Kellen Stepler stories, Page 35
Burrell Lake Park effort ‘the perfect project at the perfect time’
Cash Wyble just felt concertgoers should have a place to sit when enjoying a show at Burrell Lake Park in Lower Burrell. Wyble, 18, of Upper Burrell recently assembled and installed benches in front of the concert venue at the park. “I wanted to do it,” Wyble said. “There were...
Plans for Lower Burrell Tractor Supply store advance
Plans for a Tractor Supply store in Lower Burrell took a step forward. The city’s planning commission approved a subdivision for a Tractor Supply to be located off Greensburg Road, in the Kinloch section of Lower Burrell. The location, 108 Greensburg Road, is a vacant, wooded lot next to a...
Springdale police officer, 2 firefighters recognized for efforts during hostile arrest
Two Springdale volunteer firefighters and a borough police sergeant were honored this week for their efforts during an arrest in the spring that quickly became dangerous, according to officials. Volunteer firefighters Dan Copeland and Joseph Stanga and police Sgt. Fred Hockenberry were recognized by Mayor Joel Anderson during Springdale’s council...
Mounted horse unit visits Harrison’s Sheldon Park
Children in Harrison’s Sheldon Park community got a visit from a four-legged friend on Wednesday. Officers with the Allegheny County Police Department brought Milo, a horse in its mounted unit, to the Booker Center at Sheldon Park. About 20 children and their families had the opportunity to feed Milo a...
Springdale outlines short-term rental rules
People wanting to operate short-term rentals in Springdale will have to abide by rules set by council Tuesday night. “We haven’t had any type of ordinance set in place for these types of properties,” Councilman Dan Copeland said. “It’s going to give us some type of insight as to what’s...
Dimperio to lead CV superintendent search, board hires finance director
If all goes according to schedule, Chartiers Valley School District will have a permanent superintendent by October or November. That’s the timeline set by the school board, as it voted Aug. 13 to have its interim superintendent, Joseph Dimperio, lead the superintendent search at an amount not to exceed $5,000....
‘Char Valley, Let’s Rally’: Pep rally revs up Colts fans, community
Chartiers Valley’s football boosters brought together members of the community in a fun way. The booster club held its second annual community pep rally Friday, Aug. 16 at the Primary School’s field. The event included football players and cheerleaders from kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as the dance team...
Frazer shooting suspect reaches deal to pay victim’s medical bills, plead guilty to lesser charge
A West Deer man accused of shooting a man during a scuffle at a Frazer auto salvage yard will cover the other man’s medical bills and then plead guilty to a summary charge of disorderly conduct, according to a deal announced Monday. That was the consensus reached among District Judge...
PennDOT approves reduction to 45 mph on section of Greensburg Road in Upper Burrell
A remedy to combat speeding on Greensburg Road in Upper Burrell is on the way. PennDOT officials approved reducing the speed limit from 55 to 45 mph in the 2200 block of Greensburg Road, or Route 366. The township requested a traffic study after fielding complaints from neighbors who advocated...
Burrell School District considers new internal communication system for emergencies, drills
Burrell School District officials are eyeing improvements to the district’s internal communication system for emergencies. The school board is considering a service agreement with Emergent 3 for technology software to handle internal communications among district staff during emergencies or drills. The contract would be for a three-year term. The first...
Deer Lakes Park, Burrell Lake Park dealing with lake water issues; officials eye treatment plans
The lower lakes at Deer Lakes Park are “virtually unfishable,” said Tom Fitzgerald, a longtime fisherman and East Deer resident. Fitzgerald walks the park nearly every day and notes three glaring issues with the ponds: overgrowth, algae and lily pads out of control. “There are parts where it looks like...
Study to determine feasibility of roundabout at tricky Chartiers Street intersection
A Robinson-based traffic engineering firm will analyze the feasibility of a roundabout at a Chartiers Street intersection that straddles Bridgeville and Upper St. Clair. Bridgeville Council on Monday, Aug. 12 authorized working with Upper St. Clair to have Trans Associates prepare a roundabout traffic analysis, plan and estimate to determine...
Increased police presence in Harrison’s Sheldon Park ‘paying huge dividends’Video
Promised foot patrols by police officers in Harrison’s Sheldon Park neighborhood have led to fewer altercations in the neighborhood and a better rapport between law enforcement and residents, officials say. In response to a shooting in the neighborhood nearly two months ago, Allegheny County Housing Authority Police Chief Mike Vogel...
Career readiness framework and outdoor classroom are new at Chartiers Valley
Chartiers Valley is launching a new program to help prepare students to become career ready. This year, the district will join the RIASEC framework which asks students about their aspirations, skills, and interests in different jobs to help them learn about careers and fields of study. RIASEC includes six characteristics:...
Michelle Peduto, former superintendent of Pittsburgh Catholic schools, dies
Michelle Peduto, the former superintendent of the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, died Tuesday. Peduto served Catholic schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for more than 21 years, according to the diocese. She became superintendent in 2019 and stepped down in June to spend time with family. A...
J.D. Vance set to campaign at Lower Burrell VFW, but event is by invitation only, Post 92 says
Vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance will make a campaign stop in Lower Burrell on Thursday. Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio, will speak at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 92 on Wildlife Lodge Road at 10 a.m., his campaign announced Tuesday. VFW Post 92 posted on Facebook on Tuesday evening...
Wreck knocked out power to part of Lower Burrell, closed Leechburg Road for hours
A wreck closed Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell for nearly 12 hours Monday. Leechburg Road, the main thoroughfare through the city, was closed between MacBeth Drive and Edgecliff Road from 3 a.m. to 2 p.m. after a vehicle struck a utility pole. The vehicle sheered a utility pole, which fell...
No paper note? Electronic excuses coming to Allegheny Valley School District
No paper note for a student’s absence will be no problem this year in the Allegheny Valley School District. One of the additions in the Springdale-area district will be an electronic excuse form for parents and families to document student absences. “It’s an electronic form that parents can use to...
School start dates getting earlier in some districts
If it seems like the first day of school is getting earlier each year, you might not be too far off. It just depends on which district you live in. An analysis of the first day of school for students found some have inched up the start date over the...
Inaugural Iron City Car Cruise at East Deer brewery could feature almost 800 vehicles
An epic car cruise is brewing next Saturday in East Deer, Pittsburgh Brewing Co. and MaxMotive officials say. The two landmark businesses have paired up for the Iron City Car Cruise on Aug. 17 at the brewery. The event already has 650 car registrations, said Rachel Semelbauer, brewery spokeswoman. The...
Blawnox man faces 26 charges in alleged sexual assault of teen
Allegheny County Police say a Blawnox man sexually abused a teenager two years ago, with some of the alleged assaults occurring at hotels in Harmar and Frazer. Blawnox police responded July 9 to a reported domestic dispute on Summit Street. There, a teen told police they were sexually assaulted by...
Ohio man convicted for string of robberies in Bridgeville, Pittsburgh
A 26-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to 17½ years in prison for armed robberies at pharmacies in the Pittsburgh and Bridgeville areas. Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea, 26, of Columbus, was sentenced July 31 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A Pittsburgh jury in March...
Allegheny Township man charged with 21 counts in neglect of 3 dogs
Police have accused an Allegheny Township man of neglecting his three dogs while he was out of state for work. Township police charged Matthew William Brueggeman, 40, with three counts of cruelty to animals, nine misdemeanor counts of mistreating animals and nine summary offenses of neglecting animals. Police started their...
Firework regulations advance in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell has officially set rules and regulations for firework displays in the city. The rules, formally approved this week, define guidelines for “consumer fireworks,” or fireworks used by the public, and “display fireworks,” larger fireworks used by professional pyrotechnicians. “It is important that rules are in place preventing people...
Carlynton students to receive free lunch, breakfasts again
School breakfast and lunch will be free to all Carlynton students when classes begin Aug. 21. The district will participate in the National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision this school year, said Ryan Racicot, Carlynton’s food service director. It’s the third consecutive year Carlynton is participating in the program....
