Kellen Stepler stories, Page 22
Process underway to rehab former Newport Business Institute property in Lower Burrell
The future isn’t clear for the former Newport Business Institute property in Lower Burrell, but officials say it is bright. Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank, said the property is in the land bank’s “preparing for sale” status after the agency acquired it...
Acmetonia environmental program expands outside the school’s walls
Acmetonia Elementary School student Maverick Gniewkowski was surprised when he learned there are 86,000 miles worth of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. “I thought there would be less than that,” said Maverick, 10. That fact was one of 100 questions Maverick and his fourth-grade peers studied this month when preparing...
Bridgeville gears for 125th anniversary with logo contest
Bridgeville is kicking off its 125th anniversary with a logo contest. The borough was incorporated in 1901, and borough officials and organizations are planning a weeklong celebration next summer to commemorate Bridgeville, its history and its residents. “We chose to do a logo contest because this event is all about...
Rally supporting Penn State New Kensington underscores educational, economic needs
Kelli Collins believes Penn State New Kensington changed her daughter’s life. “For a kid that struggled in high school, she ended up on the Dean’s List,” Collins said of her daughter, Molly, who graduated from the Upper Burrell campus last year. “She gained so much self-confidence from this school because...
Chartiers Valley students take plunge for Special Olympics
Chartiers Valley High School students and staff participated in a Polar Plunge event on March 14 to benefit Special Olympics of Western Pennsylvania. More than $7,000 was donated to Special Olympics....
‘It’s bad’: Upper Burrell’s Menk Road eyed for improvements
Travelers on Menk Road in Upper Burrell could get some relief this year, but the extent of that is still being discussed. Township Engineer Michael Moore is preparing bid documents for a pavement overlay and repair project on Menk Road, at the direction of Upper Burrell supervisors. “It’s bad there,”...
Carnegie Elementary cereal dominos activity benefits free store
The twists and turns of the cereal domino lineup on Carnegie Elementary’s gym floor proved to students that there is a bonus to helping others. The school held its second-annual cereal drive domino fall on March 7, which coincided with National Cereal Day. Over the prior month, students brought in...
Rally planned to support Penn State New Kensington
Tom Guzzo can’t stress enough the importance of Penn State New Kensington in his community. But on Thursday, the New Kensington mayor — as well as a handful of other appointed and elected officials — are going to try. In response to the Penn State branch campus possibly closing in...
Free stores ‘believe in people’ to provide for others, keep afloat
Sarah Daugherty thinks she would have struggled to provide for her family had it not been for Poppin’ Tags Free Store in West Deer. Daugherty, of Leechburg, said she learned of the store on Facebook years ago and has been able to use it to pick up clothes for her...
At 89, Lower Burrell woman still thrives on reading and learning
There’s a method to the madness in Jacqueline Kowalik’s Lower Burrell basement. Akin to a small bookstore or library, the basement holds four towering bookshelves in the back corner. The reason? Kowalik, 89, says she just can’t stop reading. “I can’t say I never met a book I didn’t like,...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting another man with a baseball bat
A New Kensington man remains behind bars after, police say, he beat another man with a baseball bat, sending him to the intensive care unit. Brian Douglas Mikesell, 50, was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault and a misdemeanor count of possessing an instrument of crime. Mikesell was...
Mall walking group fills need for activity, camaraderie for Alle-Kiski Valley seniors
Joy Gezo has been walking at the Pittsburgh Mills mall since it opened 20 years ago. Over the years, she and her husband, Larry, have developed friendships and relationships with other mall walkers who otherwise might be complete strangers. The group has grown to about 25 retirees in their 60s,...
Girls flag football, middle school girls wrestling pitched for Burrell School District
Girls in the Burrell School District could have two additional athletic opportunities if plans are approved by the school board on Tuesday. The school directors will consider adding high school girls flag football as a sport this spring and a middle school girls wrestling team this winter. The PIAA adopted...
Burrell School District reconfiguration plans final; building renovations up next
After three months and more than a dozen meetings, the plans to reconfigure Burrell School District buildings are final. “They actually listened to the public, the stakeholders and the staff,” said school board President Rick Kaczor. “There was nobody in the room that had anything negative to say about the...
Allegheny Valley School District mulls $2 million turf field project
A roughly $2 million multiuse field in the Allegheny Valley School District could be ready this fall, if plans are approved by the school board next week. School directors Tuesday will consider an agreement with FieldTurf USA Inc. for the artificial turf project of the soccer/football field at Springdale Jr.-Sr....
Gas line repair in Upper Burrell closes White Cloud Road; opening anticipated today
A gas main line issue that left 40 customers in the Upper Burrell area without service has been resolved, but White Cloud Road remains closed, according to authorities. Peoples Gas crews responded to the outage, which ran Sunday evening into Monday afternoon, said spokesman Nick Paradise. The Upper Burrell Volunteer...
Chartiers Valley’s Women of Pittsburgh event inspires students to forge their own career paths
Caelyn Murray’s goal when coordinating this year’s Women of Pittsburgh event at Chartiers Valley High School was to encourage her peers to dream big with their future plans. “I hope they take in a different experience and broaden their ideas in what they want to do as a career,” said...
Fire marshal: Woman dies in a house fire and explosion in Penn Hills
An 84-year-old woman died Tuesday in a fire in Penn Hills that officials say was set off by a propane gas leak. Allegheny County medical examiner personnel were called to the scene of a fire and explosion in the 300 block of College Street. The victim will be identified by...
Burrell graduate hands over reins of wellness 5K to current students
A Burrell alumna is passing the baton of coordinating a 5K race to six high school students. Grace Nesko, now a freshman at Shippensburg University, managed the 5K wellness run and walk the past two years at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Park in Lower Burrell. The race raises awareness and...
State lawmakers hope pressure, even legislation, can keep Penn State New Kensington off the chopping block
Alle-Kiski Valley lawmakers are hoping the combination of political pressure — and even legislation — can help keep Penn State New Kensington off the chopping block when the university considers the closure of branch campuses. “I am in the process of putting out a letter to the university president in...
Pittsburgh Brewing’s St. Patrick’s Day event to feature festivities, parade
The Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is getting ready to paint East Deer green for the second year in a row. The brewery’s Irish City St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will take place Saturday, March 15 at Pittsburgh Brewing, 150 Ferry St. in the township’s Creighton neighborhood. The event is for people 21...
Safer schools: Pa. program has intercepted over 120 weapons in schools before they could be used
Thirty-five weapons were intercepted before they could be used to commit acts of violence in Pennsylvania schools last school year, as officials credited the anonymous safety reporting system Safe2Say Something for preventing catastrophes. Since the program’s inception six years ago, at least 123 weapons — including guns and knives —...
Springdale preps for round 2 of boiler house demolition
What’s hopefully the last attempt at pulling down the boiler house at the former power plant in Springdale is scheduled for Saturday morning. The demolition — which was about 70% successful last weekend — is anticipated to occur between 9 and 11 a.m. Saturday, according to the Allegheny County Police....
Springdale’s Colfax School to be demolished this month
While one Springdale structure is having some trouble coming down, another — the former Colfax Upper Elementary School building — should be demolished this month. “The demolition of the original building has already begun,” said Jan Zastawniak, spokeswoman for the Allegheny Valley School District. “The contractor anticipates the entire original...
Lower Burrell considers allowing alcohol in parks for events only
People who attend events at Lower Burrell city parks may be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage under a proposal from city council. Mayor Chris Fabry said the city will draft a proposal that would allow alcohol in city parks during events only. He intends for the proposed rules to...
