Penn-Trafford Star category, Page 66
Covid curtails blood donations, Western Pa. collection groups sayVideo
It was day of firsts on Thursday for Shari Vislosky of Penn Township and her two oldest teenagers, who joined about 50 donors at the American Red Cross’ blood drive at Hempfield Park. It was the first time that Vislosky has donated since the covid-19 pandemic hit Western Pennsylvania in...
WPIAL football players sign with Division I FBS, FCS programs
Division I FBS Senior football players from the WPIAL who signed with Division I programs: Name, high school, pos., college • Evan Azzara, Plum, OL, Miami (Ohio) • Derrick Davis, Gateway, S, LSU • Khalil Dinkins, North Allegheny, TE, Penn State • Elliot Donald, Central Catholic, DT, Pitt • Trevor...
Signing day punctuates season of change for Penn-Trafford, Jeannette stars
One moved from wide receiver to quarterback. The other, from quarterback to receiver. Both made sacrifices to make their teams better. Now a pair of talented athletes from Westmoreland County will look to add to the quality of play at two in-state Division I FCS football programs. Senior Ethan Carr...
Westmoreland County to settle lawsuit against Recorder of Deeds
Westmoreland County commissioners are expected to settle a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year by a former employee claiming she was fired by new Republican Recorder of Deeds Frank Schiefer after he took office in January. The $27,500 settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing, officials said Wednesday. The lawsuit was...
Westmoreland covid hospitalizations up but Excela officials say they can handle it
The number of patients hospitalized in Westmoreland County because of the coronavirus jumped 27% in the last few days — from 131 patients on Saturday to 166 on Wednesday, according to state data. That’s a 55% increase from Nov. 30, when the county reported its first triple-digit patient count. Excela...
Trafford’s Mark Milovats brings Christmas special to local TV audienceVideo
Trafford native and international recording artist Mark Milovats will be sharing his “Christmas Wonderland” stage production with digital viewers and television audiences. The special, comprising highlights from the live 2018 holiday production, will air on WTAE at 5 p.m. Sunday. “Christmas Wonderland” has been syndicated for broadcast throughout the holiday...
Voice of Westmoreland to air local public health concerns in Zoom forum
A grassroots activist group will host a public Zoom forum with Westmoreland County commissioners Wednesday evening to air local concerns and urge them to take an active role in battling the region’s growing public health crisis. Although the county does not have an independent public health department, a spokesman for...
Masks, social distancing can’t stop the fun of Westmoreland Shop With A CopVideo
The smiles were evident Tuesday even behind the protective masks worn by young shoppers and their chaperones — police officers — at the Westmoreland County Shop With a Cop event at the Walmart in East Huntingdon. “This is by far my favorite day of the year,” said veteran Westmoreland sheriff’s...
Covid numbers tallied for Penn-Trafford area
The state Department of Health reports there have been 1,067 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Penn-Trafford area since the start of the pandemic in March. The department on Monday released data on confirmed cases of the virus in the six Penn-Trafford area ZIP codes, showing an increase of 549...
Eastern area real estate transactions for the week of Dec. 13
Chalfant Mack Beall sold property at 127 Elizabeth Ave. to Bennett and Haley Shakoske for $97,000. Churchill Daniel O’Toole sold property at 1299 Rodi Road to Kati Burgess for $175,000. Edgewood Anna Mrea Csorba sold property at 120 Maple Ave. to JoJo Monaco and Tara Donofrio for $332,000. Irwin Alison...
Penn-Trafford closes middle school, Harrison Park Elementary for the week
Penn Middle School and Harrison Park Elementary in the Penn-Trafford School District will be closed through Friday after students at each school tested positive for the coronavirus. Students will receive remote instruction during that time. Penn-Trafford Superintendent Matthew Harris said Monday the closures are in keeping with covid-19 pandemic guidelines...
Despite pandemic, Toys for Tots program draws donations, volunteersVideo
Cardboard boxes filled with toys for kids of all ages sat in a Youngwood warehouse Monday morning, awaiting the sorting and assembly that will start a week-long process for the Westmoreland County Marine Toys for Tots program. Now in its 25th year, the nonprofit helps collect between 25,000 and 30,000...
Excela plans to begin vaccine distribution to staff on Friday
Excela Health officials plan to administer their first doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine to staff in Westmoreland County on Friday, officials said. “We have requested 6,000 doses,” Excela spokesperson Robin Jennings said. Excela officials have conducted an internal survey among staff about the vaccine. Employees will not be required to...
Penn-Trafford fits in basketball sweep before sports shutdownVideo
One and done. Before the big pause, Penn-Trafford’s basketball teams opened the season Friday with a doubleheader — the only games the Warriors will play in 2020. The girls took on Sto-Rox and the boys entertained North Allegheny in Harrison City. In between games, a sparse crowd — about 10%...
Westmoreland courthouse to operate by appointment only through December
Westmoreland County officials said Friday that most business at the courthouse in Greensburg will be conducted by appointment only through the end of December. Commissioners said all county offices will continue to operate during the three-week period of new restrictions announced earlier this week by Gov. Tom Wolf amid the...
Westmoreland Clerk of Courts unveils smartphone app
The Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts office is going modern. The office, which oversees all criminal court filings, on Friday unveiled it’s own app. In September, county commissioners approved a $15,000 contract with OVC LLC, a private firm that specializes in the creation of mobile apps for law enforcement, public...
Air Force Raptor joins 2021 Westmoreland air show lineup
The Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet demonstration team is slated to return to Unity for next year’s air show at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va., the Raptor previously participated in the Shop ’n Save Westmoreland County Airshow in 2016. The Raptor provides...
Westmoreland County Blind Association adding kitchen, sensory room for adult clients
Financial contributions leveraged by a state tax credit program will help the Westmoreland County Blind Association renovate part of its South Greensburg center to better meet the needs of the disabled adults it serves. The organization this week was awarded $46,500 through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program. Three area financial institutions...
Westmoreland Symphony concert is truly ‘Home for the Holidays’ this year
For many around Westmoreland County, nothing signals the arrival of the Yule season quite like the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert. Even though pandemic restrictions prevent the symphony from playing in front of a live audience this year, the popular concert is on, via a livestream...
Governor’s shutdown of inside dining another blow to restaurants, barsVideo
Restaurant and bar owners in Westmoreland County who were hoping to cash in any way they could during the Christmas and New Year holidays — typically one of the busiest times of the year, when not in a pandemic — suffered another blow Thursday with the announcement of another round...
Westmoreland doles out another $2 million in covid-relief grants to small businesses
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday awarded another 130 small businesses nearly $2 million to cover losses and expenses related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The money represents the second, and what commissioners said was the final, round of funding to small businesses from $31.5 million in federal relief funds the...
Westmoreland jail to install additional video conferencing as virus spread continues
Additional video conferencing rooms will be built at Westmoreland County Prison to allow for more court hearings to be held remotely as coronavirus infections continue to spread among inmates. Commissioners on Thursday hired Laurel Design and Construction Inc. of Hempfield to install new areas at the jail to allow more...
Harrison City firefighters raising funds for food bank, police toy drive
Harrison City firefighters are accustomed to holding fundraisers year-round, and this season they are helping the county food bank and a local toy drive. “We’ve had a lot of support. We wanted to give back to the community. It’s nice that everyone is supporting each other,” said Brandon Quinn, a...
MAWC management contract extended with $5 million raise
An Allegheny County based private management company will get a $5 million raise to help run operations for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County over the next decade. A new deal with Resource Development and Management Inc. comes five years into the company’s existing 10-year $13.8 million pact, which was...
Penn Township, Penn Hills will use state grants to update key traffic signals
State grants will help to upgrade traffic signals at intersections in Penn Township and in Penn Hills. PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement program has awarded $325,000 to Penn Township, to replace an obsolete traffic light at Route 130 and Route 993 (Walnut Street). Penn Hills will use its grant of...
