Kellen Stepler stories, Page 51
Gigler, Stoneburner, Taliani win commissioner seats in East Deer
Two longtime incumbents and a 22-year-old newcomer were victorious Tuesday in the East Deer commissioners election. Anthony Taliani, 75, a 51-year incumbent, was the top vote-getter among the five candidates, notching 202 votes, or 23.68%, according to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Elections Department. Newcomer Jacob Leonard Gigler had...
Calvert, McCloskey, Neidig, Porco and Verdetto win Deer Lakes School Board seats
Deer Lakes School District voters selected three Democrats and two Republicans on Tuesday to fill five open seats on the school board. Incumbent Democrat Cristy McCloskey led the seven-person race with 2,714 votes, or 16.89%, according to unofficial election results from the Allegheny County Elections Department. Others who secured seats...
Public review of proposed English resources available for Burrell parents
Burrell School District is opening the book for interested parents and taxpayers who want to review proposed English resources for elementary and middle school students. Until Nov. 28, taxpayers in the district can review three sets of proposed English resources — two of which are for kindergarten through fifth grades...
5 incumbents, 2 newcomers find victory in Allegheny Valley School Board race
Voters in the Allegheny Valley School District appear to like how the district currently functions. Seven of the nine school board seats were up for grabs in Tuesday’s election, and five incumbents were able to hold on to board seats, according to unofficial yet complete results from the Allegheny County...
Cheryl Peck Yakopec hangs on in district judge race
The district judge seat in northwestern Westmoreland County will remain in the hands of Cheryl Peck Yakopec, unofficial election results from the Westmoreland County Election Bureau show. With all precincts reporting at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Yakopec had 4,299 votes, or 52.81% of the vote, and Leslie Uncapher Zellers had 3,837...
Fitzgerald, Copeland, Stephens win Springdale Council race
Two incumbents and a Democratic newcomer held off two challengers for the race in Springdale Council, unofficial vote tallies from the Allegheny County Department of Elections showed. With all votes tallied, Shawn Fitzgerald Jr. led all vote-getters with 599 votes, or 27.85%, Daniel P. Copeland had 487 votes or 22.64%...
Girardi narrowly defeats Karaica for Lower Valley magistrate, unofficial tally shows
In a back-and-forth race for the Lower Valley’s district judge seat, Michael Girardi defeated Mitchell Karaica by a 26-vote margin, according to unofficial election results from the Allegheny County Elections Department. Girardi had 1,853 votes, or just over 50.33%; and Karaica had 1,827 votes, or 49.62%; results showed. Both men...
East Deer boosts employees’ salaries while still cutting residents’ taxes
Some township employees in East Deer will get a boost to their salaries next year. Commissioners approved wage increases for the township secretary, Chrystal Carmen, at slightly more than $47,000 in 2024 and just under $49,700 in 2025. “She’s doing an excellent job,” Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said of Carmen,...
Building the Valley: Upper Burrell’s Union Barn event venue brings people together
As a former police officer, Mike Seefeld often saw people at their worst. Now, he’s seeing them at their best at his family’s new business, the Union Barn in Upper Burrell. “I wanted to do something totally different from what I’ve been doing,” he said. Seefield and his wife, Susie,...
East Deer revises draft of proposed billboard rules
Taking Allegheny County and township planners’ recommendations into consideration, East Deer officials have revised their draft of an ordinance targeting proposed billboards and signs. Following a June hearing where Butler-based America First Enterprises, which does business as Oliver Outdoor, sought to erect four electronic billboards in the township, the East...
Absorber tank pulled down at former Springdale power plant; injunction case to resume
An absorber tank at the former power plant in Springdale was knocked down Thursday afternoon. The action at the plant, formally called the Cheswick Generating Station, is part of the remediation efforts at the site, said Scott Reschly, vice president of Charah Solutions. Cheswick Plant Environmental Redevelopment Group, a subsidiary...
Sheriff to host concealed carry permit event in Springdale Township
People interested in getting a license to carry a weapon can do so Saturday, at a satellite event in Springdale Township. The event, hosted by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, is scheduled for Saturday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Company building, 851 Parkway...
What does West Deer’s fire tax referendum mean for voters?
West Deer voters will see two additional questions on their ballots on Election Day — one regarding the township’s fire tax, and the other for elected auditors. West Deer is a Home Rule charter community, meaning it is governed by a charter that can only be amended through a voter...
Upper Burrell approves 5th well pad in township
A proposed well pad site off Merwin Road in Upper Burrell won the approval of township supervisors Wednesday. Olympus Energy of Cecil Township proposed the Artemis well pad at 931 Merwin Road, on property owned by Harry and Bonnie Edgar. Artemis marks the fifth well pad in the township, and...
Case of missing Springdale man remains unsolved
Attempts to find a missing man in Harmar on Wednesday were unsuccessful, authorities say, and the investigation will return to the hands of Springdale police. Sean Dugan, 58, was reported missing by Springdale police Monday. That evening, Harmar police saw Dugan’s car, an Acura sedan, along Gulf Lab Road at...
5 candidates vying for 3 seats on Springdale Council
Five people are seeking three seats on Springdale Council in the Nov. 7 election. Incumbent Republicans Dan Copeland and Shawn Fitzgerald Jr. face challenges from Mark Stanton, a Republican, and Dolly J. Stephens, a Democrat. Joe Kern, a registered Republican, is running as a write-in candidate. Council seats are four-year...
Lower Burrell establishes safe exchange area for custody exchanges, online sale meetups
An area where people can safely conduct a custody exchange or online sale meetups is open in Lower Burrell. The safe exchange area in the Lower Burrell City Hall parking lot includes cameras and signage. Councilman Chris Fabry first proposed the idea to council in the summer. “Being on council,...
1 person taken to hospital after car crashes into creek in O’Hara
One person was injured when a car went into a creek Monday afternoon off Saxonburg Boulevard in O’Hara. O’Hara police, Parkview EMS, Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company and crews out of Etna responded. It’s unclear what led to the incident. Township officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Jim...
Burrell aims to strengthen district-community relationship with ‘fireside chat’
One of the goals of Burrell’s fall fireside chats is to strengthen the district’s relationship with the community. And the s’mores aren’t too bad, either. The district’s second annual fall gathering, held Thursday night, included several campfires across the high school’s parking lot for students, teachers, parents and administrators to...
Bullying, student safety, finances among topics on minds of Allegheny Valley School Board candidates
Voters in the Allegheny Valley School District will see three different races for the upcoming school board election. Six people — Democrats Amy Sarno, Paula Jean Moretti, Nicole Paulovich and Glenna Renaldi, and Republicans Kathleen “Jeanne” Haas and James Schiemer — will vie for five seats for four-year terms on...
Cause unclear for brief power outage in Lower Burrell/New Kensington area
About 600 West Penn Power customers, mostly in Lower Burrell and some in New Kensington, lost power for a brief period Friday morning. West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said an exact cause has yet to be determined, but a recloser on a pole in the 2300 block of Freeport...
Proposed Lower Burrell budget has no tax increase, more money for firefighters
Lower Burrell’s proposed budget for 2024 includes no property tax increase for city residents and landowners. And, thanks to royalties from gas drilling at Burrell Lake Park, the city intends to provide additional funding to its volunteer fire departments. “What I’m going to propose today is that we got some...
Prospect of $4 million a year for trash collection leaves New Kensington seeking new bids
The prospect of paying nearly $4 million a year for curbside trash collection — more than four times what it currently costs — has New Kensington officials holding their noses. At a special meeting Tuesday, council members rejected a trash collection bid from County Hauling and authorized the city’s clerk...
Judge sets protocol for upcoming Springdale power plant site visit
The judge presiding over the Springdale injunction case has established ground rules before a site visit at the former power plant there, as a decision on imploding the plant’s boiler house is pending. An order written by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr. outlines the protocol before...
November date set for West Deer well pad public hearing
West Deer supervisors have set a Nov. 9 public hearing date for another proposed deep well in Bairdford. Cecil Township-based Olympus Energy is looking to build the Tyche well pad at 201 Bairdford Road, west of the Pittsburgh National Golf Club. The property is zoned rural residential. If approved, it...
