Politics
December 22, 2025
IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY PRISON, the freedom to worship is treated less as a right than a whim. On multiple occasions, prayer or Bible study gatherings have been disrupted by corrections officers. Tim W...
Around The Valley
TUESDAY
December 22, 2025
• Santa Claus delivering treats to children of North Belle Vernon via fire truck, starting at 6:30 p.m. Leave your porch light on for Santa to stop. • Pizza/pizza burger sale, Belle Vernon Moose, 1026...
Top Trump official defends partial release of Epstein files as Dems cry foul
Politics, World Briefly
December 22, 2025
AP WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally...
Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Monongahela
Around The Valley, Latest News, Main
December 20, 2025
Santa and Mrs. Claus visited their Santa house in downtown Monongahela for the last night of the season on Friday. Lillian Shvarts, 17, of Monongahela stopped to take a photo with them. The Monongahel...
Spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear
Latest News, Main
December 20, 2025
Christmas spirit is alive and well around the Mon Valley. Above, California Area Elementary School students were greeted by these “elves,” Principal Dr. Rachel Nagy and staff members Julie Iams, Steph...
West Mifflin ‘Santa cops’ wrap up holiday cheer
Latest News, Main
By SARAH PELLIS spellis@yourmvi.com 
December 20, 2025
The police department also delivered toys to West Mifflin elementary students. For the seventh annual year, the West Mifflin Police Department hosted its toy drive to help local children have a bright...
Valley towns awarded grants, LSA funds
Latest News, Main
By LADIMIR GARCIA lgarcia@yourmvi.com 
December 20, 2025
Millions of dollars in funding was awarded to local municipalities for projects. This week, several state legislators announced millions of dollars in Local Share Account (LSA) grant funds for their r...
PennWest: New curriculum could include program cuts, additions
Around The Valley, Latest News, Main
December 20, 2025
Students say arts programs at PennWest California are in jeopardy. By KELLEN STEPLER TribLive Students at Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus fear that planned academic program changes...
Snow squalls, wind cause damage, power outages
Around The Valley, Latest News, Main
December 20, 2025
No white Christmas is expected for the Mon Valley this year. By the MVI High winds and dangerous snow squalls impacted roads and caused power outages around the Mon Valley Friday. Multiple counties ac...
Death penalty trends show divide between public, officials
Latest News, Main
December 20, 2025
While legal in Pennsylvania, capital punishment has been temporarily prohibited for a decade. By MEGAN TROTTER TribLive When Burgettstown resident Joshua George was charged with the 2022 death of his ...
Does either party actually want to win the Texas Senate race?
Politics
December 20, 2025
One of the worst features of the election primary system in our polarized “Red vs. Blue” time is the tendency of primary voters to flock to the candidate they most want to “destroy” the other party, n...
Politics
By By CALVINWOODWARD Associated Press 
December 20, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s glowing account of progress under his watch Wednesday was out of tune with the experience of price-squeezed Americans and the story told by some of his gover...
Politics
December 20, 2025
The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in the Mon Valley, where local churches, civic organizations, volunteer firefighters, police, students, educators and many volunteers in our communities are w...
What to know about Trump’s order seeking to relax federal drug policies for marijuana
Extra, Politics
By By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press 
December 20, 2025
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to work as quickly as possible to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Trump’s executive order on Thursday does not legalize marijuana ...
Donora firefighters escort Santa and Mrs. Claus through town
Latest News, Main
December 19, 2025
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in Donora on a fire truck Thursday night and spent some time with Branson Prunty, 2 months, and Vivian Gaskill, 8 months, both of Donora. Heather Hart / Mon Valley Indepen...
Mother of teen shooting victim offers reward
Latest News, Main
By LADIMIR GARCIA lgarcia@yourmvi.com 
December 19, 2025
Janae Michaux said her son has been able to make a full recovery from the Nov. 11 incident. The mother of a 16-year-old boy who was shot in the head last month in Monessen is offering a reward for any...