The New Kensington Elks Lodge will remain closed until at least February, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Monday.
The club was temporarily shuttered last week in accordance with a preliminary injunction issued by Common Pleas Judge Chris Scherer. The injunction stems from nuisance-bar claims raised in a court filing by District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office.
In a filing submitted Friday, Ziccarelli contended that the lodge — located at 932 Third Ave. and identified in court records as IBPOE of W Valley Lodge 294 — has been the site of as many as 32 incidents since 2022. These include a fatal shooting this month.
The injunction seeks to shutter the establishment for one year.
A hearing on the request was postponed until Feb. 10 after both the district attorney’s office and the bar’s counsel reached a mutual agreement. Scherer ordered the business to remain closed pending an out-of-court settlement or the results of the February hearing.
According to court documents, New Kensington police and county detectives responded to an “inordinate number of incidents” at the lodge, including the Dec. 6 homicide of Jeffrey Ballard. Authorities allege Ballard was shot and killed by his brother, Steffon Ballard, directly outside the business following an altercation. Steffon Ballard has been charged with homicide.
The lawsuit also details other violence involving handguns, fighting and drugs, as well as reports of loud noise and questionable conduct. Additionally, Ziccarelli claimed the club failed to adhere to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regulations and violated a conditional license agreement while awaiting an appeal.
Since taking office in 2022, Ziccarelli has sought to close at least two other bars in Westmoreland County.
In 2022, her office negotiated a deal to close Sweeney’s Steakhouse in Rostraver following several violent incidents. In 2023, she sought a nuisance bar designation for the former Rialto Cafe in downtown Greensburg, eventually forcing the longtime owners to sell the property, which has since reopened under new management.
