Kellen Stepler stories, Page 55
Lower Burrell leaders remember 9/11 attacks, remain inspired by unity
As state Rep. Abby Major, R-Leechburg, thought about what she wanted to say during Lower Burrell’s Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony, she thought of the profound sense of unity among Americans on Sept. 12, 2001. “Do you remember the way we all came together?” she said Monday morning outside Lower Burrell’s...
West Deer free store seeks treasures, not trash, as need increases
When people go to the Poppin’ Tags Free Store in West Deer, they deserve to shop with dignity, says owner Sonya Dembowski. Neither she nor her volunteers ask questions of shoppers, and they will help them find whatever clothes, toys or housewares they need. That’s what makes people dropping off...
Deer Lakes provides alternative gym class to emphasize mental well-being
Lauren Hedderman believes that to do well, people must feel well, and that’s exactly what her “Mental Toughness” class at Deer Lakes High School aims to accomplish. “Students seem to love it. I think it’s a break within their day to focus on themselves,” Hedderman said. The course started at...
Investigators say cause of fatal Plum explosion came from inside the home
The point of origin for a deadly home explosion in Plum on Aug. 12 came from inside the house at 141 Rustic Ridge, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office said Friday. Officials continue to investigate the explosion that occurred just less than a month ago in Plum’s Rustic Ridge subdivision,...
Slide repair work to close part of Saxonburg Boulevard in West Deer starting Monday
A portion of Saxonburg Boulevard in West Deer will be closed starting Monday as crews begin to fix road slides. The work requires the road, between Trump Road and Saxony Road, to close completely. The road will be closed to traffic starting at 7 a.m. Monday, and will reopen Friday,...
Liquor Control Board to rule on East Deer noise exemption
Whether East Deer can enforce its noise ordinance regarding amplified music is now in the hands of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The LCB held a hearing Wednesday on a township request that, if granted, would allow East Deer to enforce its own noise regulations instead of the state’s. East...
Extended lane closures on Route 28 in Harmar begin Friday
Extended, weekendlong lane closures on Route 28 in Harmar will begin Friday, according to PennDOT. The single-lane restrictions will occur in both directions on Route 28 on two bridges, as crews work on expansion dam replacement and approach road reconstruction. Work on the northbound lanes is set to begin at...
PUC rules public utility equipment not at fault in 2022 Plum home explosion
A Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruling that an April 2022 home explosion in Plum was not caused by public utility equipment does not eliminate the possibility that natural gas caused the explosion. In a statement released Tuesday, the PUC’s safety division found no evidence that public utility natural gas equipment...
Same Lower Burrell utility pole, power lines down twice in 3 days
The power lines and a utility pole near the Dunkin’ in Lower Burrell can’t seem to catch a break. Crews responded to the intersection of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg roads, where people can turn into the Burrell Plaza parking lot from Wildlife Lodge, for downed power lines Tuesday morning —...
Lower Burrell Farmers Market seeks plastic bags to win a free bench
Lower Burrell’s farmers market aims to turn trash to treasure — or bags to benches — through a recycling campaign. The market entered the Trex Bags to Benches recycling program July 22. It has a bin on site to collect plastic bags, which market organizers periodically weigh to see their...
Riverview School District renews superintendent Neil English’s contract
Riverview School Board has renewed Superintendent Neil English’s contract through 2028. The five-year contract began Aug. 21 and expires June 30, 2028. English will be paid $145,000 for the current school year and, depending on performance, is eligible for raises of up to 3% in each of the following years....
Liquor Control Board sets hearing for noise exemption in East Deer
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will hold a hearing next week on a proposal that, if approved, would allow East Deer to enforce its own noise regulations, and not the state’s. The Wednesday hearing before the LCB will give the public a chance to comment on a proposal from East...
Former Springdale power plant to be demolished Sept. 22
A Sept. 22 implosion date has been set for the boiler house building at the former Cheswick Generating Station plant in Springdale. Scott Reschly, vice president of operations for Charah Solutions, an environmental remediation firm and the property’s owner, said Friday the demolition of the boiler house building is planned...
New Kensington Bridge reopens to traffic
The New Kensington Bridge reopened to traffic, a couple days earlier than planned. PennDOT announced Friday that the bridge, which spans the Allegheny River between East Deer and New Kensington, reopened after it was closed for about six weeks. The 10th Street underpass on the New Kensington side of the...
Woman offers gas imaging camera service to Rustic Ridge residents
A certified thermographer said Thursday she hoped to give residents in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood some peace of mind by volunteering to use hydrothermic technology to look for possible gas leaks in homes. Christina Digiulio of Chester County visited Rustic Ridge and offered to use a hydrocarbon imaging camera to...
Part of former Springdale plant pulled down; more demolition planned in late September
Part of the former Cheswick Generating Station’s boiler building in Springdale was pulled down Monday night, making way for the rest of the building’s demolition next month. Scott Reschly, vice president of operations for the property owner, Charah Solutions, said the selective catalytic reduction portion of the plant is what...
5th gas well pad planned in Frazer
Plans for a fifth unconventional fracking well pad in Frazer are underway. Lori Ziencik, township secretary and supervisor, said Range Resources received permitting July 20 for the Drape James well pad, which would be located at 60 Kenny Lane. “It’s a permitted use in that zoning district, which is rural...
Lane shifts on Greensburg Road in Plum end
Lane shifts on Greensburg Road in Plum have ended earlier than expected, Allegheny County’s department of public works announced Tuesday. The lane shifts began March 13 and were originally expected to last into December. They were required for the replacement of Pucketa Creek Bridge No. 5, which carries Lincoln Beach...
Riverview selects Ernie Tillman, Kareem Gahed to fill vacancies on school board
The Riverview School Board tapped a former director and a newcomer to fill two board vacancies. School directors selected Ernie Tillman and Kareem Gahed to fill board spots vacated by Jeanine Hurt-Robinson and Jane Miller. The appointments are effective until the term ends at the board’s reorganization meeting in December....
Monroeville man crowned Pittsburgh’s ‘ultimate zombie’ at ScareHouse
Pittsburgh Mills mall went to the zombies Monday night. As they moaned, groaned and shambled their way through the ScareHouse — the Frazer mall’s former H&M store — a panel of local celebrity judges examined the three contestants’ acting and their wardrobes, ultimately crowning Jarrod Joos, 32, of Monroeville, Pittsburgh’s...
Butler County leaders get a close look at agricultural issues — and an elk farm — on tour
To say Bill Duncan is busy man probably would be an understatement. Duncan, his wife, Jean, and their son, Jim, own and operate an elk farm at their Clinton Township property. The unusual form of agriculture was the spotlight of a recent Butler County Farm Bureau legislative tour, during which...
Public to weigh in on proposed Leto compressor station in West Deer
West Deer supervisors have set a Sept. 26 public hearing date on a proposed compressor station on the Leto well pad property. The hearing will be held at St. Victor Church, Our Lady of the Lakes Parish. Vice chairwoman Shirley Hollibaugh said during the board’s recent meeting that the township...
Building the Valley: La Vite Ristorante provides fine Italian fare in Russellton
La Vite Ristorante is a big restaurant with even bigger goals. “I want this to be Pittsburgh’s Italian restaurant spot,” said owner, Eric Capozzi, 56, of McCandless. “I want everyone to come in, enjoy themselves and have fun.” La Vite, located at the No Offseason Sports complex at 942 Little...
Allegheny Valley unveils full-day pre-K program
When Katlyn Davis of Cheswick learned the Allegheny Valley School District was starting a full-day pre- kindergarten program this school year, she immediately enrolled her 4-year-old daughter, Emerson. “I think the full-day program works much better for our schedules than what they had for the half day,” Davis said. This year,...
Proposed electronic sign facing Hulton Bridge rejected by Harmar zoning board
Harmar’s zoning hearing board upheld a 2021 decision rejecting an outdoor advertising company’s request to make a billboard facing the Allegheny River near the Hulton Bridge electronic. The zoning hearing board on Thursday formally denied the request from Kenjoh Outdoor Advertising to convert the side facing the Allegheny River toward...
