Kellen Stepler stories, Page 53
Allegheny Valley School Board eyes upgrades at Springdale High School
Allegheny Valley School District officials went straight to the scene Thursday — Springdale High School’s auditorium lobby — as they reviewed possible renovation projects at the building. The renovations are still in the planning phases, and Thursday’s meeting addressed possible work to be done in the auditorium and gymnasium areas,...
Line painting scheduled along Route 28 between Pittsburgh and Millvale
Crews will be painting lines Saturday along a section of Route 28 as part of PennDOT’s highway safety initiatives. Lane closures are scheduled between 6 a.m. and noon between Pittsburgh and Millvale as crews paint lines in both directions of Route 28, PennDOT said. Line painting also may occur Saturday...
Police say McKeesport woman stabbed sister in head with sharp keychain
A McKeesport woman is facing charges after police said she stabbed her sister in the head with a pointed keychain during an argument. McKeesport police wrote in court papers that, at 7:36 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to the 2800 block of Cleveland Street for reports of a woman stabbed in...
Morning Roundup: Police investigate Oakland robbery; $1M scratch-off sold in West Mifflin
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 29: Police investigate Oakland robbery Pittsburgh police say they are searching for a suspect following a robbery in Oakland. University of Pittsburgh police said they are assisting city police into the incident that occurred in the 300...
What a sheriff’s sale could mean for Pittsburgh Mills
As a sheriff’s sale featuring Frazer’s biggest attraction approaches, township officials say they are looking forward to what the future may hold for the property that is home to the Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall. “The township is anxious for the sale to take place and is hopeful that the sale...
Lower Burrell falls into autumn with city’s largest market event in recent history
An all-day fall festival will take over Lower Burrell next weekend. The city’s largest harvest festival will kick off Saturday, Oct. 7, at Bon Air Elementary School and Burrell High School. The day begins at 9 a.m. with the city’s farmers market at Bon Air. At 1 p.m., the fun...
Familiar face to be next principal at Deer Lakes High School
Deer Lakes High School’s assistant principal is now the building’s top administrator. Ryan Aleski will replace current high school principal Patrick Baughman, who was appointed as Plum High School’s principal earlier this month. “I’m looking forward to continuing to build strong healthy relationships with both the students and the staff....
Morning Roundup: Teen shot inside Brighton Heights home; Pittsburgh man sentenced in Dormont bank robbery
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 28: Teen shot inside Brighton Heights residence A 17-year-old boy was shot in the stomach early Thursday in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood, according to the city’s department of public safety. Officers were called to the 3400 block...
2 killed in tractor-trailer crash on I-79
Two people are dead following an early morning crash Thursday on Interstate 79 in Ohio Township. At 12:27 a.m., a tractor-trailer was driving south on I-79, near mile marker 67, when it drove through the center median and continued traveling south in the northbound lanes, according to the Pennsylvania State...
Morning Roundup: Shaler officer and driver injured in head-on crash; gas leak in Collier
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 27: Police officer and driver injured in head-on crash in Shaler Two people, including a police officer, were taken to the hospital following a head-on crash early Wednesday in Shaler. The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m., near...
Police say Carrick woman set boyfriend on fire
A Carrick woman is accused of setting her boyfriend on fire and then trying to make it look like he had done it to himself. Dispatchers received calls Sunday night for reports of a 43-year-old man on fire. When officers got to the scene, they spoke to Cecilia Perez, 47,...
Duquesne Light employees authorize strike
A workers union representing Duquesne Light employees voted Tuesday night to authorize a strike. The 711-14 vote triggers the process for a potential walkout Saturday. The union members’ current contract expires at the end of September, and the union is working to negotiate. In a statement, Duquesne Light said it...
5th-generation brewer gets ‘memory for a lifetime’ making Iron City in East Deer
Sitting in the brewery control room at Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in East Deer, Justin Puharic clicked on his computer mouse, initiating the process of making Tuesday’s fourth batch of Iron City Beer. The click marked a historic moment for the Puharics. Justin, 27, became the fifth generation of brewers in...
1 in custody, 1 at large following shooting in Oakland
Officers investigating a report of shots being fired early Tuesday in Oakland arrested one person on weapons charges, while a second person remains at large, police said. Police said they received a ShotSpotter alert that eight shots had been fired on Chauncey Drive around 2:45 a.m. They did not say...
Lower Burrell honors girl who raised money for police dog
Kaley Bastine was told she had to attend Lower Burrell’s city council meeting this month, but she wasn’t told why. After the meeting started, though, she was happy to be there. The city honored Kaley, 11, of Harrison with a proclamation recognizing her efforts to raise money for Lower Burrell’s...
Morning Roundup: 2 accused in Hill District carjacking; police say Pittsburgh man ran over neighbor after fight
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 26: Police arrest 2 juveniles accused in Hill District carjacking Two juveniles were arrested after an armed carjacking in the Hill District, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers responded to the 2100 block of Webster Avenue just before...
Chipotle at Pittsburgh Mills complex set to open
Burrito lovers in the Alle-Kiski Valley soon will have a new place to get their fix. Representatives from Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the restaurant will open Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Mills complex in Frazer. The new restaurant is at 1003 Village Center Drive, in the Lowe’s parking lot, across from...
Plans advance for new playground at Acmetonia Elementary School
Acmetonia Elementary School students are one step closer to getting a playground. The Allegheny Valley School Board approved a contract with Play & Park Structures to build a playground at Acmetonia Elementary School at a cost not to exceed $155,086. The proposed playground has been discussed by the board for...
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell’s Abby Koscianski sets example in firefighting, leadership
Firefighting is in Abby Koscianski’s blood. When she was little, Abby and her brother, Joey, would play and pretend to go on calls as a firefighters with Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3. Their parents, Femo and Lisa Ficca, met while volunteering for the company. When Koscianski was 14,...
Springdale implosion decision looms as residents, health official testify about dust from earlier smokestack event
On the morning of June 2, Joe Kern took to his Duquesne Court home’s roof and decided to film Springdale history, waiting for the two towering smokestacks at the former coal-fired power plant across the street to be imploded. But when the towers fell, a cloud of brown dust absorbed...
Cleanup of Parks Township nuclear waste dump to begin in 2025, last 7 years
The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing the nuclear waste dump in Parks Township for remediation, which is slated to begin in spring 2025 and last about seven years. The Corps on Wednesday provided an update to a crowd of more than 60 people on the work they’ve done, and...
Allegheny Township taps new emergency coordinator, accepts police chief’s resignation
Allegheny Township filled one of its vacant public safety positions and will begin to advertise for another one. The supervisors appointed Matt Johnston, 29, of Allegheny Township as the township’s emergency management coordinator. The board also accepted the resignation of police Chief Duane Fisher, who will become the police chief...
First Responders Back the Blue event set to roll out in Hyde Park
An event honoring first responders is coming to Hyde Park later this Saturday. The inaugural First Responders Back the Blue event will be held Saturday at the Hyde Park Heritage Pavilion, 291 Railroad St., said Jay Zanotti, president of the Hyde Park Volunteer Fire Company. The event is hosted by...
Police say Lower Burrell woman attacked boyfriend with hatchet, scissors
Lower Burrell police charged a woman with aggravated assault after she was accused of throwing an ax at her boyfriend and attacking him with scissors. Brittany Lynn Betts, 32, of Lower Burrell faces two counts of aggravated assault with the attempt to cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon. A...
Springdale residents file lawsuit seeking stop to Friday morning’s plant implosion
An Allegheny County judge has ordered the company scheduled to implode the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale on Friday morning to hold off on placing explosive charges in the building until a ruling is issued for a lawsuit filed by residents seeking to halt the demolition. The lawsuit is...
