Megan Tomasic stories, Page 74
Guy Fieri could bring his Taco Joint to planned casino at Westmoreland Mall
Hempfield could land a little star power along with a mini casino planned for Westmoreland Mall. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Taco Joint could be one of the options among entertainment options planned to go into the former Bon-Ton department store space. The Cordish Company, the Baltimore-based group heading the proposed...
Scottdale Bank & Trust names new VP and retail market manager
Scottdale Bank & Trust appointed a new vice president and retail market manager Friday. The Millersburg-based bank hired Tiffany R.M. Guittap, a Uniontown resident, to help the bank reach financial goals and build and maintain strong customer relationships throughout Westmoreland and Fayette counties. With 13 years of banking and financial...
Possible development eyed near Greengate Centre in Hempfield
A popular Hempfield business corridor may soon house new retail and restaurant options across Route 30 from Greengate Centre, developers said. While details aren’t yet finalized, site plans under consideration by real estate brokerage company Hanna Langholz Wilson Ellis show three retail buildings and a restaurant along South Greengate Road....
Youngwood railroad museum gets early jump on Lenten fish fry season
Ray Alincic never thought he’d run a fish fry, let alone one that starts three weeks before the Lenten — and unofficial Western Pennsylvania fish fry — season kicks off. As manager of Station Cafe and board member of the Youngwood Historical and Railroad Museum for 14 years, Alincic is...
Penns Manor High student investigated after allegedly posting threat
An Indiana County high school student allegedly posted a threat on social media while he was at school, police said. The 16-year-old student is facing a disorderly conduct citation and disciplinary action from Penns Manor High School for allegedly posting the threat on Snapchat Tuesday. Pennsylvania State Police investigated. Megan...
Norwin School District to hire coordinator to plan Chinese student visitsVideo
After 16 Chinese elementary and middle school students attended classes throughout Norwin School District last year, officials want to hire an ambassador who can keep the program going. School board members have approved hiring a Chinese Youth Ambassador Program Coordinator who will plan Chinese student’s visits to Norwin and create...
General Carbide expanding, adding new jobs
General Carbide Corp. in Hempfield is a step closer to adding more jobs. The second-generation, family-owned precision tooling company this week received approval for technical review by the Hempfield Township Planning Commission to add 12,500-square-feet to its facility at 1172 Garden St., making room for 20 new manufacturing positions. Company...
Planned restaurant near Westmoreland Mall gets new name: IronRock Tap House
An upscale restaurant planned for outside Westmoreland Mall is getting an new name. Originally proposed as Sedona, the yet-to-open restaurant will now be called IronRock Tap House. This comes after its marketing team and owner Greg Cammerata decided the new name was a better fit for the vision and concept....
National Transportation Safety Board releases ‘Most Wanted’ list for reducing traffic deaths
The National Transportation Safety Board is working to decrease the number of traffic fatalities across the nation by targeting three key factors — speeding, alcohol- and drug-related incidents and distracted driving. The board announced its “Most Wanted” list Monday, targeting 10 safety areas officials think could be improved upon. The...
Westmoreland notables: Norwin grad takes on responsibilities for Penn State’s THON
Standing on a stage in the middle of Penn State’s Bryce Center last year, 13 students held up a blue and yellow sign announcing THON had raised over $10 million. The room, filled with thousands of students and kids who are battling cancer, exploded with applause. The annual student-run event...
Student art from 1940s gives glimpse of Manor Borough history
Nestled behind desks and under a water pipe in Hempfield Area High School’s basement sat five pieces of Manor history in the form of original art. The paintings give a glimpse into what the borough looked like in 1943-44 from the perspective of Manor School students. “You see the age...
Hempfield to review past votes, but supervisors balk at state audit
Despite claims by one of its own, state investigators will not examine whether Hempfield supervisors have voted on issues outside the public eye — including on reaching a $125,000 union settlement agreement and other matters. The Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office can only audit a township’s pension funds and use of...
Fans of Everson native B. Smith lash out at her husband for dating while she fights Alzheimer’s disease
While Everson native and well-known model, author and television host Barbara Smith — widely known as B. Smith — battles Alzheimer’s disease, her husband is catching flack after announcing a new relationship on social media. The Southmoreland High School graduate got her start after attending a modeling school in Pittsburgh,...
Some of what’s open despite the freezing cold in Western Pennsylvania
Worried about getting cabin fever as frigid temperatures and winds blow through the region? Several area businesses aren’t letting the weather get in the way of normal day-to-day operations Wednesday and Thursday despite wind chills as low as 22 below. Here’s a list of some places that will remain open:...
Greensburg Beverage acquired by Johnstown-based beer distributor
Greensburg Beverage is now known as Inco-Greensburg, after it was acquired by a Johnstown-based beer distributor. On Monday, Inco Beverage began delivering products to Greensburg Beverage’s customers in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington and Fayette counties, according to a news release. “We kept the majority of the employees, and that was one...
Hempfield proposes public safety committee; police coverage could be examined
Almost a year after Hempfield’s fire bureau came into fruition, township supervisors are looking to establish a public safety commission — with police coverage being one area of potential focus. While the seven-person commission is far from being formed, Township Manager Jason Winters presented a conceptual plan that focuses on...
Westmoreland hopes to have third-party rental sites collect occupancy tax
Pennsylvania lawmakers are working to make taxes on sites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway easier to collect by putting the pressure on companies rather than property owners. But it’s an issue Westmoreland County is still trying to solve. Between the state and county, people who rent out their homes,...
Norwin World Color Guard show includes former ‘American Idol’ contestant
The Norwin World Color Guard ensemble is making its 2019 show a little more interesting with the help of a former “American Idol” contestant. The show, titled “Out of My Mind,” features Aubrey Burchell, a Norwin senior who competed in “American Idol” in March, making it to the top 70...
Pittsburgh Pirates spend day at Painting With a Twist, prepare for PiratesFest
Several members of the Pittsburgh Pirates put down their bats, stepped off the field and picked up a paint brush Thursday afternoon. Working with Passavant Memorial Homes children’s programs, the players and coaches helped kids with intellectual disabilities, autism and behavioral health issues paint a picture at Greensburg’s Painting With...
Mac Miller featured in Los Angeles mural
Although he’s from Pittsburgh, rapper Mac Miller now has a place on a Los Angeles store front. Venice, Calif.-based artist Gustavo Zermeno Jr. painted a mural of the singer, finishing it just in time for Miller’s Jan. 19 birthday. He would have been 27. “I really am a huge fan,”...
Hempfield High student to face charges after allegedly issuing threat
A Hempfield Area High School student will face charges after allegedly using social media to threaten students at the school, Principal Kathleen Charlton said in a letter posted on the school’s website. According to the letter, the student sent a message Thursday to friends that threatened the safety of students...
$15,000 allegedly stolen from Hempfield man, sweepstakes company warning against fraud
A sweepstakes company is warning people to watch out for a scam that caused a local man to have $15,000 taken from his bank account, police said. Scammers claiming to be from the United States Sweepstakes and Fulfillment Co. allegedly sent a mailer to a Hempfield Township man saying he...
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Laurel Region CEO announces resignation
The CEO and executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region announced her resignation Wednesday. Kelli Belanger, who served as CEO of the Greensburg-based organization for 14 years, said she has decided it’s time to move on from her position. “While I will always dearly treasure my...
New hotline could help Hempfield schools investigate potential threats
A new communications platform could help make the Hempfield Area School District safer. Safe 2 Say Something, a hotline where students and adults can submit anonymous tips about something suspicious online or from a person who proposes a threat to themselves or others, is set to start next week. The...
Hempfield seniors receive scholarships to Saint Vincent College
Two Hempfield Area High School seniors received the surprise of a lifetime — a full ride to Saint Vincent College in Unity. On Tuesday, Nolan Fraicola and Sarah Kudrick were surrounded by balloons when Saint Vincent Dean of Admissions Heather Kabala and Associate Director of Admissions Christina Andrae presented them...
