Building a Life in Butler County
As 2022 enters the homestretch and we accelerate towards
2023, our newsroom looked at what it takes now to build a
life here in Butler County. For our Progress edition of the
newspaper, which publishes on Nov. 2, our team dove into a
few of the many factors that contribute to how and why
people choose to live here. We looked at and wrote stories
about education, housing, government, recreation and
business.
Our journalism tells the stories of three families who chose Butler County as their home. We profiled families in Saxonburg, Cranberry Township and North Washington. We asked Mayor Bob Dandoy of Butler to share his thoughts on life in Butler. And we wrote about what it’s like to juggle the responsibilities of being a mayor and business owner in Harrisville.
Other articles cover what it’s like to buy a house in this market, how school districts are adjusting to fluctuating populations and how municipal governments are working to improve recreation and more within their borders.
Our journalism tells the stories of three families who chose Butler County as their home. We profiled families in Saxonburg, Cranberry Township and North Washington. We asked Mayor Bob Dandoy of Butler to share his thoughts on life in Butler. And we wrote about what it’s like to juggle the responsibilities of being a mayor and business owner in Harrisville.
Other articles cover what it’s like to buy a house in this market, how school districts are adjusting to fluctuating populations and how municipal governments are working to improve recreation and more within their borders.
Business
Those who have a hankering to grab their wallet and hit the stores or restaurants in Butler County will be pleased to discover a wide variety of opportunities, especially...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Kayla Fleming opened Totalus this summer in the heart of downtown Butler. The shop
at 132 E Jefferson St. sells Boba tea, pizza rolls and more.
Our vision of To...
November 02, 2022
Progress
Jim Cunningham, director of development for the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center, greeted a man in early 2020 who arrived at his clinic in dire condition.
“All his ...
November 02, 2022
Progress
Education
Our schools are your schools.
Education can be a powerfully transformative resource in a child’s life. It is most impactful when all involved have a shared sense of purpo...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
CHICORA — Title 1 reading teacher Christine Spencer likes to compare her job to that of a doctor.
“We diagnose any issues that the kiddos are having with learning to read...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Public schools in the community aren’t the only options for families in Butler County.The area has 12 private schools that serve students in pre-kindergarten through eig...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Government
Since 2018, the county Infrastructure Bank has provided $40 million in low-interest and subsidized loans for 13 projects vital to the economy and health of communities.
F...
November 02, 2022
Progress
Even though my time as mayor of the City of Butler has been relatively short, I have been asked again and again WHY I took on this role? Why am I so committed to our city...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Housing
Butler County’s net population growth of 510 people from April 2020 to July 2021 was one of the largest percentage-wise and one of only two counties to experience growth ...
November 02, 2022
Progress
Jessica and Ben Brewster moved to Saxonburg in 2018 to provide a simpler life for themselves and their daughter, Ella, 12, and they haven’t regretted the decision for a s...
November 02, 2022
Progress
WASHINGTON TWP — Rabbits might be fluffy, but they aren’t easy beasts to keep.
Retiree Beverley Bishop and her husband, Dan, knew this all too well when a rabbit named Or...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
When Joe Taddy and his family moved to Cranberry Township seven years ago, the move was somewhat of a homecoming.
Taddy had previously lived in the township around 10 yea...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
What is it about Butler?
When I was asked to prepare this column about why folks make Butler their home when they have any number of options in southwestern Pennsylvania,...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
According to Data USA, in 2020, the median age of the nearly 188,000 people living in Butler County was 43.4 years, with the median age getting older each passing year.
...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Recreation
CRANBERRY TWP — From participating in sports herself to coaching and becoming a certified personal trainer and exercise instructor, Kathy Hensler loves being on the move....
October 31, 2023
Progress 2023
Longtime Butler wrestling coach starts fitness program with that in mind
November 02, 2022
Progress
Plans are moving forward for the Butler Cultural District. The area bordered by East Jefferson, North Main, Howard, North McKean and Franklin streets, launched earlier th...
November 02, 2022
Progress
For nearly 75 years the Butler County Symphony Orchestra has served the local community with a professional level of musical excellence and accomplishment.
Having the But...
November 02, 2022
Progress
For more than 50 years, Moraine State Park has conserved land and water in this area while offering a natural space for local communities and beyond to recreate, relax an...
November 02, 2022
Progress
CENTER TWP — For 46 years, the Butler County Soccer Association has been open to children looking to learn about and compete in the sport. Having grown during that time, ...
November 02, 2022
Special Sections
Butler County has events abound
November 02, 2022
Progress
Business Spotlight
Why Remo’s for all your catering needs? Remo’s Catering of North Pittsburgh has been serving up quality dishes for every occasion like elegant weddings, barn weddings, co...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
The Armstrong Cable of today began as a small construction company in 1946.
Our founder’s mission was to provide growth and perpetuity to his employees and as such began...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
On Feb. 8, 2002, the Gilliland Vanasdale Sinatra Istik Law Office was officially launched. At that time, it was just Jennifer Gilliland working from her townhome in Adams...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
In 1993, Evelyn Wiest-Kertz, M.S.CCC-A., went into private practice and started Wiest Audiology and Hearing Aid Center.
Kertz took a small business loan from Citizens Nat...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Is there a troubling issue that bothers you? Does it recur often in your mind and in conversations? Is it affecting sleep, relationships, or emotional balance?
No proble...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Robert Stephens Custom Jewelers, located on Main Street in Butler, is owned and operated by a sole proprietor — Stephen Goslaw.
Goslaw began his career as an apprentice g...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Since its inception in 2007 by Jeffrey Myers, Myers Law Group PLLC has steadily grown into a prominent legal entity serving the suburban community in the North Hills. In ...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
The talent of Butler County shines through the owners/employees of our small businesses.
Amazingly talented people run restaurants, boutiques, breweries, B&Bs and coffee...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
In June 2022, two like-minded health systems announced their intent to come together with the goal of creating a new and distinct health care choice for patients in Weste...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Coherent empowers market innovators to define the future through breakthrough technologies, from materials to systems.
“We deliver innovations that resonate with our cus...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Marburger Farm Dairy in Evans City has achieved a remarkable feat. They are the only dairy in Pennsylvania to have been recognized for their fluid milk products in the Wo...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
Did you know you have the power to save lives by donating blood? Nonprofit blood provider Vitalant provides blood to most hospitals in Western Pennsylvania, including UPM...
November 01, 2023
Progress 2023
