Kellen Stepler stories, Page 19
H.D. Berkey students get bike-riding lesson: ‘It’s a fundamental life skill’
Seven-year-old Kai’ere King has a need for speed. “I like riding bikes that are fast,” said Kai’ere, a student at H.D. Berkey School in Arnold. “I like fast bikes. “It’s like the speed of light.” Kai’ere and his first and second grade peers at H.D. Berkey spent the past week...
Carlynton students ‘make something beautiful’ with park mural
In 11-year-old Michaela Champion’s eyes, Carnegie is a small community with loads of talent. That talent will be exhibited, as Champion and 23 of her peers in the Carlynton School District spent two days this month painting a mural in Irishtown Tot Park with the guidance from California artist Amanda...
Their brother left New Kensington to serve in Korea and never returned. 75 years later, they have closure
Marjorie Ann “Marjie” Mahar called her brother, Paul Bowser, one afternoon in March and told him to sit down. “I just got a call from Fort Knox,” she told him. On March 24, three hours before she was set to deliver a speech before the Tennessee House of Representatives about...
Vacant warehouse building near New Kensington Bridge to be renovated
What’s currently an old, vacant building with broken windows near the New Kensington Bridge will eventually be a renovated, 100,000-square-foot space to accommodate a large industrial tenant, RIDC officials say. “It’s a great building for a lot of the demand we’re seeing from industrial users,” said Don Smith, RIDC president....
Kavan Markwood takes 1st steps since PNC Park fall, family reports
Kavan Markwood, the man who fell over the right field wall at PNC Park last week, took his first steps on Monday, according to an online fundraiser update posted by his girlfriend’s mother, Jennifer Phillips. The update, posted at 4:45 p.m. Monday by Phillips, said Markwood being up and moving...
New Kensington City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti to retire after 38-year career
New Kensington City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti — referred to as the city’s “go-to guy” by councilman Tim DiMaio — will retire this month after 38 years as the city’s top administrator. Council on Monday accepted Scarpiniti’s retirement letter, which is effective May 30. “I can’t help but feel grateful for...
As deadline looms for Penn State’s future, former PSNK chancellors share thoughts
Robert Arbuckle has myriad suggestions for what Penn State could do to combat declining enrollment and financial issues at its branch campuses. None of them include closing campuses. “You have to use your imagination and be creative,” said Arbuckle, who was the Upper Burrell college’s CEO from 1977 to 1992....
Lower Burrell native’s curiosity leads to groundbreaking Mars research
Even at a young age, Benjamin Tutolo was interested in the cosmos. It’s a curiosity that never waned. In fact, it led to the 36-year-old taking a deep dive into all things Mars for the past three years. Tutolo, a Lower Burrell native, was a participating scientist studying NASA’s Curiosity...
New Kensington woman’s self-love journey channels into children’s affirmations book
Obianuju Anyaogu can remember times in her life when she chose to turn obstacles into stepping stones rather than allowing them to become setbacks. When she was in college at Slippery Rock University, she overcame deep depression and suicidal thoughts. She’s raising her son, Nehemiah Chidrebere Anyaogu, 10, as a...
New Kensington Giant Eagle layout changes include Starbucks kiosk revamp
The Giant Eagle supermarket in New Kensington is undergoing some changes to its layout. A renovation of the store’s Starbucks is connected to a change in Giant Eagle’s overall layout, said store spokeswoman Jannah Drexler. The beer and wine department is being relocated to the middle of the store, and...
Clearer waters expected at Burrell Lake following last year’s algal bloom
Lower Burrell Councilman Mike Stanoski looks forward to taking his three grandsons fishing at Burrell Lake Park this summer — without harmful algae in the water. “Everything is good down at the lake,” Stanoski said. “People are using it, the weather’s breaking, everybody’s happy to get outside and head to...
Upper Burrell data center to use natural gas for more than 2 gigawatts of power generation
A data center planned at the former Alcoa Research Center in Upper Burrell plans to produce much of its own electricity via natural gas wells on the property, a company spokeswoman confirmed Monday. “Our goal is to not heavily pull from the grid, it’s to provide our own,” said Melissa...
Northern Westmoreland welding program grows, highlighting industry demand
Brandon Stankiewicz will be paying extra-close attention when he sees a semitruck on the road. After all, he and his peers in the welding program at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center may have made the truck’s battery box. Students there partnered with a Shelocta-based trucking company to weld 15...
Faces of the Valley: Burrell teen to represent Team USA in Junior Roller Derby World Cup
From birth, Pippa Meyer was pretty much destined to thrive in the sport of roller derby. “Raygun is my middle name, and my derby nickname,” said Meyer, 18, of Lower Burrell, who goes by Pippa Raygun in roller derby circles. “My mom gave me a derby name at birth.” It...
Arnold man sentenced to 7 to 14 years for drug, stolen firearm charges
An Arnold man was sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison in connection with a New Kensington traffic stop a year ago that turned up a stolen handgun and drugs. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears handed down that sentence to Jacquet Rusher Woods, 47, on Friday. Woods...
Penn State New Kensington rallygoers say campus closure decisions ‘too fast, too final’
Meredith Carter, a senior at Penn State New Kensington, strongly believes there’s a disconnect between Penn State decision makers in State College and students at its branch campuses. Carter was among roughly 40 students, professors and community members who attended a rally Friday at the Upper Burrell campus advocating against...
Lead water service lines in New Kensington, Arnold to be replaced
Lead water service lines soon will be replaced in New Kensington and Arnold in a project that will affect 100 residential customers in the two cities. “This will replace all lead service lines. We will not have any lead lines in the New Kensington water system,” said James Matta, manager...
As data centers spread, their leaders push for transparency, consistency in state regulations
Last year, Duquesne Light Co.’s network service peak load was nearly 2,700 megawatts. And a hyperscale data center commonly ranges from 60 megawatts to several hundred megawatts, according to C. James Davis, director of rates, energy procurement and federal affairs at Duquesne Light. “A single data center could account for...
Development key issue for Lower Burrell Council candidates
Business growth and development are priorities identified for Lower Burrell by all three candidates seeking two seats on city council. Incumbent Councilman David Stoltz and newcomers Lance Anthony and Carley Logan are running for council on the Republican ballot. No Democrats filed as candidates for the primary, so it’s likely...
Ham radio broadcast to honor late Lower Burrell man, raise awareness for pancreatic cancer
Leeanna Ryba would often tease her husband, Rich, that he was off to Peter Pan’s “Never Never Land” when he’d go to Skyview Radio Society to partake in the amateur, or ham, radio activities. “He’d play with the boys. He enjoyed his time there,” Leeanna said of the society’s Upper...
Carnegie mayoral candidates want to tap into business potential
Editor’s Note: The Signal Item is only spotlighting contested races in the primary election. Both candidates seeking the Democratic nod for Carnegie mayor say they’re running to bolster growth and development in the borough. Sam Bigham, 23, and Dave Klug, 59, are the Democratic nominees seeking their party’s candidacy in...
2nd rally planned to support Penn State New Kensington
Another rally supporting Penn State New Kensington is planned this week as a decision on the Upper Burrell campus’s fate is anticipated to be made in less than a month. The “Too Fast, Too Final” rally will be at Penn State New Kensington’s main parking lot in Upper Burrell, 3550...
New Kensington’s Ethical Hope to cultivate life, community with larger space
Meredith Hedeen believes her newer and bigger space can provide people in New Kensington with a little more hope. She is nearly quintupling the size of her store, Ethical Hope, by moving to 938 Fifth Ave. and having a grand opening Friday during Downtown New Kensington’s Fridays on Fifth event....
Private school, fire office approved by Arnold Zoning Hearing Board
The Arnold Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday gave the green light to a future private school and an administrative regional fire office. Matt DeHart of Harrison sought to return the 1704 Fourth Ave. building to its original use as a school for his Teach from DeHart Academy, a private school...
3 generations of Arnold family facing charges in drug bust
An Arnold grandmother, her daughter and 15-year-old grandson are facing criminal charges after a drug bust last week that, police say, turned up $13,000 worth of crack cocaine and suspected fentanyl. Desdrene Smith, 64, and Brittany Shelton, 34, each are charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver...
