Kellen Stepler stories
Burrell contract calls for 3.3% average raise for custodian, maintenance, food service workers
The Burrell School District reached an agreement on a new contract with its union of custodians, maintenance workers and food service employees that calls for a 70-cent per hour increase. The contract was ratified by the school board this month. It covers a contract period that began Feb. 1 and...
From New Kensington to NASA: Students prepare for trip to Goddard Space Flight Center
Science is 11-year-old Cooper Rankin’s favorite subject. “I find it interesting how you can do so much stuff. I think it’s cool that everything is made up of matter,” said Cooper, a sixth grade student at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. “It’s really cool...
Lincoln Beach community pushing forward with neighborhood revitalization effort
Building off momentum from its 100th birthday last year, the Lincoln Beach neighborhood in Upper Burrell is organizing community development and revitalization initiatives. “It’s a recognition and respect of our roots and foundations,” said William “Tim” Miles, of Washington, D.C., who grew up in Lincoln Beach and still owns property...
Pennsylvania schools to embrace cursive writing once again
Each of the 15 students in Mollie Sweeney’s third grade class raised their dominant hand. Sweeney, a teacher at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary, then walked through the motions of how to write a lowercase letter in cursive. Students air-traced the motion. Only after that did the students take pencil to...
Burrell grows initiatives to support students experiencing grief
About 30% of Burrell School District students have experienced the loss of an immediate family member within the past year, according to Greg Egnor, the district’s director of pupil services. “The amount of grief that students in our district have experienced this year has been a lot,” Egnor said. “Trauma...
Lower Burrell to donate additional 1.6 acres for Stewart School redevelopment
The Lower Burrell Planning Commission on Wednesday gave support — and some land — to Burrell School District’s redevelopment plan for the former Stewart Elementary School property. But not before questioning some of its details. The commission unanimously approved a 1.6-acre lot line revision for property owned by the city...
Mayview Road Trailhead project to connect park, trails
When complete, the Mayview Road Trailhead will provide a seamless connection from 5 miles of trails in Fairview Park to 5 miles of pedestrian trails in the Hastings neighborhood of South Fayette, officials say. South Fayette was awarded $320,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for its...
More than 100 state lawmakers support Penn State faculty union efforts
More than 100 state lawmakers are supporting a unionization attempt for Penn State University faculty, as a vote to unionize could come this spring. Minority Leader Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, sent a letter to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi on behalf of 102 state legislators from the House and...
Speaker seminar, greeting card store get boosts at Chartiers Valley High School
Grant funding will boost two programs at Chartiers Valley High School. Teachers Kristen Steen and Buffie Faes were awarded $1,000 each from the Grable Foundation’s “Re-Imagining High School Little Bets” initiative. Steen’s project is a student-designed, speaker seminar series, said Principal Lesley Krasman. AP Research students are organizing a one-day...
New member appointed to Carlynton School Board
A mother of two children in the Carlynton School District is the newest member of the school board. School directors Feb. 10 appointed Tina Geer, of Carnegie, to a vacant seat on the school board. The term ends at the end of next year. “I was motivated to serve because...
PennWest lags behind IUP, Slippery Rock in enrollment gains
A simple glance at the headlines paints a drastically different picture among the three Western Pennsylvania universities in the State System of Higher Education. Slippery Rock’s enrollment last fall increased 2.75%, its largest gain in nearly a decade; and its retention rate of 86.4% is the best in university history...
Dual enrollment surging at PennWest; top high school is in York County
Pennsylvania Western University officials are optimistic with spring enrollment trends, particularly with dual enrollment students. Total headcount at PennWest — which includes the California, Clarion and Edinboro campuses — is at 10,121 students, 2.43% above its target of 9,881. But that’s still less than its fall enrollment of 10,548. Dual...
Pitt’s spring graduation to be held at Acrisure Stadium
A larger graduation class means a larger venue for the University of Pittsburgh’s spring commencement. Pitt’s universitywide undergraduate spring commencement ceremony will be held May 3 at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “This venue change will ensure every eligible graduate can participate and receive an appropriate number of tickets...
Improvements eyed along Route 50 at Bridgeville, Collier border
In an effort to eliminate the bottleneck at their border, Bridgeville and Collier are studying what it would look like to widen Route 50 between Mayer Street in Collier and Bower Hill Road in Bridgeville. Bridgeville Manager Joe Kauer said the municipalities are looking to enhance plans presented in 2015...
Boot Barn opens in Collier
A little bit of Western flair has moved to Collier. Boot Barn, a national retail chain selling western and work-related footwear, apparel and accessories, opened at the Great Southern Shopping Center, 1155 Washington Pike, on Feb. 13. The South West Regional Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting for the store...
Former baseball coach threatens Kiski Area with lawsuit
Attorneys representing a former Kiski Area middle school assistant baseball coach say they plan to file a lawsuit against the school district after the former coach was not rehired for the job over what they say is political retaliation. Attorney Amanda Shields said Tuesday her firm plans to file a...
Carnegie trail extension receives $850k boost
Federal funding will help a project proposed to expand the Panhandle Trail into Carnegie. Allegheny County was awarded $850,000 to support the purchase of part of an unused railroad line in Carnegie to extend the Panhandle Trail. “We’re thrilled (with U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio’s) support for the Panhandle Trail extension...
1st Valentine’s Day Dad-Daughter social a hit in Collier
Troy Riddle and his daughter, Everly, 5, had the same answer when asked their favorite part of attending the daddy-daughter event on Valentine’s Day at the Collier Community Center: spending time with each other. “It’s a good time,” said Troy, who is also Collier’s EMS Chief. The Riddles were one...
New Kensington-Arnold: More space needed in district buildings
As New Kensington-Arnold School District officials consider realigning district buildings, they’re also considering an addition to Martin Elementary School. But how an addition there might look like is still under review. “This is obviously a large project that takes into (account) many different aspects of the district,” said School Director...
Valley students learn life skills, find success at business competition
The subject of Hotel and Lodging Management was something that found Kamryn Graham. “I didn’t pick it,” said Graham, a Valley High School junior and member of the school’s Distributive Education Clubs of America, or DECA, a business education club. “As I read about it, it was interesting, so I...
Valentine’s Day activity between Valley students, Harrison seniors a lesson in cross-generation bondingVideo
A 62-year age gap didn’t stop a good time between Presley Staraniec, a student at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School, and Kathy Kapustik, a resident at the Riverview Senior Living apartments in Harrison. “I’ve always liked going around and meeting new people,” said Presley, 14, as he played games, made Valentine’s...
New manager takes reins in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township’s new manager is a township resident and was a longtime employee of New Kensington’s municipal authority. Supervisors this week hired Marci Bigley as township manager at an annual salary of $87,500, said Supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito. Bigley started the role Tuesday, Feb. 10. Her contract is for two...
Feds: Carnegie Mellon receives 2nd most foreign funding of any U.S. college
Federal data released this week shows Carnegie Mellon University receives the second-highest amount of foreign funding among U.S. universities. The data, which spans 1986 to 2025, shows CMU disclosed $3.9 billion in foreign gifts and contracts, according to the U.S. Department of Education. CMU trailed only Harvard University, which received...
Here are the numbers behind the Stewart School sales agreement
Burrell School District officials believe the $1 redevelopment sales agreement of the former Stewart Elementary School property is the most fair and reasonable price for the property, and it will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the district moving forward. The school board Tuesday approved a...
Bridgeville’s Sarah Street, Missouri Avenue eyed for paving
Bridgeville officials hope to be able to pave Sarah Street and a portion of Missouri Avenue this summer. Council on Feb. 9 authorized its engineer to prepare specifications and bid its road paving program that will include Sarah Street and Missouri Avenue as the base bid. Alternate bids include Charlet...
