Kellen Stepler stories, Page 62
Huston middle-schoolers get tangible Civil War lesson
The gentle clicks of a Jacob’s ladder toy fascinated Lillian Furnier. The Jacob’s ladder toy, along with several other Civil War-era replicas spread across the classroom, were part of the American Battlefield Trust’s “Civil War Traveling Trunk” program. “It kept them entertained,” said Lillian, an eighth grader in Brian Welsh’s...
Man dead, suspect arrested in McCandless shooting
A McCandless man fatally shot early Saturday morning in McCandless was identified Sunday by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Richard Coward, 39, was reported fatally shot at around 7 a.m. in the 700 block of Nineteen North Drive, the medical examiner said. Coward was pronounced dead at 7:18 a.m. A...
Springdale’s iconic smokestacks set for implosion
The skyline in the Lower Valley will look different after June 2. According to authorities, that’s the day the Cheswick Generating Station’s smokestacks will be imploded at around 8 a.m. Local police will be coordinating with the Cheswick Plant Environmental Redevelopment Group, the plant’s owner; Grant Mackay Co., the general...
Harrison nurse charged with homicide of 2 patients worked at 11 medical facilities in the past 5 years
The Harrison woman charged by state authorities with allegedly killing two patients and injuring a third while she cared for them as a nurse had worked in 11 Western Pennsylvania medical facilities since 2018. Heather Pressdee, 40, faces the following charges, according to court records: two counts of homicide, one...
New Kensington Bridging the Gap graduates prepare for brighter futures
Gabrielle Ham sees so much potential in the students she mentored over the past 12 weeks even if, at first, they didn’t see it themselves. Ham, director of Bridging the Gap at the New Kensington Salvation Army, said some of those kids were told the program was “for the bad...
Show no mercy to the spotted lanternfly
Stomp ’em, smash ’em, squash ’em. But, by all means, kill them. That’s what the state Department of Agriculture recommends when people encounter a spotted lanternfly. “It’s not easy; they’re really fast,” said Sandy Feather, an educator at the Penn State Extension, laughing. People also can report sightings by visiting...
Get ready to stomp: Spotted lanternflies about to hatch in Western Pennsylvania
The best kind of spotted lanternfly is a dead spotted lanternfly, agricultural experts say. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that has spread throughout Pennsylvania and other states. While the bug poses no threat to people, it is a danger to trees and other flora. Spotted lanternflies cause damage...
Harmar supervisors spar over proposed Denny Estates road acquisition; wait ’till next year
The privately owned roads in Harmar’s Denny Estates will not be taken over by the township, at least for now. The Harmar supervisors split 2-2 Thursday on a measure that would have instructed Solicitor Craig Alexander to prepare documents that would allow the township to take ownership of the subdivision’s...
All paws on deck at new Lower Burrell pet grooming collaborative
The layout of Kelly Campana’s dog grooming business is reminiscent of a tattoo parlor. Her space — Muddy Paws Pet Grooming — occupies the front of the shop. Next to her is a booth for Kaylee Zaremba’s business, Pooches on Point. Across from them is a space for the SWAG...
Burrell students present projects, research at statistics symposium
Burrell High School senior Seth Trisoline is a caffeine drinker. So when the opportunity arose in Meaghan Volek’s statistics class to research a topic and present the findings at the school’s first statistics symposium, Trisoline and classmate Xander Obbink decided to study whether caffeine makes someone’s handwriting worse. They directed...
App aims to connect Cheswick government with borough residents
Cheswick officials are partnering with a Pittsburgh-based notifications app in an effort to communicate better with residents. Savvy Citizen, developed and maintained by Management Science Associates, is a notification system built for local governments to send information such as alerts, notifications and events directly to subscribing residents. The company was...
Allegheny Valley School District joins lawsuit against social media companies
The Allegheny Valley School District joined a growing list of school districts nationwide pursuing legal action against social media companies. The district’s school board voted this week to join a civil, multijurisdictional lawsuit against social media companies including Facebook, TikTok and YouTube in an effort to hold those companies accountable...
Businessman bests longtime GOP incumbent in Allegheny Township supervisor’s race
A newcomer has emerged victorious in his Republican primary race for Allegheny Township supervisor against a longtime incumbent. With 100% of precincts reporting, Jeff Pollick, 52, had 56.68% of the vote on the Republican ballot, compared to John Rennick “Ren” Steele’s 40.06%, according to unofficial results from the Westmoreland County...
Pollick defeats Steele in race for Republican nomination for Allegheny Township supervisor
A newcomer seeking a seat on the Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors defeated a longtime incumbent for the Republican nomination, according to unofficial results from the Westmoreland County Board of Elections. With 100% of the vote in Tuesday, Jeff Pollick, 52, had 56.68% of the vote on the Republican ballot,...
Lower Valley district judge seat: Karaica earns Democratic nod; Girardi wins Republican nomination
For the Lower Valley district judge race in November, Mitchell Karaica secured the Democratic nomination, and Michael Girardi received the Republican nomination. Girardi, 37, of Cheswick and Karaica, 50, of Springdale were both cross-filed for the seat currently held by David Sosovicka. Sosovicka is not seeking reelection. With 100% of...
Candidates battle for Allegheny Valley School Board race
Seven people — including five incumbents — sought ballot spots for five seats on the Allegheny Valley School Board. One incumbent, Colleen Crumb, lost. With 100% of the Democratic vote in, Amy Sarno led with 18.10% of the vote, Paula Jean Moretti had 17.47%, Nicole Paulovich had 15.84%, Glenna Renaldi...
All 7 Deer Lakes School Board candidates find way on November ballot for 5 seats
The seven candidates seeking five seats on the Deer Lakes School Board will be on the November ballot one way or another, according to unofficial election results Tuesday. Newcomers James Calvert, Susan Claus, Pietro Porco, Leonard Verdetto III and Phillip Ziendarski, and incumbents Larry Neidig and Cristy McCloskey, sought nominations....
Lawmakers push for earlier presidential primary
The date of next year’s primary conflicts with a major religious holiday, and some state lawmakers have taken notice. The 2024 Pennsylvania primary is set for April 23. It conflicts with the Jewish holiday of Passover and takes place after many states already would have voted for a presidential nominee...
Garden club’s May Mart aims to raise money for upkeep of Lower Burrell gardens
A Lower Burrell tradition will come into bloom later this month. The Burrellton Garden Club’s May Mart is set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Lower Burrell city garage, on Schreiber and Bethel streets. Among its offerings will be annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs and...
Girardi, Karaica seek Lower Valley district judge seat
For the first time in more than 20 years, the Lower Valley magisterial district will have a new judge. Mitchell Karaica, 50, of Springdale, and Michael Girardi, 37, of Cheswick, are seeking the seat currently held by David Sosovicka. Sosovicka is not seeking reelection to instead pursue senior judge status....
Springdale planners recommend residential rezoning for former Cheswick Generating Station property
The Springdale Planning Commission on Wednesday recommended the former Cheswick Generating Station be rezoned for residential use, despite the property owner’s claims that doing so would make the property unusable. The three-member commission — which serves as an advisory board to borough council — recommended the parcels north of Pittsburgh...
‘Only getting busier’: Local RV dealers still see interest in camping
People who caught the travel bug during the covid-19 pandemic and purchased RVs are now returning to those dealerships. It’s not because they’re dissatisfied with their purchases, sales representatives said. Instead, many discovered a love for the outdoors and are seeking to upgrade their RVs. “The industry’s changed for the...
Acmetonia Elementary creates space for students to reset, refocus, return to learning
The room at the end of the hallway at Acmetonia Elementary School in Harmar doesn’t look like a traditional classroom. Its blue walls, dim lights, comfortable furniture, sensory toys and underwater- themed decor provide a space designed to promote and manage students’ social, emotional and physical health while supporting them in...
Thousands run city’s bridges, hills and streets for the Pittsburgh Marathon
Thousands of runners toured Pittsburgh’s bridges, hills and streets Sunday morning, all as part of the 2023 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. To the tune of fireworks, the full 26.2-mile race and 13.1-mile half-marathon kicked off at 7 a.m. Downtown. A slight rain greeted runners as the race began but...
Lower Burrell seeks more than $100,000 for park improvements
Two of Lower Burrell’s premier parks could look a little different in the future. According to City Councilman Chris Fabry, proposed improvements include cleaning and crack sealing the basketball courts at Burrell Lake Park and Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park, as well as installing a new acrylic sportsmaster coating and...
