Joe Napsha stories, Page 12
Norwin area: Chocolate tour in Irwin; North Huntingdon hires public works director
Chocolate tour planned in Irwin An afternoon and evening of chocolate tasting and music is planned in downtown Irwin from 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 10. Several participating businesses will have complimentary chocolate treats and special offerings. A chocolate fountain will be featured at the Gift Basket World and Candy...
Presbyterian church leader reflects on navigating changes over a dozen years
After almost 12 years as the executive presbyter for the Redstone Presbytery, the Rev. Richard “Skip” Noftzger Jr. has retired. The executive presbyter oversaw 65 Presbyterian churches in four counties. Noftzger had been in ministry 28 years and in addition to administrative duties at two universities. “I feel good about...
Crash near Pitt-Greensburg campus disrupts power
Electrical power was expected to be restored about 7 p.m. Wednesday to about 480 West Penn Power customers living near the Pitt-Greensburg campus, according to FirstEnergy Corp.’s power outage map. The cause of the outage was a two-vehicle crash near the campus at about 1:30 p.m., a Westmoreland County Public...
Meet Allegheny and Westmoreland county’s firstborn of 2025: William, Genesis, Shiloh, Luka and Mila
William Sido Scott was born 10 seconds after midnight Wednesday to become the first birth of 2025 in the Pittsburgh area. William, the son of Frank and Evan (Telban) Scott of South Strabane, Washington County, was born at St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon, seconds after his New Year’s Eve...
Solar power battle brewing in North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon could be the site of the next battle over whether a utility-scale solar power farm can be built to comply with municipal zoning ordinances. Bear Park North Huntingdon LLC of Denver is appealing a decision by Thomas McGuire, township zoning officer, denying the solar power company’s request to...
Ligonier area native’s illustrious career complemented by service to community
Ligonier Township native Ralph Kinney Bennett’s work in journalism took him from Greensburg to major newspapers around the nation and a national magazine in a four-decade career — but he never forgot his roots in the Ligonier area. “I just know he loved being a reporter and a writer, and...
Dredging plan to be developed for North Huntingdon lake
North Huntingdon’s Indian Lake Park is in need of cleaning — removing the silt building up in the lake along Clay Pike in the southern end of the township. The North Huntingdon commissioners recently awarded an $18,500 contract to KU Resources Inc. to conduct a survey of the underwater depth...
Resident asks North Huntingdon commissioners to create police oversight committee
A North Huntingdon woman’s proposal for the township commissioners to create a police oversight committee of residents was met with a lukewarm response by township officials. After praising North Huntingdon police officers and North Huntingdon EMS for their response to an emergency involving her son on Christmas Day 2023, Dawn...
First Day Hikes scheduled in 3 area state parks
For those whose New Year’s resolution is to get in better shape or just do more outdoor activities, the state has the ideal way to ring in the new year. Guided hikes are scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 1, in Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset...
Condemned Rivertowne Tavern slated for demolition
The Rivertowne Pub & Grille building along Route 30 in North Huntingdon is going to be demolished next year, six years after its owner filed for bankruptcy and closed the tavern and more than three years after the township condemned the building as unsafe and uninhabitable. North Huntingdon has advertised...
Bird count helps mark the impact of a changing climate
Walking along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on Saturday morning, counting the birds flying around the woods of the Saltsburg and Slickville areas, Alex Busato said the tally serves a larger purpose than just counting birds one day in the winter. The Christmas Day bird counts in some sections of Westmoreland...
Christmas tree, string light recycling benefits environment, coats for kids project
Live Christmas trees can serve a new purpose when the holiday season is over through recycling at one of several drop-off locations in Westmoreland County. The trees are typically chipped into mulch and returned to nature and used to beautify community parks, said Michael Skapura, executive director of the Westmoreland...
North Irwin seeks to join county SWAT
Like its neighbors of Irwin and North Huntingdon, North Irwin wants to join Westmoreland County’s Special Weapons and Tactics team to provide quicker response in times of emergencies, a borough official said. “If there is ever an emergency requiring SWAT services, it would make sense to have that offered locally,...
Strong business community, ‘entertailing’ help downtown Irwin thrive
When Irwin native Camille Kovach was looking to move her bookstore from its location in Murrysville this year, she said she never considered moving anywhere but downtown Irwin. Such was her desire to place Completely Booked in downtown Irwin that Kovach leased a storefront on Western Avenue at the bottom...
Fire damages house in Fayette County
A fire Tuesday afternoon caused extensive damage to a house in Everson, where a firefighter was injured, an Everson fire official said. No one was home when the fire damaged the house in the 100 block of Maple Street, said Everson Assistant Fire Chief Dale Grubbs. The firefighter was from...
Police, coroner say weekend deaths of Manor couple was murder-suicide
A husband and wife died Sunday evening in a murder-suicide in Manor, police said. The wife, Theresa Day, 51, was found dead inside her Frederick Drive residence around 6:20 p.m. as a result of a gunshot wound and her husband, Jeffrey Day, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said...
‘My goodness, where’s the justice?’: Latrobe fire chief asks of Biden’s move to commute Podlucky’s sentence
North Huntingdon carpentry company owner Dave Jackel can’t understand how President Joe Biden would commute the 20-year prison sentence of former Le-Nature’s Inc. CEO Gregory J. Podlucky. Prosecutors said Podlucky, a certified public accountant, masterminded a fraud and money laundering scheme which bankrupted the Latrobe soft drink bottler and left...
Inoperable elevators lead to Oakland apartment building condemnation
Residents in living in the upper floors of an apartment building in Oakland were ordered by the city to move out as 7 p.m. Friday because all four elevators in the 13-story building were inoperable, Pittsburgh officials said. All residents living on the fifth floor and above in the Skyvue...
Berk’s Menswear store sees changing of the guard after 4 generations
After 30 years operating a family-owned fine men’s clothing store in North Huntingdon and several years working for others in the retail industry, Bruce Berk knew it was time to take a break this year — a decision that ended four generations of family ownership. Berk of Penn Township sold...
Anchor Hocking workers could get $7 hourly raise, $500 bonus to move from Charleroi to Ohio
Anchor Hocking workers who agree to move from Charleroi to Ohio could get a $7 hourly pay raise and a $500 bonus as the company shifts its Corelle Brands operations away from the Mon Valley. The company is delaying closing its Charleroi plant from mid-February until April, said James Watt,...
Rosendahl’s owner looking for options as Irwin leaders defend eviction to make way for renovations
A week after he was told Irwin chose not to renew its lease of the Main Street building where the borough’s offices are on the second floor, Rosendahl’s Appliance Center owner Gary Proctor said he’s still trying to figure out what he’s going to do. Rosendahl’s is a fixture in...
More homeowners sought for North Belle Vernon mine subsidence work
State environmental officials intend next week to canvass the section of North Belle Vernon targeted for a major mine subsidence prevention project next year. They aim to get property owners who have yet to register to participate in the project meant to stabilize the mined ground underneath their homes. The...
Rosendahl’s owner upset Irwin officials won’t renew lease in order to make borough offices accessible
A fixture in downtown Irwin for nearly a century is being booted from its Main Street building to make way for municipal offices accessible for those with disabilities. Borough council this week decided not to renew the lease of Rosendahl’s Appliance Center when it expires March 31 so the administrative...
Yough teacher uses love of running to raise money for drug prevention
A Yough High School teacher who recently ran in the New York City Marathon has not only used her sport to stay healthy, but to raise money for drug prevention programs — a cause that hits home for her. Jessica George, 44, of Unity began running in 2017 as a...
Palmer airport expansion project beginsVideo
After several years of planning for expanding the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport terminal, work has begun on the foundation for what is expected to be a $22 million project. A former hangar that was used as a warehouse adjacent to the Unity airport terminal has been demolished, and construction workers...
