Stephen Huba stories, Page 16
North Huntingdon woman celebrates first Mother’s Day – times 3
Nina Juricich has spent most of her life preparing to be a mother — but nothing could have prepared her for this. The new mother had triplets Thanksgiving Day and will celebrate her first Mother’s Day pushing a triple stroller. “It’s overwhelming at times,” she said. “The older that they’re...
1891 German biography of Saint Vincent founder finally translated into English
In an 1854 letter to the archbishop of Munich, the Rev. Boniface Wimmer said the monastery that he had founded near Latrobe eight years earlier sometimes felt like Noah’s ark. “All sorts of creatures from everywhere gather under our roof,” he wrote. “Often, too, useless guests come, who disappear after...
Greensburg woman’s spiritual mission: ‘Kindness and love for everyone’
Joyce McCauley may not have been missionary material at the beginning, but that didn’t deter her from following a calling that would take her life in a radically different direction. The mother, wife and businesswoman decided to enter the foreign mission field with her husband, Don, in the early 1990s....
Pennsylvania awards $1M to small businesses for energy-saving projects
Twenty-six Southwestern Pennsylvania small businesses have received state grants to help them cut energy waste and expenses. The grants — including 14 in Allegheny County and nine in Westmoreland — were part of nearly $1 million in funding awarded Wednesday by the state Department of Environmental Protection through its Small...
Report: U.S. energy consumption, production and exports hit record highs in 2018
U.S. energy consumption, production and exports all reached record levels in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The United States produced a record amount of energy from various sources in 2018, reaching 96 quadrillion British thermal units — an 8% increase from 2017, EIA said. The increase in...
Somerset native flew on little-known first flight across Atlantic
“We have safely crossed the pond.” With that telegram, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Albert C. Read announced to the world the first transatlantic flight in 1919 — eight years before Charles Lindbergh’s solo, nonstop voyage. One of Read’s crewmen on the NC-4 seaplane was a Somerset County native by the name...
Seton Hill students recognized for diplomacy skills at Model UN Conference
A team of eight Seton Hill University students was recognized for its work at the recent Model United Nations Conference in New York City. The team received an Honorable Mention Delegation Award for representing the West African country of Mauritania at the conference, while sophomore political science major Paris Szalla...
Women ministers to gather in Pittsburgh for centennial celebration
The International Association of Women Ministers is holding its Centennial Assembly in Pittsburgh July 22-24. The theme is “Women’s Prophetic Leadership in a Changing Church.” The ecumenical body was formed in 1919 in St. Louis and has since grown to include ordained women clergy from 22 countries and six continents....
Gospel singer Russ Taff to hold concert at Somerset County churchVideo
Grammy- and Dove award-winning singer Russ Taff will appear in concert at Christian Community Church, Stoystown, at 7 p.m. Saturday. Taff, 65, first gained recognition as a singer as a member of the Imperials in the 1970s. He later joined the Gaither Vocal Band and continues to make guest appearances...
Report: Number of drilled but uncompleted oil and gas wells in U.S. continues to rise
The number of drilled but uncompleted wells in the United States has increased over the last two years, reaching a high of 8,504 wells in February, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The most recent well counts in EIA’s Drilling Productivity Report showed 8,500 wells in March — 26%...
Here’s your chance to shape transportation projects for the next 30 years
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the regional planning agency for a 10-county area, is soliciting public comment on a draft transportation plan called “SmartMoves for a Changing Region.” The document identifies roadway, transit and multimodal transportation priorities for southwestern Pennsylvania over the next 25-30 years. Accompanying “SmartMoves for a Changing Region”...
Rare, ancient Bible returned to Pittsburgh is part of nation’s religious heritage
The return of a rare Bible to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is more than a homecoming — it is a reminder that the Geneva Bible has been part of this country’s religious heritage since the beginning. “It is the quintessential American Bible, even though it was produced by and...
With new strategy, Pennsylvania State Police graduates large cadet class
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania State Police is graduating one of its larger classes, and it might be because of an effort to get prospective cadets accustomed beforehand to what 27 challenging weeks of academy training is like. The agency graduated 103 cadets in the 155th graduating cadet class Friday....
Westmoreland County Food Bank honors its volunteers of the yearVideo
Even in the midst of personal tragedy, Robbyn Slavin did not miss a beat as volunteer coordinator for the Charter Oak Church Food Pantry. “It’s important to me to keep with the commitments I agree to,” Slavin said. In December 2016, Slavin, 46, and her husband, Ron, were at a...
Former Irish running back Reggie Brooks to speak at Notre Dame Club of Greensburg event
Reggie Brooks, a former Fighting Irish All-American running back, will be the guest speaker at the Notre Dame Club of Greensburg’s annual Notre Dame Celebration. The May 28 event at Christ Our Shepherd Center, 2900 Seminary Drive, Unity, begins with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by an interactive presentations by...
Youth Dairy Day in Indiana County to focus on careers, trends in dairy industry
One of three Youth Dairy Days across the state will be held at the Indiana County Fairgrounds, 803 Hospital Road, Indiana, on June 10. The event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is designed for young people ages 5-18 who want to learn more about careers in the dairy...
Appalachian Basin’s methane emissions fall despite increase in gas production
Two new reports have put some wind in the sails of the oil and gas industry at a time when Pennsylvania is trying to tighten the rules on methane emissions. The reports show a dramatic decline in methane emissions even as natural gas production has been on the increase. “It...
$464K in grants to help Western Pa. schools boost security efforts
Four Western Pennsylvaina school entities — a school district, an intermediate unit and two technical schools — have received a total of $464,709 in state grants to enhance their safety efforts. State Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, said the grants were announced by the state’s School Safety and Security Committee, which...
Pa. state police increasing patrols at places of worship
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania state police in Indiana County checked on nearly five dozen churches and houses of worship. The visits, spurred in part by Saturday’s synagogue shooting in California, are part of an expanding effort to increase state police presence at places of worship around the region. “We’re doing...
Report: 1 in 4 U.S. homes now powered only by electricity
One in four homes in the United States are now powered only by electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The share of all-electric homes has risen in each census region over the past decade, particularly in the Midwest and South, according to the EIA’s 2015 Residential Energy Consumption...
Hemp-growing permit deadline passes for Pennsylvania farmers
Tuesday was the deadline for Pennsylvania farmers to apply for a permit to grow industrial hemp. Farmers already in the application process have until May 21 to sign a final agreement with the state Department of Agriculture. Although legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is still a regulated crop...
Allegheny County 2019 high school rankings released
Below is the Top 10 high schools in Allegheny County, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. Rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate. The county rankings are followed by...
18 of Pennsylvania’s top 100 ranked high schools are in Pittsburgh region
Southwestern Pennsylvania has 18 of the Top 100 high schools in the state, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate. High schools...
Early intervention programs target Westmoreland children in need of help
Born at just over 27 weeks gestation, Victoria Zerlin began life with unusual challenges. She spent her first 80 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, where her parents, both Venezuelans, were living at the time. “When she was discharged from the NICU,...
Monroeville girl’s murder spurs father on crusade against teen dating violence
The majority of teen dating violence episodes — 83% — follow a bad breakup. That statistic alone, had Demi Brae Cuccia or her parents known it in 2007, might have been life-saving. “If my daughter had an assembly and she learned that, she wouldn’t have maybe let this boy come...
