Kellen Stepler stories, Page 38
2.65% tax hike OK’d for Allegheny Valley School District property owners
Property owners in the Allegheny Valley School District will be paying 2.65% more in real estate taxes for the coming school year. The school board approved a $25.8 million budget Tuesday increases the millage rate by 0.552 mills, from 20.8377 to 21.3899. “We’ve been as conscientious as any district,” board...
Brother: Gillian Tones, Montana park drowning victim, ‘had a natural gravitation toward helping people’
Dillon Tones once asked his younger sister, Gillian, why she wanted to get into nursing. He was curious why people chose the field because nurses often see people at their worst. “She said, ‘You’re right, but I also get to be there to do as much as I can,’ ”...
Stewart School closing hearing prompts wide range of reactions
An array of viewpoints were shared by a dozen Burrell residents Tuesday during a public hearing on possibly closing Stewart Elementary School. Some requested Stewart remain open in some capacity, and others advocated for its closure. Some requested fifth-grade classes move to Huston Middle School, and others suggested they be...
North Apollo woman who drowned at national park in Montana remembered as sweet and compassionate
A North Apollo woman who slipped and fell from rocks and drowned Sunday at a national park in Montana is being remembered for her kind heart. The National Park Service said in a statement that Gillian Tones, 26, slipped on slick rocks at Glacier National Park about 5:20 p.m. and...
Late Secretary Lorraine Zebrine ‘dedicated to Cheswick’
Lorraine Zebrine was dedicated to her job as Cheswick’s borough secretary. She was always willing to step up to a challenge or take on additional responsibilities. Just ask those who knew her well. “During her time — I’ve been on council 42 years — there are few people who have...
‘Not a fun experience’ for boards considering school closure
As a public hearing looms for the proposed closure of Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell, experts say boards should consider numerous factors before closing a building. While school closures can be difficult, district leaders shouldn’t delay or avoid the issue, said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at...
3 Springdale firefighters recognized for emergency, QRS response
The lifesaving acts of three Springdale volunteer firefighters during a call in April resulted in recognition from the Allegheny County Volunteer Firefighters Association. During a recent Springdale Council meeting, fire Chief Kevin Wilhelm presented Capt. Daniel Copeland, Lt. Zachary Wilhelm and firefighter Ethan Sanders with the association’s Heroism Award. “It’s...
Parrot Heads will have a place to dock at Iron City Brewing in time for Buffett tribute concert
Final preparations are underway at East Deer’s Pittsburgh Brewing Co. as a summer concert series kicks off next week. Crews will have installed a temporary boat dock behind the brewery before a Jimmy Buffett tribute band takes the stage June 29, said Todd Zwicker, Pittsburgh Brewing Co. president. “I work...
Interim principal appointed at Burrell’s Stewart; middle school principals promoted
A Burrell School District administrator will stand in as Stewart Elementary’s principal in what could be the final year of the school. Autumn Turk, Burrell’s director of curriculum and development, was appointed interim principal at Stewart for the 2024-25 school year, school directors voted Tuesday. “She’ll do both jobs for...
Burrell School District budget raises taxes 5.8%
Burrell School District officials say the district is suffering from stagnant property value growth, and taxpayers will foot the bill for it. The district’s final 2024-25 budget of $36.6 million includes a 5.8% property tax hike. The 6.5-mill increase will bring the district’s millage rate to 117.5, the highest of...
New rate designs recommended for Springdale water customers
Springdale officials are considering two options for changing the way it bills for water service, one of which could raise rates for residential customers. The borough in May decided to undergo the rate study, saying that since the $7 million water plant was completed in 2020, officials have not done...
Chartiers Valley selects Joseph Dimperio as interim superintendent
A man with more than half a century of experience in public education has been tapped to lead the Chartiers Valley School District, at least in the interim. School directors in June hired Joseph Dimperio as interim superintendent, at a rate of $725 per day without benefits or pension withholding....
Food-themed art show to display work of neurodiverse artists
The idea for a food-focused art show at Carnegie’s Studio Forget-Me-Not! all started with painted ceramic slices of pizza. “Food is one of those things people come together for,” said Laura Stuart, director at Studio Forget-Me-Not!, a venue that provides art services for adults with intellectual disabilities. After some discussion,...
Algae bloom at Lower Burrell lake deemed ‘harmful’; city looks to third-party to mitigate it
Lower Burrell is looking for a way to curb the algae bloom in Burrell Lake Park after state environmental officials warned the bloom is severe enough to be “harmful.” Lauren Camarda of the Department of Environmental Protection said samplings from the lake taken June 11 indicate concentrations of cyanobacteria are...
‘Special’ Allegheny River recognized as River of the Year
State officials recognized the Allegheny River as the River of the Year during a celebration Saturday at Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park. “The Allegheny River is an important part of Pennsylvania’s natural history and beauty, so it is great to celebrate all that the river offers and its impact on the...
Donations accepted, benefit planned for displaced residents of Avonmore fire
The Avonmore community is rallying around those who lost everything after a fire at My Buddy’s Place on Saturday. Crews from nearly 30 surrounding volunteer fire companies responded to the bar at 407 Indiana Ave. to put out a fire that started Saturday afternoon. The scene was cleared early Sunday,...
Decadeslong family golf outing remembers late patriarch, honors dads
The DiSanti family Father’s Day golf outing started as a simple thing. In 1985, brothers Richard, Victor and Joseph DiSanti decided to hit the links on Father’s Day weekend as a special tribute to their late father, Richard V. DiSanti. “Everyone has golf events, but yet, this is a Father’s...
Fire destroys longtime Avonmore bar — the 3rd one to burn in 6 yearsVideo
An Avonmore bar was destroyed Saturday in a blaze that a fire official said might have started in the kitchen. My Buddy’s Place, at 407 Indiana Ave., was open when the fire broke out shortly after 4:30 p.m., but no one was reported to be injured. A dog was unaccounted...
Somerset County man charged with homicide in death of brother by crossbow
A Somerset Township man is behind bars after, state troopers say, he fatally shot his brother with a crossbow. Police charged Travis Scott Shearer, 32, with criminal homicide in connection with the death of his brother, Eric Miller, on Friday night. Shearer is being held in the Somerset County Jail....
Second Avenue Commons residents to relocate to temporary North Side location
Allegheny County has found a new location on Pittsburgh’s North Side to relocate about 100 homeless people who had been staying at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center after a fire closed the Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter. Erin Dalton, the county’s human services director, said Saturday that displaced residents...
Bridgeville plans Bower Hill Road landslide repair
Bridgeville is eyeing repairs for another landslide in the borough. The borough is advertising for a landslide repair project on Bower Hill Road, at the end of Bluff Street Extension and behind 799 Bower Hill Road, Manager Joe Kauer said. The landslide is affecting only one property, Kauer said. He...
Chartiers Valley celebrates 238 students in Class of 2024
The Chartiers Valley School District celebrated 238 graduates from the Class of 2024 on June 4 at the high school stadium. Here are the graduates: Halid Adam, Isshak Adam, Xzavyer Adams, Chloe Albitz, Elif Ali, Dominic Allen, Sakesh Andhavarapu, Alaina Ansell, Maria Arab, Nicholas Arnold, Kendal Astor, Danica Balach, Brayden...
Etna man charged with arson: ‘I needed more gasoline,’ witness reports
A 74-year-old man is accused of dousing his apartment in gasoline and igniting a fire which started a three-alarm fire and subsequent explosion Tuesday afternoon in Etna. Elmer Lewis, of Vilsack Street, faces two counts of aggravated arson, six counts of arson, one count of causing catastrophe and five counts...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says removal of nuclear waste from Parks Township dump to start next summer
Remediation of a nuclear waste dump in Parks Township remains on schedule — to start next summer and have all of the material removed to Utah six years after that, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said. The Army Corps gave the update at a public meeting Tuesday at the...
Etna house fire touches off ‘flammable liquid’ explosion
A man is accused of dousing his rental home in gasoline and setting it on fire following a blaze that damaged two properties Tuesday in Etna. Elmer Lewis, 74, is charged with two counts of aggravated arson, six counts of arson, one count of causing catastrophe and five counts of...
