Kellen Stepler stories, Page 10

Chartiers Valley School District’s proposed budget fills a deficit through bond refinancing and dipping into the district’s fund balance, but that quick fix could come back to bite the district next year. At a meeting May 14, board members Darren Mariano, Ed Brosky, Louise Huehn, Kate Drury and Jeff Choura...

Although Hannah Salerno was well-trained in emergency medical services, she didn’t expect to use those critical skills at Chartiers Valley Middle School’s spring musical last month. Salerno, 22, of Scott was working as a volunteer stage manager at the middle school’s production of “The Addams Family” on April 13 when...

Deanna Fink and Michelle Jesko drove to the Chartiers Valley School Board meeting Tuesday from Saltsburg to watch the CV board consider action on hiring its superintendent, Philip Martell of the River Valley School District. “We were excited he was going to move on from (River Valley),” Jesko said. The...

A Leechburg woman died Tuesday morning in a fire at her home. Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers identified the victim as 60-year-old Betty Bail. The state police fire marshal’s office said pets also perished in the fire in the 300 block of Logan Avenue. In a release, Myers said the...

A new grant program from the Pennsylvania Parks Fund could provide some TLC to local spaces. The program provides participating parks with a grant up to $50,000, said PPF Project Director Justin Spencer. Participating parks submitted a grant proposal which can be found online at PennsylvaniaParks.org. Spencer said PPF created...

Teachers at Chartiers Valley Middle School left work Wednesday, May 8 with clean cars thanks to students in the National Junior Honor Society. “When students were asked about doing a service project for Teacher Appreciation Week, they thought of washing the teachers’ cars during their free periods,” said Dina Roberts,...

The state is giving Burrell School District more than half a million dollars to replace the “antiquated” security systems at Bon Air Elementary School and boost the mental health and physical safety of students. Of Westmoreland County’s school districts, Burrell received the most funding. Superintendent Shannon Wagner said state police’s...

A Uniontown man faces criminal charges after state police say he attacked a paramedic while first responders were attempting to render aid to him. Eric Parker, 24, had passed out at a Dollar General in North Union, Fayette County. Parker faces a felony charge of aggravated assault, misdemeanor charges of...

A special announcement came out of Punxsutawney on Sunday — and it had nothing to do with the weather. Reading from scroll, Dan McGinley, vice president of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, announced via Facebook video that Punxsutawney Phil’s children have been named — a girl, Sunny; and a boy, Shadow....

A weekend stabbing in Arnold left one person injured and another behind bars. Sheron Brown, 45, of New Kensington is charged with aggravated assault and simple assault following the incident Saturday night. Brown was denied bond and was being held at the Westmoreland County jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled...

The third suspect in connection to a fatal stabbing in Pittsburgh was taken into custody in Greensburg on Saturday afternoon. Pittsburgh police announced Saturday that Logan Smetanka, 20, was taken into custody by Greensburg police in connection to a March 22 stabbing that killed Marc Kovach, 37, at an abandoned...

Tyler Harrison of Fairmont, W.Va., has been a fan of pitcher Paul Skenes since Skenes’ days of playing for Air Force. An LSU fan, Harrison followed Skenes’ career when he transferred to play for the Tigers in the Bayou State. So when it came time for Skenes to start his...

Collier Township, years ago, held a community day event that featured a few vendors at Webb Park. That event faded away about a decade ago, but township officials are looking to bring it back on a grander scale. “We’re bringing it back to give back to the community, but we’re...

After passing on the opportunity a few months ago, Lower Burrell officials will participate in a blight inventory study. Council on Monday entered into an agreement with Westmoreland County to participate in the study on behalf of the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council Cooperation Group. The cost for the program is $14,180,...

Rikki Haas and Elizabeth Pribanic were at school Tuesday but had their eyes in the skies. The duo — as calm and as focused as could be — were operating drones outside the gymnasium of Acmetonia Elementary School in Harmar after school. The 11-year-olds were able to maneuver their drones...

Carnegie-area thespians gave some of the community’s youngest an opportunity to go behind the scenes with a recent production of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Actors from Stage 62 visited the Boys and Girls Club in Carnegie to teach the children songs, dance moves and choreography. Stage 62 also...

A Burrell High School senior is hoping to capitalize on the success of an event last fall that boosted not only people’s mental health, but their physical well-being as well. Grace Nesko, 18, will be hosting a 5K wellness run and walk June 1 at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial...

Science writer Jason Bittel knows that talking about exotic animals or adventure-seeking experiences to a group of fourth grade students can elicit amazement. But Bittel’s message to students at Acmetonia Elementary School on Monday was that taking in your own surroundings — even if just in the Alle-Kiski Valley —...

Harmar police are searching for a Pittsburgh man who, they say, had about 2,000 stamp bags of heroin or fentanyl and more than $15,000 in a vehicle he abandoned to flee from police. Romello Edward Jones, 25, is being charged with one felony count each of carrying a firearm without...

A Bridgeville summer tradition returns this June. The borough’s “Day on the Avenue” will be held June 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Washington Avenue, between Hickman Street and Bower Hill Road. Velveeta, an ‘80s cover band, will provide live music from 3 to 5 p.m. The event...

Lily Sassani learned about the Holocaust through her studies in the Burrell School District. But the 17-year-old Girl Scout from Upper Burrell never knew about the role of Girl Guides in World War II until her mother, Rachel, gave her a book on the topic. Now, she is expanding on...

It’s hot outside but not as hot as it could be. The Pittsburgh region won’t break a 125-year-old record for high temperature Monday, but by the end of the day Tuesday, a 123-year-old record for wettest April could be in jeopardy. “This April has brought us a little bit of...

Children will have a new place to play at a Bridgeville park. The borough recently installed a playground at McLaughlin Run Park, 1250 McLaughlin Run Road. The playground includes a new playset, rubber surface, benches, fencing, activity boards and a swing set. All activities are accessibility-friendly, said borough manager Joe...

Six Chartiers Valley area middle school students put their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test during an out-of-school activity. The activity, titled Odyssey of the Mind, is a creative problem-solving program where students present their solution at a competition to a long-term problem that takes months to complete and...

Six Chartiers Valley High School musicians got to learn from the professionals during a side-by-side performance with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in April. The students — Maddie Cioccio, clarinet; Gwen Horzempa, viola; Milla Konakchieva, violin; Wesley Madge, percussion; Kamilla Ruslankyzy, violin; and Camryn Welsh, violin — were part of PSO’s...