Megan Tomasic stories, Page 62
Safe2Say fields tips, puts focus on mental health services for students
Between Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, almost 3,240 calls were reported through Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something Program, a 24-hour tipline that allows students, parents and teachers to anonymously report something suspicious online or from a person who poses a threat to themselves or others. According to a report released by Pennsylvania Attorney...
Restaurants, drivers grapple with challenges from expansion of food-delivery apps
Stephanie Stefan can wait up to 20 minutes for a DoorDash order to be prepared by a restaurant, only to make between $5 and $6, she said. The 50-year-old Jeannette resident has worked as a driver for the popular food delivery app for three weeks. She already has reservations about...
Analysis shows Bernie Sanders with most donors and money in U.S., Western Pa.; Joe Biden still leads in polls
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders — once again making a play for blue-collar workers — has received donations from across the country, including much of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Maps created by The New York Times show Sanders receiving a higher number of donations across Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region — areas with...
Former Macy’s Waterfront store to house 2 new tenants
Less than a year after Macy’s at the Waterfront in Homestead announced it was closing, two tenants are ready to move into the building. Siemens Mobility, Inc., a technology-based company, and Commonwealth Charter Academy, a cyberschool, have signed long-term leases to occupy the 135,000-square-foot space that has sat vacant since...
Westmoreland development projects get nearly $6 million
Almost $6 million has been awarded to some Westmoreland County municipalities and organizations to help spur economic development projects. The money is part of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, of the Office of the Budget, for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects....
Experts: Capital One data breach latest example of constant cybersecurity threats
The latest reported consumer data breach — in which a hacker exposed personal information of more than 100 million Capital One customers and applicants — came as no surprise to cybersecurity experts in Western Pennsylvania. The odds of a data breach happening at major companies is almost 100%, said Paul...
Veterans can receive VA services at MedExpress, urgent care facilities
Urgent care services are now offered to veterans through Veteran Affairs urgent care clinics. The program, which started June 6, offers services to those suffering from the flu, minor burns or skin infections at locations like MedExpress, UPMC Urgent Care and MinuteClinic, located inside CVS stores. Retail locations include a...
Greensburg woman remembered for love of acting, family
When Nancy Robbins gave birth to her daughter, she knew she wanted her name to stay in the family, but she didn’t want to stick her child with a junior at the end of her name. So instead, she changed the “y” in Nancy to an “i.” “One of her...
Baltzer Meyer society in Hempfield to offer free access to books, records for day
Take a step back in time and research family histories, get a tour of a school house and learn about making rugs during the first ancestry day hosted by the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society. The Hempfield group is opening the doors to their library, with over 230 books, family files...
Dartboard with faces of 4 congresswomen sparks controversy at Fayette County Fair
Several people on social media are up in arms over a dartboard displayed at the Fayette County Fair that depicts the faces of four Democratic congresswomen and a cornhole board featuring the face of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The dartboard, which was set up at the Fayette County GOP...
Western Pa. colleges, universities named to Colleges of Distinction list
Several Western Pennsylvania colleges and universities were named to the 2019-20 Colleges of Distinction list, which helps upcoming college students navigate schools across the country based on size, cost, location, academic offering and more. Seton Hill University in Greensburg, California University of Pennsylvania in Washington County; Chatham, Duquesne, Point Park,...
Population estimates show Pennsylvania losing congressional district
The number of U.S. House of Representative seats reserved for Pennsylvania could continue to dwindle following a 100-year population trend in the state, according to recent predictions for districts across the country. A map released by Esri, a California-based geographic information system company, shows Pennsylvania with 17 congressional districts, down...
Peyton’s K9s raises over $11,000 for K9 units across the countryVideo
Peyton Estochin already knows what she wants to be when she grows up — a K-9 handler for a police department. The 7-year-old McKeesport resident is already well on her way to making that dream a reality. Peyton’s K-9s, a nonprofit organization founded in 2018, has 1,445 likes on Facebook...
Churches in Derry Twp., Jeannette among those to offer free school supplies, haircuts
With the first day of school right around the corner, churches and organizations across Westmoreland and Allegheny counties are fielding some of the back-to-school costs by handing out free school supplies. Here’s a look at three of them: In Westmoreland’s Derry Township, Harvest Church is preparing for the 20th annual...
Police say Latrobe man assaulted Johnstown police officers
A Latrobe man allegedly assaulted two Johnstown police officers early Monday morning, officials said. Timothy Devalerio, 21, is being held in the Cambria County jail on $10,000 bail after he allegedly tried to bite one of the officers and eventually fled the scene. Officers responded to an area near the...
Reenactors to portray 256th Battle of Bushy Run in Penn Township
The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society is taking guests back in time next weekend to commemorate the 256th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run. The re-enactment of the two-day battle between the British and the confederation of Native Americans on the Penn Township battlefield that took place Aug. 5-6,...
Pitt-Greensburg’s summer housing has students living without A/C in extreme heat
Alyson Bender, who is going into her junior year at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, relied heavily on fans placed around her student housing to keep her cool during a recent heat wave that hit the area. Still, the temperature in her on campus apartment crept toward 91 degrees...
Hempfield school officials move forward with tax assessment appeals
The Hempfield Area School Board is moving forward with a tax assessment appeals process that spurred public outcry last year and was the driving force during the May primary election. They are retaining a Forest Hills law firm that sparked several questions from board members in the process. Pushing up...
CVS installs time-delay safes in stores across Pennsylvania
CVS Pharmacy officials are hoping to prevent pharmacy robberies and increase safety in stores across the state thanks to new time-delay safes. The safes, which were placed in all CVS locations in Pennsylvania — including pharmacies located in Target stores — electronically delay the time it takes for pharmacy employees...
New member appointed to Hempfield school board
The Hempfield Area School Board has a new member. The board Monday voted 7-1 to appoint Mike Alfery, 49, to replace Chris Rossman, who submitted his resignation in June because he relocated for work. Paul Adams voted against the appointment. Alfery is a candidate in the school board race in...
Blues singer, saxophonist Vanessa Collier to play Greensburg’s SummerSounds this FridayVideo
A blues singer and saxophonist will make SummerSounds a stop on her months-long tour that includes shows in Switzerland and several cities across the United States. Vanessa Collier, who is on her “Honey Up” tour, will perform 7 p.m. Friday at Greensburg’s St. Clair Park. With three albums out, the...
Uniontown police looking for donations to reinstate K9 unit
The Uniontown City Police Department is hoping to add new members to its force, and these ones will have four paws and a tail. Originally implemented in 2008, the department’s K9 unit lasted until its last two dogs — Leonidas and Xavier — both died earlier this year. “Once we...
Authorities to discuss whether charges will be filed in toddlers’ drowning deaths, funds being raised
A Uniontown police investigator plans to meet with the Fayette County District Attorney next week to review the results of his investigation to determine whether any charges will be filed in connection with the death of two young boys who drowned in their family’s swimming pool this week. Lt. Thomas...
Businesses, residents brace for weekend heat wave
A heat wave that could bring dangerous temperatures and a heat index exceeding 100 degrees has area residents and stores stocking up on fans and air conditioners, and is keeping HVAC companies on their toes. “It’s a nonstop kind of thing right at this moment,” said Chuck Cianciotti, owner of...
Sleep Number to move out of Westmoreland Mall
Another store is slated to move out of Westmoreland Mall. Sleep Number, located on the lower level between Sloppy Soap and Champs Sports, will move to a freestanding building at Eastgate Plaza in Hempfield, said Sleep Number spokesperson Julie Elepano. The news comes weeks after Verizon Wireless, previously located across...
