Megan Tomasic stories, Page 65
Hempfield receives grant to improve park
Improvements are coming to Hempfield Park after the township received a $143,875 grant. The funds will be used for the construction of accessible pathways and new handicapped parking spots in the park, said Aaron Siko, director of parks and recreations. Construction will start in late 2019 or early 2020. The...
Westmoreland, Allegheny companies to benefit from manufacturing grants
Several Westmoreland and Allegheny county manufacturers will benefit from state grants focusing on the Manufacturing PA initiative. Approved by Gov. Tom Wolf Friday, the grants embed graduate and undergraduate students with local manufacturers where they will start research projects aimed at developing new technologies and advancing innovation across the state....
U.S. Army 28th Infantry Division Band to perform in Hempfield
The United States Army 28th Infantry Division Band is slated to play at Hempfield Park next week. The free performance will be at 7 p.m. June 28 at Hempfield Park’s amphitheater. Food and drink will be available for purchase. The 40 part-time citizen soldier band is based in Torrance in...
Hempfield hires 2 new elementary principals
Hempfield Area School District has hired two new elementary school principals. Jeff Kozuch is now principal of Maxwell Elementary School. Lauren Weisser will serve as principal at Stanwood Elementary School. Kozuch and Weisser will be paid about $118,000 per year. Kozuch has been in the Hempfield district for 24 years,...
Real ID seminar to be hosted at Hempfield Area High School
Have questions about getting a Real ID? State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, is hosting a July 8 seminar along with PennDOT officials to discuss where people need to go to get an ID and what documents are required. PennDot officials will give three 20-minute presentations throughout the day starting at...
Hempfield Area School Board member submits resignation
Voters will see a few more candidates on Hempfield’s school board ballot in November after current member Chris Rossman submitted his resignation Monday night. Rossman, who was not immediately available for comment, submitted his resignation because he is being relocated for his job, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. The resignation will...
Latrobe medical marijuana dispensary hosting open house
Wondering what a medical marijuana dispensary looks like? RISE Latrobe, which is slated to open Thursday, will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The public can tour the dispensary and speak with staff members at the site, 117 Beatty County Road, Unity Township. Part of RISE...
Officials respond to person trapped under tractor
Officials responded to a person trapped under a farm tractor in Derry Township Monday evening, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. When first responders arrived at Cannery Hollow Road around 4:45 p.m., the person was already out from underneath the tractor. His condition was not immediately available. The Derry...
Latrobe woman launches ladies’ fishing gear line
Kim Ranalla is bringing a feminine piece to the fishing gear market — and is hopeful it will help women feel comfortable in their own bodies. Ranalla, 48, of Latrobe runs Miss Mayfly, a local fishing gear company that mainly sells waders specifically designed to fit women’s bodies. “When (women)...
2 high school grads remembered after deadly Mammoth Park lightning strikeVideo
Sergio Bell would FaceTime every night with one of his best friends, Kaitlyn E. Rosensteel, who he nicknamed Bubba and took to prom. Everyone else referred to her as Moe. With his other best friend, Brendan A. McGowan, he would jam out to music in the car, sometimes persuading McGowan...
Chinese tariffs could impact future firework sales
While thousands of fireworks already have been shipped from China for Fourth of July celebrations, the industry is bracing for tariffs on Chinese goods that could drive up prices and darken skies for future summer celebrations. The 25% tariffs, which the Trump administration proposed in May, would hit a U.S....
Diversity of students rises across Pennsylvania, including in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties, data show
Diversity in children in school districts in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties is on the rise, data show. One in three Pennsylvania children are children of color, with four of five school districts having a higher share of children of color than in 2009, according to data based on estimates from...
Westmoreland Mall to host carnival
It might be a while before Westmoreland Mall’s mini casino comes to fruition. In the meantime, the landmark along Route 30 in Hempfield is hosting a carnival. Located in the parking lot outside the mall, the carnival — which starts at 5 p.m. Friday — will feature classic games like...
Earthquake reported in central Pa. Wednesday
A magnitude 3.4 earthquake hit central Pennsylvania Wednesday, but what residents felt probably seemed more like a truck passing by, officials from the U.S. Geological Survey said. The earthquake, which rattled parts of Mifflintown in Juniata County around 8:30 p.m., was reportedly felt by residents across the state and into...
Here’s how Pa. ranks in terms of women’s rights
Pennsylvania is pretty average when it comes to women’s rights. A new study, the best and worst states for women’s rights, released by security.org, a company that collects security data, research and studies, shows Pennsylvania ranks 29th with an overall score of over 46% compared to other states, based on...
Some Pa. residents receiving ‘unexpected’ medical bills, organization says
When Emily Christian-Michaels went to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh for a regular scan at 20 weeks pregnant, she didn’t expect to get hit with a $1,900 bill. The now-31-year-old Bellevue resident said hospital staff performed an extended scan without letting her know — a procedure that was not covered...
Possible new Hempfield club could help improve students behavior
A new club could be headed to Harrold Middle School in the Hempfield Area School District, aimed at establishing a culture that allows all students to learn in an effective environment. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education...
Rostraver home up for auction, starting bid $1.95 millionVideo
Have a few million dollars to spend? A home in Rostraver Township is up for auction Wednesday by Chartwell Real Estate Auctions, with the first bid starting at $1.95 million. Located at 621 Vale Vista Court, the 16,000-square-foot house was built on 11.8 acres in 2010, featuring six bedrooms, a...
Greensburg man dedicated life to helping others
Gerard Sheridan had three loves in life — helping people, education and his family. And spending more than 20 years as one of the original counselors at Westmoreland County Community College, and another 18 to Project Forward at Seton Hill University — a program that serves low-income students in schools...
Missing Hill District man found
Pittsburgh police say a man missing since Monday has been found. Jerry Marshall, 58, of the Hill District was last seen Monday around 5:45 a.m. at his home, police say. Police said Tuesday morning that Marshall was located and was taken to a local hospital. Police said they are investigating....
Bill calls for elimination of property taxes collected by Pa. school districts
Property taxes collected by school districts across the state could be a thing of the past if a new bill passes. Introduced by Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Fayette/Greene/Washington), along with state Reps. Marcia Hahn (R-Northampton) and Rosemary M. Brown (R-Monroe/Pike), the bill would enable districts to exclude up to 100% of...
Ohio man found with pot brownies, gun on turnpike, police say
An Ohio man was arrested Thursday evening after police say they found him with pot brownies, drug paraphernalia and an unlicensed gun. Nashon William Latimer, of Parma Heights, Ohio, was pulled over around 6 p.m. after a toll collector alerted police Latimer allegedly left the Pennsylvania Turnpike without paying and...
Changes could be coming to Hempfield’s Smail properties
Smail’s Autobody and Collision Center in Hempfield Township could be expanding. Plans presented to the township’s planning commission Wednesday show a 6,125-square-foot expansion to the center, including additional service bays and new asphalt paving. Located behind Smail’s Acura and Honda dealerships along Route 30, the center offers repairs to all...
Paper bag sales on the rise as plastic bans go into effect
The classic question — paper or plastic? — could soon be phased out as bans on single-use plastic bags sweep the nation, causing paper companies and manufacturers to see a surge in sales. Companies across Pennsylvania are seeing higher sales for paper bags and boxes, but the growth is driving...
Seton Hill student competes on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
Standing in front of his TV as a kid, Zach Greene would dance along to the songs as performers competed on “So You Think You Can Dance.” The 19-year-old Seton Hill University student never thought he’d one day take the stage as a contestant himself. “I was so incredibly excited...
