Megan Tomasic stories, Page 35

Megan Tomasic
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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Casino revenues decreased across Pennsylvania last month, report shows
Casinos across the state saw a drop in revenue last month as the facilities struggle to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Figures released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show total revenue generated from gaming and fantasy contests in November totaled more than $284.2 million, an...
Hempfield schools preparing for student return
Hempfield Area School District officials are preparing for students to return to in-person classes through the hybrid model early next year. Students, who have been completing online instruction since Dec. 1, will return to school buildings Jan. 4, according to a letter from Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. Secondary students will follow...
Excela remembrance tree event to be virtual 
Excela Health Hospice’s annual remembrance tree event will look a little different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event, typically held at the now-shuttered Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center in Hempfield, will be a virtual ceremony featuring ornaments that memorialize a loved one previously under...
More than 1,000 pounds of food donated to Westmoreland food bank from new casino
As the facility sits dark in compliance with mitigation orders aimed at stopping a surge of covid-19 cases across the state, officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh took time to donate food, along with volunteer hours, to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. “Just because we’re closed doesn’t mean we can’t help...
For 31st straight year, Hempfield supervisors approve budget with no tax increase
Hempfield supervisors unanimously approved a $13.5 million budget that does not raise real estate taxes for the 31st consecutive year. The approval, which took place at Monday’s meeting, came after months of cutbacks and planning to make up for lost expenses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenue streams such as...
Church services move to nontraditional measures for Christmas
Pastor Dan Borchert of the New Stanton Alliance Church knew he had to get creative if he wanted to include everybody in this year’s Christmas Eve service. Before Thursday’s traditional service, Borchert is hosting a drive-in service where people can pull up to the church, sing Christmas carols and discuss...
Westmoreland food bank benefits from annual United Way fundraiser 
Rather than mapping out the most efficient route through the East Pittsburgh Street Shop ’n Save in Greensburg on Monday evening, Renee Sasanko spent her time deciding on a nonprofit organization that would benefit from a $750 donation. The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s annual fundraiser, which normally sends one...
Shoppers, vendors head out for final Greensburg Holiday Market 
About 17 vendors bundled in coats and wearing hats and gloves gathered along South Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg Sunday afternoon for the final holiday market of the year. The event, which featured products ranging from jewelry and soaps to wine and vodka, coincided with the Holiday Open House, in which...
Jeannette community comes together to help girl who lost her mom 
When 9-year-old Trinity Koshinsky’s mom died unexpectedly this month at their Jeannette home, two Jeannette police officers who responded to the scene knew they had to help Trinity have a happy Christmas. On Sunday, those officers led the way in their cruisers, lights flashing, so Santa Claus could make a...
Additional few inches of snow recorded in Pittsburgh region
Western Pennsylvania woke up to a little extra snow Sunday morning, adding to the already large piles dumped across the state earlier this week. Accumulations reached between 1 and 3 inches across the region, according to Lee Hendricks, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Moon, with Allegheny County totaling...
Police: Neighbor rescues boy from house fire in Crafton Heights
A boy was rescued from a house fire Saturday evening in Crafton Heights when a neighbor climbed onto the second floor and helped the boy through a window, police said. First responders were called to the fire in the 1100 block of Fredonia Street around 4 p.m. When they arrived,...
‘A way to say thank you:’ Wreaths Across America event held at Penn Township cemetery 
When Sharon Bollenbacher decided to spend her Saturday morning at Jeannette Memorial Park as part of a local initiative for Wreaths Across America, she knew the event would hold extra meaning. Bollenbacher’s 22-year-old daughter, Laura, is scheduled for her first deployment with the Army the day after Christmas, where she...
Washington County man arrested after stabbing in Coal Center
A Washington County man is facing homicide charges following the death of a 27-year-old man in Coal Center, according to the Washington County District Attorney. Dylan Lesnik, 27, of Coal Center, was arrested after police found Marshal Y. Craig dead in his Spring Street home of apparent stab wounds, District...
Hempfield students clinch top spot in science center competition 
Hempfield students took a page from the history books to help them clinch the top spot for the second consecutive year at the Carnegie Science Center’s STEM competition. The Chain Reaction Contraption Contest, held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, brought together 12 teams from schools across the...
Populations continue to decline in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties
As populations across Pennsylvania increased over the past 10 years, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties have seen the opposite effect. New data from the American Community Survey shows that from 2010-19, Westmoreland County lost more than 16,000 people with the population of Allegheny County dropping by about 7,500. Those numbers aren’t...
Despite pandemic, Toys for Tots program draws donations, volunteers 
Cardboard boxes filled with toys for kids of all ages sat in a Youngwood warehouse Monday morning, awaiting the sorting and assembly that will start a week-long process for the Westmoreland County Marine Toys for Tots program. Now in its 25th year, the nonprofit helps collect between 25,000 and 30,000...
Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing plans move to Westmoreland Mall
A new ax throwing site will replace the former Payless ShoeSource store in Westmoreland Mall. Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing plans to open early next year near the indoor entrance to Live! Casino Pittsburgh. The facility will be the second location for franchisee Jim Ristway, who also runs the company’s Hempfield...
Video gambling terminals at gas stations to close due to mitigation orders
A day after casinos across the state announced they were closing to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 mitigation efforts, officials announced video gambling terminals at truck stops are also shuttering. The terminals, which are similar to slot machines at a casino, are located at 40 truck stops across the...
Pittsburgh’s hazmat team responds to ammonia leak in Strip District
Pittsburgh’s hazardous materials team was called to the Strip District on Friday night for what officials determined to be an ammonia leak. Crews responded to Consumer Fresh Produce Inc., located at 1 21st St., for reports of a strong gas odor. After inspecting the building, which is a large cold...
AHN leader named one of 2020’s 100 most influential leaders by national magazine
Allegheny Health Network’s president and CEO has been recognized as a top leader in the health care industry. Cynthia Hundorfean, who has held AHN’s top spot since 2016, was named one of 2020’s 100 most influential people by Modern Healthcare magazine. It’s the second year in a row she has...
With new mitigation orders, operational changes made at Allegheny County parks
The Allegheny County Parks Department is the latest entity to announce operational changes after Gov. Tom Wolf this week issued new orders to help curb the spread of covid-19. According to the parks department, all indoor facility rentals and sports and fitness programs including flag football, hockey leagues, hockey lessons...
Man shot last week in Homestead dies
A 52-year-old man who was in critical condition after a shooting in Homestead earlier this month died Friday afternoon, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. William P. Wright of Homestead was pronounced dead at an area hospital after he was involved in a Dec. 4 shooting, officials said....
Pa. state prisons announce inmate deaths related to covid-19
Three state prisoners died this week after they contracted covid-19, officials with the state Department of Corrections announced Friday. The inmates were imprisoned at SCI Fayette, SCI Somerset and SCI Waymart, which is in Clinton County near central Pennsylvania. They were the first deaths related to covid-19 at each of...
Belle Vernon to continue with remote learning into January
Students in the Belle Vernon Area School District will continue with remote learning after the holidays as covid-19 cases continue to rise across the region. Remote instruction will continue until Jan. 19, said Superintendent Michele Dowell, who cited a 47% positivity rate in the school district community as a major...
13 companies awarded funds to expand broadband across Pennsylvania
More than 2,600 households and businesses in rural parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties soon will have access to high-speed internet after the Federal Communication Commission auctioned about $9.2 billion to companies across the country with the goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. The first phase of...


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