Penn-Trafford Star category, Page 76
Pumpkin spice lovers, rejoice – tasty blend returns early this year
Is mid-August too early for pumpkin spice flavors to make their annual appearance? Not according to Dunkin’ and Starbucks. Fall products from Dunkin’ will be on the menu beginning Wednesday, their earliest-ever rollout. The Starbucks pumpkin spice latte will return Aug. 25, according to Business Insider. Are people craving cooler...
Eastern region real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 16
Churchill Katelyn Butler sold property at 2331 Forest Drive to Benjamin Wise and Kathryn Straatmann for $102,000. Delmont David Huczko sold property at 524 Athena Drive to Scott and Jessica Gordon for $228,500. Joseph Sesti sold property at 319 E. Pittsburgh St. to Robert Cole II and Kerri Rae Cole...
Penn-Trafford school staffer tests positive for covid-19
A Penn-Trafford School District staff member has tested positive for covid-19, district officials announced Friday. The staff member had been in close contact with other staffers, district Superintendent Matthew Harris said in a notice posted on the district website. “As soon as we became aware of the positive case, we...
10 artists to create original works for Diversity Billboard Art Project
Ten artists have been chosen to create original work for the Diversity Billboard Art Project created by the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition in partnership with The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Their commissions will be inspired by the theme “Make Our Differences Our Strengths” to convey how diversity and inclusion can...
Recruitment center for new Hempfield casino to open late August
The former Sears wing at Westmoreland Mall once again is coming to life as facilities that cater to the now-under-construction casino at the mall open up shop. A recruitment center is set to open Aug. 24 in the former Barbara Ann’s Country Furnishings store, which moved upstairs, said Tom Meinert,...
State departments warn of scams related to contact tracing
Two state agencies issued warnings about contact tracing scams amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Pennsylvania departments of Health and Aging, scams include a caller asking for Social Security numbers or payment for services. Contact tracing is used to identify people who have come in close contact with someone...
Poll worker needs ranked critical in Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette counties
Westmoreland County, as well as Fayette and Washington counties, face an uphill battle when it comes to recruiting poll workers for the presidential election this fall, researchers found. A study produced by Boston-based bipartisan nonprofit The Voter Protection Corps and Carnegie Mellon University found the counties were among 15 across...
Volunteers sought for spruce-up Saturday at Trafford restaurant
The Trafford Business Association is asking volunteers to lend a hand Saturday morning with a beautification project at a local restaurant that is in transition. Association President Larry George plans to cut and install cedar boards to put a new face on a chain link fence fronting an unused section...
New Westmoreland GOP head wants to expand on party’s success
The new chairman of Westmoreland County’s Republican Committee said he wants to keep the momentum that, for the last decade, propelled election day victories and voter registration surges that turned the local GOP from an afterthought to political dominance. “It wasn’t that long ago we were the group on the...
Western Pa. leaders working to exceed census response rates from 2010
Fewer people have responded to the 2020 census across Western Pennsylvania than in 2010, new data shows. According to the Pennsylvania State Data Center, several area counties, including Allegheny and Westmoreland, are about 5 percentage points behind self-response rates recorded in 2010. That means fewer people so far have responded...
Authority OKs $5.8M in contracts for Arnold Palmer airport terminal, runway expansions
The Westmoreland County Airport Authority is moving ahead with interior and exterior improvements at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, at a cost of about $5.8 million. The authority this week awarded contracts for expanding the passenger holding room and for continuing widening and strengthening of the runway at the Unity airport....
Western Pa. colleges awarded federal funds to underwrite reopening costs
Seven local colleges and trade schools were awarded more than $900,000 in federal grants to help underwrite public health and safety plans for reopening shuttered campuses. The grants that flowed through the state are part of a $28 million pool of federal CARES Act money state officials set aside to...
Eastern area real estate transactions, Aug. 10
Edgewood Jeremiah Lott sold property at 124 Dewey St. to Gretchen Snell Zelinsky for $245,000. Thomas Vandyke Schmaus sold property at 109 Ivy St. to Cory Francis Hayes and Alexa Donner for $183,000. Forest Hills MO Rentals Inc. sold property at 530 Atlantic Ave. to Erich Raymond Hulse for $78,500....
Bushy Run falls short in Region 7 baseball tournament
Bushy Run failed to hold an early lead and dropped a 6-3 decision to Bedford in the Region 7 American Baseball League Tournament at Hollidaysburg. The Westmoreland County American League Baseball playoff champion took an early 2-1 lead when Bret Andreani had an RBI single and Tommy Kuzinsky was hit...
Tickets for Walmart Drive-in movie experience sold out in Pittsburgh area
From Aug. 14 to Oct. 21, Walmart Supercenters across the country are offering 320 free, socially distanced drive-in movies in 160 store parking lots, shown in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival. All locations in the Pittsburgh area are sold out, including Walmart stores in North Huntingdon and West Mifflin....
Westmoreland master gardeners take Monarch Migration Celebration online
Penn State Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County’s 2nd annual Monarch Migration Celebration has gone virtual, with seven weeks of activities to help children and their families learn more about monarch butterflies. The original celebration, held last September, was a single-day live event that drew about 150 participants. Organizers were hoping...
Westmoreland leaders say covid-19 grant awards will take longer than expected
Westmoreland commissioners said Thursday that $10 million in grants for local small businesses and nonprofits hurt by the coronavirus pandemic won’t be awarded until the end of August. The county received 500 grant applications by last week’s deadline. While officials originally suggested that money could begin to flow as early...
State reimburses Westmoreland for some voting machine expenses, talks to start Friday on finding next elections bureau head
Westmoreland County received a $3.4 million reimbursement from the state, which covers about 60% of the costs of new elections equipment purchased over the past year. That money, according to state guidelines, cannot be used to cover costs associated with the November presidential election, officials said. “It will have to...
Dealer school open house scheduled for this weekend at Hempfield mini-casino site
The public has its first chance to tour the new dealer school at Westmoreland Mall this weekend, which is slated to produce employees for the casino under construction at the Hempfield facility. From 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, those interested in the school can speak with experienced table game dealers...
Ultraviolet light air cleaner added at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
A safety measure added at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport this week will rid the air of any harmful bacteria or viruses to keep employees and travelers healthy, said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. An ultraviolet light system was installed in the Unity airport’s HVAC unit...
The Westmoreland reopens: A safe space to contemplate art in the midst of pandemicVideo
Doug and Connie Clutter of Washington, Pa., were the first guests through the door when The Westmoreland Museum of American Art reopened Wednesday. A watercolor painter, Connie said she was in need of some inspiration for her work. “We needed an outing, too,” her husband said. “I just missed art...
Citizens Bank, Trib Total Media, Pittsburgh Cares now accepting 2021 Champions in Action applications
Applications for a 2021 Champions in Action award are being accepted by Citizens Bank, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares until Aug. 21. The program is seeking nonprofit applicants for work done related to covid-19 relief. “Applications will be accepted … from nonprofit organizations focused on solving post-pandemic social needs...
Westmoreland sheriff uses antibody tests to screen deputies for coronavirusVideo
Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs won’t have week-long waits to determine if they’ve been infected with the coronavirus. Sheriff James Albert said Tuesday his office secured up to 50 rapid antibody tests that his staff will use as a diagnostic tool to determine the likelihood of exposure to the virus. “As...
Census Bureau announces date change for in-person counts
Local communities could be left scrambling after the Census Bureau confirmed there will be one less month to collect population counts vital for determining how federal funds are dispersed and the number of representatives each state has in Congress. The final date for collecting the once-a-decade survey is Sept. 30...
New slides at Mammoth Park temporarily shut down amid claims of injuriesVideo
Jamie Crise was happy to hear Tuesday that Westmoreland County officials temporarily shut down new slides at Mammoth Park after her 10-year-old daughter was hurt there last month. The girl ended up with a brush burn on her shoulder and bruises, leaving the Mt. Pleasant Township mother with concerns about...
