Independent coffee shops: A community and economic driver
Seeking a sense of community is what got April Zeolla, owner and operator of Novo Café in Arnold, into the coffee business. And a community is what she found. “I’ve always loved just any way to gather people in a room,” Zeolla said. “This is the best way to gather...
Local school districts join statewide push for increased public school funding from the state
As public school districts across the state face increased expenses and stagnant revenue, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association has introduced a resolution asking for increased state funding. PSBA is a Harrisburg-based organization that brings issues that affect districts across the state to the attention of state policymakers and the Legislature....
Man charged with attempted homicide, arson for fire that tore through a New Kensington duplex
Police are searching for a Pittsburgh man charged in connection to a March duplex fire in New Kensington that displaced two families. Anthony Mohamed, 37, faces felony charges for six counts of attempted criminal homicide, three counts of arson, burglary, criminal trespassing and criminal mischief. He also faces nine misdemeanor...
Lower Burrell welcomes air conditioning and heating business to former Hillcrest Volkswagen building
Mark Williamson is in the business of heating and cooling, but he says his company’s ethos is a bit more than that. MW Mechanical Services, which Williamson founded in New Kensington in 2022, installs and repairs residential and commercial air conditioning and heating systems across Soutwestern Pennsylvania. It also services...
Local historians discovering origin of New Kensington’s Little Girl Scout House
Millie Pipman wanted to track the origins of New Kensington’s Little Girl Scout House off Oates Boulevard, but her search was coming up short, so she tapped a local history buff for help. Bill Englert was able to uncover archival newspaper articles, including from the Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph, about the...
New Kensington Spring Fest to focus on artisansVideo
New Kensington will host a new art festival, Spring Fest, on May 9. Michelle Thom, Voodoo Brewing manager and Olde Towne Overhaul operations manager, said the new festival will be similar to Fridays on Fifth, but instead of being food-focused, the purpose is to engage with local art and creatives....
Preserving Vinyl rebrands its 2nd New Ken shop as a bargain outlet, opens Dormont record storeVideo
Preserving Record Shop owner AJ Rassau has been waiting years for CDs to hit the mainstream again, so when the opportunity to buy 250,000 from an online collector and retailer presented itself, he took the chance. The CDs are now on sale at Preserving Vinyl bargain outlet on Fifth Avenue...
Faces of the Valley: Valley High student-athlete embodies leadership and positive ethos
For Valley High School Advanced Placement English teacher Rachael Link, students like Emmi Diehm give her hope for the future. “She’s the definition of the passion that we all have in this profession,” Link said. “As a member of the human race, knowing that Emmi is quickly exiting her junior...
Chipotle proposed at former Donut Connection site in New Kensington
New Kensington might be getting a Chipotle at the former Donut Connection location along Tarentum Bridge Road. City Engineer Anthony Males said New Kensington received a site development application for a Chipotle from Madison Acquisitions, parent company to 100 Riverview LP, which own parts of Riverview Plaza, where the former...
Upper Burrell residents remain unclear about data center’s project scope
As Pennsylvania’s artificial intelligence industry starts to take off, Upper Burrell residents say they still feel left in the dark about a data center coming to the township. While officials work toward an ordinance that would impose zoning and permitting guidelines for any potential data center development, progress continues on...
Visitors feel welcomed by Pittsburgh, making the most of draft experience
The 2026 NFL Draft marked Brennan Bach’s first trip to Pittsburgh, and the Baltimore native said the city made a lasting impression. “I like the rivers, I like the scenery — it’s really nice. The city feels pretty clean,” Bach said. “So far, everyone’s been friendly.” Outside of draft activities,...
Free pre-K class coming to Lower Burrell via nonprofit program
Westmoreland Community Action is taking enrollment for a new pre-K program in Lower Burrell. The nonprofit’s program is free to families and funded through state Pre-K Counts and federal Head Start grants. Enrollment for the 2026-27 class is filling fast, but applications are still open, said Tammy Dietrich, program manager...
New Kensington-Arnold School District pauses elementary building realignment plans
New Kensington-Arnold School District has paused a proposed plan to realign the district’s school buildings. The realignment, recommended by Superintendent Christopher Sefcheck in January, would reduce the number of building transitions in early elementary school. Early ideas for the plan proposed Martin Elementary housing kindergarten and first grade, while second...
Penn State New Kensington project fair highlights renewable energy adaptation for climate change
The frequency and intensity of climate disasters aren’t slowing down, so proactive research and development that protects energy systems is crucial, said Tom Bartnik, director of The Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State. At a project fair Tuesday night, Penn State New Kensington students took to the floor to...
Resident removed from Springdale council meeting by police after public comment dispute
Springdale police removed resident Danny Rosenmund from Tuesday night’s borough council meeting following a confrontation during the public comment session. Rosenmund was addressing the board when a council member informed him he had exceeded his three-minute time limit, according to Dani Jameson, a Harmar resident who witnessed the incident. Jameson...
Fridays on Fifth to return for 6th season with new eats, live music
New Kensington’s Fridays on Fifth will be kicking off its 2026 season Friday, April 24 with an array of food trucks and live music from ’90s cover band High Fidelity. Organizer Tony Vigilante said he tries to book a variety of food options without menu duplicates at the monthly food...
Peoples Library gets sensory spaces for neurodivergent inclusivity
Though libraries are typically quiet spaces, they aren’t always the most sensory friendly spots for people with special needs, according to Elle Kisiday, an occupational therapist at nonprofit Achieving True Self. Now, though, visitors might find the New Kensington and Lower Burrell People’s Libraries a bit more serene following the...
Burrell officials consider adding vending machines to schools
Burrell School Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to install vending machines in school buildings. The board is considering a three-year contract with New Kensington-based Iron City Vending Co. Food Service Director Megan Mlinarcik and Business Manager Jennifer Callahan recommended the contract to the board as a possible...
Trash mounds along Allegheny River in Braeburn to be cleaned up
Illegal trash dumping has always been a problem along the Allegheny River in Lower Burrell’s Braeburn neighborhood, said Wade Schantz, a resident who adopted a stretch of Lowe Road. The past week has been no exception, with large piles of abandoned furniture and scattered waste along the road, accumulating mostly...
Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup expected to take 6 to 8 yearsVideo
To residents, cleanup at a Parks Township nuclear waste dump will look like a few trucks leaving the site every week, said Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Behind the site’s electric fence, 10 trenches containing about 33,000 cubic yards of materials will...
Vandergrift street improvement project to boost mobility and downtown aesthetics
McKinley Avenue in downtown Vandergrift is reaching the final stage of a makeover that started last year. The McKinley Avenue Improvement Project will boost mobility, access to local
businesses and neighborhood beautification, said Aleesha Kelly, a resident who helps nonprofits with improvement projects. Kelly led the McKinley Avenue effort, which...
Vandergrift woman forms medieval-themed event in Monroeville to mix fantasy and reality
Aleesha Kelly of Vandergrift likes things that are mysterious. She harnesses that curiosity for the different and unknown through curating immersive, themed events under her business Mystic Market, a Magickal Menagerie. She has helped organize events like the Vandergrift Artsfest and the Witching Hours Night Market. Now, she has turned...
Burrell School District proposes tax hike to offset growing costs
In its first budget draft for next year, Burrell School District proposed a roughly 4% real estate tax increase that would largely foot the bill for growing special education and cyber charter tuition costs. Rising expenses and loss of business property tax revenue continue to hurt the district, school board...
Tri-City daytime volunteer fire crew clears more hurdles toward completion
The Tri-City Duty Crew, a daytime volunteer fire cooperative, is heading into its last phase before completion, though a start-up date remains undetermined. The joint effort will create a daytime workforce of volunteers from the fire departments of New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell to be deployed in unison to...
New Lower Burrell food truck to serve up fresh eats, community aid
When Jill Sheerer returned from Alabama to her native Lower Burrell, she brought along a little something to share with the community. Her food truck, Jilly’s Cafe, made the journey north not long after Sheerer had replanted roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley. She’ll be opening the mobile eatery April 19...
