Whitaker’s Kendal Pistella wins gold at Arnold Sports Festival
Kendal Pistella, a Westmoreland County martial arts student from Whitaker, earned a gold medal at a point-sparring national competition. Pistella, who trains under John Morgart Jr. at Wei Son Do Martial Arts in North Huntingdon, bested the field at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, last month. It is...
Norwin lacrosse teams make ‘smooth transition’
When asked what his team’s style will be this season, Norwin boys lacrosse coach Colin Ekis used three words. “Patient, controlled, opportunistic.” Norwin went 5-9 last year despite a senior-led group, an overall disappointment, Ekis said. Top returning players include senior goalkeeper Ty George, senior defender/long-stick midfielder Reid Wilson, senior...
North Huntingdon sewage authority $11.4M budget OK’d
The 12,750 residential and commercial customers of the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority will not see a rate increase in the upcoming fiscal year beginning May 1, the authority said. The authority, which serves parts of North Huntingdon, adopted an $11.4 million fiscal year 2027 budget at current sewage rates,...
Hempfield gains control of wild softball game, defeats Norwin
Hempfield was tangled up and out of sorts as Norwin pushed back during a first inning that was bonkers. The first frame of their Class 6A softball matchup was as jam-packed with action as the bases were full. Both teams batted around, with 23 hitters coming to the plate to...
Strawpump fire department regains its service area in North HuntingdonVideo
The Strawpump Volunteer Fire Department regained its status this week as the primary responder for its service area in eastern North Huntingdon, 18 months after its territory was split between two neighboring departments following a poor insurance rating. “We are just excited to be the primary fire service for our...
Norwin area: Mulch sale, art workshops, used book sale, more
Used book sale The Friends of the Norwin Public Library will host a used book sale this month at the library, 100 Caruthers Lane. The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 22 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 25. Attendees are asked to park in...
Norwin notebook: Karlie Johnson sets girls lacrosse scoring record
Norwin senior lacrosse player Karlie Johnson became the girls program’s all-time goals leader with her 160th score. The record-breaking goal came against Peters Township on March 30 at Yough, pushing Johnson past Ava Wilson, who had 159 goals before graduating in 2024. Johnson tied the mark March 27 at Penn-Trafford...
Norwin baseball keeping eye on the ball after sweeping Hempfield
Norwin has the look of a WPIAL contender again, but the Knights haven’t played their best baseball yet. Coaches and players will attest to that. “We haven’t won anything yet,” coach Craig Spisak said after the Knights swept rival Hempfield in a three-game Section 2-6A series. “It’s nice what we...
Strawpump fire department expected to regain service area in North Huntingdon
Strawpump Volunteer Fire Department is poised to regain its fire service area in the eastern end of North Huntingdon. Eighteen months after having its territory split between two adjacent volunteer departments, its fire insurance rating is now at an acceptable level, according to the township. North Huntingdon commissioners on Thursday...
Norwin area: Race for Grace raises $177K, Bataan Memorial March, more
Race raises $177K Race for Grace, a popular Norwin-area community event that raises money to fight pediatric cancer, raised at least $177,000 from the 5-kilometer walk and run held at the Norwin school complex March 28, according to race officials. Almost 1,500 people registered for the event, which had about...
Behind 16 Ks from Sebastian Shulsky, Canon-McMillan shuts out Norwin
Sweet 16 indeed. In a showdown between the top two baseball teams fighting for sole possession of first place in Section 2-6A, the first of three straight games between Norwin and Canon-McMillan turned into a showcase for senior Sebastian Shulsky. The Cincinnati commit allowed only two hits, one walk, a...
Norwin boys volleyball looks to get back on playoff track
Norwin lost the look of a playoff contender last season, finishing 5-12 to fall well short of its expectations. But Knights coach Mike Palaschak thinks the team can “flush it,” like Paul Skenes did with his season-opening start, and return to the WPIAL boys volleyball postseason. “Our goal is to...
Jake Knight rises up in 1st varsity start to lift Norwin baseball past Hempfield
Norwin senior Jake Knight found out less than two hours before Thursday’s game that he would be pitching at Hempfield. He knew he might start the finale of the teams’ Section 2-6A baseball series, but it wasn’t official until he boarded the team bus and found out he’d be taking...
Police: North Huntingdon man used handgun to threaten municipal authority worker
A North Huntingdon man was arraigned Thursday morning on police accusations that he threatened a Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County worker with a handgun. Township police said the worker was turning off the water at Mykola Prut’s home Wednesday when Prut chased him with the weapon, according to court papers....
Norwin area: Bataan Memorial March, art workshops, Sage’s Army anniversary, more
Bataan Memorial March The Norwin Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps will hold its 14th annual, 14-mile Bataan Memorial March along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on April 25. The race begins at 9 a.m. at the B-Y Park trailhead in Trafford, with a rest and water station 7 miles...
With MLB scouts watching, Caden Sivrich lifts Norwin past Hempfield
More than a half-dozen professional scouts were in attendance to watch Caden Sivrich pitch. The Norwin senior right-hander made sure the MLB reps didn’t waste a trip to North Huntingdon. The hard-throwing Sivrich did his best to toss a shutout, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out 10 before reaching...
Norwin baseball survives strong Hempfield rally for section win
Norwin was cruising along with a six-run lead, and starter Matt O’Neil was in command, limiting Hempfield hitters into the fifth inning. But in the short time Norwin took its eyes off the road, the host Spartans clapped back to make it a game. Despite the mid-inning adversity, though, Norwin...
Norwin track teams out to defend WPIAL team titles
Norwin is eyeing WPIAL championship repeats in boys and girls track and field. The Knights pulled off a team title sweep last spring as the boys won for the first time since 1977 and the girls grabbed their first trophy since 2008. The girls also won their first PIAA title....
Norwin notebook: Knights baseball team prepares for section play
No matter how long the season, a strong start is a good sign for any baseball team at any level. Norwin won its first two games, carrying over momentum from its run to last year’s WPIAL Class 6A championship game. Norwin took the season opener, 4-3, over Fox Chapel. Jake...
Nude woman arrested after assaulting customers in White Oak Giant Eagle, police say
A North Huntingdon woman faces multiple charges after she removed all of her clothes and was fighting inside a White Oak Giant Eagle, police said. On Thursday, White Oak police officers responded to a call from a Giant Eagle on Lincoln Way for a report of a disturbance in the...
Youth football teams leave former organization to form Western Pa. Football League
When rumors began swirling about hundreds of thousands of dollars missing from the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League account in 2025, parents and team representatives began to worry about what might happen to the league’s upcoming season. A police investigation resulted in the league’s former director being charged in January...
Norwin area: Spring fix-up, softball sign-ups, art scholarship, more
Homeowner repairs planned The nonprofit Carpenter’s Apprentice, a group of volunteers from Norwin and Harrison City area churches who help make repairs to homes of residents in need, is planning a spring fix-up weekend May 15-17. The organization is seeking volunteers to donate their time and talent toward projects for...
Former Norwin standout Carter Breen, 25, takes over boys soccer program
Carter Breen got an up-close-and-personal look at being a head coach in 2023 when Norwin penalty-kicked its way to its first WPIAL boys soccer championship. Breen, Norwin’s all-time leading goal scorer with 68 tallies, was an assistant coach that year and stepped in as interim head coach when Scott Schuchert...
Norwin softball ready to challenge Hempfield again
A fully embraced underdog, Norwin softball has become a regular contender in WPIAL 6A. The team made the WPIAL final two years ago and the semifinals last year. With seven seasoned returning starters coming back, the softball Knights are aiming for another postseason run. Norwin will try to push top-ranked...
Norwin notebook: Baseball grad steals show at Seton Hill
Some say Jack Whalen was a recruiting steal for the Seton Hill baseball program. The Norwin alum has a record to prove it. Whalen, a senior outfielder, is now the all-time leader in stolen bases in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, with 118. Through 13 games this season, he had...
