Kellen Stepler stories, Page 16
New Kensington’s Safety Town teaches children important life lessons
Look no further than a kid-sized “real town” outside Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington for proof that learning can be fun. That’s Safety Town, which returned to the Alle-Kiski Valley last year, after a yearslong hiatus. The event is run under the direction of Lauren Lanzino, a...
Man accused of pointing gun at woman holding baby in her apartment in Arnold
A Butler man is in jail after being accused of breaking into a woman’s apartment in Arnold and pointing a gun at her, then pushing his way into another apartment after ditching the gun in the backyard of an abandoned house. That’s the account in a criminal complaint from Arnold...
Man charged in connection to firework explosion at Rivers Casino
A 47-year-old man faces criminal charges after, state police say, he set off a firework in a bathroom inside Rivers Casino on Pittsburgh’s North Shore early Sunday morning. State police say they took Jeremy Allen Hartman, of Martinsburg, Blair County, into custody at 5:41 a.m. for allegedly trespassing in a...
Former Greensburg Diocese Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt dies
Bishop Emeritus Lawrence Eugene Brandt, bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg from 2004 to 2015, died Sunday morning. He was 86. Church officials credit Brandt, the Greensburg Diocese’s fourth bishop, for leading the diocese through a series of changes, including improving finances and addressing the declining number of Catholics. “It...
Flood watch includes Allegheny and Westmoreland counties
The potential for flooding exists through Monday, according to local meteorologists. Total rainfall Sunday in the Pittsburgh area is expected to be anywhere between a half-inch and just more than an inch, said Alicia Miller, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office in Moon. Rainfall began just after 8...
Man arrested following SWAT situation in Crafton
It wasn’t the suspect authorities were initially looking for, but the Allegheny County and Crafton police departments arrested a wanted man Saturday afternoon in Crafton. County police said in a statement that its SWAT team was dispatched just after 4 p.m. to Parkview Street in Crafton to assist borough police...
Newborns, high school grads, elderly rescued from floods by Westmoreland County swift-water teams
The emergency response to flooding in the Murrysville area Friday night threw everything and the kitchen sink to swift-water rescue teams. The 95 evacuations in the roughly 300-yard space between Ginny’s Neighborhood Pizza Joint and Penn Vista Apartment complex included: a weeks-old baby, half a dozen Franklin Regional High School...
Public hearing on tap to weigh $300K expected for Arnold
Arnold is expecting to receive $300,000 in federal funding, and the public will have a chance to weigh in on how that money can benefit the city. Council will hold a hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at the city’s public safety building, 601 Drey St., to take comments on the...
Thimons, DeAntonio appointed principals in New Kensington-Arnold
Andrew DeAntonio’s success when he stepped into an interim assistant principal role at Valley High School was like that of former Pirates’ star Bill Mazeroski coming off the bench and hitting a home run. And Jeff Thimons’ efforts as interim principal of Roy A. Hunt Elementary this year, working with...
3% tax hike OK’d in New Kensington-Arnold
Property owners in the New Kensington-Arnold School District will see a 3% tax increase next school year. The school board approved the district’s budget of about $50.2 million, which includes a 3-mill increase. That takes the district’s tax rate to 102.14 mills, according to Business Manager Jeffrey McVey. There are...
Penn Hills man charged following alleged assault outside family court
A Penn Hills man faces a dozen criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted the mother of his two children, and the children, outside of the Family Court Center in Downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Charges against Marlon McMillan, 36, include aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of...
Walmart, Sam’s Club sue Pittsburgh Mills mall owners over road conditions
Real estate trusts for Walmart and Sam’s Club are suing the owners of the beleaguered Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, alleging they have failed to maintain the roads there despite being contractually obligated to do so. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania, asks the court...
Burrell’s Stewart Elementary celebrates its last day: ‘It’s bittersweet’
Mindy Larko may or may not have cried on her way to work Wednesday. It would mark her last day teaching at Lower Burrell’s Stewart Elementary in Room 14, a room where she, herself, was a student during the 1982-83 school year. “A lot of memories come back when you’re...
New playground equipment coming to Lower Burrell’s Braeview Park
Children in Lower Burrell’s Braeburn neighborhood will have new playground equipment in July. City officials signed a $56,700 contract with Sports and Recreation Associates to install new playground equipment at Braeview Park after it was removed last fall. Deeming it “dangerous,” city public works crews removed the equipment, which was...
Mount Vernon streets to be target of New Kensington paving
Often over the years, New Kensington officials have had to tell residents to hang tight and keep waiting for paving projects — particularly in the Mount Vernon neighborhood. Now those residents and motorists will soon have relief. Mayor Tom Guzzo said the city will enter into a loan agreement with...
New Kensington approves preliminary agreement for Tri-Cities daylight fire crew
A cooperative, firefighter’s duty crew between Lower Burrell, New Kensington and Arnold is a step closer to become a reality. New Kensington Council on Monday approved a preliminary agreement between the city, Lower Burrell and Arnold, to establish a Tri-Cities duty crew for daytime volunteer fire coverage among the three...
Zavadak tapped as New Kensington interim city clerk
New Kensington’s longtime city controller, John Zavadak, is now the city’s top administrator. Council on Monday hired Zavadak as interim city clerk. The vote on his appointment was unanimous. Zavadak, 62, succeeds Dennis Scarpiniti, who retired the end of May after serving as New Kensington’s clerk for 38 years. “I’d...
Mezeh Mediterranean Grill to open in South Fayette
A fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant is coming to South Fayette. Mezeh Mediterranean Grill will host a grand opening June 6 at the Piazza shopping center, 193 Millers Run Road. “Bridgeville’s booming mix of commuters, families and health‑minded foodies is perfect for Mezeh’s build-your-own menu,” said Madelaine Brewer, chief marketing officer for...
Bridgeville woman wins borough’s anniversary logo design contest
Barbara Rodgers loves everything about Bridgeville’s Day on the Avenue. From the scenes of people enjoying each other’s company and the smell of food, to the enjoyment of the different events, Rodgers has fond memories of the borough’s annual summer community day. “There’s always so much for everyone,” Rodgers said....
Penn State students at closing campuses juggle staying the course or jumping ship
Penn State New Kensington fit the bill for 19-year-old Angelina Da Vila. “Originally, I wanted to go to Penn State,” she said. “I wanted to be in the city, but not go to such a big school. I still wanted that small-school atmosphere, and New Kensington sounded like one of...
Chancellor outlines vision as Penn State New Kensington, Fayette wind down operations
The regional chancellor for Penn State’s New Kensington, Fayette and Greater Allegheny campuses plans a smooth transition focused on students, faculty and staff as two of those campuses wind down operations in two years. “Through the 2026-27 academic year, we remain fully committed to supporting our students, faculty, staff and...
Chartiers Valley passes budget with no tax increase
Property owners in the Chartiers Valley School District won’t pay more in taxes next year. School directors voted 6-2 on Tuesday, May 27, to approve the district’s $79 million budget for the 2025-26 school year. It maintains a real estate tax rate of 20.1909 mills. An owner of a home...
New Kensington man arrested for attempted homicide in Pittsburgh
A New Kensington man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Hill District last month. Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said Justin Boyd was taken into custody in the Parnassus section of New Kensington Wednesday by the Westmoreland County SWAT team and Pittsburgh Police’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit....
Lower Burrell teen wins car at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center
When Bryce Hrivnak graduates from Burrell High School next week, he’ll have a high school diploma and a job lined up as a general contractor with Scott Martin Homes. Oh, and don’t forget the 2011 Ford Escape he won Wednesday at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington....
Threat made against Kiski Area unfounded, district officials say
Threats made against Kiski Area Intermediate School were determined to be not credible, according to district officials. A letter was sent to district families Wednesday informing them that the district was aware and investigating a threat allegedly made by a student and directed at the Intermediate School. The investigation is...
