Civics and Civility: Bridging the divide in Butler County
On July 13, 2024, the divide that had silently been poisoning our country painfully surfaced with the crack of a lone gunman’s rifle.
The Butler Eagle reported how the first few gunshots rang out like fireworks, but when they continued, the crowd at the Butler Farm Show venue dropped to the ground. A mother and a father told their children to crouch down. A young man hunched over in the grass. Behind him, a woman started to pray.
That traumatic event, which unfolded in our own backyard, exacerbated political differences around the country, including within our own community.
The assassination attempt led to the death of a county resident Corey Comperatore, critically injured two others and led then-candidate President Donald Trump to be treated for an ear wound at the Butler Memorial Hospital.
It also brought a swell of damaging political rhetoric with a national focus and hate speech that pushed civility and tolerance aside.
As Butler County joins the world in navigating the political divide, the Butler Eagle has committed to telling stories about how government works and how civil conversations can be had.
We’ll have community conversations around our shared values and aim to strength democracy by engaging the community, doing journalism around citizens from different walks of life along the way.
> Learn more about supporting the Butler Eagle’s Civics & Civility project.
A year ago on July 13, 2024, a lone gunman fired eight shots into the crowd at the Butler Farm Show grounds attempting to assassinate then-candidate President Donald Trump.
The shooting, which lasted only seconds, claimed the life of Buffalo Township resident and former fire chief Corey Comperatore, left campaign rally spectators James Copenaver and David Dutch critically injured and sent Trump, who suffered a wound to his ear, for treatment at Butler Memorial Hospital.
The gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot and fatally wounded.
Butler County found itself thrust into the global spotlight, becoming the focal point of political tension following the event that shook the nation to its core.
Read the stories reflecting on the assassination attempt below:
> How Butler County’s 911 dispatchers soldiered through stressful Trump rally
> Butler mayor reflects on aftermath of the Trump assassination attempt
Geno Mariotti and George Pikoulas, Butlerites to their core, may embody both the unity and the stark divide that has shaped our community for years now.
When the two frequent letters-to-the editor writers, Geno — a Democrat — and George — a Republican, met at the Butler Eagle’s offices recently to discuss their viewpoints on various topics, similar fundamental beliefs as well as staunch disagreements on political issues were on display.
> Up Next: 4 Judges of Elections join the Butler Eagle for a conversation in July.
> How a rare tie-breaking procedure decided a Winfield Township race
> How write-in candidates, provisional ballots could still sway elections
> Primary election: Final unofficial results from the Butler County primary
> Contested primary races draw low, but ‘higher than expected’ voter turnout
> What’s the job of Butler County’s school board members?
> Why some school board candidates in Butler County crossfile
> What’s a judge of elections and who ran in the May primary?
> Butler County coroner reflects on experience before retirement, amid contested primary
> How the legislative branch of U.S. works: The responsibilities of the House and Senate detailed
> Political experts provide nuance to transition of power process
> Survey results: Butler County residents weigh in on the transition of power for public office
> Kelly: Collaboration the key freeing Fogel, passing legislation
Students from three county high schools got a glimpse of how news is gathered and disseminated through media from different perspectives Thursday at the first ever “Student Journalism Summit” at Butler County Community College.
Journalists from the Butler Eagle, Butler Radio, KDKA-TV and Cincinnati, Ohio, based nonprofit A Picture’s Worth were joined by Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy and Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe to speak with students from the Butler Area, Seneca Valley and Knoch school districts during the daylong summit.
> About the event: Journalists talk shop with high school students at summit hosted by Butler Eagle
Following the event, students were invited to participate in producing their own work. Read the work here:
> Senior students provide laundry essentials to those in need
> Butler Area School District’s Orchestra seniors rock farewell conert
> How the SOAR Store rewards positive behavior at Butler Intermediate High School
> Starfish program at Butler Intermediate High School aims to end bullying
> Clubs at Butler Intermediate High School encourage inclusion
> Butler Junior High athletes excel in track and field
The Butler Eagle has told your stories and been your voice for more than 150 years and - with your support - we are ready for 150 more. The attempted assassination on July 13, 2024, made obvious the need for journalism that brings down the temperature and encourages residents to listen and understand one another.
We know readers like you understand the importance of this work. Even before that date we heard from conversations with community members that a growing number of citizens were uncomfortable speaking up; others felt unsafe. The lack of knowledge about how government works also contributed to misunderstandings and misinformation.
If you believe that local journalism must play a greater role on the issue, please donate to Butler Eagle's Civics & Civility Project via Local Media Foundation. Contributions to this fund will help the Butler Eagle to host community conversations around our shared values; strengthen democracy by engaging the community with programming around how government works; and do journalism around citizens from different walks of life.
Along the way, we'll connect with students, giving them a voice in the coverage and teaching them about the role of local journalism. We are proud to represent Butler County and hope to serve as an anchor for its continued growth, community spirit and history. Thank you for supporting our local journalism.
Please support the Butler Eagle’s Civics & Civility project here.
Take a closer look at 5 regions within Butler County: The rural northeast, the booming southwest, the city center, the northwest that supports both a college town and an agricultural community and the southeast that is seeing new, growing interest in development.
While campaigning for the last election, Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel attended municipal meetings across Butler County, where he witnessed something he already knew: Life is drastically different between northern to southern Butler County.
In the first few minutes of a municipal meeting in southwestern Butler County, Boozel remembers seeing $250,000 to $300,000 allocated to projects.
He later attended a meeting in the northernmost part of the county, where he recalls a township had a budget of about $300,000 total.
“They were talking about not having enough money to clear the roads on Sundays,” he said.
While Butler County continues to be one of the few growing counties in Pennsylvania and only one of two growing counties in the western portion of the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, people like Boozel are tasked with leading a county that looks different from every angle.
The challenge? To lead all of Butler County forward despite its differences.
As the nation braces for one of the tightest presidential elections in recent memory, pollsters scramble to grasp the pulse of the nation’s voters — a pulse that seems to shift with each passing day.
In many ways, Butler County’s political landscape is also evolving as municipal populations change and issues on the national front spark local interest. Data on voter engagement, voter registration and party affiliation speak to some of these changes.
Beyond the data, there’s a deeper story unfolding. Many of the county’s newest or future voters — the youth — are beginning to take their place in the political landscape. This new generation will soon have its first opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box, potentially steering the county in new directions.
The 2024 election will be the first for many young adults in the county. As they cast their ballots, they will need to consider how local and national issues impact their lives and their communities.
That is no small task considering the deluge of political information via advertising, traditional media and social media platforms — a significant political trend, according to Brad Pflugh, social studies department chairman at Knoch High School.
The city at the near center of Butler County is also the center of activity for the municipalities that surround it, and government officials recognize Butler as a prominent place for not only commerce, but for social activity as well.
Although the city itself has seen its population decrease slightly since 2010, Butler County’s chief of economic development and planning Mark Gordon said the center of the county is in healthy shape economically. This is because surrounding areas continue to see growth, and new businesses in downtown Butler continue to give people reason to visit the city.
In the past five years, downtown Butler has seen a fire that took out several businesses on one of its most visible blocks; new businesses stationing themselves on that same block; the reopening of a long dormant theater; and the continuation of annual events that have brought more people to Main Street.
As the county seat, the city of Butler always has had numerous businesses and organizations that cater to the working professionals who populate the city during the day, from lawyers’ offices to clothing shops to banking resources. Alongside those businesses are restaurants, a long-running art gallery, housing for senior citizens and several places to grab drinks in the morning and after hours.
Here are the population figures for central Butler County according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2022.
Bergbigler, a 25-year-old Clearfield Township native and 2017 Butler Senior High School graduate, has been a volunteer flag football coach at the Family Sports Center since 2015. When his cousin, Chris Vicari, asked him to be an assistant with the 10-and-under team, he figured it would be something to do. There’s also a deeper meaning behind Bergbigler’s commitment.
“The main reason I was willing to try it was because I played basketball some, but I never played any other sports because I was too, I’d say, shy ... anxious,” he said. “My main concern was always the coaches. They’re perceived (on) TV … in mostly all-aggressive fashion. I was just too scared to make mistakes.
By any measure, the southwest portion of Butler County has been growing, but not every area has shown the same rate of expansion — and some may have reached their limit.
Leslie Osche, a Butler County commissioners chairwoman, said the county’s southwest section “is booming with new housing starts, infrastructure investments, and business growth.”
On-and-off periods of thunderstorms throughout a dreary Saturday afternoon in late August did little to deter shoppers from walking up-and-down and patronizing local businesses along Zelienople’s Main Street.
Main Street has seen decades of change since the quaint town that sits in the southwestern portion of Butler County was founded back in 1802.
Here are the population figures for southwestern Butler County according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2022.
Jared Stonesifer was born in Philadelphia and grew up near Pottsville, but he decided to put down roots in southwestern Butler County after he got the chance to know the people and the area.
Stonesifer worked at both the Butler and Cranberry Eagle after college, and during that time he had the chance to get to know the area and those who live in it.
Residents of the southeast portion of Butler County feel they have the best of both worlds.
“We’re not too far away from Butler or the city of Pittsburgh,” said William Thiele, whose family owns a dairy farm in Jefferson Township. “We’re pretty close to a lot of things, but at the same time we’re far enough away from that stuff that we’re not part of the hustle and bustle 24/7.”
What you will find when you walk down Main Street in Saxonburg is a collection of small-business owners who are proud of the atmosphere they’ve created in the same borough where wire rope was invented a century and a half ago.
“I think Saxonburg just has more of a ‘Hallmark Christmas movie’ feel to it that the other towns lack,” said Brooke Wamsley, vice president of the Saxonburg Museum. “And we also have that historic part to it that really makes it a very charming town.”
Here are the population figures for southeast Butler County according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2022
In the business of selling homes, Joyce Hutterer and husband Jack know better than most how important location is when choosing where to live.
The couple, now residing on Saxonburg’s Main Street, elected to live and raise five children in southeastern Butler County and wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Harrisville’s Mayor Dan Anschutz wants to see more young families settle in the borough.
Young people may decide to settle or travel to northwest Butler County for a variety of different reasons, with Slippery Rock University and manufacturing companies nearby, and rural recreation amply available.
Related Article: Paving the road ahead, remembering legacy in rural northwestern Butler County
The vibrant campus community at Slippery Rock is always bustling and provides an uncommon feature that differentiates Slippery Rock’s Main Street from other streets in Butler County.
Businesses of all kinds welcome the pedestrian traffic that comes when the university welcomes back more than 8,400 students, faculty and staff for a new fall semester.
Related Article: Welcoming business key for main street prosperity in Slippery Rock
Here are the population figures for northwest Butler County according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2022.
Related Article: Northwest Butler County by the numbers
Being liked in your hometown is one thing. But when your good deeds earn for you an affectionate nickname, you have officially reached another level.
Bob Barnes is one such resident of Harrisville.
For 14 years, Barnes on weekends stood outside the bank building on Main Street, selling candy bars as a fundraiser.
Related Article: Harrisville residents recall borough’s earlier years
The freedom and quiet that come with country living makes the northeastern corner of Butler County desirable for the relatively few who call the area home.
Elected officials say the area could use jobs that attract younger people.
Six townships and six boroughs are located in the 149-square-mile northeast area. It is home to a little less than 8,000 people, making up about 4% of the county’s 197,300 population.
Related Article: Elbow room, friendly neighbors, low taxes make northeastern Butler County appealing
For a couple hours every afternoon, the quiet of this small borough in northeastern Butler County is interrupted by the loud bells and whistles from trains and railroad crossings.
The trains pull up to the entrance of the now closed Indspec Chemical Corp. plant, switch to another set of tracks and leave town, like the 220 jobs at the plant did when it shut down in 2017.
Related Article: How community spirit keeps Petrolia alive
Here are the population figures for northeast Butler County according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates from 2022.
Related Article: Northeast Butler County by the number
The history of Erich Myers’ family in Karns City goes back to the borough’s beginnings. His love of the area and what it has to offer is what keeps him here.
Myers, born in Butler Memorial Hospital, grew up in Karns City. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to West Virginia for his father’s work, but they moved back to the area when Myers was 13 years old. He started a job three years later and has been with the company ever since.
