Joe Napsha stories, Page 21
Norwin OKs new assistant superintendent, top administrators, at $52K savings
Norwin has a new assistant superintendent and a new structure for its top administrative positions. The changes approved Monday are expected to save the school district about $52,000. The school board approved Lisa N. Duval, 52, the former director of human resources and accountability, as the new assistant superintendent at...
Norwin instructor teaches ancient art of calligraphyVideo
A Norwin instructional aide who has mastered the art of calligraphy — an elegant handwriting style practiced centuries ago in China, Greece, Rome and Egypt — is sharing her expertise with today’s middle school students. “Calligraphy fits in well in that period because it was a time when the art...
‘It’s a real tearjerker,’ owner says as 1 of 2 North Huntingdon Hallmark stores set to close
One of two family-owned Hallmark stores in North Huntingdon will close at the end of the month. “For our family, it’s a real tearjerker, as well as for some in our community. This place is huge in people’s memories. That’s why we are so affected,” said Kathleen “Kitty” Mahosky of...
Watershed group plans Yough rafting trip
The Mountain Watershed Association in Melcroft is sponsoring a beginner-friendly rafting trip from Dawson to Layton along the Youghiogheny River in Fayette County on July 28. The rafting trip begins at 9 a.m. and will cover eight miles on the river The cost is $18 for children age seven and...
Dunkin’ wants piece of Rostraver Airport property for a doughnut shop
The Rostraver Airport along Route 51 could become a home for a Dunkin’ doughnut shop, the airport owner said Tuesday. Dunkin’ is interested in acquiring a piece of the airport property along Route 51 in Rostraver for one of its doughnut shops, said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland...
Work on new $46M sewage plant in North Huntingdon poised to begin
Construction is expected to begin next week on a new $46.1 million sewage treatment plant near the Youghiogheny River in North Huntingdon, which will replace aging infrastructure that is close to 50 years old, an official said. The project will increase the maximum daily capacity of the North Huntingdon Township...
Franklin Regional science teacher joins research on Lake Erie
A Franklin Regional fifth grade science and math teacher will be part of a six-day scientific exploration of Lake Erie this week, conducting shipboard research on the health and water quality of the lake, from Cleveland to Erie. “This opportunity to work alongside scientists on Lake Erie and work with...
McKeesport man arrested in connection with fatal shooting
A McKeesport man was arrested Friday night by Allegheny County Police in connection with a fatal shooting in McKeesport earlier that day. 30-year-old Isaiah Bridges was charged with criminal homicide and is currently in the Allegheny County Jail. The victim, David Gamble, 39, was fatally shot at his residence Friday...
John ‘Butch’ Liput: Voice of the Burrell Bucs, Alle-Kiski Valley hall-of-famer, aluminum bat pioneer, dies
John “Butch” Liput Jr. of Lower Burrell, was the “Voice of the Burrell Bucs” for more than four decades and one of the most recognizable voices in Lower Burrell sports history. Liput, who had been around Burrell football as the public address announcer at Buccaneer Stadium, died Friday at age...
Body found in Ohio River in April 2023 just identified as Wilkins teen
Authorities have identified the body found in April 2023 along the Ohio River some 60 miles from Pittsburgh as a Wilkins Township teenager who had been reported missing in February 2023, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE-TV. The body of the missing teenager, JayShawn Fountain, 17, was found along the...
After tornadoes, Trafford, Irwin, North Irwin looking to band together for future emergencies
The tornado that whipped through parts of Trafford and Penn Township on June 26 prompted Trafford, Irwin and North Irwin to consider uniting to provide assistance in the case of another natural disaster, local officials said. “It will get everything on the radar, in terms of resource sharing,” said Jaime...
North Huntingdon switching public alert system
An upgraded emergency alert system will provide more notifications to North Huntingdon residents, but it will cost the township nearly twice as much as it’s paying for the old platform. The township is shifting from the Nixle alert system to the Everbridge Inc. platform, as of July 15, said Jonathan...
As solar farms begin to blossom in region, some townships look to adopt regulations
Ella Lenhart has a bird’s-eye view of what might be the largest solar panel farm in Westmoreland County: hundreds of panels spread across an enclosed area of a 134-acre parcel in Cook Township. It’s a sight Lenhart does not find all that pleasing. “I had a really nice view until...
Spirit to cut back on Palmer Regional flights to Orlando
Spirit Airlines plans to eliminate daily flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Orlando in August and September, the Florida-based airline said Monday. Spirit will fly only four days a week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday — from the Unity airport to the Orlando MCO airport during those two...
Norwin OKs contract for Superintendent Natalie McCracken
Norwin’s new superintendent, Natalie McCracken, has a five-year contract with a 4.2% increase in the base salary she was to receive as the school district’s assistant superintendent. School board directors Christine Baverso, Bill Bojalad, Raymond Kocak, Tim Kotch Sr., Heath Shrum and Matt Thomas voted to approve the deal at...
Emmy winner, a North Huntingdon native, remains passionate about making movies
A North Huntingdon native was pursuing a career in computer engineering in Cleveland in the 1980s when she made an independent film that changed her life, setting her on course for an award-winning career. “I fell in love with making a movie,” said Annetta Marion about her first experience in...
Nurse accused of diverting nursing home patients’ medications for personal use
A nurse is accused of taking prescription painkillers and medication for anxiety and panic disorders from 13 nursing home patients in Baldwin, North Huntingdon and McCandless. Monica Blackwell, 41, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, told the state attorney general’s agents that she took the medications for her own use, according to...
North Huntingdon seeks to fill assistant manager post
North Huntingdon officials want the township to have an assistant manager, a position that has gone unfilled since the former assistant retired in April 2023. Township commissioners this week voted to advertise the position at a salary range of $70,331 to $115,272. North Huntingdon has been without an assistant manager...
North Huntingdon tightens rules on backyard chickens
North Huntingdon officials hope the long debate over backyard chickens has gone to roost. A new ordinance prohibits chickens from being kept in a zoned residential neighborhood on less than one acre of property. The commissioners Wednesday voted 6-1 to adopt the new rules. Commissioner Eric Gass, who cast the...
North Huntingdon commissioners want more time to consider natural gas lease
A majority of North Huntingdon commissioners decided this week they need more time to study a proposed lease to tap into a pocket of natural gas trapped in a 4½-acre parcel of township land and possibly extract a better deal from the drilling company. Commissioners on Wednesday voted 5-2 to...
Natural gas well impact fee allocations drop, but ‘every little bit helps’
Communities accustomed to receiving large checks from Marcellus Shale wells through the state’s natural gas impact fee will get less money this year because gas prices have fallen and fewer wells are being drilled, according to the state. The state Public Utility Commission will hand out $100 million less next...
North Huntingdon could get nearly $7K for gas rights under township land
A natural gas production company wants the gas rights to a 4½-acre parcel owned by North Huntingdon. The company, Apex Energy, is offering the township a lease worth $1,500 per acre — equal to $6,760 — to drill into township-owned land abutting homes along a portion of Peregrine Drive. “It’s...
As director moves on, North Huntingdon reorganizes recreation department
North Huntingdon’s recreation and parks department will be reorganized under a plan township officials will consider this week on the heels of the former director’s resignation. The commissioners are expected to vote Wednesday to advertise to replace the former director, Daniel Miller, with a coordinator of parks and recreation, whose...
Norwin names McCracken as district’s superintendent
The Norwin School Board voted 5-4 Monday to hire Natalie McCracken as the district’s superintendent. McCracken, an assistant superintendent for the district since 2012, was hired with four of the five members elected in November supporting her. Board President Matt Thomas was joined by fellow first-term members Bill Bojalad, Tim...
New Stanton home brewer opens taproom in the borough
A longtime home brewer in New Stanton is taking the plunge into the beer business and opening a brewery in the borough, the only one between Greensburg and West Newton. “This has always been my dream. I had a five-gallon batch system in my kitchen, then a 20-gallon system in...
