Logan Hullinger stories

Springdale is a food desert no longer. At least that’s the goal for Jamar Sheffey, owner of Tastefully Blessed Kitchen & Smokehouse. With Springdale residents typically being left with nothing but chain restaurants, Sheffey expanded his catering company and opened a brick-and-mortar location in late November to combat the issue....

The installation of new fire hydrants in West Deer continues to be delayed, but township officials insist the holdup is not because of inaction on their part. Township Manager Daniel Mator said the township has budgeted $140,000 this year for 10 hydrants in the area as fire officials express concerns...

A housing development in West Deer will proceed following approval of the plan of lots by township supervisors earlier this month. The Kingston Plan, formerly known as the Unionville Plan and located at 292 East Union Road, was approved by township supervisors Jan. 18. The subdivision calls for lots to...

A road in Frazer has been deemed too dangerous for a school bus to drive on, yet the Deer Lakes School District considers it safe enough for an 8-year-old girl to walk nearly a mile to the bus stop along the same street. Dana Russell of Frazer said her 8-year-old...

Demolition of the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale likely won’t be completed until March of next year. Although what will become of the property after the power plant demolition is still unknown, workers this week were using blowtorches to remove exterior panels. Removal of the metal cladding is part...

The West Deer Senior Citizens Center has reopened at a temporary location after a burst water pipe shuttered its operations last month. The center, which offers low-cost meals and other services to senior citizens, will continue its work indefinitely out of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish’s St. Victor Church...

Fiona Lilly isn’t your average Girl Scout or Boy Scout: She’s both, and she has received the highest honors each organization offers. Lilly, an 18-year-old West Deer resident and student at Chatham University, earned the coveted Gold Award for her work in October on a mural for Girl Scout Troop...

A man from West Deer’s Russellton neighborhood was arrested last week for allegedly stealing a car and attempting to take a gun that was inside it. Harmar police arrested Brad Stanek, 39, after being tipped off by a local business owner Jan. 4 that his girlfriend’s car was stolen. The...

School can sometimes be a drag, but an educational show featuring an NFL football player and a professional DJ made for a fun afternoon for Acmetonia Primary School students. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace was welcomed with raucous cheers and applause Friday when he visited the Allegheny Valley district school...

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the project completion date. West Deer officials expect the construction of a new municipal building to begin this year and be completed in the fall of 2024. The project is expected to cost just under $10 million, according to township Manager...

Communities across the Alle-Kiski Valley are rallying to raise money for the family of slain Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire. Its potential for exploitation, however, as evidenced by a since-removed fraudulent GoFundMe page, has led Brackenridge officials to coordinate some of the outpouring of support. Here are some real donation...

Deer Lakes Middle School has been named one of the state’s “Schools to Watch,” which is a statewide recognition that is part of a larger national program. The school was one of three schools in the state to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch Program...

The owner of a GoFundMe page claiming to raise funds for slain Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire has no connection to his family and has been banned by the company, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. County sheriff’s office spokesperson Mike Manko issued an initial alert about the page...

Property taxes in Springdale will remain the same next year. The $2.8 million 2023 budget, adopted unanimously by council Tuesday, marks an increase of about 17% over the $2.4 million budget approved for 2022. However, $344,000 of that is set to be used for projects made possible through American Rescue...

A Burrell School District geography teacher might have not won this year’s Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award, but she’s still a proud educator who is held in high esteem by her colleagues. Ashlee Peters-Roberts, a teacher at Charles A. Huston Middle School, was named one of 12 finalists for...

Not only will there be no tax increase in East Deer’s 2023 budget, but there will be a decrease in total expenditures. The proposed $1.3 million budget marks a 12.5% decrease from this year’s budget, largely because of grants being spent and the township joining the Allegheny Valley Regional Police...

Harmar will not raise taxes in 2023, and its expenditures include a minuscule increase over the current year’s, according to its budget to be voted on this week. The $3 million budget marks a 2.2% increase over this year’s $2.95 million , with little changes to how the township plans...

As respiratory viruses surge, schools and parents have differing opinions on how to handle sick students. With illness on the rise, particularly respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, some schools are sending students home on a daily basis — much to the frustration of some parents, nurses say. Meanwhile, as those...

Local musicians will bring some holiday cheer to Tarentum this month by putting on a concert as part of a series that is returning after shuttering in 2020. The “Peace on Earth” concert featuring vocalist Daphne Alderson and the St. Michael Chamber Band will take place Dec. 18 at Central...

Cheswick residents shouldn’t expect any tax increases next year if the 2023 proposed budget is passed next week. The $2.4 million proposed budget marks about a 10% increase over this year’s $2.2 million budget, with most of the increases coming from infrastructure projects, said Lorraine Zebrine, borough secretary. However, no...

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner on Wednesday identified the remains of a woman found in a wooded area in Armstrong County as those of Darlene Harbison of Frazer. The identification comes after Allegheny County Police on Monday reported that a license plate number on a motorcycle that was found and...

No tax increase is anticipated in Springdale Township’s 2023 budget despite an increase in expenditures. The roughly $1.2 million proposed budget, with taxes to remain at 6.5 mills, marks a 30.4% increase over the 2020 budget, which came in at $907,000. But that increase might seem misleading, as a large...

Frazer property owners can expect a 40% tax hike next year after supervisors unanimously approved the 2023 township budget Tuesday. The $1.3 million budget calls for a property tax increase from 2.5 mills to 3.5 mills, which officials have said is necessary to bolster the police department and to cover...

The remains of a Frazer woman who went missing in September are believed to have been found, according to Allegheny County Police. Although a coroner has not formally identified the remains, a license plate number on a motorcycle that was found and reported by a hunter Monday on a hillside...