CHIPPEWA TWP. ― Access to fresh produce is becoming easier for local families using SNAP benefits. Officials from RiverWise shared that Beaver County residents who receive these benefits can now use their EBT cards to purchase produce at Chippewa Township's farmers' market. Last season, the USDA approved using these benefits at the Ambridge farmers' market, meaning that there are now two days that county residents can access these fresh foods. “Our vendors are proud to play a role in our local communities through agriculture and small business. Accepting SNAP is another way our farmers and vendors can put Beaver County-grown and -made products in the hands of all families,” said Patricia Noss, president of the Beaver County Farmers’ Market. The service at the farmers' markets works similarly to an ATM: residents will bring their EBT cards to a SNAP table operated by RiverWise staff. Residents will say how much they would like to withdraw, but instead of cash, they will be given tokens that can be cashed in at booths around the Ambridge and Chippewa farmers' markets. The new service is free to local farmers, and officials say this will increase revenue for these agricultural workers. The Chippewa farmers' market occurs on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Chippewa United Methodist Church parking lot. The Ambridge location is open on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. at the St. Mary's Catholic Church parking lot. The season begins in May and ends in November. “I had gone down there and recruited a couple of players between my years at Penn State (Greater Allegheny) and Point Park, and I was always feeling like this program has athletes,” said Freedman, who was hired last week to reshape the program as Ambridge’s coach. Freedman coached WPIAL basketball at Gateway from 2014-18 and led the small college team at the Penn State campus in McKeesport for four years. His basketball resume over several decades includes jobs from high school to the NBA. The 48-year-old said he’s confident he can get the Bridgers on track. “Getting these kids to learn how to win is going to be the biggest thing,” he said. “I’ve done it everywhere. We’re going to teach them how to play defense the right way. Teach them how to believe in each other. Teach them how to be a team and compete.” Ambridge finished 4-17 this past season and 0-10 in a tough Section 2-4A. Freedman replaces coach Jonas Ankrom, who resigned after going 17-48 in three seasons. The program touts one of the greatest teams in Pennsylvania history, an undefeated 1966-67 squad that won WPIAL and PIAA titles. The Bridgers nowadays are longing for their first playoff trip in five years. “I think some really good things could happen there,” Freedman said. “I’m excited about it.” Freedman resigned at Penn State Greater Allegheny last year after leading the Lions to a PSUAC title in 2023 and a conference runner-up finish in 2024. The team went 52-46 in his three seasons. (One was canceled by the pandemic.) A Robinson resident, Freedman coached a Sewickley Academy junior varsity team this past winter and said he was drawn to the Ambridge job in part because it was close to home. He also liked the facilities and said his spirits were bolstered by the hiring process. “I’ve interviewed a few places where I came out saying, ‘I don’t know if I’d really want to work here or coach here,’” he said. “You get a bad feeling. Coming out of this one I said, ‘Wow. They’re on top of it.’” Gateway went 51-41 in his four seasons and reached the WPIAL playoffs each year. He resigned in 2018 to become associate head coach at Point Park. His career got its start with various roles under John Calipari. He worked as a student assistant and practice player for Calipari at UMass, followed him to the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and later Memphis as director of basketball operations over the span of a decade. Freedman also worked with coach Ron Everhart at Northeastern and Duquesne and coached prep school basketball with a stint at Kiski School. He runs the AAU program Basketball Stars of America, which made him familiar with some of the current Ambridge players. “But I don’t know many of them,” Freedman said. “I’m probably going to meet them next week after spring break. Then we get going.” If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase. Liam Baker singled and doubled and Jonathan Janicki had two hits and an RBI for the Bridgers (5-3 Chad Moore had a pair of hits for the Talbots (0-7 McKeesport 1 – Trey Alario threw three no-hit innings doubled twice and drove in two runs to lead Baldwin (2-4 Nick Macurak doubled and knocked in three runs and Aiden Robinson doubled and drove in two for the Highlanders Beth-Center 4 – Ricky Lawson went 4 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs to lead California (2-3 Kaden Weston had two hits and an RBI and Caden Monticelli drove in two runs and struck out 10 in four innings for the Trojans Jackson Nopwaskey singled and tripled for Beth-Center (2-3 North Catholic 4 – Winning pitcher Kingston Krotec allowed one earned run in 6 ⅓ innings doubled and drove in two runs to help Hopewell (2-8 Collin Davis had a double and two RBIs for the Vikings Landon Eifler tripled and drove in two runs and Ryker Kennedy went 3 for 3 for North Catholic (5-2 Apollo-Ridge 5 – Winning pitcher Lukas Duncan struck out 11 singled and doubled to lead Riverview (8-1 doubled and knocked in two runs and Johnny Bertucci had a single Gage Wingard doubled and drove in two runs and Zac Myers had two hits for Apollo-Ridge (1-5 Quaker Valley 0 – Ali Linhart threw a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and Emma Obersteiner went 4 for 4 with a double and three RBIs to send Avonworth (8-1 Jayla Jones went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI and Gaby Interthal tripled and drove in two runs for the ‘Lopes Isabella Jarrett doubled for Quaker Valley (1-3 Ambridge 1 – Winning pitcher Izzie Lefebvre struck out 11 homered and drove in three runs to power Western Beaver (2-5 Elizabeth Squicquero doubled and brought in two runs and Kaitlyn Zele went 3 for 3 for the Golden Beavers Knoch 1 – Megan Witte and Mallorie LaGamba scored three goals apiece and Ava Warzinski added a goal and four assists to lead Chartiers Valley to a Section 2-2A win Juliana Betts and Kylie Miller scored two goals apiece for the Colts Ellis School 1 – Dillon Perry scored three goals and Ava Galuska and Lillian Ketler added two each to lead Hampton to a Section 1-2A victory North Catholic 3 – Lucy Roig had six goals and three assists to lead Quaker Valley to a Section 2-2A win Meredith Fallgren and Kate Miller added two goals apiece for the Quakers Baldwin 0 – Landon Patterson had eight kills and Sean Walker and Henry Klinar added six kills each to send Canon-McMillan to a Section 3-3A win Justin Peters doled out 12 assists and Nolan Rosing recorded 11 digs for the Big Macs If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase AMBRIDGE — Ahead of Ambridge’s WPIAL Class 2A section matchup against South Fayette on April 15 everything about the team’s start to the season was perfect From a perfect record to not dropping a set it looked as if Ambridge was on its way to putting together yet another dominant regular season the team had to regroup when last season’s All-WPIAL Class 2A first-team selection Karson Merlina suffered a dislocated toe per Ambridge head coach Glenn Freed While Ambridge ended up falling to South Fayette in five sets marking the team’s first loss of the season Freed is not worried about the sudden change in the lineup without Merlina we will still be business as usual,” Freed said “There won’t be much change without him in the lineup While it took some time to adjust without him against South Fayette we just need to keep practicing and playing like we have.” Download: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the Beaver County Times app Ambridge’s start to the 2025 season does not come as much of a surprise The program has been one of the most consistent teams in WPIAL Class 2A under the direction of Freed the team has captured six WPIAL titles in eight appearances in the district championship match The team has also won several section titles during that span with third-place finishes in the WPIAL tournament most recently in 2024 Freed has had the opportunity to continue to push the Ambridge program to new heights each season “The reason why I think that we have been able to be so consistent was our ability to get middle school players to come all the way up through the program and develop them with the same coaching staff,” Freed said “Most of the players play club when they are not with the high school team and have built a strong bond with each other.” Despite losing several All-WPIAL and all-section players from last year’s WPIAL Class 2A third-place team Ambridge has another strong crop of upperclassmen including six returning seniors to the lineup that have impressed and have been key in the team’s success through the first month of the regular season “We have six returning seniors to the lineup to go along with two new seniors “With those returners being with the program and having experience playing deep into the playoffs has been key.” Required Reading: Beaver Valley boys high school volleyball: Which area team has been shot at making playoffs? Along with the senior heavy roster, Ambridge has also found success with its underclassmen as well with outside hitter Nathan Sheffield being one of the key pieces to the Ambridge lineup. He will be relied on even more as the season progresses.  While the team may be without its best overall player in Merlina, the team as a whole has performed well, which will be key when navigating the next several games without its outside hitter and setter.  “I think everyone around him has stepped up in a big way this year,” Freed said. “It hasn’t been just one person stepping up and playing better, it's been the collective effort of the team that has shown through over the past month.” Ambridge will be back in action on April 24 as it will take on Trinity on the road at 6 p.m. AMBRIDGE ― Several changes have been implemented at the Ambridge Area School District after a teenager threatened students Wednesday with a loaded gun inside the building. In a letter to parents, district administrators announced they worked with staff, the Ambridge Police Department and mental health professionals to develop a plan to re-enter the school Friday. Following the incidents reported on Wednesday, the school utilized a flexible instruction day for students and staff Thursday. In the letter, the school implemented several policy changes for students: These changes come after a teenager was discovered to have a loaded handgun inside the middle school bathroom on Nov. 13. Investigators said the 13-year-old was threatening students with his parents' firearm, which the family said had been locked up. The teenager had allegedly stored it in his waistband most of the school day. In statements to the media, Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible confirmed the school's metal detectors had been triggered on Tuesday and Wednesday. When the student's bag was searched, the person screening only found a plastic water gun, and the student's bag was returned. The teenager is currently in juvenile detention in Ohio and facing two simple assault charges. Parents were critical of the changes on social media, noting the cost of this change will be borne by parents, who now need to buy completely new bags and lunch boxes for their students. In Facebook groups, parents and district graduates have been organizing to purchase and donate bags for people who can not afford the new bags. Ambridge’s Stacey Jones works out during practice on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Ambridge. Ambridge quarterback A.J. Gerace throws a pass during practice on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Ambridge. Ambridge’s D.J. Kane works out during practice on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Ambridge. very important word over the last three years as the head football coach at Ambridge the former Aliquippa standout tasked with turning around a Bridgers program that has struggled over the last decade that you don’t have to be where you’re at right now That’s the message that McBride has tried to drive home over consecutive 2-8 seasons in which the Bridgers were far more competitive than they were before his arrival “We need to finish what we start,” said McBride who took Ambridge to the postseason in 2021 “If you looked at our games last year and saw the first quarter scores That’s the motto going into this season: Finish what we start.” There was no common thread to those losses last season a big play allowed there — particularly in the final two weeks of the season in which Ambridge fell to New Castle and Chartiers Valley by 10 points each “It was a number of things,” McBride said We have to play four quarters of smart football.” One positive for Ambridge will be continuity The Bridgers return nine players on each side of the ball many of which have started since their freshmen year in 2021 “We have 55 kids,” said McBride but would also like to see the returning starters pushed more by the depth players behind them over the three years those guys have played for me Hopefully we can get some change going.” The Bridgers will need to replace one key player in Carlito Chandler who led the team with 927 rushing yards a year ago is now healthy and will get the bulk of the carries He was one of the team’s top offensive weapons in 2022 I’m looking for bigger and better things from him on both sides of the ball.” Ambridge will play to Jones’ strengths and run a power system offensively behind four returning offensive linemen and with AJ Gerace back at quarterback — at least to begin the year “We’ll give AJ the first crack at it,” McBride said “DJ Kane though has come along real well He’s 6-foot-3 and he’s doing well He’s running second team right now.” will work in the slot at receiver alongside Jayce McCracken The defense will be anchored by inside linebacker Blaze Kolar he’s recorded 90-plus tackles in all three years,” McBride said I’m looking for senior leadership from him this year McBride isn’t exactly content with where the program is right now He comes from the great lineage of Aliquippa But he also understands that grace is an important trait when trying to revitalize the program ‘you’ve gotten these kids to be competitive,’” McBride said “That’s a pat on my back for me while Ambridge will have to navigate the choppy waters of the always-challenging Parkway Conference and Class 4A — including a matchup with McBride’s alma mater — he’s daring his team to take the next step “This could be our time,” said McBride of what he tells his players each day “It’s all about hard work and putting in the effort It’s not all sunshine and blue skies every day “If they want to have a successful senior year and get back to the playoffs • Ambridge finished 2024 on a six-game losing streak picking up wins over Blackhawk and Freedom in the season’s first four weeks while traveling to Hopewell and Greensburg Salem McBride went on the play at Ohio University • The Bridgers last finished .500 or better in 2015 when they went 5-5 and lost to Ringgold in the WPIAL Class 3A first round AMBRIDGE ― A man has pleaded guilty to financial crimes that cost local taxpayers over $1 million over two years 44-year-old Michael Dominick entered the guilty plea on Oct Dominick defrauded the Ambridge Water Authority (AWA) of money and property that totaled approximately $1,073,185 from January 2020 through August 2022 “Michael Dominick’s theft of more than a million dollars from the Ambridge Water Authority is an alarming violation of the public trust,” said U.S “Those who hold positions of authority at any level of government –and particularly those who are responsible for managing and safeguarding public finances – owe a special duty to act in the best interest of their employer and the community Our office and our partners in law enforcement will continue to root out and hold accountable public officials who violate federal law and undermine public confidence in government.” federal prosecutors said Dominick served as a manager at the AWA and was responsible for overseeing daily activities he accessed bank accounts for the AWA and managed the cash paid to the organization or checks made out to the agency Dominick admitted he secretly diverted these funds to his accounts In addition to writing checks to himself with agency funds officials said he used the AWA debit card to buy personal items and adjusted financial data on critical financial records “This plea marks a significant step toward justice,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek “This fraud not only affects critical public resources but also represents a betrayal of public trust The AWA exists to provide an essential resource to our community Stealing money in this manner has the potential to directly impact the well-being of tens of thousands of people.” Dominick can face up to 20 years in prison A local nonprofit group has opened its new digital learning lab in Ambridge Tech2Elevate and the statewide nonprofit KINBER announced the opening of their lab along Merchant Street on Feb The new space will allow the nonprofit to host classes and workshops focused on providing digital skills training and resources internet connectivity and training the community on how to use digital devices "This is a truly transformative moment for both Beaver County residents and Tech2Elevate," said Marcos Digliodo "We are incredibly grateful to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority for providing 25 laptops which are the foundation of our new Digital Learning Lab The lab will house 25 laptops and offer one-on-one support for community members seeking the digital skills necessary to succeed in education The lab's computers were funded through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) and the Digital Connectivity Technology program which is supported by the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund the enter will use high-speed internet access to help their partners and the community through various social and technical learning programs "This lab is more than just a room with computers; it's a gateway to opportunity for our neighbors," Digliodo said "It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can gain essential digital skills and access computers and the internet so they can prosper in today's digital world." Former administrator for Beaver Area School District takes state roleFamilies from the Beaver Area School District may notice a familiar face is now leading the Pennsylvania Department of Education Josh Shapiro announced his pick for the new Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education would be Carrie Rowe Before moving to the Department of Education Rowe had served as superintendent for the district and served students in several roles throughout the Beaver community for over 22 years “Since my first day as the chair of the House Education Committee I have enjoyed a positive and collaborative relationship with Dr teachers and school administrators across Pennsylvania," said Peter Schweyer Pennsylvania House Education Committee Majority Chairman and her dedication to ensuring every child has the same educational opportunities who led the department when Shapiro became governor in 2023 the executive deputy secretary of education AMBRIDGE — Player retention is always an important aspect of growth from within a program As Ambridge head coach Sherman McBride enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bridgers program he has retained 17 seniors who look to play a key role during the 2024 season “I am more at ease this season because when I came here at Ambridge four years ago we had 17 freshmen in the program and now I am sitting here four years later and we still have those 17 guys so I am very proud that I have kept the guys around me for the past four," McBride said people would frown upon that number because your feeder system might not be as strong but that hasn’t happened here at Ambridge because I have 56 guys on my roster.” With all of the returning players on Ambridge’s roster the team has hit the ground running during the heat acclimation week and is now into full padded practices heading into the season More: High school football in the Beaver Valley: Coverage for the 2024 football season Experience is flooded throughout the Bridgers program which makes the work of the team a lot more seamless during camp this season as players have been picking up on aspects offensively and defensively a lot easier “When you have 9-10 of your starters back from last year things should be running smoothly,” McBride said “So far through heat acclimation and this week we have been running plays and have been running things on both sides of the ball well Everything starts up front on the offensive and defensive line and most of those linemen are back.” One of McBride’s seniors who is returning is Adam Fernandez who has played an integral role in the team's success on the offensive side of the football throughout his four seasons with the program Fernandez has done it all from being the team’s second-leading receiver from last season to rushing the ball out of the wildcat and even returning kicks and punts The senior has made his mark on all areas of the field for the Bridgers The way that Fernandez operates reminds Sherman of some of the players that he had the opportunity to play and coach at Aliquippa which makes it even more special to watch the senior grow as a player I have seen a lot of guys play all over the field and Adam is one of those kids in that category that can play across the river at every position because he is an explosive athlete he has nice size and great speed so I am looking forward to bigger and better things from him this season," McBride said of Fernandez McBride believes that if the team can find a way to play a clean and productive 48 minutes of football it can fix a lot of the mistakes that plagued them late in games a season ago and the Bridgers will be able to find success “Our biggest downfall last season was the second half of games,” McBride said “We were in a majority of our games in the first half but when the second half rolled around I have to find out what is going on then and fix it Big plays with playing football but we need to put a full 48 minutes in I think that more wins will come because of that.”  Head coach: Sherman McBride (Fourth season Offense: The Bridgers bring back a plethora of experience on the offensive side of the ball and even though the team lost it big running back Carlito Chandler from a season ago the team fills Chandler's void with several different options at their disposal this season including Zavion Lewis the team also returns its second leading receiver in Adam Fernandez who will once again look to make a major impact on all aspects of the offensive side Ambridge will run several plays this season out of the shotgun and run a variety of zone reads which will in turn work at a quick tempo throughout the season Defense: On the defensive side of the ball Ambridge's defense starts up front with several returning starters led by Quinn Tkatch on the defensive line the Bridgers return almost its full secondary from a season ago which will make the defense a cohesive unit throughout the season An Ambridge man pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor the guilty plea was entered by 43-year-old Bradley Schrott for possession of a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent minor Department of Homeland Security found the content in his possession on Feb Schrott had been under supervised release due to a previous incident involving the possession of child pornography when he was living in Mars Schrott was found to have several child pornography files on his device during an FBI investigation on April 6 He faces 10 years to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need Quaker Valley grad Glen Sovich was recently hired to protect and serve students and staff at his alma mater School board members unanimously voted Feb 10 to hire the retired Ambridge police sergeant His acquisition restores the district police department to four full-time officers — one in every school grew up in Leetsdale and played football for the Quakers in the district’s youth program and all through high school “I’m super excited about it,” said Sovich “I’ve always been involved with the community Being able to attach the Quaker Valley police badge and patch to that type of service is something that I think is great for the kids He will be stationed at the middle school filling in for David Watts, who was named police chief to start the year Watts was promoted to top school cop following the resignation of Chief Aaron Vanatta who resigned this month to take a similar role at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Pittsburgh Vanatta was also rehired by Quaker Valley in early January to serve as a part-time officer at $70 per hour at six hours per week Sovich was selected out of four candidates Assistant superintendent Andrew Surloff said his experience in law enforcement and with another school district combined with Quaker Valley community engagement and an exceptional interview Board member Gianno Floro said the district is blessed to have an alum as an officer “He’s got big shoes to fill,” Floro said “I couldn’t recommend a better person.” Sovich’s law enforcement journey began following a talk with a high school counselor while considering careers “When I was a junior at Quaker Valley they called me in to the guidance office and said ‘What do you want to do with your life?’” Sovich said “I thought I was going to play for the (Pittsburgh) Steelers ‘Well (what) if that doesn’t work out?’ ‘police officer.’ They put me on that path and it’s been an amazing adventure for me and really rewarding.” Sovich worked his way up the ladder at the Ambridge Police Department from 1997 through September 2024 He also spend about 12 years during that time as a resource officer at the Ambridge Area School District Sovich was given the Sgt. Guy “Tippy” Tyler Award last year through the Beaver County Chiefs of Police Association an honor given for exemplary efforts in juvenile justice and enforcement education Sovich also serves as a youth basketball coach at the Sewickley Valley YMCA and football coach with Quaker Valley Youth Football and Cheer The father of three has one adult daughter and two young ones still in Quaker Valley schools is in seventh grade and son Jack is in second Claire said she was sad to see Officer Watts be moved but was happy about having her dad patrol the halls “I was so excited (to hear about dad’s new job),” Claire said “I was also a little nervous because he’s going to make fun of me somehow because that’s what fathers do.” said he looks forward to building relationships and mentoring at the middle school Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service Eric Astorino had a successful career at Ambridge where he reached 1,000 career points also reaching 1,000 career points after spending two years at Ambridge and his other two at Eden Christian Academy reached the 1,000-point milestone of his own last week week as he joined his brother and father during the Ambridge's section game against Hopewell “It is an amazing accomplishment to see all three of us doing it,” Jared said “There are people that have reached 1,000 points before but for all of us to have played at Ambridge and achieve this goal it is not something a lot of people have had a chance to do.” As Eric watched his second son eclipse 1,000 career points he was proud of his two sons after all of the hard work that they put in to achieve their goals I can’t be any more proud of them achieving what they did,” Eric said “They have had to fight through some obstacles and adversity and have found success.” While Jared has succeeded at the high school level in his first three seasons the younger Astorino brother’s love for the sport was fading a few years ago he cut basketball out of his life completely after he began to not have the same feelings about the sport he once loved Jared began to swim during his eighth-grade year to stay in shape his brother Damon was playing basketball at Eden Christian Academy and that was when the junior began to get the itch to hit the hardwood again Required Reading: Before college football future, Blackhawk senior caps basketball career with milestone “I was watching Damon’s games at Eden Christian Academy and that is what made me miss it,” Jared said I was able to transition back into basketball and start as a freshman at Ambridge.” he experienced a major growth spurt heading into his freshman season Jared went from being only 5-foot-6 and growing to 6-foot-1 and is still trying to adjust to playing with a larger frame But that larger stature has allowed Jared to jump around to all five rotation spots playing as a big man in his freshman and sophomore years before jumping back to his natural guard position Having the versatility of playing in all five spots has helped Jared expand his game Required Reading: WPIAL boys basketball brackets: A look at which Beaver Valley teams will compete in the playoffs “I love playing all five positions,” Jared said “You can start the game by knocking down a couple of 3-pointers then when they run you off the 3-point line you can work down low in the post and just rotate back-and-forth That has helped with my game thanks to my dad and brother teaching me that.” Outside of all the coaches along with his father who helped him grow as a player the relationship that he has with his brother has grown closer due to the pair’s love for basketball From the hours spent training with each other “I have told him to continue to attack the basket because he shoots a lot of threes I don’t shoot a lot of 3-pointers but now I shoot more now because we feed off of each other's weaknesses I want to help Jared get better because I have been through things that he is going through now To also see him do some of the same things for me Now with Jared looking toward his senior season with Ambridge and Damon looking to finish his basketball season at CCBC the brothers will be by each other's side every step of the way AMBRIDGE ― The borough has added fresh Japanese cuisine to its menu with the recent opening of Kagura Sushi cozy restaurant offers a welcoming environment where guests can enjoy classic handmade favorites or try out a variety of specialty sushi and poke bowls Customers can also satisfy their sweet tooth with a Japanese soda or bubble tea the real star of Kagura Sushi is its owner who is dedicated to supplying Ambridge with authentic sushi at a low price “This area doesn’t have sushi for an affordable price so it’s a benefit to the customer,” she said recently This is Zhang’s first time owning a restaurant on her own having previously run a sushi place with the help of her brother but she is excited to bring a new small business to the Ambridge community She considers herself a sushi expert having learned the art from a Japanese sushi master Zhang’s business practices are all modeled around her devotion to the customer having opened in the frigid month of January she offered guests a free cup of hot tea to beat the freezing temperatures Her kindness and bubbly personality are part of the charm of Kagura Sushi Many have flocked to Google and Facebook to voice their support for the restaurant writing that Zhang’s service is truly exceptional but the food is iconic as well,” one reviewer wrote on Google Aside from a friendly face welcoming you inside patrons can also expect fresh quality food Zhang makes all the sushi in-house with the purest ingredients She frequently cycles through fish and prepares new rice every four hours to ensure customers get the healthiest meal possible Zhang said many people assume low prices indicate low quality but that is far from the truth at Kagura Sushi the affordable prices reflect Zhang’s desire to make sushi accessible to as many people as possible You can also order delivery or pickup via GrubHub or Doordash Want to learn more about Kagura Sushi? Check them out on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571279351094) The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports The North Allegheny Cheerleaders attended their first competition of the season at Ambridge High School on Sunday The Varsity Traditional team came in first place out of four teams The Tigers won the Best Pyramid for High School award The North Allegheny Varsity Gameday team placed second while the  JV Gameday team placed first and the Middle School competition team placed third The Tigers will return to action on November 3 when they travel to Bethel Park to take part in their second competition Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at bbozzuto@northallegheny.org © Copyright 2013 North Allegheny School District South Fayette celebrates its WPIAL Class 3A competitive spirit championship Saturday at Hempfield. South Fayette competes during its WPIAL Class 3A competitive spirit championship routine Saturday at Hempfield. Ambridge completes its winning routine at the WPIAL Class 2A competitive spirit championships Saturday at Hempfield. Five Class 2A teams qualified for the PIAA championsihps — Neshannock, Ambridge, Hampton, Central Valley, Elizabeth Forward — at the WPIAL Class 2A competitive spirit championships Saturday at Hempfield. The WPIAL Class 3A teams that qualified for the PIAA championships pose for a photo at the competitive spirit championships Saturday at Hempfield. Ambridge and South Fayette each won their first district championship with the Bridgers capturing the Class 2A title and South Fayette the Class 3A championship “Finally!” exclaimed South Fayette coach Maggie Conoscuito “We’ve been so close so many times so the fact that it finally happened is amazing.” The Lions’ competitive spirit team had finished second three times in the past five years and even has a state championship trophy “Everyone just worked so hard,” South Fayette assistant Amanda Furgiuele said The big joke is wearing gold at graduation I couldn’t be happier that they get to do that.” the Bridgers’ “build up” brought home a gold medal for the first time long time for this,” Ambridge coach Jennifer Phillips said We came close last year by going to states for the first time ever and now this year we surpassed that.” Added assistant coach Amanda Palshaw: “Our tagline is ‘Build Up.’ Our team Our community and our school district are behind us 100%.” South Fayette won the Class 3A small squad championship and finished ahead of 3A large squad champion North Allegheny in the overall rankings Four-time defending WPIAL champion Hempfield finished third “They (Hempfield) don’t have bad days,” Conoscuito said To know that we came out and had the best day is even better.” Ambridge and South Fayette “hit zero” with no deductions in their routines to secure their championships “That feels incredible,” Furgiuele said “We were questioning a few things (if there would be a deduction) here and there After competing last year with no seniors on the squad this one meant a little bit more for South Fayette’s five seniors “These seniors are some of the hardest-working girls,” Conoscuito said as the team posed for a championship photo “They’ve come close so many times This group is just a different team from normal.” The Bridgers edged Central Valley for the 2A crown by less than a point Ambridge also took home the 2A small squad title whereas defending 2A champion Neshannock won the 2A large squad division “The teams that moved on are all good teams,” Phillips said “I’m so proud of this area for putting out the teams that we are able to.” Palshaw said the difficulty of the routine was the edge they needed to get gold “Every year our athletes get better and better,” she said “We have worked so hard on execution and stamina this year We finally have a routine that keeps up with the big dogs Hampton and Elizabeth Forward also secured automatic bids to the PIAA championships set for Jan A total of 12 teams from Class 3A qualified for the state championships eight more teams received bids to the PIAA finals — Seneca Valley but it’s back to work quickly for the next goal “Monday,” she said matter-of-factly “The girls get the weekend (to celebrate) AMBRIDGE ― The Ambridge Crush & Brew amateur winemakers and homebrewers event returns Sept Reserve your spot today for the 14th annual fundraiser The Ambridge Historic District will host the event featuring tasting and judging of home-made wines Prizes will be awarded for the best as picked by judges and a separate People’s Choice contest homebrewers and mead makers receive a free admission ticket which includes a food voucher and entry to after-parties at local breweries and a wine shop Beers will be judged using Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) styles "We encourage submission of historic class beers," Roberta Mikush Sciulli Altered Genius is sponsoring the First Place Beer Prize It includes collaborating with the home brewer to scale the recipe and offer it on tap at their Merchant Street location Second Place winner is sponsored by Fermata Brew Company with prize offerings “Everything was great and I had a very enjoyable time I loved the size of the event and the location I will be back next year.”; “We had a fantastic time this year and will be back (with wine) next year!” Wines and meads will be judged by Kevin Ostrowski president of the Beaver County Chapter of the American Wine Society Prizes include gift cards and various wine-related items to regional wineries and fruit/sweet wines and all mead categories “This event encompasses all the factors that make an event successful and for the grand finale tasty brews and delectable wines The event accentuates what the power of positivity a community can produce." Proceeds benefit the Ambridge Historic District's economic development and have included a visitor kiosk various small business grants and horse carriage rides For more information and to register to enter your beer, wine, or mead, email historicdistrict@gmail.com or call or text; 724-513-4668 or 412-855-0511 The most revolting bit of plotting – a tide of human excrement – has flooded the town and it’s the perfect metaphor for the stinking state of the wider world this month sewage worked its way up through the downstairs shower drains on the Beechwood estate It gurgled and fountained its way out of the lavatories It washed in a great wave through the yard at Bridge Farm piling up cheese from lower shelves to higher It is the now familiar story of sewage dumped into a river after heavy rain The Beechwood people are now dispersed while the dehumidifiers hum and the insurance “journey” begins Joy and Mick are housesitting the palatial Shangri-la of Home Farm now owned by mysterious City banker types; Azra the doctor and her kids are at the Snells’ B&B “Literally the worst thing has now happened.” True But it was definitely not the worst thing that could happen A cursory glance at local authority advice on what to do should this happen to you (and I pray it never does) suggests broadly that you should run screaming for the hills the disposal of clothing even remotely relating to the cleanup work the chucking of the tools you have used to clean up no one wants to visit the Bridge Farm tea room – now whiffing of disinfectant rather than the other stuff – and who can blame them is offering itself up as a metaphor for the state of the wider world has left for his mysterious assignment up north while his partner Fallon cooks in the Bull a temporary job that may yet become permanent since feckless Wayne has taken a regular gig playing the guitar in a bar in Panama Front row seats for the coming US takeover of the canal Here are some of the latest news items from this morning: Wednesday Ambridge standoff involving 2-year-old ends peacefully A roughly five-hour standoff in Ambridge on Tuesday afternoon ended peacefully A large police presence was seen in the area of 6th Street in Ambridge at around 2:30 p.m. Ambridge Police Chief John Deluca told TribLive news partner WTAE that officers saw a man going into a home where there was an alleged domestic dispute the day prior Deluca told WTAE the man got on the home’s roof jumped to the roof of a neighboring home and ran from officers The man locked himself in an upstairs bedroom with his 2-year-old daughter Police said the standoff took hours because a language barrier made it difficult to communicate with the man and the man was taken into custody without incident A woman’s hands were burned as she attempted to put out a fire in her apartment building Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood fire crews were dispatched to the 500 block of Tripoli Street There was an active fire and heavy smoke on the first floor and crews were able to quickly extinguish it A woman in the apartment sustained first- and second-degree burns to her hands She was taken to the hospital in stable condition A preliminary investigation showed that the fire was accidental and caused by “careless smoking” in a bedroom Residents in the apartment complex were able to return to their apartments Teen charged in connection to making school threats Pennsylvania State Police charged a 13-year-old girl for making threats against the Hempfield Area School District Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com AMBRIDGE ― A local author's showcase will take place Sept a writer and nature photographer from Ambridge writes fiction ranging from two short story anthologies to mysteries to two young teen time travel stories set in Old Economy Village a member of the Laughlin Memorial Library’s Writers & Poets Workshop Western PA Poetry Review 2024 and other publications Treasured Memories of My Life in Kenya 1974–1990." "Claiming Light and Darkness," was published by Finishing Line Press in spring 2024 She has also written histories of three congregations of women religious including the Sisters of the Holy Spirit of Pittsburgh Her poetry has appeared in: Christian Century is a two-time award-winning historical romance author one of her books was displayed on the NASDAQ board in Times Square with other BookFest award-winning authors She has been fascinated with the Scottish Highlands since she first heard bagpipes and Celtic music She loves to travel and recently went on a trip to Scotland where all her books take place Denise hopes to transport her readers to a place of beauty Rita Wilson is an award-winning artist, writer, and retired teacher from Moon Township who has been published in Rune and Riverspeak Literary Magazines, wolfmatters.org "Greek Lessons: A Cultural Odyssey," includes photos of several of her paintings including "Better Times," the painting of her mother and grandmother which graces the cover of her book Wilson earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Carlow University Wilson has held writing workshops in both creative and professional writing and has taught adjunct at the university level She also serves as a non-fiction editor for the Northern Appalachia Review and is a co-director of the Writing Conference of Northern Appalachia inspirational blog and several fiction novels one which closely follows many of the conversations she and her mother shared through the years: "Reflections From my Mother’s Kitchen: A Journey of Healing and Hope," written when her mother began showing signs of Alzheimer’s-type dementia Several of her stories were chosen by Guideposts’ sister magazines for publication “The Earrings” appeared in Mysterious Ways magazine Bill Pate is a retired musician whose career has included performing as well as owning and operating successful retail music stores an award-winning educational program that he presented over 1,500 times throughout a five-state region His career culminated with the design and implementation of a music therapy program for one of the country's leading drug and alcohol rehab centers enabling him to assist hundreds of patients find their spiritual path to 12-step recovery he was invited by the New Brighton (PA) Historical Society to serve as a conductor for its Underground Railroad Walking Tours Anthony Todd Carlisle is an associate professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages at PennWest University He is starting year 22 at PennWest where he teaches journalism Carlisle is also a freelance journalist with his work appearing in U.S New Pittsburgh Courier and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Carlisle was a full-time reporter for 11 years Beaver County Times and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Vann Award for feature writing and investigative reporting and the Keystone State Spotlight Award for a first-place business story Carlisle became a published author in 2021 with his novel "The Souls of Clayhatchee: A Southern Tale." The book has since been a winner in the African American Fiction category for the National Excellence in Indie Literature and Next Generation Indie Book Awards and a Bronze Medalist for Regional Fiction in the Independent Book Awards