By JEFF STITT jstitt@yourmvi.com The Year of the Rat will be recognized by the Chinese Zodiac in 2020, but 2019 was its Year of the Pig, and the closing week of 2019 certainly ended up being prosperou...

By CHRISTINE HAINES chaines@yourmvi.com Forward Township supervisors Monday closed out the year by adopting a balanced 2020 budget with no tax increase and purchasing a building. Vice Chairman David M...

By TAYLOR BROWN tbrown@yourmvi.com An annual program held for Charleroi Area Middle School students last week will have children in the Christmas spirit all year long. The 12 Days of Christmas program...

By TAYLOR BROWN tbrown@yourmvi.com Donora’s newly elected council members will have to pass the borough’s 2020 budget as only one member showed up at Monday’s scheduled meeting ready to vote. Council ...

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO ebennett@yourmvi.com Rostraver Township property owners will see another year with no tax increase, making 2020 the 16th consecutive year the budget featured no tax hikes. Mon...

Jenn Codeluppi / Mon Valley Independent These Fallowfield Township girls were at Charleroi Area High School Saturday night for the final game of the CFSBank Holiday Classic. From left are Emma Skobel,...

By JEFF STITT jstitt@yourmvi.com State Rep. Austin Davis   recently delivered good news for homeowners in Clairton on behalf of the state Department of Community and Economic Development. “I’m happy t...

By CHRISTINE HAINES chaines@yourmvi.com A popular volunteer program that provided tiny hats to area newborns has come to an end. More than 350 people and groups in western Pennsylvania had participate...

By TAYLOR BROWN tbrown@yourmvi.com Maple Creek Distributors in Charleroi is again hoping to wrap up the holidays with a gift for area veterans. Each year, the business decorates a Christmas tree with ...

By Eric Seiverling eseiverling@yourmvi.com Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was one of four elected officials to win the inaugural Moe Coleman “Let’s Work Together” award recently in Pittsbu...

Mike Darnay / For the Mon Valley Independent From left, Anthony, Amy, Alyssa and Bre Brinson turned out to cheer on Elizabeth Forward’s Bailie Brinson in Friday night’s game against South Park in the ...

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO ebennett@yourmvi.com Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw is engaged in another clash with council over the redevelopment authority board. Before council voted Thursday to reappoint fo...

By KRISTIE LINDEN klinden@yourmvi.com A second teen boy will be tried as an adult in connection with the burglary and beating of a Monongahela man earlier this month. Charges against Jamie Watkins, 14...

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO ebennett@yourmvi.com The new manager for the Pasta Shoppe in Monessen received a peddling and soliciting fine from the city for barbecuing outside the restaurant last weekend....

By RICH CHOLODOFSKY Trib Total Media Months of campaigning and election-night nerves were a thing of past Thursday as Westmoreland County’s new slate of government officials were sworn into office. Th...

By TAYLOR BROWN tbrown@yourmvi.com Taxpayers in Monongahela will not see an increase next year. At a special meeting Friday, council unanimously passed a $3.2 million budget for 2020 that includes $1....

Jenn Codeluppi / Mon Valley Independent In the stands Thursday night at the CFSBank Holiday Classic are, in front from left, Laci Zanardini of Stockdale, Tayla Pascoe of Roscoe, Gianna Grillo of Calif...

By TAYLOR BROWN tbrown@yourmvi.com The Mon Valley lost a much- loved four-legged friend on Christmas Eve. Benji, a yellow Labrador retriever and therapy dog at Monongahela Valley Hospital, area nursin...

By CHRISTINE HAINES chaines@yourmvi.com The Elizabeth borough police department made a special Christmas delivery this year: returning a car to an 82-year-old woman from York County who had broken dow...

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO ebennett@yourmvi.com Monessen gave final approval to its 2020 budget Thursday night at a meeting accented with thoughtful goodbyes and hopeful declarations for the coming year...