Norwin area: Rotary Chili Cookoff slated; North Huntingdon buys police cars

Church plans Lenten soup, haluski sales

St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Church, 90 Bethel Road, North Huntingdon will be selling homemade soup and haluski from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays during Lent. Prices $5 for 12oz soup or haluski & $12 for quart of haluski. Information: 412-627-1678.

Chili cookoff slated in Irwin

Those who love chili and want to raise money for a good cause at the same time can participate in the Norwin Rotary’s 13th Annual Chili Cookoff & Wing Thing from 5 to 8 p.m. March 2 at The Colonial Grille, 333 Main St.; Brandy’s on Main at 200 Main St.; the Irwin Masonic Hall at 415 Main St.; and the First United Methodist Church at 310 Oak St.

Proceeds raise money for the Norwin Rotary Back Pack/Gift Card Project, which helps needy students at Norwin’s Sheridan Terrace Elementary School. The project provides needy students with gift cards to the Aldi grocery store, 8775 Norwin Ave., North Huntingdon, and some take home snacks as well.

Items also are needed for the basket raffle. Donations can be dropped off at the Norwin Chamber of Commerce office, 321 Main St.

North Huntingdon cops complete probation period

Two North Huntingdon police officers have completed their probationary period with the department.

Troy Peccina and Eric Berg recently finished their one-year probationary period as a full-time police officer, the North Huntingdon commissioners announced.

In a related matter, the commissioners authorized the township’s civil service commission to develop a new eligibility list for entry level officers and sergeant positions.

Police chief Robert Rizzo said that the department has senior sergeants who are within their retirement window and the township wants to have a current eligibility list.

North Huntingdon buys police cars

The North Huntingdon police department will be getting two new police cars, but they may not be getting them soon.

The township commissioners approved buying the two Ford police cars from Laurel Auto Group in Unity for $75,820 through the state’s cooperative purchasing program.

Chief Robert Rizzo said that he hopes the township can get those two cars by the end of this year.

Rizzo said the two police older police cars that will be retired from daily patrol use will become used by a single officer, thus increasing the life of the vehicles.

The chief noted that 11 officers have access to what he referred to as “single-use” vehicles.

The township last year acquired a vehicle through Adelphoi USA, when it reached an agreement to have a school resource officer at Adelphoi’s school at the former Hartford Heights Elementary School.

Commissioner Ronald Zona, a retired state police trooper, said that from his experience, the officers tend to take better care of the police car if they are the single user of the vehicle.