Bethel Park Journal category, Page 3
Bethel Park notebook: Pillar of Black Hawks offensive line makes college choice
Bethel Park senior Santino LaMolinare, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound all-conference lineman, drew nine Division I college offers before committing Aug. 3 to Duquesne. LaMolinare was a first-team all-conference pick in the Allegheny Six last season and was part of the highest-scoring offense in Class 5A as the starter at right tackle....
After 32-month renovation, Bethel Park rededicates Independence Middle School
Independence Middle School was in the early stages of a major renovation project when Racquel Sutton came aboard as principal at the start of 2022. Even though she took over at Bethel Park High School as lead administrator this July, she figured prominently during Independence’s Sept. 10 rededication ceremony. “I’d...
Wedding: Gaefke-Hayes
Gaefke-Hayes Bethel Park High School graduates Xavier Gaefke (class of 2020) and Brianna Hayes (class of 2021), were married at Pinehall at Eisler Farms on July 20. Pastor Ron Weryha of Faith Lutheran Church officiated. Several fellow Bethel Park High School alumni were members of the bridal party. The couple...
In brief: Back to school collection, fish fry and more in Bethel Park
Back to school collection The Community Foundation of Bethel Park is kicking off the school year with a community-wide Pack the Bus fundraiser to support Bethel Park students and teachers. On Sept. 2 at the Farmers’ Market, a collection will take place of essential school supplies, clothing, toiletries, and snacks...
Bethel Park real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 24, 2025
Patrick Donohue sold property at 5541 Claytonia Drive to Brian Breland for $320,000. William Kelly sold property at 930 Havenwood Drive to Pamela Slampak for $345,000. Eugene Stark sold property at 53 Highland Road Unit 508 to Linda Deans for $131,000. Bryan Calhoun sold property at 5827 Kings School Road...
Dozens of Bethel Park athletes from class of ’25 take next step to compete in college
Bethel Park’s senior athletes rolled triple fives in their commitments to their football, baseball and wrestling careers. Five senior members of the 2024-25 football, wrestling and baseball teams at Bethel Park are planning to continue competing at the next level this fall. On the gridiron, they are Jack Bruckner (Carnegie...
Here’s the scoop: Flora Park Creamery serves Penn State ice cream
Randy Stetor drives a 16-foot refrigerated truck to Penn State’s main campus in State College every two weeks and returns with 6,000 pounds of ice cream. And not just any ice cream — he brings back three-gallon tubs of flavors from the famous Penn State Berkey Creamery. “The cows are...
Bethel Park High School senior raises money for UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation
A Bethel Park High School senior turned a challenging medical diagnosis into a charity to help others. When he was 9, Sean Rovers, now a 17-year-old senior at Bethel Park High School, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, a type of CNS sarcoma called intracranial myxoid mesenchymal. He had...
Bethel Park car cruise relocates to South Park
During a time of year when roads routinely are closed for construction, a street in South Park is shutting down temporarily for a reason that looks to be much more enjoyable. The 14th annual Rev ’Em Up for Kids Mega Car Cruise Event, presented by Pasta Too Italian Restaurant in...
2025 Trib HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the defensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top defensive tackles for the 2025 season. 1. Lincoln Hoke North Allegheny Senior, 6-2, 260 An indomitable defensive lineman named Hoke wearing black and gold sure feels familiar....
Bethel Park sets goal to remain among Class 5A elite year in, year out
Only the strongest football programs can graduate a big, talented senior class one year and keep winning the next — a short list that Bethel Park wants to join. For six months, the Black Hawks have talked about having “something to prove,” said third-year coach Phil Peckich. That idea describes...
Bethel Park student achievements for the week of Aug. 5, 2025
Lyla Walsh, a 2025 graduate of Bethel Park High School, earned her Girl Scout Gold Award on June 8. Her project was called A Girl’s Guide to Engineering. With a passion for STEM, Walsh planned a four-day summer camp to introduce middle school girls to engineering. Each day of the...
In brief: Joey Fabus Superhero 5K, flea market and more in Bethel Park
Joey Fabus Superhero 5K The Joey Fabus Superhero 5K Run/1 Mile Walk will be held on Sept. 14 at 9 am. The race starts at Bethel Park High School and the course goes through local neighborhoods. Joey was an 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in...
Bethel Park students entering last school year in 6 district buildings
When students report to Bethel Park schools on Aug. 21 for the first day of classes, it will mark the end of an era as the final year for education at six of the district’s buildings. Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Memorial and William Penn elementary schools are scheduled...
Bethel Park hosts 10th annual Camp Invention
In 2016, a Bethel Park teacher offered to direct a program that attracted 74 students during their summer break. This summer marks Laura Huth’s 10th year of leading local programming for Camp Invention, and she welcomed nearly 300 children in two, week-long July sessions at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. “When...
Bethel Park real estate transactions for the week of July 27, 2025
Colin Greene sold property at 3230 Arapahoe Road to Jacob and Jennifer Manes for $343,000. Anthony Mannion sold property at 5946 Barnes Ave. to Daniel Casey and Rachel Chandler Kim for $425,000. Estate of Gerald David Jerry Cornell sold property at 819 Boulder Drive to Luke and Kayla Neice for...
‘A special experience’: Bethel Park lacrosse coach Luke Lewis steps down
Luke Lewis has relinquished his duties as the Bethel Park boys lacrosse coach. “Yes, this season’s my last as head coach,” he said. “I’ve decided to step away to focus on my growing family and prepare for the arrival of our first child. “I told the team about my decision...
3-sport standout Jack Bruckner leaves lasting legacy at Bethel Park
Jack Bruckner left a lasting legacy at Bethel Park. A three-sport standout, Bruckner composed a best-seller success story as a student-athlete and nine-time varsity letter winner for the Black Hawks. The 6-foot, 185-pound recent high school graduate competed in football in the fall, turned to basketball during the winter and...
Cat rescue in Bethel Park rehomes felines after car crashes into building
A Bethel Park cat rescue had to scramble to find homes for several felines after a car crashed into the charity’s community room on Monday. In a Facebook post Monday evening, Cali Cats Rescue said that its power had been shut off after the accident, making it impossible for cats...
Historic buildings vie for spot in Carnegie Science Center miniature village
Sometimes the smallest things can have a huge impact — just ask the people whose buildings were nominated for inclusion in the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature Railroad and Village model. Voting is open once again as the science center looks to add another model to its collection of iconic Pittsburgh...
Marshall supervisors table overlay rezoning vote until July 28
Discussion and a possible vote on the repealing and adoption of changes to Marshall’s zoning ordinances that would create an overlay district along Route 910 was tabled until the next township supervisors meeting at 7 p.m. July 28. A public hearing was held June 2 for the proposed Route 910...
Bethel Park native thriving in U.S. Navy
Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Orzechowski, a 2021 graduate of Bethel Park High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Tennessee, homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Orzechowski said the skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Bethel Park. “I...
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a Pittsburgh native, dies at 73
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a native of Pittsburgh, died Monday at age 73. Shooter died after battling esophageal cancer, according to several reports. A 1969 graduate of Bethel Park High School, Shooter plotted stories for DC Comics as a teenager, created dozens of characters for several companies and...
Bethel Park School District officials say farewell to the class of 2025
Bethel Park High School grad Ella Milliken believes there is much more to life than material things. That shared experiences are what matter most, not what someone is wearing at the time. “Think about the last time you had a conversation with a friend,” Milliken told her fellow classmates at...
Bethel Park student achievements for the week of June 24, 2025
Anna Rush, a member of the Rhodes College class of 2025, has been selected to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student Award for the 2025-2026 academic year. She will serve as an English teaching assistant in Spain. Rush, a psychology and Spanish double major, is a member of the women’s tennis...
