Kellen Stepler stories, Page 13
New Kensington-Arnold rolls out new grading scale for youngest students
Report cards for New Kensington-Arnold kindergarten students will look a bit different this year. Previously, students would get a letter grade for a subject area. Now, the report card will list specific academic skills in each subject and how well the student has mastered each skill. “I want kids to...
Penn State buys former fraternity house where Timothy Piazza was fatally hurt
Penn State trustees on Friday authorized the purchase of the former Beta Theta Pi house where hazing led to the death of student Timothy Piazza in 2017. The university will pay $7.3 million for the 0.92-acre property, located at 220 N. Burrowes Road, State College. Sara Thorndike, senior vice president...
Penn State increases 2026-27 tuition rates for University Park, some branch campus students
Penn State’s budget for the 2026-27 academic year raises tuition for all of its students attending University Park and some of its students that attend branch campuses. The $10.2 billion budget, approved Friday by the board of trustees, includes a 2% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students attending University Park,...
New Kensington felon charged after raid seizes $10K and 27 bricks of heroin, fentanyl
State troopers arrested a New Kensington man after an undercover drug investigation turned up 27 bricks of heroin or fentanyl and more than $10,000 in cash. Raijon Deqae Wilson, 29, is charged with numerous drug-related counts in connection to a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of...
Urgent care facility on tap in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township residents soon won’t have to drive far for emergency medical care. Township supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito said a walk-in, urgent care facility is in the works for 48 Towne Center Drive, near the magistrate’s office. “I’m real excited about it,” said Supervisor Mike Korns. “It’s in a good...
Tuition increase approved for state-owned universities for 1st time in 7 years
Tuition for state universities is set to increase by 3.6% for students this fall, but that figure could decrease if state funding increases, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education said Thursday. In-state undergraduate tuition for this academic year will increase by $139 per semester, to $3,997 per semester, according...
Kinloch streets marked for Lower Burrell summer paving
More than 20 streets in Lower Burrell are on tap to be paved this year. City Council on Monday approved a contract of close to $235,000 with Russell Standard to chip-seal 19 streets — the majority of which are in Kinloch — this summer. The full list of roads, according...
Lower Burrell approves cooperative fire agreement: ‘a realistic solution,’ mayor says
A cooperative fire agreement among Lower Burrell, New Kensington and Arnold fire departments has won approval from Lower Burrell officials. Council approved plans outlining rules to establish a Tri-Cities duty crew for daytime volunteer fire coverage among the three cities. “I’m very excited for the Tri-City duty crew and its...
Historic Carnegie park stone pavilion restored, rededicated
Chuck Woods says his family history exemplifies the story of immigrants coming to Pittsburgh. In the early 1900s, Woods’ grandfather, Domenico Masciantonio, came to Pittsburgh from Italy with his brother, Pietro, and sister, Maria. The trio settled in Carnegie’s Cubbage Hill where Domenico worked as a stone mason. And during...
Burrell elementary school expansion to be tweaked after bids come in over budget
Burrell School District officials need to pare the cost of construction projects at Bon Air Elementary School after bids came in over budget. The lowest bid for Bon Air’s proposed cafeteria and kitchen addition, and heating and cooling projects, came in at $12.6 million, according to Superintendent Shannon Wagner. “That...
Shoe Sensation nearing opening date in Allegheny Township
A Shoe Sensation is coming to Allegheny Township. The store, in the Hyde Park Plaza, 451 Hyde Park Road, tentatively plans a soft opening Aug. 15, according to a representative from Shoe Sensation. The representative offered no other details about the store. Shoe Sensation sells an assortment of shoes and...
PennDOT rejects Lower Burrell’s request to outlaw jake brakes on stretch of Route 56
The loud roar of diesel trucks using brake retarders will continue to be heard on Route 56 between Hillcrest Drive and Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell. City officials in April had requested that PennDOT look into outlawing brake retarders, commonly known as jake brakes, on that stretch of road after...
Girl’s fall from Leechburg Bridge under investigation, officials say
Leechburg officials said Tuesday they’re still investigating after a girl fell from the Leechburg Bridge on Monday night. First responders were dispatched to the Leechburg Bridge at around 7:30 p.m. for a juvenile who had fallen from the bridge and onto the shoreline along the Kiski River. It’s unclear at...
Lower Burrell’s Kotecki Park to include space for dogs
Lower Burrell police Officer Derek Kotecki’s legacy will be remembered in the city in a new way. Council approved plans for a dog park at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park. The dog park will be located past the outfield of the ballfield, closest to where people pull in to...
Burrell School Board to consider bids for Bon Air Elementary construction projects
The Burrell School Board will meet Tuesday to consider awarding contracts for construction at Bon Air Elementary School. The board will consider hiring contractors for a cafeteria addition, air conditioning and boiler repairs at Bon Air, said Superintendent Shannon Wagner. Bids haven’t yet been made public but architects previously estimated...
Pitt approves tuition and fee increases for fall term, lifts hiring freeze
Tuition for students at the University of Pittsburgh will increase again. The $3.2 billion budget, approved Friday by the Board of Trustees, includes a 2% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate and gradate students attending the Oakland campus, a 4% hike for out-of-state students and a 1% increase for students attending...
Arnold seeks bids for new fire engine
Arnold officials have taken the first step toward replacing a 31-year-old fire engine. Council on July 8 voted to advertise bids for a new fire engine, to ultimately replace its 1994 fire engine. “The maintenance side of it, it’s getting increasingly costly to maintain that vehicle,” said Chris O’Leath, fire...
New Kensington’s Sankofa Mansion sets grand opening date
Laurie Johnson-Wade sets high expectations for those who will attend the grand opening of the new Sankofa Mansion — formerly the Bloser Mansion — in New Kensington on Thursday. “They’ll be treated like royalty,” said Wade, who owns Sankofa with her husband, VonZell Wade. The grand opening will be the...
Man accused of armed robberies in Ohio, Crafton now faces similar charges in New Kensington
Authorities have linked a New Kensington man, already in jail in connection with armed robberies in Crafton and Ohio, to a May 2024 incident where, police say, he stole $47,000 of electronics from the AT&T store off Tarentum Bridge Road. Trey Bell, 31, is charged with robbery, theft, unlawful restraint,...
Want to be Arnold’s city controller? Petition the court, solicitor says
Arnold’s next city controller — whomever that may be — already needs some help from residents. City Solicitor Jaclyn Shaw said 10 interested registered voters need to petition the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas to fill the vacancy for city controller. Arnold has been without a controller since Toni...
Arnold resurrects Civil Service Commission, Redevelopment Authority
Arnold reactivated its civil service commission and redevelopment authority after all members of both groups resigned last month. “They both collapsed at the same time,” Mayor Shannon Santucci said. “I just made phone calls and asked people if they’d be interested.” Santucci estimated she made about 24 phone calls to...
Yoga and working out go hand-in-hand at New Kensington studio
Leah Delaney thinks the peace of yoga and the strenuous exercises of a fitness boot camp are a perfect mix. That’s why Delaney, owner of AngelWing Yoga and Wellness in New Kensington, is expanding her studio to incorporate exercise and fitness classes, including kickboxing, weight training circuits, body sculpting and...
Robert Haus appointed as Arnold officer-in-charge — again
What’s old is new again within the Arnold Police Department. Mayor Shannon Santucci on Tuesday appointed Robert Haus as officer-in-charge of the department. “We had to make a move,” Santucci said. “It’s the best resolution for the police department and the community at this time.” And it’s a move that’s...
Accessible playground, park project pitched for Arnold
When Devin Moore takes his daughters to parks and playgrounds in the New Kensington area, he finds they struggle with, or can’t use, some or all of the amenities there. And he thinks his isn’t the only family experiencing that. That’s why Moore is pitching an idea to New Kensington...
Upper Burrell police contract includes 4% pay hikes
Upper Burrell police officers have a new five-year contract that includes a 4% increase in hourly wages annually. The collective bargaining agreement, between the township and the Wage and Policy Committee of the Upper Burrell police department, takes effect Jan. 1, 2026 and expires Dec. 31, 2030. “I’m happy with...
