Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh Technical College hosts final commencement ceremony before August shutdown
OAKDALE, Pa. (KDKA) — The Pittsburgh Technical College celebrated its final commencement ceremony on Saturday. The nearly 80-year-old Oakdale institution announced just weeks ago that it would close for good.
Pittsburgh Technical graduate Ryan Leichty told KDKA-TV that he’s most worried about his friends who haven’t graduated yet and all the instructors who are suddenly out of a job.
Leichty just got a welding degree. He says there are a lot of jobs open for things like welding.
Now, he says, one of the best places locally to learn those skills, and many others, is closing for good.
A college graduation is supposed to be about celebrating, but for the many students who graduated on Saturday from Pittsburgh Technical College, those feelings are complicated.
“I don’t know; it’s kind of bittersweet. It was nice graduating and everything,” Leichty said.
A cloud was hanging over the ceremony.
“I think this commencement is made even more special because it is our last,” president Alicia B. Harvey-Smith said.
The school says they are shutting down due to declining enrollment and financial challenges.
“It is a shame seeing the school was so badly managed,” Leichty said.
Instead of walking across the stage thinking about his accomplishments, Leichty says he was thinking about how poor the ceremony was.
“It felt like a backyard BBQ of a graduation ceremony, in my opinion. Like, it was very pieced together,” Leichty added.
On this hot day, he noted how graduates sat in the sun, while only the stage was covered. He says the loss of the school is a loss for a region rich with an industrial history.
“Instead of going to a four-year college where you’re paying $100,000 in student loans, someone like me, I went, I learned welding for a quarter of the cost, and I got a job right out of school,” Leichty added.
In her remarks, the school’s president told students that as leaders there are many things graduates will face that won’t be pleasant.
“There are many things that will be said about you, and those things will not be true. In closing, today, yes it is bittersweet, but because of you, PTC will live on forever.”
Leichty wants to think about his accomplishments, but it’s tough.
“The bitterness is really a large part of this day. I don’t know. It didn’t have to be this way if they had managed their money better, not lost all their money, and shut the school down.”
The school said they have attempted to raise revenue or merge, but all those attempts failed.
The official last day is set for Aug. 9, 2024.
Pittsburg softball improved to 16-4 on the season by sweeping host Kansas City Piper 17-1 in five innings and 15-3 in six innings Saturday afternoon.
Breck Slaughter earned the win in both games. She allowed one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks over five innings during the opener. Then, she allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks over three innings.
AnnaLynn Hudson pitched the last three innings of the day for the Purple Dragons.
Offensively, Pittsburg scored 17 runs on 20 hits during the opener and all nine Dragons reached the hit column. Kenleigh Warford led with four hits, Breck Slaughter and Micah Gomez each had three and Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur, Laney Trisler and Emily Shriver each had two. Slaughter, Trisler and Gomez each doubled twice and Pasteur and Shriver also recorded two-baggers. Brilee Mantooth homered. Gomez led the Dragons with four RBI, Campbell had three and Trisler, Mantooth and Shriver drove in two each.
The Dragons closed out their sweep with 15 runs on just 11 hits. Pasteur had a monster performance at the plate with four runs scored, three hits in three at-bats, two home runs and five RBI; she also worked a pair of walks and proved to be an utter pain for Piper pitchers Reagan Asbury and Harper Cordill.
Campbell also homered and finished with three hits for the Dragons. Slaughter and Shriver both finished with two hits and both seniors doubled.
Pittsburg won four games during the week and outscored Labette County, Independence and Piper by a combined 59-11. The Dragons return to Southeast Kansas League play on the road Monday against Independence; the Dragons beat the Bulldogs 14-1 in five innings last Thursday in Pittsburg.
The Dragons are looking to wrap up at least a share of the SEK League title.
Pittsburg 612 44 — 17 20 0
KC Piper 000 01 — 1 2 5
Breck Slaughter and Peyton Morey; Stella Utter and Ginny Garcia. W: Slaughter. L: Utter. 2B—PHS: Slaughter 2, Brette Pasteur, Emily Shriver, Laney Trisler 2, Micah Gomez 2; KCP: Faith Flournoy. HR—PHS: Brilee Mantooth.
——
Pittsburg 225 105 — 15 7 2
KC Piper 100 101 — 3 6 6
Breck Slaughter, AnnaLynn Hudson (4) and Peyton Morey; Reagan Asbury, Harper Cordill (5) and Faith Flournoy. W: Slaughter. L: Asbury. 2B—PHS: Slaughter. HR—PHs: Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur 2; KCP: Ginny Garcia.
This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers insider just poured gasoline on the Aaron Rodgers fire following latest report of what he was doing in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers was supposed to be in Pittsburgh over the weekend, with the thought that a deal would get done. One Steelers insider backs the report, but adds details that only compound a messy situation.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
At this point, the events of the past two seasons between Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers could probably be a book or movie. Everything from walks on the beach, to him throwing with DK Metcalf before signing, to someone capturing him driving a rental car into Pittsburgh has made waves.
This offseason was supposed to be different, and a decision from Rodgers was supposed to come much earlier. However, the Steelers remain in a holding pattern, and one that many believed would end over the weekend, after it was reported that Rodgers would be in town to sign a contract. Well, that seems to be true, but like much of this saga over the past two years, there seems to be a holdup.
Aaron Rodgers 2025 stats
- 3.4 TD to INT ratio.
- 3,322 passing yards.
- 65.7% completion percentage.
Aaron Rodgers visited Pittsburgh, but not the Steelers over the weekend
“Aaron Rodgers has been in town for a couple days, but the Steelers have not met with him yet and instead have been talking with his agent. Rodgers has stayed away from the team’s South Side facility while the three-day rookie minicamp has been going on.” – Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The news from Dulac comes on the heels of the report from 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that Rodgers would be visiting the Steelers over the weekend, with the intention to sign his deal.
That report was backed up nationally by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, but some in Steelers media (Mark Kaboly) said that if Rodgers was going to be in town, that was news to the team.
Omar Khan said as much during a radio hit after the reports surfaced, saying that he didn’t know where Rodgers was, but that talks remained fluid. Of course, general managers, including Omar Khan, have been known to bend the truth, which seems to lie somewhere in the middle here.
The bottom line with Aaron Rodgers
It’s obvious to me that the Steelers and Rodgers are held up over money. I know that it was said to not be the case, but you don’t intentionally avoid meeting with a team and have your agent talk to them, just days after they use a tender that determines your 2026 salary, if you’re just going to sign.
I would be surprised if Rodgers doesn’t sign at this point, but it doesn’t change the monetary situation that needs to be worked out here.
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