Kellen Stepler stories, Page 17

A man whose car sped through a Harmar parking lot Wednesday morning before rolling over and landing in a creek was found dead in the vehicle, but it remains unclear what caused the crash or the man’s death. The crash happened just after 8 a.m. off Gulf Lab Road, near...

Federal authorities are offering a reward for information about the theft of about 25 firearms from a New Kensington gun store early Monday. A truck was used to smash through the door at RC Firearms on Freeport Street. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National...

Two officers with a combined 60 years of experience are retiring from the West Deer Police Department. To ease the loss, the township elevated two part-time officers to full-time status and also hired two new part-timers. The township supervisors accepted the notice of the resignations of Sgt. Darren Mikus and...

Carnegie Borough awarded funding to rehabilitate Main Street bridge Rep. Anita Kulick, D-Allegheny, announced Jan. 16 that Carnegie earned $150,000 to rehabilitate the Carnegie Main Street bridge. The bridge was originally built in 1967. “By repairing the Carnegie Main Street Bridge, we make our roadways safer for those traveling through...

Randy Beatty had a good reason to donate blood for the first time in the 1980s. His grandfather needed it, and Beatty, of Parks Township, wanted to be the one to help. Since that day, he has tried to donate blood as often as he can. “You never know when...

Rachel Carson Park in Cheswick has no permanent restrooms, no direct riverfront access and really not much other space for people to gather. But borough officials are working to change that. And a state grant to the tune of just over $200,000 will help park revitalization come along. “We’re really...

Allegheny Valley School Board members agree they want Springdale High School graduates to be productive members of the community, but how exactly to get there caused some disagreements among the board. School directors Tuesday approved an agreement with the Consortium for Public Education to create a district-specific Portrait of a...

While Burrell School District is eyeing a swimming cooperative agreement with Kiski Area for the next two years, it’s unclear what the future may hold for Burrell’s pool. And that’s causing some waves between the Bucs’ swimming community and school officials. Burrell swimmers, parents and swim team alumni took their...

Work to increase Advanced Placement courses at Deer Lakes High School is paying off. The high school recently earned the AP School Honor Roll bronze award, district spokesman Shawn Annarelli said. Only 30% of the more than 15,000 eligible schools in the United States and Canada earned the recognition. “We...

Kelsie Magill plans to carry on in her late father’s footsteps. “My goal is to live up to what he believed in — and then some,” said Magill, 22. That includes reopening her father’s popular Lower Burrell bar and restaurant. Magill and her brother, Connor, two of David “Mogie” Magill’s...

Springdale’s boys basketball team attended Monday’s practice to touch up on skills and prep for their games this week. Players also got a lesson in life from a team they hope to emulate. Before practice, Scott Andrews, a member of the Dynamo 1989 boys basketball WPIAL championship team, spoke to...

Walking the extra loop at Lower Burrell’s K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Park trail will take a little longer, but it will be paved. And basketball players at Burrell Lake Park soon will be able to enjoy a new surface on the courts. The work will be covered by a $108,757...

A man involved in litigation to block the implosion of the boiler house in Springdale has been appointed to a two-year term on borough council. Springdale Council on Tuesday appointed Joe Kern, 40, of Duquesne Court, to fill a vacancy left by former Councilwoman Eileen Miller. Kern said he sought...

Marlee Gallagher loves telling stories. She’ll now be telling the story of the historic Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall. Gallagher, 35, of Carnegie is stepping into the role of executive director for the Library and Music Hall. She started the position Jan. 2. “I’m most looking forward to...

Penn State New Kensington will be hosting a conference focused on how faculty at higher-education institutions can adapt to the fast-changing technology of artificial intelligence and implement it in their classrooms. The campus in Upper Burrell will host the “Future Readiness Conference” for higher-education faculty Jan. 26. People interested in...

Western Pennsylvania is in for another round of snow by the end of the week, meteorologists warned. Tuesday morning’s snowfall dropped about 2 to 4 inches across the region. It caused about 200 school cancellations and more than a few headaches for commuters. Across Allegheny County, the average snowfall was...

While believing the township is being overcharged on water rates, the East Deer commissioners will consider a rate adjustment at their February meeting to brace for an increase from Tarentum Borough, its water supplier. During a Thursday meeting, commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani gave his colleagues information on what Tarentum currently...

Trash collection will look a little different in Bridgeville this year. The borough renewed its five-year contract with County Hauling. During the bidding process, five trash haulers expressed interest in bringing their services to Bridgeville, but only two — County Hauling and Waste Management — submitted bids, said borough Manager...

Springdale planners on Wednesday recommended the borough follow through with renewing a demolition permit for the former power plant. The planning commission’s recommendation came after just more than an hour of public comment, which went back and forth on differing opinions on the permit, first issued in January of last...

Some students at Acmetonia Elementary School will now be running in style. Representatives from Kids of Steel, a program that promotes healthy living for children and families, presented red, white and blue Brooks Trace running shoes for each of the 28 fifth- and sixth-grade students at Acmetonia’s running club Wednesday....

Bridgeville will hold the line on taxes for another year. Bridgeville council approved the borough’s spending plan for 2024 on Dec. 11. It totals just more than $7.93 million. There is no increase in property taxes, as the millage rate remains at 10 mills on land, and 6.5 mills on...

The owner of the former power plant in Springdale has 21 days to show how an Allegheny County court erred in granting a preliminary pause to imploding the boiler house at the site. Allegheny County Judge John T. McVay Jr. ordered Tuesday that Charah Solutions has 21 days to file...

Bridgeville Council welcomed three new members at its reorganization meeting last week. Mayor Betty Copeland gave the oath of office to Jason Ferri, Shane Franchick and Jason Sarasnick on Jan. 2. Council also selected Joe Verduci to serve as council president and Bruce Ghelarducci as vice president. In other business,...

A West Deer man faces a felony aggravated assault charge after, police say, he hit a man with a pool cue. Michael Richard Skiles, 49, was arrested and charged Friday. A preliminary hearing before District Judge Tom Swan is scheduled for Jan. 24. West Deer police said they, along with...

A teenager will be joining the ranks of Lower Burrell Council. Jason Wagner, 17, will be the city’s junior councilman throughout the year, Mayor Chris Fabry said. Wagner, a junior at Burrell High School, said he is looking forward to being involved in local politics. “I want to show that...