Kellen Stepler stories, Page 30
County moves polling place out of Chartiers Valley Intermediate School after district’s plea
Chartiers Valley Intermediate School won’t be used as a polling place, after all. The school board had requested that the Allegheny County Elections Division relocate the polling place out of the Intermediate School in a letter dated Sept. 12. About 1,050 voters in two precincts in Scott Township used the...
New environmental field study class at Burrell gets students in the elements
In high school, Chad Clair was told that “he could do so much” by pursuing a career in biology. Now, the second-year Burrell High School teacher is showing — not just telling — his students what those paths could look like. “All the knowledge I gained over the years of...
Sale approved for Lower Burrell, Hempfield nursing homes
Eight Guardian Elder Care skilled-nursing facilities — including Belair in Lower Burrell and Oak Hill in Hempfield — will be sold to GBK Eight LLC in a transaction recently approved by a federal Bankruptcy Court. It also approved the transfer of operations for 11 other leased skilled-nursing facilities to New...
Upcoming Burrell fireside chats give community a chance to share opinions
The Burrell School District once again is inviting students and families to pull up a lawn chair and chat during an event in November. The district is bringing back its “fireside chats” from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in the high school’s student parking lot, 1021 Puckety Church Road....
In a return to the Lower Valley, Joe Naviglia takes reins of Acmetonia police officer job
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Acmetonia Elementary School’s new police officer. Allegheny Valley School District hired Joe Naviglia, 62, of Lower Burrell in September as Acmetonia’s school police officer. He started last week and will be paid $50,000 annually. “He has a lot of experience from other school districts...
Lower Burrell to install sewer liners in Kinloch aimed at reducing backups and overflows
New sanitary sewer liners will be installed in the Kinloch section of Lower Burrell by the end of next year. The city will be able to install liners in just about every sewer in Kinloch with the $300,000 in state funding awarded Tuesday and $200,000 in federal American Rescue Plan...
Chartiers Valley appoints Woodland Hills’ Dan Castagna as superintendent
Chartiers Valley School District has appointed a new superintendent with a base salary of $250,000. The school board Thursday evening voted 6-3 to appoint Dan Castagna, who is currently superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, as its leader for the next five years. His contract will run from Jan....
Springdale to replace old, deteriorating water lines on 3 borough streets
Springdale officials hope to begin work next year to replace water lines along three streets in the borough. The borough this week was awarded just under $1 million for a replacement project on Orchard, Logan and Moyhend streets, Councilman Dan Copeland said. Springdale also plans on replacing another street’s water...
Police raid 2 vape shops, convenience store in Lower Burrell
It was Round 2 of raids against vape shops in Westmoreland County on Friday morning — this time, in Lower Burrell. Police seized items from three city businesses: Burrell Tobacco and Vape at 3087 Leechburg Road; Discount Vape in the Hillcrest Shopping Center; and a convenience store at 2700 Leechburg...
Burrell School District, parents spar over Kenmont Avenue bus stop and route safety
Lower Burrell resident Nancy Donaldson handles child care out of her Kenmont Avenue home. In the more than 25 years she has lived there, a school bus has picked up children at the end of her driveway. The pickups of two 7-year-old boys she cares for in the mornings continued...
Westmoreland County’s housing authority pays Arnold $20K for officers to work overtime at its properties
With a goal of having a heavier police presence at two Arnold housing complexes, the Westmoreland County Housing Authority has pitched in to help pay police overtime costs. Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci said the housing authority allocates $20,000 annually to pay city officers to pick up overtime shifts at Arnold...
Star athletes Loretta Claiborne, Dan McCoy to highlight Unified Sports event at Lauri Ann West Community Center
An afternoon of perseverance and inclusivity is slated Saturday at the Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara. The center, as part of the Sue Golier Memorial Speaker Series, will feature remarks from athlete and Special Olympics Hall of Famer Loretta Claiborne and Dan McCoy, a paralympic gold medalist and...
No serious injuries in Allegheny Township crash involving school bus, 2 pickups, police say
Several Kiski Area school officials planned to ride with students on one of the district’s bus routes Friday, a day after a bus on that route was involved in a three-vehicle crash at a busy intersection in Allegheny Township. No one was seriously injured in the crash, which happened around...
Allegheny Valley’s new anti-bullying program aims to bolster school climate, culture
Allegheny Valley school administrators say a new anti-bullying program will build relationships among students and foster a greater sense of belonging at the district’s two schools. Fifth and sixth grade students at Acmetonia Elementary and seventh through 12th graders at Springdale Junior-Senior High School will participate in the Rachel’s Challenge...
Plans for improvements at Veterans Memorial Field, Springdale soccer field advance
Plans for renovations at two Springdale fields — one owned by the borough and the other by the Allegheny Valley School District — are moving forward. Springdale Council awarded a contract of about $580,000 to Harmar-based Panza Landscaping for installation of a retaining wall and sidewalks at Veterans Memorial Field,...
Abatement, demolition planned for former Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale
Another Springdale landmark will soon be demolished — but it’s not a former power plant. Allegheny Valley School District officials set an April 10 demolition deadline for the former Colfax Upper Elementary School. The 64,000-square-foot building served students in the Allegheny Valley School District for more than 90 years before...
Republican Natalie Mihalek, Democrat Peter Kohnke vie for 40th state House seat
Voters in Pennsylvania’s 40th District, which includes parts of the South Hills in Allegheny and Washington counties, will choose between incumbent Republican Natalie Mihalek and Democrat Peter Kohnke for representation in Harrisburg. Mihalek was first elected in 2019. Kohnke won a write-in nomination for the Democrats. The district covers Bethel...
Proposed 2025 Upper Burrell budget holds the line on taxes, hikes fire hydrant fee for nearly all properties
Upper Burrell plans to raise its fire hydrant fee by one hundredth of a mill next year, which will result in an increase of a few dollars for property owners who pay the fee. All but 182 properties in the township pay the hydrant fee, which is charged to properties...
Democrat Arvind Venkat, Republican Nathan Wolfe square off for 30th state House seat
Incumbent Democrat Arvind Venkat is being challenged by Republican Nathan Wolfe for a seat in the state’s House of Representatives, covering parts of Allegheny County’s North Hills. The district includes Kilbuck, McCandless and Ohio townships, part of Hampton Township, and Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth and Franklin Park boroughs....
Chartiers Valley Primary School’s Kids of Steel included in Western PA sports history museum
A piece of Chartiers Valley Primary School is featured in a new exhibit at the Heinz History Center’s Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Memorabilia from the Kids of Steel program at the school will be displayed at the Sports Museum’s locker room-style exhibit. Student William Coperich’s running gear is highlighted. The...
Sustainability focus of spruced-up courtyard at middle school in Lower Burrell
Elizabeth Hartman gave her eighth grade students at Charles A. Huston Middle School a task at the beginning of this school year: create a sustainable space in a neglected courtyard at the Lower Burrell school. “We wanted to engineer the space to be more sustainable,” she said. “I wanted there...
Chartiers Valley Middle School hires new assistant principal
Chartiers Valley Middle School has a new assistant principal. Regina Kim, 38, of Bethel Park, was hired by the school board Oct. 8. Kim has worked in Pittsburgh Public Schools for 16 years, where she taught English Language Arts, middle school mathematics and social studies at Pittsburgh Sunnyside. She also...
Slide stabilization, retaining wall slated for Bluff Street Extension in Bridgeville
Bridgeville is eyeing a fix to a borough road damaged by a landslide this spring. Council on Oct. 14 authorized the public bid of a slope stabilization and retaining wall improvements project on Bluff Street Extension. A tentative bid opening is scheduled for Nov. 6. Borough Manager Joe Kauer said...
Alle-Kiski towns to upgrade water, sewer facilities thanks to state funding
Low-interest loans from the state will pay for repairs to deteriorating sewage and water facilities in Lower Burrell, New Kensington and Allegheny Township. The Municipal Authority of Lower Burrell was awarded $9.55 million through PennVEST funding for the Chartiers Pump Station Project, state officials announced this week. The loan fully...
Springdale teen creating a ‘scene of our community’ for mural outside library
At first, Ariana Caltagarone wasn’t sure if she wanted to take on painting a 459-square-foot mural on the wall leading up to the Springdale Free Public Library. The library had requested proposals for a mural, and her mom, Melissa, encouraged her to apply. But the 16-year-old from Springdale Township had...
