Kellen Stepler stories, Page 3
Man found dead under trailer in Carrick
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man’s body was located under a trailer in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. The man’s body was found just after 8:30 p.m. Monday under a trailer at Amanda and Wynoka streets in Carrick, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. The man, who was not identified, was pronounced...
Sabin appointed as Collier police chief
Kris Sabin is Collier’s new chief of police. Sabin was sworn-in by District Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet during a commissioners’ meeting Feb. 23. “I am honored and humbled to have been sworn in as Chief of Police for Collier Township,” Sabin said. “It has been my privilege to serve this community...
‘It’s a calling’: PennWest helps prepare sexual assault nursing examiners such as the one highlighted on ‘The Pitt’
One of Sierra Roman’s first cases as an emergency room nurse at ACMH Hospital — and one she’ll never forget — involved a victim of a sexual assault. Roman, who started at the hospital in August 2023, needed to perform a rape kit exam on her patient. “I’m nervous because...
Kennedy Aderogba to be Pitt marching band’s first Black woman drum major
Kennedy Aderogba had simple goals when she joined Pitt’s marching band two years ago: to have fun, learn more, and grow as a person and musician. She grew up playing instruments, but joined Pitt’s marching band with no prior marching band experience: her high school, The Ensworth School in Nashville,...
Temps to touch 70s this week, but rain awaits
It may be a soggy but warmer week ahead for Western Pennsylvania, according to local meteorologists. The Pittsburgh region could see anywhere between 1 to 4 inches of rain this week, with temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s on Friday and Saturday, WTAE meteorologist Ashley Dougherty said in...
Morning Roundup: Injuries reported in shootings in McKeesport and Wilkinsburg
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, March 2: 2 shot in McKeesport Two men were shot late Sunday evening in McKeesport, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. Dispatchers were notified of two men shot at 10:33 p.m. Sunday, police said. One man was...
Carnegie Mellon’s $100M Hazelwood Green robotics center will build the future, officials say
Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood community has always been a place for builders, says Sonya Tilghman. “For generations, families have worked in the mills and powered the region,” said Tilghman, executive director of the Hazelwood Institute. “We know what it means to build things that matter and take pride in skilled work. “So...
Slippery Rock to offer bachelor’s degree in nursing
For years, prospective students interested in attending Slippery Rock University would ask if the school offered a bachelor’s degree in nursing. For a long time, the answer was no, said Christine Karshin, dean of SRU’s College of Health Professions. Starting in the fall, that no longer will be the case,...
From shop class to 3D printing: transforming tech education at Valley High School
It was winter 2002 when Rick Shaner graduated from then-California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in technical education and was out job hunting. “I was thinking, nobody’s going to be hiring now,” Shaner said. “I stopped at Kiski, Burrell and Valley just to get substitute teaching packets.” When he...
New Kensington-Arnold implements security camera system that dispatchers can view in real time
Westmoreland County dispatchers will now have the ability to instantly view live campus security footage when a 911 call comes in from the New Kensington-Arnold School District. The district is implementing 911 camera sharing across district buildings in an effort to strengthen campus safety and speed emergency response. “We want...
New Kensington man accused of assaulting, fathering baby with teen waives criminal charges
A New Kensington man already in jail waived his preliminary hearing on charges stemming from an incident where, authorities say, he assaulted and fathered a child with a teenager. Burnell Johnson, 27, waived to court charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person younger...
Carlow, Promise Center launch literacy tutoring initiative in Homewood
Carlow University and the Promise Center of Homewood have launched a joint literacy tutoring initiative for children in Homewood. The after-school program was developed over several months by Carlow’s College of Education and Social Work in partnership with The Promise Center, Carlow officials said. It will focus on reading skills,...
Computer science majors and professors grapple with AI advancements
These are not your father’s computer science students. And for good reason. To find a job in the fast-growing, fast-moving field, college graduates are required to possess more than simple coding skills and the ability to troubleshoot. Artificial intelligence is driving a demand for a more advanced, polished graduate who...
Burrell student, teacher selected to study American Revolution with Philadelphia trip
A Burrell High School teacher and student have been selected to represent Pennsylvania in a history enrichment program in July, held in conjunction with America’s 250th birthday. Teacher Amanda Pagnotta and sophomore Bella Procopio are participating in the Young People’s Continental Congress, a joint program with the National History Day...
Burrell contract calls for 3.3% average raise for custodian, maintenance, food service workers
The Burrell School District reached an agreement on a new contract with its union of custodians, maintenance workers and food service employees that calls for a 70-cent per hour increase. The contract was ratified by the school board this month. It covers a contract period that began Feb. 1 and...
From New Kensington to NASA: Students prepare for trip to Goddard Space Flight Center
Science is 11-year-old Cooper Rankin’s favorite subject. “I find it interesting how you can do so much stuff. I think it’s cool that everything is made up of matter,” said Cooper, a sixth grade student at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. “It’s really cool...
Lincoln Beach community pushing forward with neighborhood revitalization effort
Building off momentum from its 100th birthday last year, the Lincoln Beach neighborhood in Upper Burrell is organizing community development and revitalization initiatives. “It’s a recognition and respect of our roots and foundations,” said William “Tim” Miles, of Washington, D.C., who grew up in Lincoln Beach and owns property there....
Pennsylvania schools to embrace cursive writing once again
Each of the 15 students in Mollie Sweeney’s third grade class raised their dominant hand. Sweeney, a teacher at Burrell’s Bon Air Elementary, then walked through the motions of how to write a lowercase letter in cursive. Students air-traced the motion. Only after that did the students take pencil to...
Burrell grows initiatives to support students experiencing grief
About 30% of Burrell School District students have experienced the loss of an immediate family member within the past year, according to Greg Egnor, the district’s director of pupil services. “The amount of grief that students in our district have experienced this year has been a lot,” Egnor said. “Trauma...
Lower Burrell to donate additional 1.6 acres for Stewart School redevelopment
The Lower Burrell Planning Commission on Wednesday gave support — and some land — to Burrell School District’s redevelopment plan for the former Stewart Elementary School property. But not before questioning some of its details. The commission unanimously approved a 1.6-acre lot line revision for property owned by the city...
Mayview Road Trailhead project to connect park, trails
When complete, the Mayview Road Trailhead will provide a seamless connection from 5 miles of trails in Fairview Park to 5 miles of pedestrian trails in the Hastings neighborhood of South Fayette, officials say. South Fayette was awarded $320,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for its...
More than 100 state lawmakers support Penn State faculty union efforts
More than 100 state lawmakers are supporting a unionization attempt for Penn State University faculty, as a vote to unionize could come this spring. Minority Leader Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, sent a letter to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi on behalf of 102 state legislators from the House and...
Speaker seminar, greeting card store get boosts at Chartiers Valley High School
Grant funding will boost two programs at Chartiers Valley High School. Teachers Kristen Steen and Buffie Faes were awarded $1,000 each from the Grable Foundation’s “Re-Imagining High School Little Bets” initiative. Steen’s project is a student-designed, speaker seminar series, said Principal Lesley Krasman. AP Research students are organizing a one-day...
New member appointed to Carlynton School Board
A mother of two children in the Carlynton School District is the newest member of the school board. School directors Feb. 10 appointed Tina Geer, of Carnegie, to a vacant seat on the school board. The term ends at the end of next year. “I was motivated to serve because...
PennWest lags behind IUP, Slippery Rock in enrollment gains
A simple glance at the headlines paints a drastically different picture among the three Western Pennsylvania universities in the State System of Higher Education. Slippery Rock’s enrollment last fall increased 2.75%, its largest gain in nearly a decade; and its retention rate of 86.4% is the best in university history...
