Aug 22, 2025 4 min read

Cheers: A Mon Valley business has initiated a fundraiser to benefit employees of U.S. Steel’s Clairton plant who were impacted by last week’s explosion that killed two and injured another 10. Michelle DeHosse, who owns Sparkles by Shell in Monongahela, and her friend, Heather Gwaley, of Donora, are selling items including T-shirts, sweatshirts and yard signs bearing the “Clairton Strong” logo. All proceeds will be donated to United Steelworkers Local 1557, which will distribute funds directly to the affected employees and their families. “I was born and raised in the Mon Valley, and this is a coal and steel area,” DeHosse said. “You either know somebody in the coal mines or you know somebody in the steel mills or both. It hits close to home.” The first round of orders goes into production after Aug. 25. Orders can be placed at clairtonstrong.itemorder.com, by calling 724-310-3990 or by visiting Sparkles by Shell at its new location, 600 Park Ave., Suite C, in Monongahela.

Cheers: Waynesburg University offensive line coach Russ Moore is entering his 44th year of coaching. Moore began coaching by helping resurrect the program at his alma mater Clay-Battelle, went on to turn around Waynesburg Central’s program, guided the Raiders to their only WPIAL football championship in 1999, and later coached at Canon-McMillan, Washington & Jefferson College, Ringgold and Waynesburg Central again before joining the Yellow Jackets’ staff in 2018. His offensive line helped pave the way for running back Zayne Cawley to rush for 1,278 yards and nine touchdowns with an average of 5.6 yards per carry a year ago. Cawley and most of the offensive line return for the 2025 season.

The PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies is located on the Edinboro campus, but its services are available to students at all of the PennWest campuses, including California and Clarion.

Cheers: Pennsylvania Western University is ahead of the curve with its brand-new curriculum in artificial intelligence. The PennWest Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies was launched in April, and is believed to be the first of its kind in the state and perhaps this region of the country. “We are the only state system school that has a center that focuses on AI and emerging technologies,” Dr. Camille Dempsey, the center’s director, told the newspaper last week. “We have really positioned ourselves to be not only the hub for all questions, work, research, credentialing for Northwestern Pennsylvania, but also through the state and around the country.” The center is located on the Edinboro campus, but its offerings are available to students at all PennWest locations, including California and Clarion. When classes begin Aug. 25, PennWest also will be offering a minor in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, along with general education courses AI for Everyone, and Critical Thinking in Psychology in the Age of AI. They are designed to help educate students navigate an ever-evolving technological and workforce landscape.

Courtesy of Horses with Hope

Anne and Joel Davis with daughter Jamie

Cheers: A shout-out is extended to Anne Davis, executive director of Horses with Hope, who was honored during the 2025 American Red Cross Power of Red Celebration of Heroes event earlier this summer for her work in equine therapy with the special needs community. Horses with Hope strives to help improve the quality of life for individuals with challenges through its therapeutic riding program as well as its equine-assisted learning program, veteran and small animal programs. “We get to see little miracles each and every day,” Davis said. “Therapeutic riding is immeasurably unique in that it is the horse who gives therapy to the individual. One visit to the farm changes your life. It is a nurturing environment, an environment of peace and hope.” Davis made the shift from the airline industry to therapeutic riding when she learned during her pregnancy that her daughter Jamie would be born with Down syndrome. “When I was doing the research about what Down syndrome was, I came across therapeutic riding and that’s when I knew that God had a different path for my life,” she said. She and her husband Joel began Horses with Hope nearly 20 years ago. To expand their program and accommodate families on a waiting list, Horses with Hope recently moved their mounted program to Empress Farms in Venetia. Nearly 50 special needs individuals a week participate, with four, six- to eight-week sessions a year, amounting to 250 people a year. “But I have 80 families on a waiting list,” she said. “The demand is extremely high for the services that we offer.” To donate or volunteer, visit www.horseswithhope.org.