Joe Napsha stories, Page 98

Norwin officials expect to give the school board later this month a final plan for reopening the schools, and distribute that plan to students’ parents the first week of August. Superintendent Jeff Taylor said he is “very confident” that students will be able to return to the school buildings in...

A man was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound on Pittsburgh’s North Side early Saturday morning, Pittsburgh police said. The victim, who was not identified, was found around 6:40 a.m. lying under some bushes on the 1700 block of Manhattan Street. Medics arrived shortly after and pronounced the victim...

An Irwin resident this week chided borough officials for not wearing masks or maintaining proper social distancing during a council meeting. Bryan Rosatti of Cedar Street wore a mask Wednesday as he directed comments to borough officials about their failure to follow state rules for wearing masks and practicing social...

Fire departments, rescue and emergency medical service companies can apply for state grants to pay for utilities, repairing apparatus, buying personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as cleaning and disinfecting equipment and property in an effort to stop the spread of covid-19. The state set aside $44 million for fire...

Mt. Pleasant is selling its sewage plant to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, which has agreed not to raise rates for the plant’s 3,200 customers for at least two years, officials said. The municipal authority board on Wednesday approved the deal to buy the borough’s sewage plant for $3...

While Dylan Altemara finishes his master’s degree in human resources and looks for a job, the $600 unemployment weekly benefit boost from the federal government has been a lifesaver. “The additional stimulus money makes everybody whole,” Altemara, 27, of Belle Vernon said of the check he receives under the federal...

A Plum man was sentenced to 12-to-24 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to child pornography charges in Westmoreland County. Antonio R. Pampena, 37, pleaded guilty before Westmoreland Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio to two counts of disseminating photos of child sex acts, 35 counts of possessing child pornography and one...

In an effort to reduce power outages caused by downed branches and trees during summer thunderstorms, West Penn Power said it anticipates trimming trees along 2,600 miles of electric lines in its 24-county service territory, which includes all or portions of Allegheny, Armstrong, Fayette and Westmoreland counties. The initiative is...

State police are looking for a man they say stole checks from Mt. Pleasant Auto Sales along Route 31 in East Huntingdon and cashed a forged check for $2,970. John R. Bandemer Jr., owner of Mt. Pleasant Auto Sales, said his signature on the check was forged and the suspect...

Donna Eicher could be a poster child for the economically devastating impacts of the covid-19 restrictions on small businesses. “Even though we’re considered essential because we’re lodging, we haven’t had any business since mid-March. All our bookings for March, April, May and June canceled,” said Eicher, who operates Seams Like...

Pennsylvania’s unemployed will become eligible for an extension of their jobless benefits by the end of this week, state officials said Monday. Those who exhausted their regular unemployment compensation benefits — a maximum of 26 weeks — and exhausted their 13-week federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation assistance will be eligible...

A Jeanette woman accused of having a golf ball-sized chunk of crack cocaine allegedly told state police she was selling drugs to raise money to buy football cleats for her son. State police say they found the crack cocaine in a car driven by Nivek Aneece Jackson, 39, when they...

A historic house built in the early 1800s along the Youghiogheny River in West Newton was remodeled and converted into a vacation rental that should be available in August, the owner said. Real estate developer Gregory K. Barr of Baldwin took what was the long-vacant two-story wood-framed John C. Plumer...

With unemployment in Westmoreland and Fayette counties hovering around 19% because of the covid-19 impact on the economy, the new leader of the region’s workforce development organization sees “connecting companies and employers with professional, skilled, and interested job-seekers” as one of its biggest challenges to economic growth. “There can sometimes...

When Norwin High School conducts its commencement ceremonies for almost 400 seniors Friday night, there likely will be more than 250 people — graduates and guests — gathered at Knights Stadium for each of the two sessions. Although Westmoreland County is in the green phase of the state’s covid-19 restrictions...

Penn-Trafford plans to hold commencement ceremonies for its seniors on July 31, at a time to be determined, once the school district decides what kind of ceremony it will conduct​. While Westmoreland County is in the green phase of the covid-19 restrictions, the state has prohibited gatherings of more than...

Pittsburgh-based health and wellness retailer GNC Corp. filed for bankruptcy and plans to close 800 to 1,200 stores, including several in Western Pennsylvania, unless it finds a buyer willing to pay at least $760 million under an agreement with lenders. Saying the covid-19 pandemic “had a dramatic negative impact on...

Chalk up another cancellation of a popular event to covid-19. The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society has canceled its annual re-enactment of the 1763 battle between Native Americans and British and colonial forces during Pontiac’s War in what is now Penn Township. “There is no way we could put this...

Like many other activities, the Kids Week of fun and educational events typically held at The Lamp Theatre in Irwin is going virtual this year. No registration is required for the week of musical theater, arts and crafts, health and fitness, science, princess events and a puppet show that will...

The Greensburg YMCA will reopen Tuesday morning after being closed since Friday to allow staff to clean the building because someone using the YMCA day camp last week tested positive for covid-19. All the member services, including the wellness center and swimming pool, will reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday after...

The Penn-Trafford School Board is expected to vote June 29 on a health and safety plan to reopen its schools in August as a result of a survey that found an overwhelming percentage of parents want to fully send their children back to school, the district said. The 7 p.m....

Excela Health may have to tap into its reserves to cover $28 million in unreimbursed losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic this spring that eliminated elective surgeries and patient visits, hospital officials said. The $38 million in covid-19 losses that piled up between mid-March and the end of...

A 39-year-old Indiana, Pa. man accused of violating protection from abuse orders was arrested by federal marshals in Ohio on Friday after he allegedly made numerous threatening phone calls to the state police and employees at the Indiana County station. The suspect, Tobias T. Wright, is accused of making 40...

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a New Kensington woman accused of threatening a Westmoreland County caseworker Friday morning after a child custody hearing at the county courthouse in Greensburg, police said. The suspect, Ronica S. Paine, 46, of Leishman Avenue, allegedly threatened the female caseworker by...

A 2-year-old boy has died from injuries he sustained in a June 13 accident that killed two adults in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood. The victim, Kingsley Hall of Pittsburgh, died of blunt force trauma of the head on Wednesday in a Pittsburgh hospital, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced Friday...