Kellen Stepler stories, Page 8
New manager takes reins in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township’s new manager is a township resident and was a longtime employee of New Kensington’s municipal authority. Supervisors this week hired Marci Bigley as township manager at an annual salary of $87,500, said Supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito. Bigley started the role Tuesday, Feb. 10. Her contract is for two...
Feds: Carnegie Mellon receives 2nd most foreign funding of any U.S. college
Federal data released this week shows Carnegie Mellon University receives the second-highest amount of foreign funding among U.S. universities. The data, which spans 1986 to 2025, shows CMU disclosed $3.9 billion in foreign gifts and contracts, according to the U.S. Department of Education. CMU trailed only Harvard University, which received...
Here are the numbers behind the Stewart School sales agreement
Burrell School District officials believe the $1 redevelopment sales agreement of the former Stewart Elementary School property is the most fair and reasonable price for the property, and it will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the district moving forward. The school board Tuesday approved a...
Bridgeville’s Sarah Street, Missouri Avenue eyed for paving
Bridgeville officials hope to be able to pave Sarah Street and a portion of Missouri Avenue this summer. Council on Feb. 9 authorized its engineer to prepare specifications and bid its road paving program that will include Sarah Street and Missouri Avenue as the base bid. Alternate bids include Charlet...
Bon Air Elementary construction bids still over budget
Project bids for a heating and cooling project and kitchen addition at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary School are over budget again. Superintendent Shannon Wagner said bids for the Bon Air project are a little more than $10 million, the amount budgeted by the district. “The architect is taking a look...
‘Game jam’ puts Westmoreland County gifted students’ creativity to the testVideo
Cameron Yourema’s method to create a board game was literally mayhem. “We were trying to follow the mayhem rule as much as we could,” said Yourema, a Valley High School sophomore, of the “Game Jam” board game design competition held Tuesday. “We tried to make a more chaotic game. “What...
Building the Valley: STEM Academy planned for New Kensington
A planned after-school STEM academy in New Kensington aims to put the city on the map. The nonprofit, R&D Impact Foundation plans to open the SparX Academy at 1250 Fifth Ave., said Nicole Roberts, the foundation’s director of program management. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “It’s going...
Burrell sells Stewart School property for $1 in redevelopment deal
The old Stewart Elementary School property in Lower Burrell will be developed into 46 units of single-family, duplex-style condos. The Burrell School Board on Tuesday approved selling the Stewart Elementary property at 2800 Leechburg Road to developer David Ziccarelli. The property totals about 8.44 acres. “It’s been a great collaboration...
With flat state funding, it’s ‘too soon to tell’ if state-owned institutions will increase tuition
It’s too soon to tell if tuition will increase next year for undergraduate students attending one of the 10 colleges in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget keeps the funding allocation flat at $625 million for the system. zAmong the colleges affected are Slippery...
Bridgeville-based nonprofit expands to support mental health and housing
A Bridgeville-based human services nonprofit continues to grow after expanding its housing support initiative last year. Chartiers Center’s Recovery Living Services aims to meet the growing need of housing instability by providing integrated housing support, mental health services and substance use treatment across nearly 250 households. According to the Allegheny...
Burrell basketball coach accused of draining $246K from Montgomery County nonprofit
Authorities in Montgomery County have charged Burrell High School’s boys basketball coach with stealing more than $246,000 from a nonprofit group where he formerly served as treasurer. Michael Fantuzzo, 40, faces theft charges from allegations stemming from when he served as volunteer treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, a...
Chartiers Valley Dance Troupe places 2nd at national competition
For the second time in program history, Chartiers Valley High School’s dance troupe placed second at a national competition, remaining one of the top high school dance teams in the country. The team competed at the National Dance Team Championship at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.,...
Carlynton takes out $24.46M bond for Carnegie renovation, high school projects
A $24.46 million bond, taken out by Carlynton school directors Feb. 2, will support a building renovation at Carnegie Elementary and other projects at Carlynton Jr.-Sr. High School. District officials say the bond financing provides long-term funding to address aging infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility, and modernize classroom spaces. Directors...
Arnold man sentenced to 13 years for heroin, fentanyl trafficking
An Arnold man who led police on a high-speed chase with a child in the car was sentenced to 13 years in prison on a federal fentanyl and heroin trafficking charge. Kevin Watson, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. His sentence will be followed by five...
Northern Westmoreland students’ SpongeBob pedal car wins big at competitionVideo
A SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pedal car and months of work paid off for Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center students — not only for a recent competition, but also for their future careers. Students in the school’s Auto Body Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology program placed first in the 65th World...
Pitt purchases property on Atwood Street; plans not yet announced
It’s unclear what the University of Pittsburgh’s plans are for a recently-purchased property in Oakland. Pitt purchased 251-253 Atwood St. for just under $1.37 million last month, according to Allegheny County real estate records. University officials wouldn’t disclose plans for the 4,436-square-foot property. “The university is always looking for opportunities...
State budget plan includes $30M performance-based fund for Pitt, Penn State
The state’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year includes $30 million in performance-based grants to be distributed among the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Temple University, through a new state-related university performance fund. General support appropriations, however, remain flat for Pitt, at $151.5 million, and Penn State,...
New Kensington fire ‘appears to be electrical in nature,’ chief says
A New Kensington home sustained “a good bit of damage” following an electrical fire Wednesday night, according to New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. Crews responded to the 600 block of Clyde Street in the Valley Heights section of the city just after 11 p.m., Saliba said. “Police got...
Nonprofit donates old Miner’s Clinic property to New Kensington
The former Miner’s Clinic property in New Kensington is now in the city’s hands. Nonprofit groups Keystone Hope Development and Westmoreland Community Action donated about 8 acres of land off Powers Drive, on both sides of Martin Avenue, City Clerk John Zavadak said. In the 1950s, the Russellton Medical Group...
New art collective, Alloy 13, launches to boost local creativity in New Kensington
An artist collective in the Alle-Kiski Valley was the result of the right people, the right place and the right time. Three area artists — James Sabulsky, Dave Howard and Alyssa Penman — had individually thought to establish a space to showcase and promote artwork in the Alle-Kiski Valley, according...
5 charged in connection with Lower Burrell vape shop raids
Lower Burrell police filed drug-related charges against five people following a yearslong, undercover investigation into three vape shops in the city. Those charged are: Hussain M. Almerdaie, 33, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Maulik H. Thakkar, 43, of Mars; Qasem A. Almardeai, 37, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Baldwiner Singh, 54, of Monroeville; and...
Valley High School to offer girls flag football
Girls at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School will have a new sport to play this spring. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved adding a flag football program. “We’ve had so many girls that have wanted it for so long,” board President Jane Graham said. “It is definitely something...
French classes cut at Valley High School; district will add in-house English as a Second Language programming
Say adieu to the French program at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Tuesday voted to phase out its French programming and create an in-house English as a Second Language program, following enrollment declines in French and the rapid growth of students needing ESL services. Board...
Pitt to lease Wellington Apartments for overflow student housing
The University of Pittsburgh will lease the Wellington Apartment building in case there’s a need for student overflow housing this fall. University trustees on the property and finance committee Tuesday approved a five-year housing lease at the Wellington Apartments, 245 Melwood Ave. Pitt Spokesman Jared Stonesifer said the university is...
Officials warn people to stay off frozen Pittsburgh rivers
First responders have a simple message after seeing reports and videos of people walking on frozen Pittsburgh rivers: Don’t do it. “Don’t put yourself at risk to get injured — because our first responders have to put their lives on the line to help you,” said Pittsburgh EMS Chief Amera...
