Kellen Stepler stories, Page 10
Alle-Kiski Valley remembers sacrifices, unity on 24th anniversary of 9/11 attacks
It’s hard to believe 24 years have passed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, said Ted Hereda, Kinloch fire chief in Lower Burrell. “For some, it feels like yesterday. For others, it is history that they only know through stories. But for all of us, it’s a reminder of...
Auditorium renovation to begin at Valley High; drama club’s fall show canceled
A revamped auditorium will be in place at Valley High School in New Kensington by next spring, but that means there won’t be a fall show from the school’s drama club this year. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board approved a roughly $940,000 contract with The Efficiency Network for the auditorium...
Market Day Passport aims to spur traffic to Downtown New Kensington businesses
Downtown New Kensington business leaders hope a passport book for visitors will help spur foot traffic around the business district. The New Ken Downtown Partnership is unveiling the Market Day Passport to encourage foot traffic to the city’s farmers market and downtown businesses. “We were thinking of ways for people...
Holographic technology coming to Carlynton
Carlynton School District officials are launching a program designed to give students a better understanding of artificial intelligence through experiments with holographic technology. The district was awarded a $5,000 grant from Remake Learning for its “Project HOLO” — Holographic Opportunities for Learning Outcomes — said Assistant Superintendent Jeff Taylor. “This...
New Ken shooting victim in stable condition, did not know teen accused of shooting him
The man shot Monday in New Kensington’s Valley Royal Court was in stable condition Tuesday, according to Melanie Jones, spokeswoman for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Jones said the man did not know Logan James King, 17, who is charged in connection with the shooting. King is charged with...
‘Studio’ personalized learning classes unveiled at Burrell’s Huston Middle School
New classes at Burrell School District’s Charles A. Huston Middle School aim to give students more voice, choice and real-world experiences, teachers say. Those classes, for seventh and eighth grade students, range from audio and music production to a DIY home improvement class and baking and hospitality. Instead of traditional...
Man arrested in fatal shooting in Canonsburg over weekend
A 20-year-old man is behind bars in connection with a fatal shooting in Canonsburg over the weekend. Canonsburg police charged Kristopher M. Moorehouse with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment in the shooting death of Brady Paul, 25, at a home on Giffin Avenue late Saturday night. Police wrote...
Man who fell 21 feet at PNC Park: ‘I wake up with pain every day’
At the April 30 Pirates game at PNC Park, Kavan Markwood fell 21 feet from his seat above the Clemente Wall to the right field warning track, suffering serious injuries. In an interview that aired Monday night on “Inside Edition,” Markwood said he doesn’t know how he’s still alive. “I...
UPMC, AHN nursing schools’ growth born from affordability, convenience
UPMC and AHN are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to trying to solve the shortage of nurses. In operation for decades, the nursing schools of UPMC and AHN have reported growing enrollment over the past years. AHN operates the Citizens School of Nursing at Pittsburgh Mills...
New owners want to keep Mazziotti Bakery taste of the Alle-Kiski Valley
The new owners of Mazziotti Bakery in Lower Burrell want to keep the small business’s legacy alive. In fact, Shawn Creevey and Samantha Singer haven’t changed anything at the 68-year-old staple. “That’s what the customers like,” said Singer of Harrison. “I wasn’t changing something that wasn’t broken.” Creevey and his...
Recess added to New Ken-Arnold’s Hunt Elementary schedule
Roy A. Hunt School Principal Jeff Thimons wants kids to be kids. That’s why he rearranged his school’s schedule to include 22 minutes of recess daily, something new this school year. “We want kids to figure out how to play on their own,” Thimons said. “It’s skills they’ve lacked over...
21 students in inaugural class of the Teach from DeHart Academy in Arnold
The founder of the Teach from DeHart Foundation believes his new school that opened this week in Arnold will change lives. Classes started Wednesday. They will be held at Reclamation Church in New Kensington until about October due to a pipe that burst inside the school building, said Matt DeHart,...
Suspended Arnold police chief resigns
Josh Stanga, Arnold’s suspended police chief, has resigned from the force, Mayor Shannon Santucci announced. “Officer Stanga will no longer be chief, or any part, of the Arnold Police Department,” Santucci said Friday. “He resigned in lieu of being terminated.” Reached by phone Friday, Stanga declined to comment on his...
South Fayette teen builds veterans memorial
A South Fayette High School freshman has spearheaded a project that will honor and remember the district’s alumni veterans for generations to come. Jasim Khilji led the construction of the new Alumni Veterans Monument, located outside South Fayette High School. The five-sided brick monument honors district alumni who have served,...
Woman accused of pocketing $37K in GoFundMe donations meant for injured cousin
State police have accused an Oklahoma Borough woman of pocketing more than $37,000 from an online fundraiser she established for an injured relative. Vanessa Renea Louise Lewis, 29, is charged with theft by deception, financial exploitation of a care-dependent person, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to deposit funds....
Arnold man pleads guilty to fentanyl, heroin trafficking
An Arnold man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to a charge of fentanyl and heroin trafficking. Kevin Watson, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy to possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, according...
Upper Burrell sets guidelines for injection wells
Rules for injection wells are on the books in Upper Burrell. Supervisors on Wednesday approved regulations for injection wells that would allow them as a conditional use in industrial-zoned areas in the township only, although some residents asked for more time for things to be cleaned up or clarified in...
Woman killed in Penn Hills fire identified; death, fire ruled accidental
An 83-year-old woman was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office as the person who was killed in a March 11 fire at a house in Penn Hills. Karen L. Verzinski lived in the 300 block of College Street in Penn Hills, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The...
New veterans business outreach center debuts at New Kensington’s Corner LaunchBox
Penn State New Kensington’s Corner LaunchBox has started a new business outreach service for veterans. The Veterans Business Outreach Center, at the Corner LaunchBox in downtown New Kensington, was established through an agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, said Joanna Sutton, director of the Corner LaunchBox. The effort aims...
Students return to new-look Burrell School District
For many students in the Burrell School District, Tuesday wasn’t just the first day of a new school year. Many were starting in a new building after the closure of Stewart Elementary School at the end of the last school year. For the first time in its history, Burrell is...
Community rallies around Riley’s Pour House; rebuilding plans unveiled at event
Longtime Riley’s Pour House customer Peggy Harkins knew no strangers when she’d visit the popular Carnegie establishment. “We have nothing but happy memories of the Pour House,” said Harkins, of Scott. “Never did we go down there and not have a good time.” That was evident Aug. 24, as more...
Carnegie celebrates, promotes monarch butterflies at annual festival
Gina James, president of Carnegie’s Shade Tree Commission, says she can see the difference over five years in her community’s efforts to preserve and protect monarch butterflies. “Everybody has come up and said, they’re seeing more monarchs,” James said. “We’re bringing more monarchs to Carnegie, and everyone seems to love...
Gregg Avenue steps reopen in Bridgeville
Bridgeville’s Gregg Avenue steps are now available for public use. The steps connect McLaughlin Run Road at the bottom of Laurel Street with Bridgeville’s uptown area along Gregg Avenue and Greenwood Place. The steps had been in poor condition and closed for some time. Construction took place this summer. The...
Multiple fire companies battle garage fire in New Kensington
A garage near Aluminum City Terrace in New Kensington was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning. New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr said crews were dispatched to 870 E. Hill Drive at 11:25 a.m. for reports of a vehicle on fire in a garage. “The first firefighter was here within...
How a West Deer company is helping kids with autism and sensory needs through play
Sometimes, you just fall in love with a place. And that, sort of, is how West Deer became home to an international company’s only U.S. location. Not widely-known to many in the community, TFH Special Needs Toys is a transatlantic company producing toys and other gadgets that make life better...
