around 1:30 a.m. to engage in what police described as a “mutual fight” in an alley. One of the people was injured during the...
Most Kiski Area parents ‘in favor of choice’ when it comes to masks for children, acting superintendent says
Kiski Area School Board will discuss its current health and safety plan during Wednesday night’s agenda meeting. A draft of the district health and safety plan, presented to the public on July 26, makes it optional for students, staff and visitors to wear face coverings or masks when classes begin...
Chartiers Valley administrator in line to become Kiski Area’s next superintendent, district’s first female leader
An administrator with the Chartiers Valley School District is poised to become Kiski Area School District’s next superintendent — and the first woman to hold the district’s top post. Kiski Area School Board is expected to vote Monday, Aug. 16 on a proposal to hire Misty Slavic to a three-year...
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...
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...
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....
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...
Signature Dish: Chilean sea bass at newly restored Bloser Mansion in ParnassusVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com. A new restaurant housed in a historic venue in New Kensington is dishing up lots of buzz. The Bloser Mansion,...
Gold medalist Jade Carey has strong ties to Alle-Kiski Valley
Long before gymnast Jade Carey won gold with her nearly flawless floor routine Monday at the Tokyo Olympics, the 21-year-old from Arizona nailed a living-room floor routine in the Alle-Kiski Valley during a visit to see relatives. “We had a huge family room, and from the time she walked in...
Vandergrift Council appoints committee to study how to regulate home-kept chickens
Vandergrift officials are taking steps to adopt an ordinance on backyard chickens. “The only thing we have in place right now is an old ordinance for nuisance fowl,” borough Solicitor Larry Loperfito said, adding that the decades-old ordinance addresses concerns such as a noisy rooster crowing. A three-person committee created...
West Leechburg’s ‘accidental’ garlic grower has been at it for half-century
West Leechburg’s Jack Froncek doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He prefers garlic. Froncek, 94, has been growing garlic at his Giron Street residence for 50 years. He said he got his start in garlic growing by accident. After noticing a large dirt excavation project near his home...
Vandergrift library to offer self-guided StoryWalk
Walking is about to get more interesting with a new self-guided family program offered by the Vandergrift Public Library. StoryWalk is a self-guided initiative encouraging the public to visit local parks, learn something new and spend time together. The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt., and...
Missing Vandergrift ArtFest painting returned to artist
A painting that was feared stolen from Vandergrift’s ArtFest last weekend has been found. ArtFest chairperson Lisa Dormire posted the update to social media Sunday morning. An ocean-themed 16x20 oil painting by Alle-Kiski Valley artist JoAnn Wesolosky disappeared from a pop-up gallery last Sunday and organizers took to social media...
Painting reported missing by organizers of Vandergrift ArtFest, feared stolen
Organizers of Vandergrift ArtFest are seeking help from the public to locate a missing painting they fear was stolen. ArtFest chairperson Lisa Dormire said the ocean landscape painting by Alle-Kiski Valley artist JoAnn Wesolosky was last seen Saturday night in the Decorator’s Workshop, a pop-up gallery and acoustic lounge on...
Market Street Pizza, born out of the pandemic in Leechburg, closes its doors
Downtown Leechburg is losing another restaurant. Market Street Pizza, at 132 Market St., is scheduled to close July 30. Thistle Events president Joe Hesketh announced the news on social media Wednesday, posting the decision to close was decided with “conflicting emotions.” Market Street Pizza is part of a restaurant portfolio...
Leechburg Area makes masks optional for students, staff
Leechburg Area School Board voted to make it optional for students and staff to wear masks or face coverings when classes resume Aug. 25. Superintendent Tiffany Nix presented the proposed change to the district’s health and safety plan to board members on Wednesday. Under it, masks and face coverings also...
