Kellen Stepler stories

Stacie Vaughan joined her students and colleagues lining the hallways of Chartiers Valley Intermediate School ready to welcome and celebrate this year’s graduating class. She had with her a green piece of paper. That paper had a printed book cover of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” It’s a book Stacie’s...

A Burrell High School teacher is one of 60 nationwide who will get firsthand training to help teach students about the United States judicial system. Amanda Pagnotta will travel to Washington, D.C., in June to attend the Supreme Court Summer Institute, which aims to give teachers the opportunity to study...

A love for the community and gardening made a perfect Saturday morning for Alison Thomas and her family. The Thomases, of Bridgeville — Justin, Alison and their children Hannah, 6, and Max, 4 — were among about 25 Bridgeville-area residents beautifying the new Baldwin Street butterfly pollinator garden May 17....

Property owners in the Carlynton School District likely will not see an increase in their taxes next school year. The district’s proposed budget for 2025-26 totals $37.1 million and maintains the current millage rate of 28.5083 mills. “This budget allows us to continue supporting our outstanding academic programs, extracurricular activities...

As the discussion continues over Penn State’s recommendation to shutter seven branch campuses, much of the debate has turned to whether the closures would allow Penn State to continue to fulfill its mission as a land-grant university. But what exactly is a land-grant university? In 1863, Penn State was designated...

The beginnings and the ends of Stewart Elementary School are coming together for Teddy Heberling’s project about the nearly century-old Lower Burrell institution. “I knew it was old, but I didn’t know it was 90 years old,” said Teddy, 10 and a fifth grader at Stewart. “It’s cool to me...

An upcoming event in New Kensington aims to showcase the positive in the city through basketball and provide a boost to city organizations. On June 1, the newly-founded Linda Louise Foundation and Kings & Queens of the Court will host the “Battle on Barnes,” a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and event...

Nine students from last year’s graduating class from Kiski Area High School intended to attend Penn State New Kensington. But, so far, only two students from this year’s graduating class plan to do so. And Superintendent Jason Lohr can’t help but think that press coverage surrounding Penn State’s announcement of...

Being a counselor is something Paula Kauffman Oberly always knew she wanted to do. It started with helping children, she said, “and when you help kids, you’re helping families.” Fourteen years ago, she started PKO Counseling Services and over the winter, she moved her practice from downtown Pittsburgh to Scott...

Reagan Bondra and Sloane Matthews listened intently as their classmates at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in Arnold asked questions about the dogs being paraded outside of the school. Is the dog docile? Does the dog do well in storms? What’s life like for a dog in a shelter? Ultimately,...

The fate of seven Penn State branch campuses — including New Kensington and Fayette — could be determined next Thursday. The board of trustees will meet virtually 5 p.m. May 22 to consider the recommendation to close the New Kensington, Fayette, DuBois, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses, according...

Six Chartiers Valley High School seniors have been recognized for their efforts in learning a foreign language and global education. This year’s “Global Scholars” students at Chartiers Valley are Brady Baranowski, Mikayla Diyanni, Aislinn Myrah, Natalia Palumbo, Sky Schmidt and Sydney Trainor, said advisor and 26-year Spanish teacher Rochele Reitlinger....

If it’s broken, Dale Wolfe tries to fix it. That’s been the 90-year-old’s motto since 1952, when he started welding in the Lower Burrell and New Kensington areas. “I’ve had a great life,” said Wolfe, who now works for his son Kevin at Wolfe Metal Fab Inc. in Braeburn Heights....

Three men seeking two Democratic Party nods in the New Kensington Council primary say they want to continue the business growth and development in the city. Nicholas DiCarolis, Randi Shank and Phillip Toney are the Democratic candidates in the May 20 primary. The top two vote-getters will face off against...

Penn State New Kensington has “struggled to maintain relevance and scale” in the Pittsburgh region’s competitive higher education environment. And Penn State Fayette has enrollment, demographic and operational challenges that make it unsustainable. That’s the reasoning behind the Penn State administration’s recommendation to close those two campuses — and seven...

A custom-made rescue engine for Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3, once deployed in 2028, will lower the number of vehicles in the company’s fleet but increase efficiency of emergency responses, its fire chief says. Company leaders last week signed a contract with Ohio-based Sutphen Co. to build a...

Penn State’s trustees will meet Thursday morning, but a decision on branch campus closures will not be made then, according to a university spokesman. The board of trustees tentatively scheduled a public meeting Thursday to discuss President Neeli Bendapudi’s recommendation regarding the possible campus closures. University administrators in February announced...

A new partnership at New Kensington’s Advanced Manufacturing Park will put the city in the heart of the country’s growing hydrogen economy, area business leaders say. New York-based Ecolectro, a hydrogen production manufacturer, announced last week it has partnered with Re:Build Manufacturing to build next-generation electrolyzers. Ecolectro Chief Commercial Officer...

To Millie Pipman, the key to a missing piece of area history lies within a pioneer cabin in Upper Burrell. If it was even there in the first place. Pipman, a member of the Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is working with the Tri-City...

In 11-year-old Michaela Champion’s eyes, Carnegie is a small community with loads of talent. That talent will be exhibited, as Champion and 23 of her peers in the Carlynton School District spent two days this month painting a mural in Irishtown Tot Park with the guidance from California artist Amanda...

Marjorie Ann “Marjie” Mahar called her brother, Paul Bowser, one afternoon in March and told him to sit down. “I just got a call from Fort Knox,” she told him. On March 24, three hours before she was set to deliver a speech before the Tennessee House of Representatives about...

Marjorie Ann “Marjie” Mahar called her brother, Paul Bowser, one afternoon in March and told him to sit down. “I just got a call from Fort Knox,” she told him. On March 24, three hours before she was set to deliver a speech before the Tennessee House of Representatives about...

What’s currently an old, vacant building with broken windows near the New Kensington Bridge will eventually be a renovated, 100,000-square-foot space to accommodate a large industrial tenant, RIDC officials say. “It’s a great building for a lot of the demand we’re seeing from industrial users,” said Don Smith, RIDC president....

Kavan Markwood, the man who fell over the right field wall at PNC Park last week, took his first steps on Monday, according to an online fundraiser update posted by his girlfriend’s mother, Jennifer Phillips. The update, posted at 4:45 p.m. Monday by Phillips, said Markwood being up and moving...

New Kensington City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti — referred to as the city’s “go-to guy” by councilman Tim DiMaio — will retire this month after 38 years as the city’s top administrator. Council on Monday accepted Scarpiniti’s retirement letter, which is effective May 30. “I can’t help but feel grateful for...