the almanac M A R C H 16, 2025
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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Arctic adventure
IUP OPENING POLICE TRAINING CENTER AT SOUTHPOINTE PAGE A3
COURTESY OF PETERS TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Rick Freeman shared his experiences on the Iditarod Trail Invitational Course with fourth-graders at Peters Township School District’s McMurray Elementary School.
PT resident recounts attempt at 1,000-mile Iditarod foot race
Rick Freeman is covered in ice after trekking in freezing rain on the Iditarod Trail in Alaska, where he attempted to complete the 1,000mile Iditarod Trail Invitational course in reverse.
By Karen Mansfield Staff writer
kmansfield@observer-reporter.com
About 420 miles into his attempt to complete – in reverse – the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race, the world’s longest, hardest ultramarathon, Rick Freeman, an ultra-runner from Peters Township, knew his trek was likely coming to an early end. Freeman’s companion, Greensburg resident Tim Hewitt, the most accomplished runner in the ITI’s history – he’s completed the punishing race 10 times and holds the record for fastest finish on foot at 19 days, 9 hours and 38 minutes – was in trouble. “We’re both really experienced at traveling in the Arctic, but Tim came up to me and said he couldn’t feel his thumb. It was a sunny day, but we were coming off the river and it was 17 degrees below, and we were about six miles from the next village, Nulato, where they have a very well-equipped medical clinic, so we went to the clinic there and it ended
UPPER ST. CLAIR BOYS BASKETBALL BEGINS QUEST FOR PIAA TITLE PAGE B1
KARA WALKER EXHIBIT AT FRICK EXPLORES ‘ANNOTATED’ HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR PAGE B3 What’s happening, B3 Real estate transactions, A5,6 Classifieds, B4-6
COURTESY OF RICK FREEMAN
SEE ARCTIC PAGE A2
Renovation projects moving forward at SF By Paul Paterra Staff writer
ppaterra@observer-reporter.com
South Fayette School District is about to undertake a comprehensive, multimillion-dollar building project at the elementary and intermediate schools, as well as the transportation/maintenance building. The district has more than doubled in size over the past two decades, and the increased enrollment and needed facility upgrades have been cited as reasons for the projects. “We did two demographic studies to show that although we still have growth it’s not as fast as it’s been over the past decade plus, but we still have some growth,” said Superintendent Dr. Michelle Miller. “The real issue is that we do not have any more space in our buildings for K to 5.” Miller said space intended for some academic purposes is being used for extracurricular activities, such as physical and occupational therapy. “We’ve really had to use any and all spaces available,” she said. “We really have repurposed every room and we need some extra spaces.” DRAW Collective is the architectural firm leading
Artist rendering of front exterior of South Fayette Intermediate School addition
the district in planning of the projects. Additions and alterations are planned at the intermediate school, which houses 803 students in grades 3 to 5. The school’s original design included accommodations for the planned additions, which will include a three-story wing of classrooms, a corner classroom added to each floor designated for special education and the conversion of an outdoor patio space into an orchestra space, due to the large
number of students involved in orchestra. There will be six to eight classrooms on each floor in addition to a Large Group Instruction room with the theme “World of Work,” as part of the district’s focus on career development, Miller said. Site preparations will begin soon, wth construction expected to begin in April or May and extend through August 2026. Miller said the impact on the school day will be min-
imal, other than the loss of a parking lot, which will be used as a staging area. Significant work on the main addition is scheduled for the summer. Work on the corner classrooms and orchestra room is expected to be completed in January. Contracts totaling $16.6 million for the work were awarded Feb. 25. RA Glancy & Sons of Gibsonia will be the general contractor; plumbing and HVAC work will be handled by First American Indus-
COURTESY OF SOUTH FAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT
tries of Pittsburgh, and Merit Electrical Group of Oakmont was awarded the contract for electrical work. Ryan Neely, the district’s director of finance, said a bond was issued in 2024 to pay for the first portion of the project with another likely targeted for July. He also said depending on the timeline for the other two projects, there may be another bond targeted for 2026. There is not an estimate for each project available at this time.
A new elementary school will be constructed for students in grade K to 2 at the site of the transportation/ maintenance facility, which will be demolished. Currently, the elementary school houses 724 students. As the elementary school project was studied, it was determined to be more cost-effective to build a new school rather than renovate the current one. SEE PROJECTS PAGE A2