Megan Tomasic stories, Page 70
Statewide ‘Stronger Than Hate Day’ established for Tree of Life synagogue victims
An official “Stronger Than Hate Day” was established in Pennsylvania during a joint legislative session that honored the victims of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. It’s just the third joint legislative session held in the last 78 years. The last time the two chambers of...
Giant Eagle to introduce shelf-scanning robots
Giant Eagle is joining what appears to be a growing national trend: incorporating robots into the daily routine of its grocery stores. Going by the name Tally, the black, white and blue robot will roll up and down aisles alongside customers, counting inventory, detecting products that are running low or...
Planet Fitness to open in Rostraver, donates to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Planet Fitness in Rostraver is set to open its doors and to celebrate they’re making a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region. During the April 11 ribbon-cutting ceremony, a $5,000 check will be presented to the non-profit organization aimed at providing services to kids through mentorship...
Hempfield fundraiser raises almost $12,500 for scholarships
Almost $12,500 was raised during Hempfield Area School District’s recent cash bash event. The money, raised through donations and fundraising, will go toward scholarships and educational grants for teachers. Held at the Youngwood Fire Hall on March 23, 333 tickets were sold, each with a three digit number on it....
Penn Township EMS responders benefit from Eagle Scout project
James Sullenberger of North Huntingdon didn’t know his Eagle Scout project would impact more than 2,000 lives annually. But a simple project like building new shelves in the Penn Township Ambulance Association’s locker room, along with a jacket and helmet rack and dressing bench in the ambulance bay is helping...
Hempfield Area School District wants students to consider trade schools
Hempfield Area School Board members are trying to find a balance between college-bound students and those who enter the trades. By increasing access to internships, job shadowing and apprenticeships, officials are hoping to open doors for students in areas they wouldn’t previously have considered. “There are, maybe, some students who...
New robotics program slated for Hempfield middle schools
A grant awarded to the Hempfield Area School District will help build its Science Technology Engineering and Math program in the middle schools. The district was awarded $35,000 as part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s PASmart grants. The money will be used to build the robotics program at Harrold, Wendover and...
Pittsburgh ranks second in nation for high number of Target stores
Love shopping at Target? Pittsburgh ranked second in the top 10 list for cities with the highest ratio of Target stores to residents, according to Apartment Guide, a rental website that helps people find apartments. According to the study, Pittsburgh has one Target for every 37,801 people. Knoxville, Tenn., topped...
North Belle Vernon park to host fundraiser at Topgolf
A new event will help raise money for the North Belle Vernon Community Bank Park — an area for kids, people with special needs and those looking for a place to play soccer or dek hockey. On June 2, park founder Robert J. Sokol will host a Topgolf fundraiser with...
Hempfield grads-to-be to participate in senior walk
With about two months until seniors at Hempfield Area High School leave the district and move on to the next steps of their lives, they have one more chance to go back to where it all began. The Senior Walk gives graduating seniors the opportunity to walk the halls of...
Tools, copper wire taken from East Huntingdon site, police say
Over $40,000 worth of tools and copper wiring was taken from an East Huntingdon Township job site last month, police said. Supplies allegedly were stolen from Butler man and a Portage man who were working at a Goodwill store at 100 Crossroads Plaza. A conduit bender, a layout tool, a...
Pleasant Unity community breathes new life into ballfield
Almost 50 years after the last official pitch was thrown, a Pleasant Unity baseball field has new life breathed into it. Located behind the Pleasant Unity Volunteer Fire Department, what was once a grassy spot where kids occasionally threw a ball around, is now a functioning baseball field with an...
Hempfield historical society to reopen library with 3,500 history books
More than 3,500 Westmoreland County and family history books will soon be available to the public again at the former Zion Church in Hempfield. The Paul Miller Ruff Library in the former church is scheduled to reopen after being closed for seven months to reorganize the books, said Thomas Harrold,...
Pittsburgh-area billionaire Maggie Hardy ties the knot in Colorado
Standing on top of Aspen Mountain in Colorado, Maggie Hardy and Shawn Knox tied the knot. Hardy, the billionaire president of building supply company 84 Lumber and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, is the daughter of Joseph A. Hardy III, who founded both businesses. After meeting last year, the Pittsburgh-area couple traveled...
Latrobe CrossFit gym owner competing in worldwide competition
Nate Long never thought he would be active in CrossFit, let alone own a gym or compete in a worldwide competition. But, four years ago, the now 28-year-old picked up a barbell and started on his CrossFit journey — a path that has led him to faith and a better...
Murrysville woman led by example, volunteered at charities
Mary Funk grew up on the Murrysville Golf Course. Living in the stone house on the property, her parents owned and ran the golf course since it was built in 1928 — the year they immigrated from Glasgow, Scotland. Mrs. Funk cut the greens and tended the course. It also...
Operation Pick Up Cans raises money for Easter meals in Jeannette
Joe “Jo-Can” Muscenti stopped smoking cigarettes 14 years ago and started picking up aluminum cans as a substitute. What started as a distraction turned into Operation Pick Up Cans, or OPUC, an organization that uses the money from selling cans to a recycling plant to provide meals for those in...
Columbia Gas announces possible rate decrease
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania wants to lower its rates for area customers. An advertisement which appeared in Monday’s Tribune-Review announced the utility’s request with the Pennsylvania Utility Commission for an adjustment of $17 million, starting Oct. 1. The request is an annual adjustment in gas cost rates that sets the...
Pittsburgh ranks in top 10 for highest number of Chipotle restuarants
Chipotle lovers unite. Pittsburgh was named one of the top 10 cities for a high number of Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, according to Apartment Guide, a rental website that helps people find apartments. According to the study, Pittsburgh has 10 Chipotles, or about one restaurant for every 30,241 people, ranking...
British Airways offers Pittsburghers chance to win prizes, free flight
British Airways and VisitBritain is promoting its new non-stop service from Pittsburgh to London Heathrow by taking a — small — step back in time. A red phone booth is set up on the North Shore today as a way to celebrate the Pittsburgh Pirates home opener, giving attendees the...
Hempfield officials look to improve fire department ratings ahead of insurance assessment
Hempfield officials want to solve issues at several township fire stations after a national assessment company changed requirements for its rating system. The assessment has a direct correlation with homeowner’s insurance rates. Grapeville, Luxor and West Point — a quarter of Hempfield’s dozen volunteer fire departments — had a low...
Hempfield Area High School students to compete in BotsIQ finals
Together with their robot, 25 Hempfield Area High School students are preparing for their final battles at the BotsIQ Finals Competition, which features student-made robots battling for the top spot. “Take NASCAR, boxing and MMA and put it together,” said Hempfield’s teacher advisor Craig Siniawski. “These kids have a small,...
Trump derails cuts to Special Olympics funding as Westmoreland County branch to mark 50th anniversary
Milton Claney remembers standing in the University of Pittsburgh’s stadium in 1968 when a boy ran past holding his bronze medal yelling, “I won! I won! I won!” At that moment, he realized what Special Olympics was all about. “I can’t say in 35 years I saw one Special Olympics...
Belle Vernon superintendent stays in position after resigning in February
A little over a month after she submitted her resignation, Belle Vernon Area Superintendent Michele Dowell has decided to remain at the district. At the end of February, Dowell told the school board that she would be leaving to work as director of curriculum with the Ringgold School District in...
Summer concert series announced for Hempfield Park
Hempfield officials are already planning events for the new Smail Auto Group Amphitheater at Hempfield Park this summer. During Monday’s public meeting, township supervisors approved agreements with eight bands and musicians for five concerts this summer, starting with the ribbon cutting event for the amphitheater at 220 Forbes Trail Road...
