Indiana University of Pennsylvania has begun a new initiative to increase the number of African-American students pursuing post-secondary education. In a partnership with the Pittsburgh Public School district, the Promise Plus initiative will help ensure more students take advantage of the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship.

EAGER TO LEARN— Lincoln Elementary students surround David Lind, director for the Center for Video Technology, IUP Department of Communications Media, at the university’s television station.

“The IUP Promise Plus initiative is an example of IUP’s commitment to outreach educational attainment,” IUP President Tony Atwater said. “We take great pride in working with Heinz Endowment to build successful futures for elementary and high school students in the greater Pittsburgh region.”

When LaTonia Edwards joined friends in Mt. Oliver for a one-year anniversary vigil to remember her slain son, 16-year-old LaRon Benton, who died on his birthday, Dec. 16, 2008, she still believed police had no suspects and had made no arrests—until a reporter asked her for her reaction to the arrest of Benton’s cousin, Dontae Benton, 16, and a friend, 17-year-old Terrin Mangham.

MOTHER’S LOSS— Surrounded by friends and family, LaTonia Edwards breaks down during an anniversary vigil for her son, LaRon Benton, who was killed in Mt. Oliver, Dec. 16, 2008.

According to a county police affidavit, LaRon,  Dontae and Mangham lured drug dealer Ralph Meadows to an abandoned house in an attempt to rob him at gunpoint. There was a struggle during which Meadows managed to grab one of the guns. As he fell to the floor it fired, striking LaRon in the chest.

A group of approximately 50 people gathered for a candlelight vigil Dec. 12 to commemorate the lives of Rachel Finn, 9, Deausha Faulk, 6 and Michael Zigler, 2, killed recently in a house fire in Clairton.

Unity also brought about prayer and hope in memory of all those who have lost their loved ones to tragedy.

VIGIL CIRCLE—CEA’s Rashad Byrdsong, center, speaks at the prayer vigil.

“Unfortunately, areas such as Clairton is a community that people don’t reach out to,” said Rashad Byrdsong, president of Community Empowerment Association. “Clairton is suffering not only from the recent tragedy of the young ones who lost their lives in the fire but there has been a lot of violence in the community.”