Joe Napsha stories, Page 58
Police say anger over a relationship led to murder-suicide in Fayette
Two men died Friday afternoon in an apparent murder-suicide, according to state police at Uniontown. The victims were identified as Brian Coll, 55, who was found about 3 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds at the scene of the shooting along Atlas Road, and Craig Rishel, who was found later in...
Man seeks cover in South Side restaurant after being hit by stray bullet, police say
Pittsburgh police said a man ducked into a South Side restaurant early Saturday morning after after being shot. The victim, who was not identified, told police he was struck in the leg by a stray bullet around 4 a.m. He ran into Cambod-Ican Kitchen at 1701 E. Carson St., to...
Irwin disc jockey still spinning ’50s, ’60s tunes in his 80s
When George Reccelle was growing up in McKeesport in the 1950s, he listened to legendary Pittsburgh disc jockey George “Porky” Chedwick on the Homestead radio station WAMO and fell in love with the music he heard. “He played mostly African-American music on WAMO. He was a groundbreaker for playing that...
Ex-Aquinas Academy teacher claims he was fired over same-sex relationship
A former teacher at Aquinas Academy in Greensburg claimed in a federal lawsuit Wednesday he was fired from his job last year because he is in a same-sex relationship. Kenneth Ference of Unity alleged in his lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg that Maureen Marsteller, the diocese’s superintendent...
Irwin: $800,000 needed for major road repairs for housing authority project
Irwin officials were told this week it could cost about $800,000 — money the borough does not have — to repair a section of a road connecting the site of a proposed senior citizen housing project with Route 30. Gibson-Thomas Engineering of Latrobe, the borough’s engineer, prepared the estimate for...
Pittsburgh area added jobs in April, but still below pre-pandemic levels
The Pittsburgh area economy added about 19,000 nonfarm jobs in April, a bright spot in a seven-county marketplace that has added 173,000 jobs during the past two years, but remains about 52,000 jobs shy of its pre-pandemic levels , according to state data. “This shows weakness in the market,” said...
Civil War vet gets long overdue headstone at Derry Township cemetery
This Memorial Day will be special for a Derry Township woman, whose hours of research and diligence digging into family history and dealing with the Veterans Administration paid off this spring when a headstone was placed at the grave of her Civil War ancestor, more than a century after he...
New Stanton to set off fireworks display Saturday night
New Stanton Borough will host its third annual fireworks over New Stanton beginning at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Schaefer Fireworks of Ronks, Lancaster County, will produce the fireworks display. In the case of rain, the fireworks will be rescheduled for Sunday....
Small plane crashes in woods in Elizabeth Township, pilot suffers serious injuries
A pilot suffered life-threatening injuries Friday night when his plane crashed into a wooded area of Elizabeth Township, about a half-mile from Rostraver Airport, township officials said. The pilot, whose name was not released, was pulled from the wreckage of his single-engine Aeronca 7 Champion plane that crashed shortly before...
Pitt, Penn State restarting mask requirements because of covid transmission levels
The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State are requiring people on campus to wear masks when they are indoors at campuses in certain counties. The move comes as a result of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designating those counties as having a high level of covid-19 transmission. The...
Norwin may make teacher cuts to help balance budget
Norwin school board members continued the debate this week about how to cover a $3 million 2022-23 budget shortfall without raising taxes. The district may eliminate full-day kindergarten classes and six teaching positions, including five at the elementary level, to cuts costs. Five proposed new teaching positions, and a proposed...
DEP to get input on proposed mine expansion in Westmoreland, Fayette
State environmental regulators will receive input Wednesday from Donegal area residents who may be affected by the expansion of a coal mine along the Westmoreland-Fayette border. The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a virtual informal conference at 6 p.m. May 25 on a request from LCT Energy LP to...
Irwin: Police officers hired, zoning officer resigns, paving contract awarded
Irwin officials hired full-time and part-time police officers to replace two members of the force who recently resigned. Council hired Stephen Novotnak of North Huntingdon as a full-time officer. Previously a part-time officer, he will be paid the starting patrolman’s rate of $25.62 per hour, plus benefits afforded in the...
Bushy Run Battlefield race to aid fight against human trafficking
Runners will have a chance to compete in a 3.1-mile race at the Bushy Run Battlefield along Route 993 in Penn Township on June 18 and raise awareness of human trafficking, sexual abuse and assault, and homelessness in the region. Those participating in the race, Colors for a Cause, will...
North Huntingdon OKs plans for road to proposed senior citizen building
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority cleared another hurdle this week toward building a 50-unit, four-story apartment building in Irwin for low-income senior citizens by winning North Huntingdon’s approval of plans for a 1,300-foot roadway to connect the complex to a township road. Despite strong and impassioned opposition from several residents...
North Huntingdon narrowly approves backyard chickens for 2 homes
North Huntingdon officials this week narrowly approved permits for two residents to keep chickens, with a warning from one council member that it could open the floodgates for more backyard hens. By 4-3 votes, the commissioners approved permits for Megan Javor of Lancelot Drive and Sarah Helzlsouer of Adams Drive...
Norwin area On the Move: Book presentation, contest winner
Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane, whose 2021 team won the WPIAL and PIAA championships, received 90 copies of “A Noble Knight/Dan Priatko’s Story of Faith and Courage” to distribute to players. The inspirational book details the life of North Huntingdon resident Priatko, a 1984 U.S. Military Academy graduate who was...
Penn-Trafford On the Move: Book presentation, awards, more
Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane, whose 2021 team won the WPIAL and PIAA championships, received 90 copies of “A Noble Knight/Dan Priatko’s Story of Faith and Courage” to distribute to players. The inspirational book details the life of North Huntingdon resident Priatko, a 1984 U.S. Military Academy graduate who was...
Norwin area: Memorial Day parade; library book sale, golf outing, more
Irwin plans Memorial Day parade Retired Army Col. Kenneth Gongaware, a Norwin High School graduate, will be the keynote speaker at the Memorial Day observance at Union Cemetery in Irwin on May 30. Prior to the observance, a parade will proceed from Main Street in downtown Irwin at 10 a.m....
Protect PT to host discussion on gas well development
Community group Protect PT will host a May 26 meeting at 6:30 p.m. to host a discussion about gas well development in the Level Green area. It will take place at the group’s new Community Environmental Education Center, 3344 Route 130, Suite B in Penn Township, and will include Protect...
Norwin board debates whether to hike taxes or cut spending in proposed budget
Norwin School Board members have yet to reach a consensus on how they will deal with a projected $4.1 million shortfall in the district’s proposed 2022-23 budget. Board members and residents this week debated whether the district should increase taxes, dip into its reserves or make spending cuts to balance...
Greensburg YWCA panel to discuss messages in Amanda Gorman poetry
The poetry anthology of Amanda Gorman will be discussed by a local NAACP official, a college professor and three young adults at 6:30 p.m. May 25 at the Greensburg YWCA, 424 N. Main St. The panel discussion of “Call Us What We Carry” will feature Ruth Tolbert, president of the...
Level Green cleanup slated for Saturday
The Level Green Lions spring cleanup event, postponed last week because of rain, will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday in the Penn Township community. Registration will be from 8:30 to 9 a.m. at the Level Green Community Building, Murrysville Road. Roadside cleanup sites will be assigned at...
North Huntingdon: Vote pending on backyard chickens for two residents
The latest chapter in whether North Huntingdon residents are permitted to raise chickens could end next week. Commissioners are likely to vote on a request from Megan Jovar of Lancelot Drive for a conditional-use permit to keep the seven hens she has in her backyard and a request from Sarah...
Bethel Park police officer struck by vehicle, 2nd such incident in 2 weeks
A Bethel Park police officer was injured Friday night when he was hit by a vehicle and the driver is in custody, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Bethel Park Chief Timothy O’Connor told WPXI that the officer was hit by a hit-and-run driver at the intersection of Broughton Road...
