Regional category, Page 357
Public hearing set on Conneaut Lake Park’s proposed Camperland expansion
SUMMIT TOWNSHIP — A proposed expansion of Conneaut Lake Park’s Camperland campground is set for a public hearing later this month. Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park, the nonprofit corporation that oversees the amusement park’s operations, proposes to expand the campground by adding 57 recreational vehicle full hookup campsites amenities. Currently,...
State police investigating dog shot in Butler County
State police in Butler are investigating after a dog was shot in the stomach Sunday in Concord Township. The dog, a German Shepherd Husky mix, later died, troopers said. The incident occurred between 3 and 7 p.m. in the area of 927 Hooker Road. Troopers said the dog’s owner found...
Former NFL player to speak at Catholic men’s conference
Mike McCoy, an all-pro defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers in the 1970s and the product of a Catholic education in Erie, will be the featured speaker for the first-ever Diocese of Greensburg Catholic men’s conference on March 30. “The Well: Come and Be Renewed” men’s conference will explore...
Forecast: Storm could blanket Western Pa. with 4 inches of snow by Wednesday
A storm expected to strike Tuesday night could blanket parts of Western Pennsylvania and neighboring states with more than 4 inches of snow by Wednesday, forecasters said. Snow and ice accumulation could cause dangerous travel conditions from Oklahoma to the Northeast — including Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland —...
Washington’s birthday marked at Fort Ligonier, part of his journeys in region
The “father of our country” will turn 287 on Friday , and the staff at Fort Ligonier will celebrate the occasion with a Winter History Happy Hour. Guests can take part in a happy birthday toast to George Washington from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the fort’s Center for...
Somerset County gets CodeRED emergency notice system
Somerset County is adopting a new emergency notification system that will allow residents and businesses to receive telephone calls, texts or emails about disasters and emergencies. The county Department of Emergency Services launched the use of CodeRED over the weekend and will test it at 3 p.m. March 19 to...
Analyst: Gas prices rise to highest level in 2 months on higher oil prices
Gas prices have risen to their highest level in nearly two months, mainly following higher oil prices, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “Gasoline demand remains seasonally weak, but last week’s report from the Energy Information Administration showed refinery utilization plunging, meaning less gasoline is flowing out...
Clarion University adds pet-friendly dorm
Animal lovers at Clarion University should be forgiven if they’re celebrating today. The state-owned university announced it will open a pet-friendly dorm for upperclassmen this fall. The aptly named Brooke Trout Hall will become a respite for pet lovers under the new policy. Pet lovers who are accepted at Brooke...
14 young professionals get Boy Scouts’ Trailblazer Award
The Westmoreland-Fayette Council of the Boy Scouts of America honored 14 Westmoreland County professionals with the 2019 Trailblazer Award. The annual award is given to professionals under the age of 40 who exemplify the 12 points of the Scout Law — a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,...
Women’s club: Westmoreland County Prison has become home to more female inmates
Editor’s note: Renatta Signorini participated as a 2018 jails and justice reporting fellow through a program by the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York City. The fellowship program supported journalists in examining issues related to jails in small towns and rural communities. Signorini’s work will...
Coroner: Cambria Co. woman, 97, found dead in home died of hypothermia
PORTAGE, Pa. — A coroner says a woman found dead inside her western Pennsylvania home earlier in the week died of hypothermia. Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees says 97-year-old Mary Sopata was found by a neighbor Tuesday in her Portage Township home. The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reports that the home apparently...
Patagonia brings clothing repair roadshow to Seven Springs this weekendVideo
After years of hosting pop-up Worn Wear events, Patagonia on Friday brought its clothing repair and exchange program to Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion. The crew will remain at the resort, its last stop on the East Coast tour, through Sunday. Beyond repairing articles of clothing from any brand...
Pa. candy company exec who mass-produced Peeps gets his own day
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — With prime Peeps season about to get underway, the Pennsylvania city where they’re “born” is honoring the man who brought marshallow chicks to the masses. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez proclaimed Friday as “Bob Born Day” in a ceremony at company offices....
Slippery Rock president responds to racial incident on campus
Slippery Rock University’s president on Monday plans to join other university officials and student leaders to discuss how to make the university more welcoming and a safer place for all after a racial incident in which a Black History Month poster was defaced with hateful and racist comments last weekend....
Somerset County still struggling to expand broadband service
Somerset County officials are nearly two years into a project to expand broadband internet service at four industrial parks and still have little to show for it. County commissioners, who have been unable to reach an agreement with a qualified firm, referred questions to Jason Roblin of MCM Consulting Group....
Rye revolution: Craft distillers in Pittsburgh, elsewhere bring back pre-Prohibition whiskey favorite
The revival of centuries-old rye whiskeys — including Monongahela and Maryland styles — is helping foster a renewed interest in historic spirits. “Rye whiskey in general is swinging upward in the market,” said Teresa DeFlitch, director of people and education at Pittsburgh-based Wigle Whiskey. The volume of rye whiskey produced...
Man charged with setting Ohio sheriff’s deputy on fire
RAVENNA, Ohio — Authorities say a man tossed a flammable liquid on an Ohio sheriff’s deputy trying to arrest him and set him on fire, causing severe burns. The Portage County Sheriff’s Office says the deputy was injured Thursday evening in Rootstown Township, about 55 miles south of Cleveland. The...
Pa. town removes banner honoring military service of State College shooter
Bellefonte officials have removed a “hometown hero” banner that honored a mass shooter, according to WJAC. The banner depicted Jordan Witmer, 21, of Bellefonte, an Army veteran who killed three people and injured another in State College before committing suicide Jan. 24. The banner predates the shooting, and is one...
Somerset police uncover meth lab during child-welfare check on Valentine’s Day
Somerset police discovered a meth lab operation during a child-welfare check on Valentine’s Day. Officers were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of High Street shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. When they arrived, they noticed several containers on the porch “consistent with what is used in...
House fire kills Lancaster couple on Valentine’s Day
LANCASTER, Pa. — A Pennsylvania couple have died in a Valentine’s Day fire at their home. Officials tell LNP that Jose and Lydia Montes, both 59, were found unconscious on the second floor of their Lancaster home early Thursday. They died at the hospital. Family members say the couple had...
Missing 87-year-old man discovered dead in Fayette County, cops say
An 87-year-old Fayette County man who wandered from his home Monday was discovered dead about one mile from his residence on Thursday, according to state police in Uniontown. Troopers and the family had issued a missing persons alert for Luther Bryner of Dunbar Township, who was last seen in the...
Middle school students compete in video contest that asks ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’
The winners of a contest that paired 20 Western Pennsylvania manufacturers with 20 middle schools will be announced at Catalyst Connection’s annual manufacturing reception on Wednesday. The middle school students were encouraged to go behind the scenes and interview employees of local companies and submit videos for the “What’s So...
‘300 Cups of Coffee’ project tells clergy to stay connected, caffeinated
Google “300 cups of coffee” and you’ll get stories about what happens when one person drinks the equivalent of 300 cups of coffee. That’s not what Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, an ecumenical group representing 28 Christian bodies, is proposing with its new #300CupsOfCoffee initiative. The project is intended to...
Power outage closes California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania was closed and all Thursday classes canceled because of a power outage, the university posted on its website. The announcement said “only essential personnel” were to report for work. The university set up a warming center in its Convocation Center. Dining services were still available, and...
13 suspects in gambling ring appear in North Huntingdon court
For more than half a century, law enforcement has tied Robert “Bobby I” Iannelli to illegal sports betting and numbers lotteries throughout Western Pennsylvania. Now 88, Iannelli, of Wexford, along with his son, Rodney “Rusty” Iannelli, 58, of Pittsburgh, is once again accused of heading a widespread gambling operation that...
