Megan Tomasic stories, Page 25
Hempfield Area passes final budget with no tax hike
Hempfield Area School District residents won’t see a tax increase for the third consecutive year. The district’s budget, passed unanimously by the school board Monday, includes $98.9 million in revenues and $99.7 million in projected expenditures, according to budget documents. The $769,100 deficit, incurred by the adoption of a new...
Police: East Huntingdon contractor again accused of taking money for remodel work never started
An East Huntingdon contractor is facing fraud charges after police say he accepted $9,650 in payments for work he did not complete, according to a criminal complaint. Jason Ray Pirl, 40, who does business as Proline Painting, is charged with one count of home improvement fraud after police say he...
Report: Pennsylvania casino revenues top $413 million in May
Pennsylvania casinos saw a more than $9 million revenue increase in May compared to the previous month, recently released figures show. Combined gambling revenues last month exceeded $413 million compared to $404 million reported in April, according to data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. A comparison was not provided...
Live! Casino Pittsburgh to host craft beer, wine and music festival
Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh are gearing up to host their first festival as a celebration of the start of summer. Summerfest Live! is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. June 26 in a parking lot adjacent to the Hempfield facility at Westmoreland Mall. The festival will feature craft beer,...
Greensburg police getting 2 new dogs
Two new police dogs are being added to the Greensburg Police Department’s roster. City council on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of the dogs, which will cost $11,000 plus $2,800 for shipping. The purchase will be covered by funding received from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, officials said. According...
New Stanton Sheetz set to close as construction of larger store set to begin
A major overhaul of the Sheetz in New Stanton is scheduled to begin next week, leaving the popular convenience store and gas station shuttered for most of the summer. Located at the intersection of North Center and West Byers avenues, the business will close Monday as crews begin demolishing the...
Greensburg appoints detective sergeant within police force
Greensburg’s police department has a new detective sergeant. Det. Charles Irvin was promoted and sworn into his new position during Monday’s city council meeting. Irvin has been with the police department for several years — the last five years working as a detective, according to police Chief Robert Stafford. The...
Greensburg’s SummerSounds scheduled to return in August
After being canceled last year due to the covid-19 pandemic, SummerSounds — the popular Greensburg concert series — is set to return in August. Bands will once again take the stage at the Robertshaw Amphitheater in St. Clair Park beginning Aug. 6, according to an updated schedule on the event’s...
Greensburg Scavenger Race returning for another yearVideo
A scavenger hunt that sends participants racing through downtown Greensburg in an attempt to locate a litany of puzzles and riddles is scheduled for this weekend. The event, scheduled for Saturday, will be the fourth time local entertainment venue 60 Minute Missions Escape Room is hosting the Greensburg Scavenger Race...
Duquesne Light still working to restore power to 900 customers, some might not get power until late Wednesday
About 900 Duquesne Light customers were still without power Tuesday night after storms passed through the region early this week, the power company reported. According to Duquesne Light spokeswoman Ashley Macik, the company has identified areas with “more extensive damage that will require longer repairs.” There have also been a...
Greensburg increases funds offered through the city’s Housing Assistance Program
Greensburg leaders during Monday’s council meeting voted to increase funding offered through the city’s Housing Assistance Program to further help those impacted by the pandemic. The vote raises the maximum amount received through the program from $1,500 — or three months of rent or mortgage payments — to $7,500, or...
Grant will help preserve historical aspects of downtown Greensburg
A new grant will help preserve historical aspects of downtown Greensburg. Awarded to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Westmoreland, the $23,375 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant will be used to reevaluate the Greensburg Historic District, redefine the districtwide facade design guidelines and conduct an individual building condition assessment at...
Last call for Hempfield’s Midway-St. Clair Social Club
It’s last call for the The Midway-St. Clair Social Club in Hempfield, which has been serving members for about 77 years. The club’s last night of operation is Saturday, said Barry Elder, president of the Midway-St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department. Owned by the department, the shuttering of the club on...
Hempfield alumna to assume role as West Point Elementary principalVideo
The Hempfield Area School District has hired an alumna to serve as a new elementary school principal. Lindsay Scarpo will succeed Audrey Dell, who is retiring, as principal of West Point Elementary School. Scarpo will earn a salary of $118,953 during the 2021-22 school year. The school board voted unanimously...
Man who died after falling into Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh identified
A man who died after falling into the Allegheny River near the Seventh Street Bridge on Tuesday afternoon has been identified. According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, Lewis Mills, 37, was found unresponsive in the river and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pittsburgh...
Greensburg hopes to boost help to those affected by pandemic
Greensburg leaders hope to further help those impacted by the covid-19 pandemic with an additional $6,000 offered through the Greensburg Housing Assistance Program. City council members will vote on the proposal next week, which would raise the maximum amount received through the program from $1,500 — or three months of...
Hempfield Area to eliminate dozen positions, will save $923,000
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District on Monday unanimously voted to eliminate about a dozen positions through attrition, a response to declining enrollments and a decision that supported a balanced 2021-22 budget, officials said. The vote, which took place during the district’s workshop meeting and required a suspension of...
Leader in Pittsburgh Pagans Motorcycle Club pleads guilty to violating firearms laws
A top leader in the Pagans Motorcycle Club Pittsburgh chapter pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of violating firearms laws, according to the Department of Justice. Patrick Rizzo, 46, of McKees Rocks, vice president of the club, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville....
4 new covid cases reported in the Penn-Trafford area June 1-7, 2021
The number of new covid-19 cases reported in the Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area saw a significant decline over the past week, according to data from the state Department of Health. In all, four new covid cases were reported between June 1 and June 7 for the six ZIP codes covering most of...
NBC News: WPXI in Pittsburgh 1 of 2 stations hit by apparent cyberattack
WPXI-TV was one of two Cox Media Group stations forced offline this week in an apparent cyberattack against the parent company, according to a report from NBC News. Managers on Thursday told employees at WPXI and WFTV in Orlando, Fla. to shut down company computers and phones, according to report....
With retirement of longtime East Deer police chief looming, officials ponder future
A new era in East Deer police protection may be forthcoming with the retirement of longtime Police Chief John Manchini. Manchini, a township policeman for 27 years and the township’s only full-time officer, submitted his resignation for purpose of retiring. The commissioners accepted it Thursday with regret and thanks. It...
Pitt drops outdoor mask requirement for those fully vaccinated
Fully vaccinated individuals on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus will no longer be required to wear face coverings while outdoors, according to university officials. An announcement posted to the university’s Twitter account Friday afternoon said the new recommendations will go into effect Monday, June 7. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status,...
Hempfield Area officials making plans for next school yearVideo
Students in the Hempfield Area School District will not have the option to participate in a hybrid model of learning during the 2021-22 school year, officials announced this week. Instead, much like in a typical year, students will choose between attending in-person classes five days a week, joining the Hempfield...
‘Ring, ring, ring’: Harrison City pharmacy partner recalls initial rush for vaccine
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Shredding event scheduled at Hempfield athletic complex
A shredding event is scheduled this week at the Hempfield Township Park and Athletic Complex. Sponsored by State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, the event is scheduled for Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Protect yourself from identity theft by bringing discarded documents containing sensitive personal information to my free,...
