Leader Times

08/29/2025

Freeport Theatre Festival to hold final three shows of A Vertical Stack of Harmony, A Musical Cabaret Confection

FOR THE LEADER TIMES

Final three shows of Freeport Theatre Festival’s A Vertical Stack of Harmony, A Musical Cabaret Confection, to be held this weekend. Shows are Aug. 29-31. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. Sunday matinee begin at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are: $15/$12/$10/$10 (general admission/military/seniors/student).

08/28/2025

Repeat Armstrong County arsonist sentenced to state prison

AG: Emmajean Mowery, 65, ordered to pay $110K restitution for burning own home in Rayburn Township in insurance collection scheme

FOR THE LEADER TIMES

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that an Armstrong County woman has been sentenced up to three years in prison for intentionally setting fire to her rented home in 2023 as a part of a scheme to collect an insurance payout.

Investigators found that 65-year-old Emmajean Mowery committed the crimes to receive a payout to help cover a previous, court-ordered restitution sum for burning a previous home. Mowery increased her insurance policy weeks before the 2023 arson fire.

Mowery pleaded guilty to three felonies: two counts of arson and one count of insurance fraud, and was sentenced Thursday. The sentencing judge ordered Mowery to pay more than $110,000 in restitution to the insurance company that paid out.

Read more: leadertimes.com

08/26/2025

Apollo-Ridge freshman dies after drowning in the Kiskiminetas River

By PATRICK CLOONAN For the Leader Times

A 14-year-old Apollo-Ridge High School freshman died Monday at UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, two days after he drowned following a seizure in the Kiskiminetas River.

Colton D. Bureau was flown to the Pittsburgh hospital Saturday afternoon, after what happened at what an Apollo funeral home said was "his favorite fishing spot" along the Roaring Run trail.

According to an obituary by Curran-Shaffer Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. in Apollo, Colton, son of Lauren L. Shirley, was looking forward to playing defense on the Vikings high school football team.

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A 14-year-old Apollo-Ridge High School freshman died Monday at UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, two days after he drowned following a seizure in the Kiskiminetas River.

08/26/2025

PARTY OF 5,000? HOPE SO ...

AOA 2025 Summer Concert Series continues with the BoDeans
Band's founder Kurt Neumann speaks of what audience can expect from sing-a-long Americana-themed experience, as local band Strung Over will open

By A.J. PANIAN
Managing Editor

Gen X’ers glued to their TV’s in the mid-to-late 90s, in particular, might instantly recognize one key musical offering by BoDeans, a legendary midwestern American band.

The song — “Closer To Free” — served as the backdrop for the opening credits and overall thematic anthem for the smash hit television series Party of Five starring Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

BoDeans will serve as the featured act on Aug. 30 at the finale of the Arts on the Allegheny 2025 Summer Concert Series at John P. Murtha Amphitheater at Kittanning Riverfront Park in Kittanning Borough.

The songs and lore of the band founded in 1986 reflect original frontman Kurt Neumann’s life as a musician.

It represents a living homage to the incredible highs and stark and sobering challenges faced by any modern-day minstrel braving the road and all of its adventurous trappings, according to Neumann, also the group’s songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.

”I always tell people this at shows — music was a place that lifted me up and gave me some refuge where I could reside,” he said. “I’m just trying to have a good time and lift people up with music.”

Through it all, Neumann has come out on the other end with a desire to spread the group’s seasoned and singalong-worthy music to as many American towns as possible.

”I love playing these kind of shows, personally ... you get a chance to play for people who haven’t heard you. I always felt like our music was super accessible and easy to grab onto because it’s just simple, Americana-type music and real singalong kind of stuff,” he said.

For BoDeans, it’s always about their live performance more than the records.

”We want people to be engaged and so when I get the chance to go and play a show like that I get to reach a lot of people who probably haven’t heard us or may have heard us but never saw us,” Neumann said.

Specifically, he recalled a similar show several years ago in Pennsylvania.

”A couple thousand people showed up and probably didn’t know us but they sat there and enjoyed the music all night. That’s one of my favorite things to do — get a beautiful summer night, some great music, some great people and have a good time,” Neumann said.

Read more: leadertimes.com

08/22/2025

Humane Animal Allies offers $1,000 reward for information on dog's shooter

By A.J. PANIAN
Managing Editor

KITTANNING — A $1,000 reward is being offered for the individual who provides information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who shot Rico, a starving black-and-white pit bull mix dog on a remote dirt road in Armstrong County on Aug. 3.

It is being offered by Humane Animal Allies (HAA) who received the money by an anonymous supporter asking that it be earmarked for this reward.

Armstrong County Humane Police Officers continue to investigate this case to try to identify the person(s) who shot Rico. They need the community's help.

Those with any related information are asked to contact Officer Susan Clark immediately at 724-316-7691 — or via email at: [email protected].

Anyone with trail or surveillance cameras on Gruskin Road, Kittanning,

Anyone who saw or knows of Rico's whereabouts between July 4 and Aug. 3.

Anyone knowing someone with a grey or silver Subaru with a burned-out headlight.

On the date of the incident, a man spotted a very thin dog walking down Gruskin Road in Troy Hill, Kittanning. He stopped and fed the starving dog. He had his dogs with him, so he called family members to come help. He left to take his dogs home.

But before his family arrived, between 8:45 and 9:15 PM, someone else stopped.

Rico had been hungry for so long. Someone had just been kind to him and fed him. He likely thought this person was there to help him, too. But, instead, they shot him twice in the head and left him lying on the side of the road.

Read more: leadertimes.com

08/21/2025

Dog Days of Summer event happening Saturday
Event will benefit Fall for Animals, Orphans of the Storm

By DENNIS PHILLIPS
Associate Editor

On Aug. 23, the Dog Days of Summer event is being held to benefit animal shelters/rescues.

The happening will be from noon to 8 p.m. in Falcon Park, located at 2169 state Route 66, in Ford City, said Fall for Animals Founder Rini Wills.

The event will benefit Fall for Animals and Orphans of the Storm.

Proceeds will mainly be raised via a $5 donation for parking at the event.

There will also be event activities starting at 1 p.m. for dog owners and their K-9 companions.

Wills said there is a $1 donation to participate in the four events.

The events will include “Doggy Art Work,” where dogs will paint pictures on canvas, so owners will have their dog’s art work for life, Wills said.

Read more: leadertimes.com

08/20/2025

Rural Valley man gets up to 10 years in state prison for 2024 stabbing

Andrew Milton Berry, 49, was sentenced Monday by Armstrong County Common Pleas Judge Chase G. McClister to consecutive terms of 66 to 144 months for aggravated assault and 42 to 96 months for burglary

By PATRICK CLOONAN
For The Leader Times

A Rural Valley man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the stabbing of another man a year ago at his home in the northern Armstrong County borough.

Andrew Milton Berry, 49, was sentenced Monday by Armstrong County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chase G. McClister to consecutive terms of 66 to 144 months for aggravated assault and 42 to 96 months for burglary, in the Aug. 21, 2024, stabbing at the home along West Main Street in Rural Valley.

The sentencing followed a guilty plea to those charges on July 2.

Armstrong County District Attorney Katie M. Charlton said the victim and his mother each testified during the sentencing hearing to the impact of the attack, both physically and emotionally on the victim and to the victim’s family.

Berry had been held in Armstrong County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond since the incident. State police from Troop D, Kittanning, said troopers found the victim with a stab wound to the chest area, after which he was flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Read more: leadertimes.com

08/14/2025

07/31/2025

EDVFD holds 8th Fireman’s Festival

Photos: Bill Blose | For The Leader Times

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07/31/2025

31st Covenant Center Art Show carries forth in tandem with 54th Fort Armstrong Folk Festival
Show opens today at the Covenant Center along North Water Street, Kittanning

By A.J. PANIAN Managing Editor

The 31st annual Covenant Center Art Show, sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Kittanning, will open Thursday at the Covenant Center along North Water Street, Kittanning, according to a press release issued this week by art show Chairperson Melissa Bureau.

The show is held in conjunction with the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival and will run until 5 p.m. Sunday in tandem with the festival’s 54th annual installment, which is scheduled to begin today and run through Aug. 3.

Winners were selected from two art categories: professional and non-professional. Also winners in the two photography categories: professional and non-professional and winners from the student category.

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The 31st annual Covenant Center Art Show, sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Kittanning, will open Thursday at the Covenant Center along North Water Street, Kittanning, according to a