[naviga:h3]Suspicious activity near school bus stop[/naviga:h3]

Parents of students at Center Township Elementary School have been put on alert to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.

Principal Jeffrey Mathieson sent a letter home this past week that said that a few students reported seeing a blue van near their bus stop at Chestnut and Birch streets in Butler.

The students reported that it looked as if the man in the van was taking pictures of the students.

The letter said that Butler police have been notified. Police did not return a call for comment.

Mathieson said he wants parents to be alert while children are at the bus stop, and to report suspicious activity.

Mathieson wrote that he wants parents to contact the school office with any questions. He said the incident could be a coincidence, but he wants to be safe.

[naviga:h3]Foundation extends deadline for grants[/naviga:h3]

The Butler County Bar Association Foundation has extended its deadline for grant applications until 5 p.m. Feb. 26.

The foundation began its charitable mission in 2015 with a grant to VOICe when it learned that the agency was losing much of its state funding.

The mission of the foundation is to promote access to justice, legal education, and charity.

Grant applications are at the foundation website at http://www.butlercountypabar.org/bcba_foundation.

For information, call 724-841-0130.