AP
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An upcoming covid vaccination clinic at Valley High School in New Kensington will be open to the community, acting Superintendent Jon Banko said Friday.
UPMC will conduct the clinic from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s gymnasium. In addition to residents, it will also be available to district employees and students age 16 and older with their parents’ consent.
A link to register for the clinic will be available on the district’s website by Monday, Banko said.
Banko said UPMC will be offering appointments, but they will not be required. While walk-ups will be accepted, he said UPMC would prefer people to preregister.
A Valley High School teacher is accused of sending inappropriate sexual text messages to an underage student.
Police charged Sean Timothy O’Neil, 34, of North Apollo with felony counts of disseminating explicit sexual materials to a minor, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of harassment.
O’Neil was arraigned Thursday morning before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. and released after posting 10% of $20,000 bail.
O’Neil’s attorney, Brian D. Aston, could not be reached for comment.
New Kensington-Arnold Acting Superintendent Jon Banko said O’Neil was told not to return to the school and would not be in the classroom. Banko said he would be discussing O’Neil’s employment status with a district labor attorney Thursday evening.
A year ago, however, doctors knew very little about the virus.
Why some of the infected exhibit no symptoms while others are left to fight for their lives and still others succumb to covid-19 still leaves many questions.
The early days of the pandemic saw health professionals urge people to wear masks, wash hands and stay away from others. People frantically searched for personal protective equipment, like face masks and gloves both of which were in short supply. Store shelves were largely barren of hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap.
Then testing proved problematic at first, with far more demand than supply. A similar situation presented itself with the arrival of the first vaccine in December.
New Kensington-Arnold reports covid cases at 2 elementary schools, closes 1 triblive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from triblive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Without a tax increase, New Kensington-Arnold School District is looking at a $1.5 million budget deficit for next school year that would force it to empty its reserves.
The school board’s finance committee met virtually Monday to review the district’s proposed final 2021-22 budget. It would spend $38.7 million on $37.2 million of revenue. Although the school board has approved asking the state for permission to potentially increase its property tax rate by more than its 4.4% limit, Business Manager Jeff McVey presented a proposed final budget to the committee that includes no tax increase.