Maddie Aiken stories

What started as a timeline update on Hempfield Area High School’s revitalization ended with a debate over the project’s multimillion-dollar price tag. Officials with CORE Architects and SitelogIQ attended the district’s school board meeting this week to discuss the project’s continued progress before ground is broken. During the meeting, longtime...

Like districts across the state, Derry Area wants to ensure that its students, faculty and staff have the safest academic experience possible. So when security weaknesses were identified during an armed intruder drill last year, the district knew it had improvements to make. Now, thanks to a state grant, those...

HARRISBURG — This year’s Battle of Bushy Run reenactment is back on after Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission members unanimously voted to allow the Penn Township site to hold the event this August. The fate of future reenactments has yet to be determined. The commission plans to conduct a study...

The battle over Bushy Run’s annual reenactment is coming to a head Wednesday morning in Harrisburg. There, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission members plan to vote on the future of force-on-force reenactments at PHMC sites, including Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township. PHMC’s staff previously decided to halt such reenactments,...

Nearly two weeks after a fire raged through the Elizabeth Forward High School auditorium, donations to the district keep growing. One GoFundMe has raised over $36,000 to benefit the district. Another drew more than $2,000 in support. A third raised $30. That money is in addition to equipment and dollars...

Now that Hempfield Area’s school board has approved middle school consolidation, the district has a hefty task at hand. Upcoming months will be spent reassigning Harrold students to one of the two remaining middle schools and moving faculty assignments as the district simultaneously prepares to embark on the $128 million...

Michael Wolford is a candidate for Hempfield Township supervisor. The 54-year-old township resident said he’s running to be the “voice of the community.” In a statement, Wolford said he wants to hone in on issues like public safety, volunteer firefighter support, tax dollar transparency, job creation to retain Hempfield’s younger...

Despite pleas from parents and a petition that purportedly garnered more than 800 signatures, the plan to consolidate Hempfield’s three middle schools into two was approved Tuesday night. Only one school board director voted against consolidation, which will move all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into Wendover and West...

Construction is busy on and around Route 30 in Hempfield. Here’s a roundup of happenings in the area. Aldi plans second location 6207 US-30 A second Aldi location is headed to Hempfield. The supermarket chain known for its low prices could move into the space that houses Staples near Sam’s...

The beginning of Hempfield Area High School’s $128 million revitalization project is edging closer. This summer, the district plans to kick off construction on the project that will gut the school to its structural system and replace everything as new. But before ground can be broken, the school board and...

Only the most stunning fashion pieces graced a makeshift red carpet during a fashion show at the Westmoreland County Community College. Among them? Grinch sweatpants, a plastic tiara, and overalls that the show’s emcee elegantly described as “Tractor Supply-core.” The college hosted the comedic fashion show Thursday to spread the...

Allegheny County officials say the county’s air quality hasn’t been affected by the Feb. 3 train derailment and subsequent controlled burn of hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials said emissions would likely disperse before reaching the county, but they will continue to monitor the situation, according to a news...

A class-action lawsuit alleges the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and subsequent controlled burn of hazardous chemicals could have an adverse effect on the health of thousands of Western Pennsylvanians. In the suit, two Beaver County men say they want Norfolk Southern Railway to pay for the medical monitoring of...

Hempfield Supervisor George Reese will seek a second term on the township’s board of supervisors. Reese announced on Friday he will vie for the Republican nomination on the ballot in the May primary. In a news release, Reese said he is seeking a second six-year term to use his business...

Local lawmakers are pressing the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for more transparency and a possible reversal of its decision to end Bushy Run’s annual battle reenactment. As a result of her and other lawmakers’ actions, state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, is hopeful that PHMC’s “no force-on-force” policy will at...

A Jeannette woman accused of robbery, theft and assault after she attempted to take back her own dog was found not guilty of most charges against her. Cynthia Finch, a 30-year-old mother and college student, described herself as the “victim” of the situation, in which her dog watcher apparently took...

Former Westmoreland County commissioner Ted Kopas is vying yet again to have a seat at the table. Kopas announced Monday he will campaign for the Democratic nomination for county commissioner on the May primary ballot. Kopas previously served as a commissioner between 2010 and 2020, but was ousted from the...

The end to battle reenactments at Bushy Run Battlefield has left many members of the community saddened and frustrated. But in Harrisburg, officials with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission consider the new “no force-on-force” policy a positive for state history. “There are more impactful and safer educational methods through...

After sentencing Jaron Haten-McCoy for his role in a 2021 Greensburg apartment complex shooting, Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani asked the 19-year-old how he felt. “Blessed,” Haten-McCoy answered. “Blessed extremely.” Haten-McCoy of Harmar received a light sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and firearm possession charges. He was...

In Rob Malley’s opinion, Bushy Run is experiencing its third battle. The first battle occurred in August 1763 between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. The second happened in 2009, when the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission threatened to close the historical Penn Township park that memorializes the...

Dozens gathered at the Greensburg Country Club on a rainy Sunday to view and buy antiques at the club’s 2023 Antique Show and Sale. It was the club’s first show since the pandemic. Items for sale included Iranian rugs, an elegant doll house and intricate paintings among other things....

When the pandemic hit, sports card collector and seller Joe Tucci expected sports cards to dip in popularity. Instead, the opposite happened. “We got stimulus checks and everyone jumped in,” said Tucci, from Robinson. “… The hobby exploded.” Tucci was one of dozens of sellers reaping the benefits of the...

During global events of crisis, families who lose their homes often find relief in ShelterBox, an emergency, family-size tent accompanied with necessities like cooking sets, hygiene supplies and solar lights. This month, Pine-Richland high school students had the opportunity to experience a ShelterBox on school grounds. The school’s Key Club...

Parents, students, community members and Pine-Richland employees gathered Jan. 25 to iron out their final thoughts and feedback on the district’s 2023-2027 strategic plan. The last of three town halls took a broader look at goals and initiatives the district hopes to achieve over the next five years. The first...

Two additional school police officers are headed to Hempfield after the district received over $360,000 in state grant funding. Seven full-time officers will patrol the halls thanks to the School Mental Health & Safety and Security grant. The new officers will be stationed at Stanwood and Maxwell elementary schools. “We...