Joe Napsha stories, Page 21
Norwin area: Elks donates to Autism Society; AARP to host card party and more
Norwin Elks donates to Autism Society Those who participated in the Norwin Elks’ Autism Car Cruise helped a good cause because the Elks was able to donate $5,000 from the proceeds of the car cruise to the Autism Society of America Westmoreland County Chapter, said Gary Ed of North Huntingdon,...
North Huntington police say Duquesne man tried to sell 970 stamp bags of heroin/fentanyl
A 30-year-old Duquesne man is accused of having 970 stamp bags of suspected heroin and fentanyl that he allegedly intended to sell in North Huntingdon, township police said. However, the buyer was an undercover police officer, authorities said. The suspect, Larnell D. “Rock” Jones III, of Seward Street, was arrested...
EPA to Yukon landfill operator: fix violations or face $73,000-a-day fine
Federal environmental regulators have given a Yukon landfill operator a series of deadlines to fix problems in how it treats hazardous materials and stores the treated waste on its property or possibly face a $73,000-a-day fine. MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. of Pittsburgh will be able to continue treating hazardous waste...
Fishermen’s delight for derby: Sunny day and lots of fish at Mammoth Park
It was a family affair Sunday for Jason and Heather Newhouse of Youngstown, who brought their two children and niece to Mammoth Park Lake in Mt. Pleasant Township for the Westmoreland County-sponsored fishing derby. Jason Newhouse, 10-year-old twins Sophia and Caleb, along with his niece, Adyson Vought, 11, of Latrobe,...
Southern Armstrong police seek man who fled police stop
Southern Armstrong police are looking for a man who fled a police stop in Gilpin Township, Saturday night, police said. The motorist, Robert Sipe, fled from his vehicle and ran into a wooded area behind the Portage Inn when police stopped it in the area of Route 66 and Johnetta...
Fire damages vacant buildings in Monessen
Fire damaged two vacant buildings in Monessen early Sunday morning. The fire was reported at 3:30 a.m. on Rostraver Street, a Westmoreland County Public Safety supervisor said. Monessen firefighters were assisted by fire departments from neighboring communities, the supervisor said. Additional details were not available Sunday morning....
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg grads ready to move on after covid-impacted college
Brianna Bicker of Delmont recalled how strange it was for students starting at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus in fall 2020, where they didn’t eat their meals in the dining room, had few people attend class in person and couldn’t gather in large groups because of the covid-19...
Ohio man accused of stashing guns, ammo inside luggage at Pittsburgh airport
A Youngstown, Ohio man prohibited from having a gun was jailed Friday night for allegedly hiding three handguns, three boxes of ammunition and multiple ammo magazines inside a briefcase at the Pittsburgh International Airport, Allegheny County Police said. The briefcase that belonged to Luis Rojas Cay, 26, was stashed inside...
Fire hits Pirates store at PNC Park
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ merchandise store at PNC Park on the city’s North Shore caught fire Friday night as the Pirates were getting ready to play in San Francisco, public safety officials said. Pittsburgh firefighters brought the fire at the Fanatics Pirates Clubhouse Store on Federal Street under control within 20...
Pro-Palestinian protest to continue at Pitt
The pro-Palestinian protest at Schenley Plaza is expected to continue until Monday. Demonstrators told TribLive news partner WTAE that they planned to remain encamped at Schenley Plaza in the city’s Oakland neighborhood. The demonstration began Tuesday in support of Palestinians, a free Palestine and for the University of Pittsburgh to...
Two men shot in McKees Rocks
Two men were shot at a McKees Rock apartment building early Saturday morning, Allegheny County Police reported. County police said one was hospitalized in critical condition and the other was listed in stable condition. The men were found shot inside an apartment building on Bell Avenue in Hays Manor, said...
PennDOT seeks input on Route 30 upgrade
A May 9 hearing will gather input on a proposed improvements to Route 30 from the Route 48 intersection in North Versailles to Carpenter Lane in North Huntingdon. PennDOT representatives and the project team will have the project plans on display from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Hartford Heights...
Norwin area: Drug takeback program slated; library to hold local author book fair and more
Norwin library to host authors in book fair A local author book fair will be heldfrom 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27 at Norwin Public Library at 100 Caruthers Lane, Irwin. These authors are scheduled for the event: Lisa Brozek, Laureen Cauley, Jill Cullen, Victoria Crall, Cathy Greco, Patti...
Some say it’s time for the Norwin stadium project, others ask if district can afford possible $15M cost
An architect will begin designing improvements to Norwin’s Knights Stadium that could cost more than $15 million. But some school board members are questioning what the scope of the project should be and whether the district can afford it. The school board this week approved an agreement with DRAW Collective,...
Students from former Soviet republics get taste of democracy
Aleksis Ratenieks stood outside a polling site in Hempfield on Tuesday morning, working with fellow Hempfield Area students to greet voters and see democracy in action during the primary election in Pennsylvania. “It really does make me appreciate democracy. It makes me appreciate democracy, with all that horrible stuff that...
Regional surveillance system will record license plate images on major roads
Five years after toddler Nalani Johnson was kidnapped and murdered, license plate readers that law enforcement officials say could have saved her will be installed in numerous municipalities across Westmoreland County. The readers will be part of a multicounty surveillance network spearheaded by district attorneys and local law enforcement officials....
Pittsburgh man dies in Parkway East crash
A man from Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood was killed early Saturday morning in a multi-vehicle crash along the Parkway East in Penn Hills, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. Michael Ernest Buyna, 44, was pronounced dead at the scene at about 1 a.m. Saturday, the medical examiner said. State police...
It’s personal for many: UPG Relay For Life raises $7K in battle against cancer
Dennis Rosatti of Hempfield and his son, Bryan Rosatti of Irwin, share a lot in common, not the least of which is both being cancer survivors. The elder Rosatti, 66, was diagnosed as a teenager with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which is part...
North Huntingdon aiming to rewrite backyard chicken rules after flap over fowl
North Huntingdon officials plan to create new rules for keeping backyard chickens in an attempt to balance the rights of those who want them against those who cry foul over the fowl. Township commissioners this week voted to repeal an ordinance that allowed chickens to be kept in residential neighborhoods...
Westmoreland development leaders say zoning changes could boost middle-income homebuyers
Westmoreland County needs affordable housing for middle-class workers, and more options for builders seeking to provide it. “We heard it pretty loud and clear that there is a need for housing options,” said Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment and Land Bank, referring to the public meetings...
Norwin students to compete in PennDOT statewide contest
Two Norwin students created a winning plan to connect a community separated by a highway as part of PennDOT’s Innovations Challenge contest for students to develop creative and strategic solutions to real transportation challenges. Troy Horvath and Noah Wilson were regional winners in PennDOT District 12 that includes Westmoreland County...
Norwin students win poster contest
Three Norwin seniors earned top honors in a national poster competition by the Industrial Scrap Metal and Recycling Industry. Emily Arendas, Megan Potthoff, and Heather Smarick were winners with their poster that focused on on redesigning paper plates for increased recyclability. They proposed innovative changes such as alterations to the...
Irwin to hold hearing on Manor Grille liquor license
The owners of Manor Grille want to transfer their liquor license from their former restaurant in Manor to their new location in downtown Irwin. Derek and Megan Gutkowski are seeking to transfer their liquor license to their new location at 200 Main St., which formerly was the site of Brandy’s...
Nearly $8 million Norwin deficit could be covered by raising taxes and dipping into reserves
Norwin officials are projecting a nearly $8 million deficit as the district works on a 2024-2025 budget. The spending plan presented by Ryan Kirsch, director of business affairs, projects about $83 million in revenue and anticipates about $91 million in expenses. It doesn’t account for about $9.4 million in reserves....
Norwin stadium targeted in makeover that includes new home grandstand
Norwin is planning on an ambitious project to raze the Knights Stadium’s home grandstand next year. The Norwin School Board is expected to vote on April 22 to approve the project. None of the board members at the meeting Monday voiced any objection to the project. The district could be...

