Joe Napsha stories, Page 37
Pittsburgh firefighters battle a pair of blazes Sunday morning
Two fires damaged homes in Pittsburgh neighborhoods early Sunday morning, authorities said. A fire in the 3200 block of Moore Avenue in the city’s Knoxville neighborhood was reported around 4 a.m., Allegheny County 911 officials said. Pittsburgh firefighters also battled a fire at a three-story apartment building in the 3200...
Catholic Diocese merging two parishes in Cranberry area
Two Catholic parishes in the Cranberry area of southern Butler County are being merged into one parish as of July 1, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced. Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish in the Adams, Cranberry and Glade Mills communities is being formed from the merger of Holy Sepulcher in...
Man shot to death in Wilkinsburg
A man was shot to death in Wilkinsburg on Saturday night, Allegheny County Police said. The victim, who police did not identify, was found in the 1300 block of Franklin Avenue, where he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Allegheny County 911 was notified of the shooting at...
‘Lovable, sweet, feisty’ Westies invade Bushy Run Battlefield site
A contingent of about 40 West Highland white terriers invaded Bushy Run Battlefield State Park in Penn Township on a sunny Saturday, trekking on land where their ancestral owners once fought Native Americans 260 years ago this summer. The cute lovable canines, better known as Westies, invaded the historic battlefield with...
Fire destroys 2 buildings in downtown Monessen
Fire destroyed two buildings in downtown Monessen early Saturday morning. The fire in the 400 block of Donner Avenue gutted the building housing Any-Kind-A-Wear at 451 Donner Ave., a custom tailor shop, and C. Coates Communications at 453 Donner Ave., which had not been operating. Monessen Fire Chief Delmar Hepple...
State denies ex-North Huntingdon assistant manager’s appeal regarding records
The state has denied an appeal from North Huntingdon’s former assistant manager who sought to obtain any communications between the township’s manager and accountant regarding his retirement benefits and conduct. The Pa. Office of Open Records stated in its four-page determination last week that North Huntingdon met its burden of...
Police: Bloomfield Subway robbed
The Subway sandwich store in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood was robbed by an armed man Tuesday afternoon, Pittsburgh police said. The robbery occurred at about 2:30 p.m. at the Subway on Liberty Avenue. The suspect was described as a Black man about 50 years old and about 6 feet tall. He...
Norwin cuts 5 teaching positions, balks at layoffs, favors no tax increase
In a move aimed paring a projected deficit, the Norwin School Board cut five teaching positions and one administrative job for the 2023-24 school year, despite warnings about the impact it will have on the district’s education program. The positions the board eliminated Monday for the upcoming school year were:...
North Huntingdon rejects buyers’ plans to build homes on industrial parcel
North Huntingdon commissioners deadlocked on a zoning decision that would have allowed two families to build homes near a former strip mine. Commissioner Virginia Stump, who could have been the tie-breaking vote, abstained from participating in the matter because she is a real estate agent and faced a potential conflict...
New national archivist’s love of history nurtured at home, Norwin
While growing up in North Huntingdon, Colleen Shogan remembers summer vacations as a mix of someplace the family could have fun — like an amusement park or beach — coupled with a visit to a historical site. “My father exposed us (her and brother, Greg) to history,” said Shogan, a...
Senior housing project in Irwin draws large response from prospective tenants
Joyce Edwards Palmer emerged from a packed meeting this week where Westmoreland County Housing Authority officials explained to more than 150 people what life might be like for those who will live in a 50-unit apartment building planned in Irwin. What Palmer heard was music to her ears. She could...
Proposed Donegal area mine expansion is focus of Thursday meeting
State environmental regulators are continuing to review a coal company’s application to expand its mining operation in the Donegal area, an issue that will be discussed in a public meeting held by an environmental group Thursday. The organization, Mountain Watershed Association of Melcroft, said it wants to inform residents who...
North Huntingdon property owners hoping to build homes await second decision on property rezoning
Two couples who invested $230,000 in a 95-acre industrial-zoned parcel in North Huntingdon might learn next week whether township officials will rezone the land so they can build their homes on the site. The township commissioners said they will revisit the issue of whether to rezone the land at 1000...
Region’s power grid should be fine for summer demand, operator says
There should be sufficient power to meet the demand for electricity on stifling hot summer days, the operator of the electric power grid serving Pennsylvania and 12 other states said. But electric grid operator PJM Interconnection of Valley Forge cautioned that extreme scenarios could tighten its reserve of electric power...
Former Elrama Power Plant boiler house imploded; more to come
Dave Hromanik did not want to miss the spectacle Friday morning when the hulking boiler unit at the former Elrama Power Plant went out with a bang. Or came down with a boom, as it was. Still, not all of the building came down, and the demolition contractor held a...
Job fair slated at PA CareerLink near Youngwood
Employers from the manufacturing, transportation and health care industries, as well as local job training agencies, are expected to participate in a job fair from noon to 3 p.m. May 18 at the PA CareerLink offices, 15 Pavilion Lane adjacent to the Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. ”These sorts...
Failures aside, banks remain a safe bet for most people’s money
Despite the high-profile failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank this year, most bank deposits are safe because of federal insurance, local bank officials and a financial expert said. “The majority of the deposits are safe because they are insured by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance...
Norwin grad named head of National Archives and Records Administration
A Norwin High School alumna will take over the National Archives and Records Administration at at time when the agency is embroiled in a controversy with former President Donald Trump. Colleen Shogan, a 1993 graduate of Norwin, was confirmed as archivist Thursday in a 52-45 vote by the Senate. Only...
2 races in GOP primary for North Huntingdon commissioner
Republican voters in North Huntingdon Wards 1 and 3 will have to choose between two candidates for township commissioner in the May 16 primary. The outcome of next week’s voting likely will decide the races, as there are no Democrats on the ballot in either contest for a four-year term...
Bataan Memorial March raises close to $5,000 for Wreaths Across America
Despite the inclement weather on April 29, the Norwin Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps raised about $5,000 for the North Huntingdon Chapter of Wreaths Across America from its Bataan Memorial March along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. More than 200 runners and walkers participated in the annual event on...
Sewickley Township supervisor, challenger square off for Republican nomination
With a decision looming on what Sewickley Township should do with its closed recreation center in Herminie, Republicans will have a choice between an incumbent supervisor and a challenger in the May 16 primary. Mark Petros, 59, chairman of the supervisors, will face Jon Turik, 57, of Herminie, the owner...
Norwin board members clash on approach to resolving budget deficit
Faced with a projected $4.4 million deficit for the next school year, the majority of the Norwin School Board members showed no inclination this week to raise real estate taxes. The alternative includes reducing teaching positions and cutting four all-day kindergarten classes to save about $2.1 million for the 2023-2024...
Norwin children’s librarian opening new chapter with job change
After 21 years as children’s librarian at Norwin Public Library, Barbara McKee is moving on. “It’s been a wonderful career here. This is the beginning of a new chapter,” said McKee, a Norwin High School graduate. She’s leaving May 15 to become the assistant librarian at the Penn State Fayette...
Norwin teacher smiled her way through Boston Marathon
Norwin High School math teacher Angela Knipple doesn’t shy away from mental or physical challenges, and likes to run long distances, so it seems only fitting that she combined the two and took on the legendary Boston Marathon. Not only did Knipple finish the rainy Boston Marathon on April 17,...
Federal agents raid Ligonier Valley Police Department, officials say
The Ligonier Valley Police Department headquarters was raided this week by federal Department of Homeland Security agents, but local officials said they were kept in the dark as to the purpose of the raid or if anything was seized. Dan Resenic, chairman of the Ligonier Township supervisors, said he was...
