Joe Napsha stories, Page 80
Memorial garden in Jeannette dedicated to mother-in-law, honors loved onesVideo
A Jeannette man who converted a vacant lot into a flower garden in memory of his mother-in-law has seen the serene setting grow in use by others who have lost a loved one. “I never imagined that it would have grown so much,” Albert Herman, 63, a retired Jeannette Glass...
Pool operators wait for state guidelines, look forward to ‘normal’ season
After some community swimming pools closed last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic, operators continue waiting this year for the state to offer guidance on how they can open. “It’s a very frustrating situation. It’s going to be a very fluid season,” said Janet Shork, who oversees Crabapple Park &...
Greensburg’s Summer Sounds concert series may resume in late summer
Summer Sounds, the popular Greensburg concert series, could make a return to St. Clair Park, the founder said. The nonprofit Summer Sounds board of directors may decide within the next two weeks on resuming the Friday night concerts, said Gene James, the founder and board president. “The city is OK...
Norwin school board candidates emphasize mental health, budget, transparency
School district spending and keeping students safe 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 of the others. All of...
North Huntingdon commissioner, predecessor face off in GOP primary
Republican voters in North Huntingdon’s Fourth Ward will see two familiar names on the township commissioners ballot in the May 18 primary. It will be a replay of the 2017 primary and general election, only the roles will be reversed because Brian Blasko, then the challenger, now is the incumbent...
Norwin team wins county Envirothon competition
A group of Norwin High School students took first place in this year’s Westmoreland County Envirothon, which was held virtually for the first time in 35 years. The Norwin team will compete in the Pennsylvania Envirothon, which also will be held virtually, over a period of several days this month,...
Well-traveled Spanish teacher at Norwin honored with global educator award
A Spanish teacher at Norwin who established the Global Scholars Program at the high school has been recognized by a statewide language organization as furthering intercultural understanding and global competence in students. “This recognition has only been possible with the contributions that all Norwin educators have made in their daily...
Jobless want state to end backlog, pay benefits now
Jobless workers upset over the state’s delay in ruling on their unemployment compensation claim are expected to join forces with a group of state legislators in a protest Thursday in downtown Pittsburgh. They will gather outside the governor’s regional office to demand they get benefits while awaiting a decision on...
On the Move: Promotion for Irwin woman, scholarship for Norwin senior
Irwin native Bethany Dressler, who lives in Erie, was promoted to account manager for HUB HDH, a global insurance broker with offices in Erie. Dressler, a Norwin High School graduate, has worked at HUB for seven years. Its regional headquarters is in downtown Pittsburgh. She previously was enrollment coordinator. Dressler...
Ammonia leak detected at Strip District building in Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh hazmat crew was able to clear the way for repairmen to fix an ammonia leak in a building in Pittsburgh’s Strip District on Tuesday night, a Public Safety spokesperson said. The leak occurred at Consumer’s Produce on 21st Street, officials said. The city’s hazmat team was alerted around...
Penn-Trafford proposes 2-mill tax hike for next year
Property owners in the Penn-Trafford School District would face a 2-mill tax hike under a tentative $60.9 million budget for the 2021-2022 school year adopted Monday. The 2-mill increase would boost taxes to 89.25 mills in the Westmoreland County municipalities of Penn Township, Manor and Trafford that the district serves....
Newly reported covid cases drop slightly in North Huntingdon-Irwin area for week of April 26, 2021
The number of newly reported covid cases dropped slightly from April 26 to May 3 among residents in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin areas, the second consecutive week of declining new coronavirus cases, according to state Health Department data released Monday. There were 44 new covid cases from April 26 to...
Kennametal quarterly earnings up dramatically
A year after the pandemic clamped down on the world’s economy, Kennametal Inc. said Monday its net income for the three-month period ending March 31 rose dramatically to $22.9 million from $2.2 million a year ago, even though sales grew only slightly to $484.6 million, from $483 million for the...
Covid vaccine clinic set for Norwin students
Norwin High School students age 16 and older can get the first of the two-dose Pfizer covid vaccine during a clinic Friday, May 14 at the Norwin High School auxiliary gymnasium. The vaccine will also be available to any student’s family member older than 16. The clinic will be held...
North Huntingdon man ordered to pay more than $50,000 in auto repair, check fraud case
The owner of a former North Huntingdon auto repair shop will pay more than $50,000 in restitution to customers who paid for work that was never performed and for buying $13,000 worth of goods with bad checks. Dean Vezzani, 43, of North Huntingdon agreed Friday to pay $400 a month...
Meadows Casino seeks $69,000 gambling debt from jailed Greensburg doctor
The Meadows Casino and Racetrack wants a former Greensburg doctor to repay more than $69,000 — a gambling debt that grew from a $48,000 line of credit seven years ago. The problem for the North Strabane casino, which filed for a $69,344 judgment in Westmoreland County court on Wednesday, is...
Rostraver man sentenced up to 2 years in jail after pleading guilty to child pornography charges
A Rostraver man could spend about 17 more months in the Westmoreland Count Prison after pleading guilty Thursday to child pornography charges. Benjamin D. Powell, 38, was sentenced by Westmoreland Judge Christopher Feliciani to one year, less one day to two years, less two days in return for pleading guilty...
Latrobe woman sentenced to 8-to-16 years on rape, child sex charges
A 34-year-old Latrobe woman has been sentenced to 8-to-16-years in state prison Thursday for having sex with two teenage boys in a Unity home, starting as far back as 2004 and as recently as 2016. Shanda Rae Hitchcock was sentenced by Westmoreland Judge Timothy Krieger as a result of her...
Norwin area charges filed as of April 29, 2021
Charges filed with North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty before a judge in Westmoreland County Court. • Donna L. Rich, 55, of Irwin, by borough police with aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment. • Aaron...
Norwin area happenings include scavenger hunt, tax rebates
Pet Friends plans scavenger hunt Pet Friends Inc. of Irwin, will hold a scavenger hunt/word game fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 in downtown Irwin. The event will include a meet and greet with the cats and dogs that are available for adoption, a police K-9 demonstration,...
Massage parlor owner seeks new trial on human trafficking, prostitution charges
A woman who owned and operated four massage parlors in Murrysville, Delmont and Monroeville will get a hearing on her appeal to withdraw her guilty pleas to promoting prostitution and participating in a human trafficking ring, a Westmoreland County judge decided Wednesday. Judge Scott O. Mears granted the Post-Conviction Relief...
Rostraver trash hauler, landfill fined $25,000 by state
The state slapped a $25,000 fine on the operator of a Rostraver landfill and a sister firm that collects garbage. According to a consent decree, the companies used two garbage trucks for about six months in 2019 to transport and dump municipal garbage at the firm’s landfill without a proper...
Norwin High School closed because of covid cases
Norwin High School will be closed Wednesday because of a sixth positive covid case at the high school within a 14-day rolling period. The closure will allow contract tracing to be completed and for sanitizing the building, the district said Tuesday afternoon. The school was closed upon the recommendation of...
Pittsburgh region jobs rise in March, still behind 1 year ago
The seven-county Pittsburgh region added 9,000 jobs in March, but the economy still has 76,500 fewer jobs than a year ago, just before the pandemic took hold, according to state labor data released Tuesday. The Pittsburgh region — Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties — saw the...
Gypsy moth spraying set for gamelands in eastern Westmoreland
Parts of a 2,472-acre piece of game lands in eastern Westmoreland County likely will be sprayed sometime between the middle-to-the-end of next week to prevent the infestation of leaf-eating gypsy moths, which damage trees and impact wildlife habitat, the state said Monday. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is targeting blocks of...
