Joe Napsha stories, Page 15
Irwin offers $5,000 bonus for new cops to stay on the job
Police officers hired by Irwin will have an incentive to stay on the job four years — an incentive worth $5,000. Irwin police Chief Dan Wensel had suggested to council that it create a signing bonus program for any officer hired next year as a way of retaining new officers....
North Huntingdon officials nix $30M sports complex that would have hosted Pittsburgh Riverhounds
A $30 million sports complex that was to include an indoor field operated by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team won’t be built on municipal property in North Huntingdon. The township commissioners Thursday quashed the possibility of another round of talks on lease with developers NHT Investment Partners LLC, formed by...
Irwin to join Westmoreland County SWAT team
Irwin police are going to join the Westmoreland County Special Weapons and Tactics team. Irwin Council this week approved an interagency agreement to participate in the SWAT team and to recommend that Cpl. Alex Gillingham apply to be Irwin’s representative. Gillingham will have to pass the training necessary to be...
Penn Township author to discuss self-publishing
Penn Township author Leslie Savisky will offer tips on how to self-publish books during a program Thursday at the Penn Area Library, 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Savisky is a freelance writer for Pittsburgh Parent magazine and the Monroeville Times Express. She is the author of the self-published novels, “Other...
Turning Point USA won’t be allowed to use Norwin High School for event
Norwin School District denied a conservative organization’s request to use the high school Oct. 24 for what it described as a motivational speech. A flyer promoting the speech in Norwin by Turning Point USA’s Stephen Davis, part of the organization’s speakers bureau, may have been posted prematurely, the district said....
North Huntingdon to dedicate renamed Shafton Bridge
North Huntingdon officials will dedicate the bridge in the Shafton neighborhood of the township to a former firefighter at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Bridge Street. The township will rename the bridge in memory of the late Christopher Ritenour, a Shafton firefighter who died on June 6 at age 51. The...
Sportswriter to discuss his latest Steelers book at Norwin library
Veteran Pittsburgh sportswriter Jim Wexell will discuss his latest book on the Pittsburgh Steelers, “Pittsburgh Steelers: An Illustrated Timeline,” at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Norwin Public Library, 100 Caruthers Lane, Irwin. Wexell, a Norwin High School graduate, has covered the Steelers for 30 years, working as a columnist...
Fair or fowl? Chicken version of iconic Big Mac to debut locally
A chicken version of McDonald’s iconic Big Mac will debut next week, the company announced. The Chicken Big Mac features two tempura-battered chicken patties with the traditional toppings (special sauce, lettuce, cheese on a sesame seed bun) from the Big Mac. The original sandwich was created in 1966 by Michael...
Amazon, UPS each want 2,000 seasonal workers in Western Pa.
Amazon and United Parcel Service Inc. each want to hire about 2,000 workers in advance of the holiday shopping season for its distribution centers in Western Pennsylvania, the companies said this week. Workers looking for full-time and part-time seasonal jobs with the competing major shipping and delivery companies can earn...
Former President Obama to campaign for Harris in Pittsburgh
Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign in the Pittsburgh area on Oct. 10 for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Obama’s appearance is part of a nationwide swing through the battleground states leading up to the Nov. 5 election, according to a Harris campaign official. The Harris...
Northern Lights could make appearance over Western Pa. skies
A forecast of clear skies and solar flares Friday night means it might be possible to view the northern lights in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. The phenomenon, also called the aurora borealis, could be visible this far south of the Arctic Circle...
Some opposed to proposed North Huntingdon sports complex
Some North Huntingdon residents acknowledge a proposed $30 million sports complex would be an asset for the community, but they’re questioning whether it should go on public property. “I don’t think anyone is against building a sports complex,” Jesse Adkins of Maple Lane told the township commissioners Wednesday. But Adkins,...
Norwin failed to eliminate ‘racially hostile environment,’ Department of Education says
The Norwin School District violated federal civil rights laws when it allowed what the U.S. Department of Education called repeated, racially harassing conduct over 10 months in 2021. The district agreed to a seven-point plan to ensure it complies with the law. “The Norwin School District has now committed to...
Historical society to present program on Westinghouse lab in Trafford
The Trafford Historical Society will delve into the groundbreaking experiments conducted at the former Westinghouse High Voltage Laboratory during a program at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Manchester Room 414 Brinton Ave. Rear, Trafford. Andrew Capets, president of the historical society, will present the in-depth program about the experiments conducted...
North Huntingdon moves meeting on sports complex lease
North Huntingdon officials moved a special meeting set for 7 p.m. Wednesday to receive public input about a proposed sports complex to the Norwin Middle School auditorium at 10870 Mockingbird Drive. The meeting initially was planned for the North Huntingdon Townhouse, but the meetings have been packed at times since...
Sewickley Township considers solar power system regulations
With the increase in solar power farm projects in Westmoreland County, Sewickley Township is among the latest municipalities in Westmoreland County to pass or consider passing an ordinance regulating the use of solar power for homes and commercial use. “We wanted to have something in place to protect people,” said...
Stop polluting Sewickley Creek, EPA tells Yukon landfill operator
A Yukon landfill operator that stores industrial and hazardous wastes it treats has agreed to repair its onsite wastewater treatment plant that has holes in it, allowing pollution from the facility to be discharged into Sewickley Creek, according to a federal consent decree released Friday. MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. of...
Battle over proposed Unity solar panel farm continues
A Unity man told a township zoning panel this week he should have the right to use part of his property near the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport for an estimated $10.5 million solar power farm, despite strong opposition from some of his neighbors. “In the final analysis, this is a...
Firefighters rescue Herminie man from house fire
Firefighters rescued a Herminie man Thursday afternoon when a kitchen fire created smoke in his residence, a fire official said. The man, who was not identified, was flown by medical helicopter from the Herminie area to an area hospital, said Herminie fire Chief Joe Marincic. The man was in and...
Norwin area: Irwin church plans Oktoberfest; Church to hold purse sale; and more
Irwin church plans Oktoberfest The First United Church of Christ at 400 Main St., Irwin, will hold an alcohol-free Oktoberfest with kielbasa, pork, hot dogs, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, applesauce and dessert from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 17. Tickets are pre-sale only: $12 for adults and $6 for children. Ardara...
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport a safe haven for planes escaping Hurricane Helene
The Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe became a safe haven for some expensive — make that very expensive — Gulfstream jets flown there from Georgia on Thursday to escape the high winds of Hurricane Helene, an airport official said. About 15 Gulfstream jets from Georgia, where Gulfstream Aerospace Corp....
Temporary Amtrak train route will stop in Pittsburgh and Connellsville on its way to Miami
Passengers on the Capitol Limited heading to Miami that stops in Pittsburgh and Connellsville will be able to remain on their train for the trip south starting Nov. 10, Amtrak said. The Capitol Limited train is being temporarily combined with the Silver Star train that goes from New York City...
Saint Vincent College relaunches program in aviation management
When Leo Sun of Latrobe was the tender age of 6, he wanted to fly airplanes. He was interested in watching shows about air crash investigations rather than cartoons. Now 18, the Saint Vincent College student is getting that opportunity and is working his way toward that treasured license as...
Hempfield man denied bond reduction in alleged murder-for-hire case
A Hempfield man accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his sister in April in a dispute over money and property he expected to inherit will not see his $250,000 bail reduced. Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears said during a hearing Monday that the charge against Peter...
Trio pleads guilty to attempted metal theft from Hamill Manufacturing
Two men were sentenced to almost a year in prison Monday after pleading guilty to the attempted theft of U.S. submarine metal from a Penn Township manufacturer. Bobby Lucci, 27, and Marcello Miguel, 22, both of Mt. Ephraim, N.J., will serve from 364 days to two years, less one day,...
