Norwin students win PennDOT contest

A team of three Norwin High School students have won PennDOT’s Innovations Challenge for the highway department’s District 12 that includes Westmoreland County.

The winning regional team of Nicholas Cormas, Gabriel Conboy, and Caden Hoffman proposed a Surplus Plaza — a financially smart and environmentally friendly solution poised to be a self-sustaining travel plaza. That plaza would address not only funding and profitability, but also the impact on the community and the environment. The proposal encompassed many aspects that would provide great service, consideration, and accommodation to those visiting their Surplus Plaza.

The statewide competition challenged students to develop creative solutions to real-world transportation problems. They were assigned to select an interstate corridor in Pennsylvania where truck parking is a known issue and develop an innovative approach to increase commercial truck parking availability in that area, as well as offset costs incurred for construction.

“The trio of students were able to clearly explain their innovative idea and handled the questions from the judges with insightful responses,” said Thomas Harskowitch, a high school statistics and geometry teacher who was the team’s mentor.

“The judges were impressed with the amount of research and statistics provided with the presentation, which provided the much-needed support to justify their innovative ideas,” Harskowitch said.

The Norwin team will join other regional winners in presenting their plan to a PennDOT executive and a panel of judges in Harrisburg in April to determine a statewide winner. The winning team will receive a $4,000 award provided by the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors and the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA.

Methodist Church to present ‘Living Last Supper’

The First United Methodist Church at 310 Oak St., Irwin, will perform a dramatic musical, ‘The Last Living Supper’ at 7 p.m. April 4 and 6.

Attendance is free.

Photos with the Easter bunny in Irwin

Youngsters and those young in heart can have their picture taken with the Easter bunny from 1 to 3 p.m. April 2 at the S&T Bank, Main and Second streets, Irwin.

The event is sponsored by the non-profit Tom’s Turkeys, which helps families in need in the Norwin community.

Those who want their picture taken with the Easter bunny should bring their own camera and bring canned goods or non-perishable items for Tom’s Turkeys to fill Norwin area food pantries in the Norwin Area.

All proceeds will benefit Tom’s Turkeys.

Author to speak on Bigfoot

Author Stan Gordon of Greensburg will present a program, “Strange Aspects of the Elusive Bigfoot,” at 6 p.m. April 5 at the Norwin Public Library Caruthers Lane, Irwin.

Gordon will discuss purported sightings of Bigfoot in Pennsylvania and across the country, as well as encounters with Bigfoot around the area that have taken place the last couple of years.

The program is free, but registration is requested. Call the library at 724-863-4700, ext. 3 or visit norwinpubliclibrary.net/events/month.

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