Environmentalists urge DEP to make Tenaska power plant meet air pollution requirements to get permit
Environmental regulators should revise a draft permit for a natural gas-fired power plant to operate in South Huntingdon to make the plant comply with air pollution regulations or reject the permit. That’s what a group of residents and environmentalists told state officials Wednesday. The 90-minute hearing attracted about 60 people...
Fundraisers organized for victims of separate North Huntingdon fires
Fundraisers have been organized on a crowdfunding platform to help two North Huntingdon families who were victims of fires this month — one family who lost their home and another whose dog kennel was destroyed. A GoFundMe page for Regina and Charles Bazala Sr. has raised $22,100 of a $28,000...
North Huntingdon gets state grant for Indian Lake rehab project
The state is offering to pour $665,200 into a major rehabilitation project at North Huntingdon’s 16-acre Indian Lake Park. The fish in the lake must be relocated so it can be drained, dredged and the Kenda Dam repaired over the next few years. In return for the money from the...
Norwin area: School official can approve change orders, bike racks proposed, more
Norwin superintendent can approve change orders for stadium project Norwin’s superintendent has been given the authority to approve change orders sought by contractors involved in the extensive construction project to renovate Knights Stadium. The school board last month gave Superintendent Natalie McCracken the authority to approve change orders in an...
Meeting set to air concerns about proposed Homer City power plant and data center
Concerns over the potential impact on the community’s health, the economy and environment by the proposed natural gas-fired power plant and artificial intelligence data centers near Homer City will be aired at a public meeting Sunday in Indiana. Representatives from environmental organizations — PennFuture, the Clean Air Council and the...
2 elderly residents escape house fire in North Huntingdon
An elderly couple escaped injury Tuesday morning, fleeing a blaze that destroyed their home in the Hahntown section of North Huntingdon, a fire official said. Flames were already jumping through the windows of 319 Main St. when crews arrived, said Fairmont-Hahntown Fire Chief Cecil “Skip” Cook. While initial reports suggested...
Irwin, North Huntingdon garbage collection delayed
Garbage collection in Irwin was canceled Monday by Waste Management because of the weather and rescheduled for Saturday, borough officials said on a Facebook post. In North Huntingdon, garbage collection will be delayed by one day, according to the township website. The offices of Irwin Borough and North Huntingdon were...
Fire damages Derry Township tavern
A Derry Township restaurant and tavern sustained significant damage from a fire late Sunday, said Mark Piantine, Bradenville fire chief. Employees of Lucky B’s American Bar and Grille at 2120 Lincoln Road, who lived in two second-floor apartments above the restaurant, were able to escape the fire without injury, said...
Crews brace for snow: Here’s how roads are prioritized during snowstorms
In the borough of Export, Stephen Opsitnick Jr. spent much of Wednesday leaning over the open hood of a public works truck, checking oil and hydraulic fluid levels with the deliberate focus of a man preparing for a long siege. As the head of public works, Opsitnick and his single...
Norwin area: Cubcake fundraiser, stream bank restoration, scholarships, more
Cubcake fundraiser set Bakers are being sought to contribute cupcakes to the Norwin Lions Club’s 11th annual Cubcake Wars fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m. March 1 at the Norwin High School cafeteria, 251 McMahon Drive. The proceeds from the cupcake sale go to the charities supported by the Norwin...
Norwin School District sets property tax hike limit
Norwin school directors have decided to cap any property tax increase for the 2026-27 school year at 4.5%, the maximum allowed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education without seeking voter approval through a referendum. The school board Monday authorized the cap based on the state’s calculated inflation index for the...
Fire leaves Hempfield house with significant damage
A man was taken to a hospital Friday afternoon suffering from smoke inhalation caused by a fire in his house along Mt. Pleasant Road in Hempfield, a township fire official said. Hempfield Deputy Fire Chief Ben Rudd said he did not know the identity of the affllicted man, who was...
Norwin library to create children’s story walk at Irwin Park
Children visiting Irwin Park this year may have the opportunity to read a book while walking along a path, engaging in activities that coincide with the book’s theme. The Norwin Public Library received approval from Irwin Borough Council this week to create a story walk. The experience will feature 15...
Irwin bridge closed after hole opens in deck of structure
Irwin closed the Colony Drive Bridge off Route 30 on Wednesday following the discovery of a foot-wide hole in the deck. The closure has prompted a full evaluation of the structure to determine its integrity. Dan Schmitt, an engineer with Gibson-Thomas Engineering of Latrobe, could not provide council members with...
Norwin area: Irwin appointments, bingo, solar energy meeting, more
Irwin appointments Irwin Borough Council has appointed three members to the parks and recreation board, including two former council members. All terms began this month and run through Dec. 31, 2031. The appointees include former council member Fonda Dalbow, who recently sought a full four-year term in the November election,...
Spirit to resume Arnold Palmer Regional flights to Myrtle Beach
If the bitter cold weather on Thursday got you down, maybe thinking about a beach vacation in April might lift your spirits. Spirit Airlines said Thursday it is resuming its seasonal, five flights weekly nonstop service from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe to Myrtle Beach, S.C., beginning April 15....
Environmental group protects 2,400 acres on Chestnut Ridge
A conservation organization has protected more than 2,400 acres of undeveloped forest land on Chestnut Ridge in eastern Westmoreland County. The land contains the headwaters for several wild trout streams. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy said agreements reached on land donations and a conservation easement on property owned by several families...
Sheetz in North Huntingdon sells $1.4 million winning lottery ticket
Someone who purchased a Match 6 Lotto game $2 ticket Wednesday at a Sheetz convenience store in North Huntingdon is a lot richer. The Pennsylvania Lottery said that a $1.42 million jackpot-winning Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at the store at the intersection of Route 30 and Carpenter Lane....
Irwin OKs plans for Chipotle restaurant
Irwin officials gave the green light to a national Mexican food chain’s plan to build one of its 4,000 restaurants along Route 30 in the borough. Borough council on Wednesday unanimously approved the land development plan from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. for its eatery at 9174 Route 30, the site...
Norwin school bus company facing driver shortages
Norwin’s bus transportation contractor, First Student, is faced with a driver shortage because of retirements and a rash of illnesses, forcing the district to scramble to get some students to school. “We communicate with First Student throughout each day to make and adjust plans to ensure that the driver shortage...
‘It was a big family’: Former Volkswagen assembly line workers will gather in Hempfield
A group of former autoworkers at the Volkswagen of America assembly plant near New Stanton will gather Saturday to renew old friendships and reminisce about their experiences at the factory. The reunion begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cabin Bar & Grille, 918 S. Center Ave., Hempfield, just a short...
Norwin area: Sage’s Army bingo, Irwin council elects leaders, more
Sage’s Army bingo, free movie Friends of Sage’s Army Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to helping those struggling with addiction and in recovery, will sponsor music bingo from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 22 at 814 Lanes & Games, 4589 Route 136, Hempfield. Midnight Haven Entertainment will provide the music. Admission...
‘Long overdue’: Tenaska power plant faces hearing on emissions, monitoring
From his Mendon Road horse farm, Eric Metz watches white clouds billow daily from the 940-megawatt natural gas power plant looming over South Huntingdon. “It’s really not a problem,” Metz said of the emissions drifting from the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station over his property. The health of the 23 horses...
Fire kills 6 dogs at North Huntingdon kennel
Six dogs were killed Wednesday night in a fire that destroyed a wood-frame kennel in North Huntingdon, a fire chief said Thursday. The kennel at Bowser’s Dog Services was in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene at 3031 Baker School Road, Larimer fire Chief William Hardy said. A neighbor...
North Versailles police officer, 2 others, hurt in crash
A North Versailles police officer was involved in an accident with another vehicle Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the officer and the other driver and a child being hospitalized in stable condition, according to Allegheny County Police. The vehicle was struck when it pulled out in front of the police vehicle...
