Quincey Reese stories, Page 31
Biondi Biscotti to bring food, fellowship to Penn Township in 2nd Italian Festival
Biondi Biscotti will bring Italian food and fun to Penn Township on Saturday. The cafe, located off of Route 130, will celebrate its second year of business at its second annual Italian Festival, featuring food, desserts, music and children’s activities. The event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. Louis...
Penn Township votes against construction of new golf facility in Blackthorne Estates
Penn Township commissioners voted 4-1 this week to deny construction of a new golf operations facility in the Blackthorne Estates community near Harrison City-Export Road. The new facility for the unfinished 18-hole Blackthorne golf course was discussed at a township meeting last month. After a 30-minute executive session, commissioners held...
Westmoreland Fair leaders aim to exceed last year’s 63,000 attendance
Westmoreland Fair organizers are hoping to meet or exceed last year’s record-breaking attendance at the nine-day event. This year’s fair begins at 4 p.m. Friday at the Mt. Pleasant Township fairgrounds, and will feature motocross races, demolition derbies, an animal auction, food, music and more. Last year’s event drew 63,000...
Blackthorne Estates residents weigh in on upcoming Penn Township golf course vote
Maureen Brusca and her husband hoped to retire on a golf course when they moved to Penn Township’s Blackthorne Estates community five years ago. Now, that dream is in jeopardy. The clubhouse for the community’s unfinished 18-hole golf course — Club at Blackthorne — has been closed to the community...
New entertainment venue coming to former Shop ‘n Save in Hempfield
A new entertainment venue is expected to open in Hempfield in November. Owners of 814 Lanes & Games of Johnstown announced last year they would open a second location at the former Shop n’ Save, 4589 Route 136. The grocery store closed in 2014 and the 44,000-square-foot building has remained...
‘It was my life’: Former North Hills resident continues 40-year photography business in Manor
Alicia Dallago’s journey with photography first took shape far outside Western Pennsylvania. Over a 40-year career behind a camera, she earned numerous accolades, including two Kodak Gallery awards. Dallago, owner of Alicia Photography, was a portrait photographer in the North Hills for 36 years. For the past year, she has...
Penn-Trafford senior wins county title from ‘Distinguished Young Women’
Kari Leventopoulos has known she wants to be a doctor since she was five years old. Now, a scholarship opportunity will help her chase that goal. Leventopoulos, a rising senior at Penn-Trafford High School, won the Westmoreland County title for Distinguished Young Women — a national scholarship program for high...
South Huntingdon fire department purchases gear for firefighters
The Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Department in South Huntingdon will purchase more than $30,000 worth of gear thanks to a grant from a Florida-based nonprofit. The $30,500 grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation will cover the cost of seven sets of bunker gear. Each set includes a jacket, pants, hood,...
Hempfield releases comprehensive plan draft ahead of August vote
Hempfield supervisors will vote this month on a comprehensive plan that maps out the priorities of the township over the next 10 to 15 years. The plan’s goals include improving township signage, expanding sidewalks and trails, removing blighted property, developing available property on Route 30, preserving greenspace and evaluating the...
Hardware, electrical stores adapt to federal light bulb legislation
Jim Zink is not sure what to do with his remaining stock of incandescent light bulbs. Federal rules that took effect Aug. 1 prohibit the sale of most bulbs patented over a century ago by Thomas Edison. Now, Zink — owner of Hummell Brothers lighting store in Jeannette — is...
New Aldi store to open next month in Hempfield
The new Aldi store in Hempfield Plaza is expected to open in September. The store is taking over a former Staples location at 6207 Route 30 in Hempfield. The office supply retailer closed March 10. “We are excited to provide local shoppers a revamped and refreshed Aldi store designed to...
Battle at Bushy Run set to return after ‘positive move’ by state commission
The Bushy Run reenactment will proceed as usual this weekend and in the years to come thanks to a living history policy approved by the state this week. The Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, which governs Bushy Run and all other state-owned historic sites, voted on its final living history...
Live Casino Pittsburgh expects 700 cars for 2nd annual car cruise
Live Casino Pittsburgh will host its second car cruise Sunday in support of young student-athletes. The Hempfield casino held its first car cruise last year. It showed about 600 cars, drew 3,200 attendees and generated $6,000 for Educated Athletes First — a nonprofit started by former Jeannette football player Demetrious...
‘We’re just the helpers’: Nonprofit donates 7 strollers to children with disabilities
Rachel Losier loves shopping at the mall and going to amusement parks. But, for the past few years, a knee injury has prevented her from keeping up with her family and appreciating these outings. Losier, 18, of New Alexandria has Down syndrome, which is known for causing recurring knee injuries....
Bushy Run prepares for 260th anniversary of Penn Township battle
About 90 reenactors are registered for this year’s Bushy Run Battlefield reenactment, which was in jeopardy earlier this year after a change in state policy. The reenactment traditionally held the first weekend in August portrays a 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. It will take...
Hanna’s Town kicks off Civil War reenactment with children’s program
Of all the portrayals and demonstrations Friday at Historic Hanna’s Town, Waylon Bizup was most excited about the weaponry. “I liked the cannon,” 10-year-old Waylon said. “I liked the Gatling gun over there. We got to fire it, like two rounds. It was really cool, and we got to be...
Fire damages attic, basement of former South Huntingdon coffee shop
Fire damaged a former coffee shop in South Huntingdon Township on Tuesday evening. According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, fires were found in the basement and the attic of the former Breaktime Coffee Services building, located at 2246 First St. in Wyano. No one was found in the building...
Hempfield enters partnership with county to identify ‘best reuse’ of former state prison property
Hempfield supervisors have entered an agreement with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation to tear down the former SCI Greensburg state prison. The agreement, which the Hempfield supervisors approved in a meeting Monday evening, outlines the partnership between the township and the corporation, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the...
Seton Hill names Keisha Jimmerson dean of students, diversity officer
Keisha Jimmerson left her home in Virginia in 1993 to pursue a communications degree at Seton Hill University. Now an employee of the university for 25 years, Jimmerson said she has stayed because of the people who have shown her grace — inside and outside of the classroom. “There’s something...
Pa. working on new policy to govern reenactments at sites like Bushy Run
A draft of Pennsylvania’s new living history policy — which previously jeopardized future reenactments at state-owned historic sites — is a “step in the right direction” but could use clarification, according to Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society President Bonnie Ramus. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission held its second of...
‘It’s heartwarming’: Local running store hosts Labor Day race in support of autism nonprofit
Autism Connection of PA, a Pittsburgh nonprofit, has a “huge mission and a limited budget,” said Director of Operations Tammi Morton. So fundraising events like the Labor Day Run for Autism are vital. Gingerbread Man Running Co., a store for runners with locations in Indiana and Greensburg, has hosted the...
Penn Township planning ahead for Pa. Turnpike interchange
Penn Township will request $20 million through a state grant program to put toward future capital projects, including the upcoming Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange on Route 130. “We know that the turnpike interchange is coming,” township secretary/manager Mary Perez said. “In anticipation of any type of capital need or perhaps a...
Severe thunderstorm watch, including possible tornadoes, issued Thursday night for Pittsburgh areaVideo
Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes are expected to reach Pittsburgh late Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 3 a.m. Friday. The primary threat will be damaging wind with speeds up to 70 mph,...
Westmoreland communities receive share of casino revenue
It’s unlikely that one would expect to win money at a casino for bridge repairs or fire department renovations, but a few Westmoreland municipalities found themselves with the lucky hand Monday. Live Casino Pittsburgh doled out its latest round of Local Share Account grants at the Hempfield location Monday, bringing...
Increased turnout expected for Bushy Run reenactment
Although it was in jeopardy of not happening, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society anticipates an increased turnout at this year’s reenactment, set for Aug. 5 and 6. Reenactors portraying Native Americans at the event will have additional procedures to follow this year, a conciliation to the Pennsylvania Historical and...
