Joe Napsha stories, Page 79
Penn-Trafford happenings, May 27, 2021, and beyond
Trafford library to hold summer reading program The Trafford Community Public Library, 414 Brinton Ave., will hold an in-person story time for children ages three to eight each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. from June 2 - Aug. 25. The National Library Summer Theme is Tales and Tails, so there will...
Hempfield challenger upsets former supervisor on GOP ticket
A former Hempfield Township supervisor apparently lost his bid to return to the board of supervisors when he lost the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary, according to unofficial results. Bill Bretz captured 55.2% of the vote in the primary, topping Jerry Fagert, who received 44.3% of the votes for the...
3 Hempfield Area incumbents, 2 challengers win nominations to school board
Three incumbent Hempfield Area school board members and two challengers won the nominations on the Democratic and Republican ballots for four seats on the board, based on unofficial primary results. Directors Diane Ciabattoni, Scott Learn and Paul Ward won nominations on both the Democratic and Republican tickets, giving them a...
Incumbent Penn Township commissioner loses GOP nomination in 4th Ward
The president and captain of the Grandview Volunteer Fire Department in Penn Township cruised to the Republican nomination as a candidate for commissioner in the township’s Fourth Ward, based on unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary. Chuck Miller, 41, captured 74% of the vote in bid for the nomination against incumbent...
Write-in votes expected to fill Democratic ticket for Trafford council
Trafford’s Republican voters gave the lone incumbent on the GOP ballot one of the four nominations for a seat on borough council in the November election, while the write-in votes on the Democratic ticket were higher than the number of votes for the lone candidate on that ballot in the...
8 of 9 Norwin board candidates win nominations
Norwin School District voters will get to choose among eight candidates — incumbents and challengers — in the November election because of eight of the nine candidates won either the Republican or Democratic nomination for four seats, according to unofficial results. The vote count represents only those from the Westmoreland...
North Huntingdon ex-commissioner wins GOP nomination in 4th Ward
Voters in North Huntingdon’s Fourth Ward opted to give the Republican nomination to a former commissioner over the incumbent, a reversal of the 2017 race between the same two candidates, according to unofficial results from the May 18 primary. Former commissioner Richard Gray, 63, is leading incumbent Brian Blasko, 35,...
Irwin mayoral race results, pending write-in vote count
Write-in votes likely will determine whether Irwin will have two candidates for mayor on the ballot in November. Republican Jeff Clem, a retired prison guard, did not face any opposition in Tuesday’s primary, collecting 268 votes against 69 write-in votes in the unofficial results. Council member Gail Macioce, also a...
Norwin school board candidates emphasize mental health, budget, transparency
Keeping students safe, physically and mentally, during the pandemic and the budget are among issues raised by the nine candidates seeking nominations for four seats on the Norwin School Board in the May 18 primary. The race features two incumbents, two separate teams of candidates and two candidates running independently...
Weekly spread of covid in Norwin area less than 1% again, as of May 18, 2021
For the second consecutive week, there was a less than 1% increase in the weekly rate of transmission of coronavirus for residents in the North Huntingdon-North Irwin-Irwin area, the smallest percentage increase since October, according to the state Department of Health. There were 24 additional confirmed cases of covid from...
$3 million in stimulus money two months away, North Hutingdon officials told
North Huntingdon will get about $3 million from the federal American Rescue Plan for a variety of public projects, but township officials were told not to expect the check right away. It could be another 60 days before North Huntingdon gets the money under the stimulus relief package that Congress...
Norwin turnout strong for covid vaccineVideo
After having lived in a dormitory at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a roommate who contracted covid this past school year, Norwin graduate Jade Taylor did not hesitate to get a covid vaccine Friday afternoon at Norwin High School. “I have a lot of family members who are younger and...
Norwin, Penn-Trafford girls medal at national hockey tournament
Girls from Norwin and Penn-Trafford were part of the Pittsburgh amateur hockey teams that won medals in the recent USA Tier-II Hockey National Championships in Denver. Megan Swick, a Norwin senior, and Robyn Caswell, a Penn-Trafford senior, both of whom play forward, won bronze medals as members of the Steel...
$10,000 in cash, drugs and guns confiscated in Clairton
A cache of drugs — marijuana, heroin, Oxycontin — guns and $10,000 were taken off the streets of Clairton on Thursday afternoon when police arrested four men and a juvenile after gunshots were fired during a fight in that Mon Valley town. Four men were charged with firearms and narcotics...
Derry man dies after found unresponsive in Washington jail cell
A Derry Township man died Thursday after being found unresponsive in his cell in the Washington County jail, authorities said. The death of Gregory S. Roddy, 53, of New Derry, is being investigated as a suicide, Coroner Timothy Warco reported. A determination on the cause and manner of death is...
Norwin area charges filed as of May 13, 2021
Charges filed with North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent unless proven guilty before a judge in Westmoreland County Court. • Jason A. Lewis, 58, of Boston, Pa., by North Huntingdon police with possession of a controlled substance and...
Norwin area happenings, May 20, 2021, and beyond
Norwin Rotary donates to Meals on Wheels The Norwin Rotary Club has donated $5,000 to the Norwin Area Meals on Wheels program for the purchase of a cooler/refrigeration unit at the New Hope Presbyterian Church in North Huntingdon, where the group prepares the food it delivers to homebound recipients in...
Penn-Trafford area court cases as of May 13, 2021
Charges filed with Penn Township District Judge Helen Kistler. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent unless proven guilty before a judge in Westmoreland County Court. • Amy D. Craig, 29, of Trafford, by borough police with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. • Penny...
Penn-Trafford area happenings, May 14, 2021, and beyond
P-T students donate to animal rescue group Trafford Middle School students in seventh and eighth grades raised $353 for the Helping Hearts/Healing Tails Animal Rescue of Westmoreland County, and several donated items. Stacy Lamanna, middle school art teacher, held ‘Pet Penny Wars’ during April to inspire students to collaborate on...
Norwin students test Tinkers Run; water quality good
The water quality in North Huntingdon’s Tinkers Run is pretty good, based on the results of tests Norwin High School’s environmental science students recently conducted. The water in the stream flows into Brush Creek and averaged 84.82 on the water quality index, “which puts the water quality in the good...
Irwin chief emphasizing community policing; add part-time officer
Irwin police have been taking steps to get out of their patrol cars and mingle with residents and will continue to emphasize community policing, the chief said Wednesday. “The community is noticing” those efforts, Chief Dan Wensel told Mayor William Hawley and borough council. When Wensel was promoted to chief...
North Huntingdon mom’s diseases puts her among ‘Millions Missing’Video
A North Huntingdon mother of four is among about 2 million Americans part of a group — “Millions Missing” — that no one wants to join because it means having chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple complications she has had to deal with for about 25 years. “When I walk, my...
Norwin OKs 5-year sports medicine pact with Excela Health
Excela Health Medical Group of Greensburg will continue to provide sports medicine services for Norwin’s athletes for the next five years. The school board approved the $210,00 contract with Excela on Monday after asking Allegheny Health Network, Excela and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center last month to resubmit bids...
Rate of new covid cases in North Huntingdon, Irwin areas falls below 1%, as of May 10
The weekly rate of new covid cases fell below 1% for residents in the four ZIP codes covering the North Huntingdon-North Irwin-Irwin area, the smallest increase since October, according to state Department of Health data released Monday. There were 28 new covid cases in the area reported from May 3...
No contest in Irwin primary for mayor, council
Irwin residents voting in the primary will not have to agonize over who to vote for in the Democratic and Republican nominations for council or mayor because all the candidates will win in the May 18 primary, barring a strong write-in campaign. Mayor Bill Hawley decided not to run for...

