Joyce Hanz stories, Page 58
The Hyde Park Museum may be small, but it’s packed with more than 2,500 local artifacts
Take a big trip down memory lane through three small rooms that comprise the Hyde Park Museum. Originally called the Hyde Park Museum Historical Room, volunteers Kathleen Baker and Maria Vokish have helped to expand the exhibits, adding rooms since opening in 2001. The museum is nestled inside the former...
Craft, vendor show planned in Parks Township to benefit animal sickness research
Vandergrift’s Joni Bertelle once bought a severely neglected horse for $2 at a livestock auction and tried to nurse the animal back to health, but it died of colic six months later. After Bertelle’s dog of 16 years, Trixie Lee, died of cancer, she created Pawz for Cure in 2017...
6 roads to be repaved in Washington Township project
Washington Township Supervisors on Thursday awarded a $356,823 contract to Derry Construction Co. Inc. to pave six township roads this year. Derry Construction Co., based in Derry Township, was one of 10 companies to bid for the contract. Roads to be repaved with asphalt include McQuilkin Drive; Turack, Owens and...
In-person dining resumes at Apollo Senior CenterVideo
The lunch bunch is back at the Apollo Senior Center. In-person dining for seniors resumed on March 1 after the pandemic forced a closure of the dining room for more than 10 months. The center, located inside the Oak Hill Apollo Hose Company No. 3 in Apollo, is funded by...
Three-quarters of Allegheny Township’s police force yet to be vaccinated
The covid-19 vaccination rate for Allegheny Township’s police force remains low despite officers having priority access to the free Pfizer vaccine, officials said. Police Chief Duane Fisher told township supervisors this week that he knows of three officers — including him — who have received the vaccine so far. The...
Allegheny Township rehires former public works director after unexpected death of Shawn Kuhn
Allegheny Township has hired a new director of public works to replace the late Shawn Kuhn, who died unexpectedly Feb. 8 at age 49. Township supervisors hired Steve Kanas on Monday night. Kanas’ starting pay will be $50 an hour, with his hours limited to 32 a week. Township officials...
$2.2M in improvements planned at Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township
Westmoreland County is planning $2.2 million in improvements at Allegheny Township’s Northmoreland Park this summer. Brandon Simpson, the county’s parks and recreation director, said the work will include adding a large playground, a walking trail and a handicapped-accessible kayak and canoe launch. Soccer complex No. 2, used by the Kiski...
Homeschooling parents unite in Vandergrift for program where kids can socialize — without computers
Yoga, painting, gardening and storytime await home-schooled youngsters at a new program in Vandergrift. The Homeschool Co-op class meets every Friday in the lower level hall at The Center on Franklin Avenue in Vandergrift. It’s two hours of creative and nontechnology focused activities for children who are home-schooled. It’s taught...
Kiski Area Upper Elementary sixth-grader brightens Fridays with his dance movesVideo
An autistic pre-teen with a big heart and even bigger dance moves is causing a stir at school. Cash Malobicky, a sixth-grader at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School, is a featured dancer each week during the schoolwide video announcements broadcast. “My parents named me after the singer Johnny Cash,” said...
Washington Township man in his 80s homeless after fire destroys mobile home
A Washington Township man in his 80s was displaced Thursday morning when fire destroyed the George Drive mobile home in which he lived alone. Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Clayton Murphy said the fire in the 300 block of rural George Drive started around 10:30 a.m. The occupant of...
In the Kiski Area School District, students tutoring students benefits bothVideo
There was fraction action happening Tuesday at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. Fifth-grader Kolton McKain met with Kiski Area High School 10th-grader Kayla Mull after school for one-on-one math tutoring — part of a new After School Mentorship tutoring program. “I couldn’t imagine trying to learn fifth-grade math online —...
Police: Gilpin man reports own dog as stray, asks officer to remove it
A Gilpin man is accused of lying to police last month when they said he reported a stray dog had been barking all night outside his residence and asked for the dog to be removed. Police said they learned that the dog belonged to the man, identified in court documents...
Vandergrift website remains dark, officials mum on details
Vandergrift residents still don’t have a functioning borough website, and some residents are seeking answers from council. The website went offline more than a week ago. The outage was brought up by Councilwoman Karen McClarnon during Monday’s virtual council meeting. Visitors to the disabled website encounter an oversized message stating...
Leechburg man charged with assaulting juvenile
Police have charged an 18-year-old Leechburg man with sexually assaulting a juvenile runaway under the age of 13. Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning filed charges against Ethan James Cogley last Thursday in connection with the alleged incidents. Cogley was arraigned Thursday and faces five felony charges including indecent assault of...
Exchange student from Italy adjusts to life in A-K Valley during pandemicVideo
Beatrice Latina will take back to Rome a memorable souvenir from her experience living in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Her covid recovery story. Latina, nicknamed “Bi Bi” by her friends, is from Italy and the sole foreign exchange student at Highlands High School in Harrison. She tested positive for covid-19 about...
Dollar General to open location in Parks Township
Parks Township is getting its first Dollar General discount store. Kelly Shotts, project manager with Harchuck Construction in Washington Township said the new store, located at 1014 East 2nd Street, is expected to open the first week in May. Washington Township-based Harchuck is developing the site on behalf of Dollar...
Kiski Area’s musical will be streamed on YouTubeVideo
It’s still lights, camera, action for Kiski Area Musical students this spring. After sweeping cancellations of high school spring musical productions in 2020 due to covid conditions, directors had to adjust their musical productions. Kiski Musical director Robert Capanna found a creative and covid-19 friendly performance option. The cast is...
Kiski police seek woman accused of passing fake $100 bill
Kiski Township Police are looking for a woman they said passed counterfeit money at a grocery store on Thursday. In a post made on Friday to the Kiski Township Police Department Facebook page, police said the woman passed the counterfeit money on Feb. 25 at Held’s Shop & Save, 307...
Kiski Township police: Men charged after showing up at station drunk to discuss earlier incident
Police in Kiski Township say two men were drunk and upset when they showed up at the police station Sunday morning to discuss an earlier incident involving them in which police had not filed charges. Charges were filed against both men, however, in connection with the visit to the police...
Kiski Township man charged with strangulation, assault
A Kiski Township man is charged with assaulting a woman in her bed. Joshua Reilly, 36, faces a felony strangulation charge and misdemeanor charges of simple assault and reckless endangerment stemming from an incident Sunday evening. In court papers, Kiski Township Officer Daniel Clark Jr. said he responded to a...
People turned away from Leechburg food distribution because delivery truck a no-show
More than 50 people who lined up Saturday to receive free food in Leechburg went home empty-handed. A drive-thru food distribution, sponsored by Kiski Valley Community Church in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program and the nonprofit Convoy of Hope, was canceled this...
Freezing then warming temps blamed for Pittsburgh-area water main breaks
More than 700 PWSA customers in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood were expected to be without water or have low water pressure Sunday night because of a water main break, and other breaks were reported in Homestead and West Mifflin. Officials with Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and Pennsylvania American Water...
Police: Mercer County man wanted in abduction case shot himself after shootout with police in Arkansas
A Mercer County man is dead after a Saturday night shootout with state police in a McDonald’s parking lot in Arkansas, authorities said. William Ice, 38, of Jackson Center, had been wanted for the Feb. 11 kidnapping Savannah Childress, 14, in Davidson County, N.C. Multiple police agencies including the FBI,...
Police: Homewood woman charged in child sex case involving Rankin man
A 25-year-old woman from Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood was arrested Friday on charges she conspired with a Rankin man to commit sex crimes against children. Sidney Brooks was taken into custody by Pittsburgh police. Allegheny County police have charged Brooks with 38 felony counts for conspiring with Devaughante Law Sr. of...
Leechburg Area School District’s covid-19 cases continue to decline
Active covid-19 cases continue to decrease in the Leechburg Area School District. Superintendent Tiffany Nix said there have been no active cases reported since Feb. 12. The district added a covid tracker to its website earlier this month that displays the latest, year-to-date and inactive positive covid-19 cases for the...
