Joe Napsha stories, Page 25
Employers at job fair face hurdles to fill slots — fewer workers and low unemployment rate
About four dozen businesses and organizations seeking workers at a job fair this week in Hempfield are facing a double whammy as they attempt to woo prospective employees: The jobless rate is at a record low, and there are fewer people in the workforce since the covid pandemic upended the...
Job fair set for Feb. 28 in Hempfield
Those seeking a job or looking for employees can make connections at the Westmoreland Assists Native Talent Job and Career Expo Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Ferrante’s Lakeview banquet center along Route 30 in Hempfield. The WANT Job and Career Expo is expected to have a a diverse...
‘Something’s not right to me,’ UPS worker says of cuts at New Stanton hub
A United Parcel Service employee said she felt betrayed this week after receiving news the company plans to shed about 200 jobs from its New Stanton delivery hub. “In the end, we got screwed. It’s rough. Something’s not right to me,” said Lindsey Kramer, 37, of Mt. Pleasant. She was...
North Huntingdon nixes plans for multi-use field at Oak Hollow Park
A multi-use field at North Huntingdon’s Oak Hollow Park is not in the near future for the township since North Huntingdon officials determined that an estimated $3 million price tag was too expensive. Commissioners decided not to apply for a $500,000 grant to the state Department of Conservation and Natural...
UPS plans layoffs at New Stanton facility
Global shipper UPS plans to eliminate the full daylight shift that sorts packages at its New Stanton facility April 15, the company said Tuesday. Teamsters Local 30 in Jeannette will meet with its members Wednesday to discuss the company’s plans to cut the local workforce, said Eugene “Geno” Bosetti, president...
Norwin hires firm for superintendent search
Norwin will pay a Harrisburg-area consultant nearly $20,000 to oversee the school district’s search for a new superintendent. The school board Monday split 5-4 on hiring Templeton Advantage LLC of Newport, about 25 miles northwest of Harrisburg. Templeton will charge Norwin $17,000 for its services, plus a maximum of $2,500...
Mark Smail, 62, carried on the family automotive business, was active in community
While Mark A. Smail had the responsibility of operating the family’s successful automotive dealerships east of Greensburg, he also made it a priority to spend quality time with his family and enjoy life. Smail enjoyed boating in the Florida Keys in the summer, going to the family’s lodge in Ontario’s...
In-demand apprentice machinists compete for regional awards as industry looks fill vacant jobs
Travis Bayne of New Kensington was focused on cutting a cylinder-shaped piece of aluminum on a manual lathe Friday as part of a competition for apprentice machinists determined to produce a precise, quality machined part as quickly as possible. “You’re trying to get the job done as fast as you...
Irwin group gets money for blight fight efforts
An Irwin nonprofit that mounts programs and initiatives to help homeowners unable to maintain their properties and deal with hoarding will get money from the borough to help it land a larger grant for its joint projects. Fight the Blight Inc. won unanimous approval from Irwin Borough Council on Wednesday...
Irwin to seek funding for police body cameras
Irwin’s police chief is seeking money to purchase six body cameras for the department’s police officers. “We want to make sure that our officers and the borough are protected,” Irwin police Chief Dan Wensel told borough council at a recent meeting. Wensel told borough council that Axon Enterprise Inc. could...
Penn Township author to offer tips on book publishing
A Penn Township author who has self-published two fictional books and is working on a third one says she loves what she is doing, even if she will not get rich from pursing her passion in writing. “I sell my books for $10. It’s not always about money. You have...
Norwin area: Norwin student shine in history contest; Softball team holds fundraiser
Norwin softball team to hold fundraiser The Norwin High School softball team will hold an “egg your yard” fundraiser for Easter morning for school district residents. Families will be able to wake up Easter morning on March 31 to candy-filled eggs in their yard. The team is charging $15 for...
$22M terminal project at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to take off by summer
A $22 million expansion of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport could begin by summer, the airport’s engineer said Tuesday. Bids were opened in January and contracts for the first phase of the work could be awarded by April, engineer Scott Kunselman told Westmoreland County Airport Authority board members. “The bids are...
Norwin considers hiring firm for superintendent search
The Norwin School District may end up paying about $20,000 to hire an executive search firm to help find a new superintendent to replace Jeff Taylor, who will leave the post at the end of the school year. School directors this week authorized its personnel committee to hire a search...
Primanti Bros. seeks liquor license for North Huntingdon restaurant
Pittsburgh-based Primanti Bros. Restaurant & Bar chain wants to use a liquor license from Mt. Pleasant at the restaurant it plans to open in North Huntingdon. The North Huntingdon Township commissioners have scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m,. Feb. 21 to take comments and receive testimony about Primanti’s request...
Winning Match 6 Lotto ticket sold in Monessen
Someone is $1.4 million richer — minus taxes — after buying what turned out to be Saturday’s winning Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket at the Par Mar store in Monessen, the Pennsylvania Lottery said. The winner’s Match 6 Lotto ticket matched all six winning numbers — 8-12-22-25-28-29. The Par...
Penn Township board will visit proposed natural gas compressor site
Penn Township Zoning Hearing Board members will take a road trip to the site proposed for a natural gas compressor station. Before it makes a decision on the request for a permit, the five-member board unanimously agreed to visit the rural site along Wilderness Road near the Murrysville border. Protect...
Fire destroys South Huntingdon houseVideo
A fire destroyed a multi-story wooden house along Boy Scout Road in South Huntingdon house Friday. Firefighters from Turkeytown, Smithton and Scottdale fought the blaze, which was reported at 11:45 a.m., a Westmoreland County Public Safety Supervisor said....
Higher chocolate prices unlikely to deter Valentine’s Day buyers
As Joe Dastolfo was buying a box of chocolates for his wife’s Valentine’s Day gift, he didn’t consider the price. The Hempfield resident was shopping this week at McFeely’s Gourmet Chocolate in downtown Greensburg. “I don’t care about the price,” he said. For those who do care, the wholesale price...
How do you stop a muskrat from boring through a dike? Mow the grass
Something needs to be done to stop muskrat from boring holes into the dikes at a mine drainage treatment site in Mt. Pleasant Township. The holes can cause polluted water to foul Sewickley Creek, according to a member of the group that works to protect the area’s watershed. If the...
Pittsburgh SWAT responds to Homewood armed robbery
A boy was jailed after allegedly attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon surrendered, Pittsburgh police said. The suspect barricaded himself in a residence after an attempted armed robbery of a woman at 1 p.m. in the 7000 block of Hermitage Street,...
Environmentalists, natural gas drillers’ group divided on transparency on fracking fluid disclosures
An area environmental organization sees Pennsylvania’s new requirement that natural gas drillers reveal the chemicals in fracking fluids earlier in the drilling process as “long overdue.” A trade group says the industry has been transparent about what it pumps into the ground. ”This gives people a chance to know what...
Brownsville couple accused of keeping 6-year-old girl in dog crate
A Brownsville couple was jailed Tuesday for allegedly keeping a 6-year-old girl in a locked dog crate, restraining the child with plastic zip ties and beating her with a broom on multiple occasions, according to a criminal complaint filed by state police. The alleged abuse at the hands of Jacob...
Libraries see rise in usage since covid; circulation, eBook usage increases
Scott Mason of Greensburg was spending his Saturday morning at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library in Greensburg, reading a 1931 book on Revolutionary War hero Arthur St. Clair for an upcoming presentation before the Greensburg Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mason relies upon the reference books in...
Saint Vincent to install electric vehicle charging station
Electric vehicle owners who drive to Saint Vincent College near Latrobe will soon be able to get a recharge on campus at a new solar-powered charging station. Saint Vincent College has partnered with the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund to acquire the Smartflower Solar electric vehicle charging station powered...
