Joe Napsha stories, Page 71
Shuttered North Huntingdon haunted house had to clear local, state hurdles
The North Huntingdon couple who had hoped to give people a Halloween treat by visiting their “home haunt” in a neighborhood would have had to satisfy both state and local regulations. Jeff Silka, township manager, told commissioners Thursday that a desist order was issued Oct. 7 based on the fact...
Duquesne Light seeks 4.2% rate hike in January
Duquesne Light Co.’s proposal to raise the electric bills of its 600,000 residential and commercial customers this winter should be approved by state regulators, an administrative law judge recommended this week. Under terms of the proposed settlement, Duquesne Light would raise rates by $4.23 a month, or 4.23%, on the...
Norwin area: Halloween events, comedy show, more
Trick or treat set in Irwin, North Huntingdon Irwin Borough will hold its Halloween parade from 3 to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 along Main Street. The trick-or-treat for residents in Irwin, North Irwin and North Huntingdon will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. Halloween party slated in...
Penn-Trafford area: Drug take-back program, Halloween party, more
Drug take-back program planned for Oct. 23 Outdated or unused drugs will be accepted during a prescription drug take-back program from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23 near the Giant Eagle supermarket at Penn Crossing Shopping Center, 2000 Penny Lane Drive, Harrison City. Antibiotics, over-the-counter drugs or liquids, and...
Irwin fire department to get land for new base
The Irwin Volunteer Fire Department is a step closer to getting a larger firehall at the site of the former Sixth Street School, with hopes of moving into the building next year. Irwin Council on Wednesday approved the transfer of the property to the fire department at no cost. The...
North Huntingdon manager leaving post
North Huntingdon will be looking for a new township manager with the pending departure of Jeffrey M. Silka for a similar job in Western Maryland. Silka, who has served as township manager since November 2017, will be leaving his post on Oct. 22 for the city administrator’s job in Cumberland,...
Norwin grad Daniel Priatko to speak during homecoming celebrationVideo
Norwin High School seniors will get a special gift for homecoming this year — a speech from a Norwin and U.S. Military Academy graduate severely injured in a crash in 1985 and a recently published book outlining his long recovery and how he is inspiring others. Daniel Priatko, a 1980...
Norwin superintendent reaches out to parents following Confederate clothing incident
Norwin’s top administrator reached out to parents in the school district via email Wednesday, days after two students wore racially insensitive clothing to class. “These images are offensive to many within the Norwin community,” Superintendent Jeff Taylor wrote in the emailed statement. “This situation … (is a) learning opportunity to...
Survey: Half of firms in Pittsburgh region don’t require covid vaccines; some using incentives
As the debate rages nationally over whether employers should require covid-19 vaccines for workers, a recent survey of businesses in Southwestern Pennsylvania found that close to half of all firms have decided not to mandate the shot to protect against the coronavirus. On the other hand, less than 30% of...
Employers see workers returning to labor force, but still face challenges finding themVideo
Whether more people started seeking jobs when extra federal unemployment benefits ended Sept. 4, or they exhausted their state jobless benefits or they feel safer getting back to work because more people are getting the covid vaccine, staffing agencies and employers in the region say they are seeing more people...
Report: Drilling spills ruined wells and polluted streams in Westmoreland, across Pennsylvania
It has been more than four years since Edward and Alice Mioduski of Loyalhanna Township have been able to drink water from their well near Loyalhanna Lake. Drilling mud mixed with the mineral bentonite leaked from the hole that Sunoco Pipeline L.P. was boring underneath the lake in May 2017....
Boo-humbug: North Huntingdon haunted house shut down over zoning issues
A Halloween attraction in North Huntingdon that was set to open this weekend was halted because it would violate the township’s zoning ordinance. The Springwood Manor home haunt at 1738 Pickford St. was shut down Thursday because operating a haunted house — a commercial enterprise — would violate the township’s...
Report: State Rep. Matt Dowling hurt in crash
State Rep. Matt Dowling, whose 51st District covers part of Fayette and Somerset counties, was reported to be in serious but stable condition Thursday as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident Wednesday night, a Republican Party official said. Dowling, 36, of Uniontown, was en route to a...
Irwin couple spearheads tire cleanup along the YoughVideo
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Norwin area: ‘Seussical,’ card party, Oktoberfest
Norwin to perform musical The Norwin High School Theatre Company will perform“Seussical,” based on the characters of Dr. Seuss, at 7 p.m. Oct. 21, 22 and 23, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 24, at the high school auditorium, McMahon Avenue, North Huntingdon. There are 58 students in the cast and...
New Stanton tables final OK for large warehouse near Pa. Turnpike
Final approval of plans to build a 1 million-square-foot warehouse in New Stanton will have to wait until the developer and borough officials can reach a consensus on a developer’s agreement for the proposed project south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Borough council on Tuesday delayed approving site plans, pending attorneys...
State charges Mariner East II gas pipeline owner with 48 environmental crimes
The owner of the Mariner East II natural gas pipeline has paid the state about $20 million in fines over the past four years after being cited for a series of environmental violations. Now, Energy Transfer L.P. is accused by a statewide investigating grand jury of committing 48 environmental crimes...
Trafford history program to debut 120-year-old photos of area
Trafford history buffs will be able to view and discuss 120-year-old photographs on the area on which Trafford City and the Westinghouse Foundry were built, during a free program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Trafford Council chambers, 416 Brinton Ave. The Trafford Historical Society recently received the original 120-year-old...
Norwin Air Force Junior ROTC to hold craft and vendor show
The Norwin Air Force Junior ROTC is sponsoring a fall craft and vendor show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday inside Norwin High School on McMahon Avenue, North Huntingdon. About 150 vendors have sought space for the show, that will be set up along the hallway by auditorium door...
Schools warn students: Don’t try TikTok challenge of hitting staff
Norwin School District and others around the region are warning students they could face criminal charges if they engage in the latest social media TikTok stunt of smacking a school staff member or teacher. School officials are asking parents to speak to their children to make them aware that such...
Penn-Trafford support workers at impasse on contract talks; union authorizes strike
Support personnel at Penn-Trafford schools rejected the district’s latest contract offer and are willing to go on strike, the union said Monday. The 76-member union local, representing custodians, secretaries, paraprofessionals and certified personnel assistants, voted overwhelmingly Friday to authorize a strike if “necessary to receive the wages they need and...
Prayers, community support bolster Norwin girl in her health battles
When Mia Gill of North Huntingdon had surgery in mid-August to remove a benign brain tumor, there was hope that it would end months of debilitating health problems. But she has been left with migraines, tremors, dizziness and light sensitivity problems that baffled doctors searching for a cure. All the...
Diving dogs fly into competition at Mt. Pleasant indoor pool
Inside the spacious former L.E. Smith Glass Co. warehouse in Mt. Pleasant, the sound of barking dogs filled the air Friday as a variety of breeds jumped into a 45-foot-long pool of water, trying to catch a 6-inch yellow rubber “stick” that their owners tossed to get them to spring forward...
Carrie Blast Furnaces gets $360K federal grant to preserve former steel mill site in Rankin
Work to stabilize and restore key components of the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin, where iron was once produced for U.S. Steel Corp.’s Homestead steel mill, may begin this fall on project estimated to cost $720,000, thanks to a federal grant of nearly $360,000 to the Homestead-based organization that administers...
Norwin area: Food pantry fundraiser, purse auction planned
Fundraiser set for area food pantries A fundraiser to support food pantries in the North Huntingdon-Irwin community will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 17 at Moment’s Hall, 231 Jennie Drive, North Huntingdon. Tom’s Turkeys is sponsoring the Gobble Gala, which will feature a dinner catered by Twin...
