Kellen Stepler stories, Page 9
3 charged after overdose led to woman’s death in Arnold last year
Three people are accused of possessing and using drugs that prompted a woman’s death in Arnold last year, according to Westmoreland County detectives. Jahid Lamont Hughes, 36, of Arnold and Rashad Thomas Robinson, 33, both of Arnold, and Cameron R. Richards, 50, of Indiana, are charged with possession of a...
New Kensington teen held for court in Valley Royal Court shooting
All charges were held for court against a 17-year-old accused of shooting a man this month at the Valley Royal Court apartment complex in New Kensington. Charges against Logan James King include attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, attempts to cause bodily injury with a weapon, possession of a firearm by...
Pitt’s new $240M rec center is a game-changer for students — and it’s free to use
Carla Panzella says she has a different answer each time she’s asked about her favorite part of the University of Pittsburgh’s new 270,000-square-foot recreation and wellness center. There’s much to pick from at the new space, which opened to Pitt students Sunday at 3921 O’Hara St. It boasts nine stories,...
Duquesne University to offer real estate major
A college degree isn’t required to hold a real estate license, but Duquesne University officials say a new program they’ll offer will give students a leg up in that field. Duquesne will be offering an undergraduate Real Estate major, minor and certificate program beginning next fall. “There’s a lot of...
Morning Roundup: Man shot in Carrick; 5-year Fayette fugitive arrested in West Virginia
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 18: Man shot in Carrick A 28-year-old man was shot in the foot Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, according to police. At 9:45 p.m., the man arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to...
Morning Roundup: 18 arrested as guns, drugs seized in McKeesport; infections reported in Monessen school
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 17: 18 arrested as guns, drugs seized in McKeesport A joint operation between local and state authorities in the McKeesport area this summer yielded 18 arrests, 17 firearms and about $40,000 worth of cocaine, according to Attorney...
Man killed in East Pittsburgh shooting
A man was shot and killed Tuesday night in East Pittsburgh, according to Allegheny County Police. The shooting was reported at 10:37 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Ridge Avenue, police said. Officers located a man with gunshot wounds inside a house, police said. He died at the scene....
Arnold, New Kensington American Legion posts merge, citing declining membership
A decline in membership has led the Arnold and New Kensington American Legion posts to merge. Arnold’s Post 684, and New Kensington’s Post 347, are combining to create the Ar-Ken American Legion, said Commander Gill Thomas. “Most Legion members, nowadays, are Vietnam era,” said Thomas, who was Arnold’s post commander...
Grist House brewery celebrates opening at former Cold War missile site
It wasn’t long after Brian Eaton and Kyle Mientkiewicz opened Grist House brewery in Millvale that they knew they would need additional space for production. As it turns out, a Cold War missile-command site in Collier fit the bill. Grist House celebrated a grand opening at the Nike site Sept....
Heidelberg program connects those in need with volunteers ready to help
A new initiative in Heidelberg has a simple goal: to ensure no one in town has to struggle with everyday household tasks alone. The borough has launched a program called “Heidelberg Helpers,” a neighbor-to-neighbor volunteer initiative created to connect residents who could use a helping hand, with those who are...
Man identified in Robinson stabbings, fatal crash
Authorities have identified the man they say stabbed a boy and woman in Robinson and later died in a crash on Route 576 on Sunday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Brian Allen Thomas, 36, of McKees Rocks. The stabbing was reported just after 8 a.m....
Officials identify 4-year-old killed in Elizabeth Township fire
A child was killed following a house fire early Monday morning in Elizabeth Township. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Zyaire Akins, 4. He was located in a bedroom and taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital, where he died, according to authorities. The fire broke out just...
CCAC reports 9% enrollment increase over last fall
The Community College of Allegheny County is seeing a larger student population — just over 9% more than last year — this fall, said President Quintin Bullock. “This is probably the largest increase we’ve experienced in the last five years,” Bullock told TribLive. While numbers will be finalized later in...
The Wembley Club breaks ground, will open next fall in South Fayette
A new, 68,000-square-foot racquet and fitness club is set to open next fall in South Fayette. The Wembley Club held a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 8 in South Fayette’s Newbury Market, on a 4-acre site behind the gas pumps of BJ’s Wholesale Club. “We are a more personal, charismatic, interactive experience...
Bridgeville seeks other funding sources for flood control project
Bridgeville is seeking a $500,000 grant to replace culverts on Commercial Street after the borough lost federal funding for the project earlier this year. Council in September authorized officials to apply for a Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund grant from Allegheny County Economic Development. “This is a part of the...
Building the Valley: Fawn’s Eddy Woodworking a family rite of passage
Woodworking isn’t easy. But 78-year-old Larry Eddy makes it look that way. He — and his family — have been turning flat pieces of plywood into 3D art walls at his woodworking shop off Route 908 in Fawn. The interactive, tactile walls are ordered by West Deer-based TFH Sensory Needs...
Ohio woman arrested after her 7-year-old son, the subject of an Amber Alert, located in Ross
An Ohio woman was arrested Sunday after Ross police said they found her 7-year-old son — who was the subject of an Amber Alert — injured and in the back of her car along William Street in the township. Ross police said officers arrested Tiarika Baymon, 32, of Brunswick, Ohio....
Steelers vs. Seahawks: What they’re saying in Seattle after win
The Seattle Seahawks and their fans returned to the West Coast pleased after spoiling the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener Sunday. The Seahawks took over in the second half of the game and defeated the Steelers 31-17 at Acrisure Stadium. Reporter Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wrote “there were a...
Morning Roundup: Child dies in Elizabeth Township fire; attempted robbery in East Allegheny
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Sept. 15: Child dies in Elizabeth Township fire A child was in critical condition early Monday following an early-morning fire in Elizabeth Township. TribLive news partner WTAE reports Monday evening that the child has died. The blaze broke...
Ford City woman charged after 3 dead infants found in rental home
Police have charged an Armstrong County woman after they discovered three dead babies inside the house she had been renting, they said. The investigation into Jessica Marie Mauthe, 39, of Ford City began when the landlord of a property in the 100 block of Oak Lane, Cadogan Township, was cleaning...
Special needs playground project in Arnold moving along
Plans are moving forward for an accessible playground geared toward children with disabilities in the New Kensington-Arnold area, said Devin Moore, the man behind the project. Moore, an Arnold resident, pitched his plan this summer. He says a playground could include handicapped-accessible swings or sensory panels, and estimates the cost...
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi gets 47% raise in wake of campus closure decision
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s base salary will increase 47% in an effort, approved Friday by the university’s board of trustees, to keep her as president until 2032. The trustees voted 34-1 to approve Bendapudi’s new compensation package, which increases her base salary from $950,000 to $1.4 million, an increase...
Penn State to close WPSU radio station
Penn State will shut down its public radio station, WPSU, after trustees voted against a proposal to transfer its operating assets to WHYY, a public media organization in Philadelphia. WPSU has depended on annual subsidies of at least $3.4 million from the university to operate the station. The university budgeted...
Groundbreaking soon for new urgent care in Allegheny Township
Plans for an urgent care facility are moving forward in Allegheny Township. The township approved plans for Rural Urgent Care, LLC at 48 Towne Center Drive, near the magistrate’s office, according to Supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito. Now, representatives from Rural Urgent Care are working with Westmoreland County engineers to finalize...
‘A sense of pride’: 70 years of Burrellton Garden Club’s contributions to communal gardens
When eight women met Jan. 26, 1955, at June Southern’s home in what was then Lower Burrell Township, they determined their new garden club would try to improve their own yards and the community. And generations later, the Burrellton Garden Club continues to carry on that mission. The Lower Burrell-based...

