Kellen Stepler stories, Page 26

Plum, Allegheny County and American Red Cross personnel shared resources to help residents in the borough’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood during a meeting Thursday night, in the wake of a house explosion in the neighborhood Saturday that killed six. “We want you to know that there’s a large community here that’s...

East Deer’s zoning hearing board found the township’s zoning ordinance is exclusionary regarding billboards and recommended, for now, approval of three of four billboards proposed by America First Enterprises. The board held a public hearing on America First Enterprises’ proposal for four billboards in the township June 29. The company,...

An Alle-Kiski Valley music teacher’s legacy will be remembered now in the form of scholarships. Allegheny Valley school directors on Tuesday accepted a distribution from the estate of Mabel C. Pratt for $10,000 to create the Mabel C. Pratt Music-Arts Scholarship Fund. The move is in accordance with Pratt’s will....

Springdale and Riverview will put the rivalry aside — at least in three sports. The Allegheny Valley School Board on Tuesday gave final approval to a cooperative agreement that allows the schools to have partnerships in wrestling, softball and golf. Board member Paula Moretti said the schools have had an...

(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...

New initiatives and administrative staffing changes are planned as the Burrell School District prepares for the upcoming school year. Brian Ferra, formerly the principal at Charles Huston Middle School, will be the principal at Stewart Elementary. Travis Welch, Huston’s assistant principal, will be the building’s new principal, and Krista Pisano...

It has been a busy summer of planning in the Allegheny Valley School District. When students return Aug. 21, there will be several new programs in place, including a reading series for elementary students, a math intervention pilot program for first and third graders and technology upgrades districtwide. Superintendent Pat Graczyk...

Courtney Kobelenske recalls seeing a sea of purple shirts, signaling they were volunteers for the inaugural Alle-Kiski Inclusion Games, last fall at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Memorial Park in Lower Burrell to set up for the day’s activities. Then came the blue shirts — representing the event’s participants — to...

Food, games and live music are just some of the attractions available when East Deer celebrates summer on Saturday, Aug. 19. The township’s summer celebration will hit East Deer Memorial Field from noon to 8 p.m. “It’s grown into a very good festival for our community,” said township Commissioner Tony...

A Lower Burrell hospice care provider will hold its traditional walk and celebration of life this fall for those who have lost loved ones within the past year. The fourth annual Memorial Walk and Celebration of Life, sponsored by Monarch Hospice, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept....

Leechburg-area students got a warm welcome back to school Saturday on Main Street. Sponsored by the Leechburg Ministerial Association, families and community members descended upon the inaugural Back 2 School Block Party for free school supplies, food, refreshments, games and more. “I am amazed to see how much our community...

Years spent learning French in the Deer Lakes School District came to life last month for some students and their families. The group visited Europe and soaked up knowledge in France, Monaco and London, said Deer Lakes French teacher Desiree Rotondo. She said the trip was planned for July 2021...

Bitter rivals in Lower Valley high school athletics scene may be teaming up in three sports. Allegheny Valley school directors are considering a cooperative sponsorship agreement with the Riverview School District for its softball, wrestling and golf programs. “We believe that creating positive, meaningful relationships with our neighbors such as...

The Riverview School Board has two vacancies to fill. Superintendent Neil English said board members Jeanine Hurt-Robinson and Jane Miller have resigned from the panel. Their resignation letters weren’t immediately available. In an updated statement Wednesday, the district said that after consulting with the county department of elections, the school...

An annual Lower Burrell festival will be returning to St. Margaret Mary Parish church grounds later this week. The St. Margaret Mary Parish Festival of Friendship will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the church at 3055 Leechburg Road. “Our main thing is that we...

Additional work to fix a railroad bridge where rocks fell onto the Route 28 expressway last week is underway. Crews are adding shielding under the railroad structure, this time southbound, between Exit 11 (Harmar) and Exit 12 (Cheswick) with single-lane restrictions for travelers. Northbound Route 28 was closed early Friday...

East Deer is seeking an exemption from the state’s Liquor Control Board rules on noise, as a concert venue is in the works at Pittsburgh Brewing Co. In June, the township commissioners approved a noise ordinance that was prompted, in part, by Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in the township’s Creighton neighborhood...

As the fate of four proposed billboards in East Deer looms, the township commissioners Thursday referred its drafted rules regarding those signs to township and county planners. The proposal amends the township’s zoning ordinance regarding billboards and was advertised last month. Now, the next step in the process is to...

Three part-time Frazer police officers are now full time. Township supervisors on Tuesday approved the promotions of Sean Moore, Michael Shook and Cole Berg as full-time officers, effective Sunday, Aug. 6. Lori Ziencik, Frazer township secretary and supervisor, said the promotions were recommended by Chief Terry Kuhns. Kuhns said Moore...

A fifth natural gas drilling well pad may be on its way to Upper Burrell. Township officials received notification that Olympus Energy of Canonsburg is applying for an erosion and sediment control permit to the state Department of Environmental Protection for the proposed Artemis well pad project. Artemis would be...

Enhancements are coming to Lower Burrell’s parks and playgrounds. The city is working through two grants to improve its parks, Councilman Chris Fabry said. The impact of the first grant can be seen at Veterans Park for two new playgrounds — one of which was installed a couple weeks ago....

Shirley Cooper was hoping the fishing would be good while on her friend’s boat in the Allegheny River on Monday night. But she caught something she’d never seen in the river before — and neither have most people. At 9:50 p.m. near the Cheswick Marina, Cooper, who has fished her...

Volunteer firefighters in Lower Burrell are joining forces to ask city council for more funding. No official action has been taken, but council members heard from Ted Hereda, chief of Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 in Kinloch, and Brennan Sites, chief of Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No....

West Deer supervisors heard more than six hours of testimony last week on a project that, if built, would allow gas to flow from the approved Leto well pad in Bairdford to the eastern interconnect pipeline. Hyperion Midstream, a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Energy of Canonsburg, seeks approval for...

Springdale residents shouldn’t be alarmed when the fire department shows up to a 911 medical call. That’s because this month, the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department became certified as a Quick Response Service from the state Health Department, which means a fire apparatus will respond along with an ambulance service to...