Megan Tomasic stories, Page 5
Hempfield High Park VFD on probation because of ‘personnel issues’
The High Park Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield was put on probation this week, a decision township leaders attributed to personnel issues. Supervisors unanimously voted to place the Baughman Avenue station on a 30-day probation, pending the receipt of a corrective action plan. High Park is now the second Hempfield...
Mike Reese Memorial 5K returns this weekend at Mammoth Park
An event that raises money for local athletes with limited financial resources while honoring state Rep. Mike Reese is set to return this weekend. The Mike Reese Memorial 5K — Roast, Run and Family Fun event will take place Sunday at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township. “The day begins...
Some religious leaders laud abortion ruling, others say choice is needed in ‘morally responsible circumstances’
Jeanne K.C. Clark can remember a time when women were forced to resort to drastic measures before the 1973 Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade gave them a constitutional right to abortion. “Women had to travel,” said Clark, of Shadyside. “There were doctors who did abortions, some of them...
Hempfield Area continues debate on change to curriculum review of challenged books
A policy related to evaluating course material soon could be changed even as Hempfield Area School Board members remain split over the best way to proceed. The monthslong conversation, which began in March when a small group of parents challenged two books available to high school students, continued this week...
Turnpike to close 6 hours between New Stanton and Breezewood
Motorists traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Saturday night can expect to be detoured by a six-hour lane closure. The shutdown will impact all lanes between the New Stanton Interchange, Exit 75, and the Breezewood Interchange, Exit 161. All lanes will be closed from 11 p.m. Saturday through 5 a.m....
Belle Vernon dad organizes blood drive in honor of ‘superhero’ son battling eye cancer
Albert Jasso knows how important it is to have donated blood at the ready during a medical emergency. Jasso’s 11-year-old son, Cam, recently needed blood transfusions while undergoing chemotherapy treatments for orbital rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the eye. “This time around, we knew it was going to be more intense,...
Swimming pool supply, installation costs spike as summer begins
Justin Rushin, who has been involved in the swimming pool industry for 20 years, said he has never seen prices spike like they have in the past year. “There’s been periods of inflation, little bounds of inflation, but nothing like this,” said Rushin, who co-owns Cheswick Pools and Patios with...
Taxes remain steady in Hempfield Area despite upcoming renovation project
Despite recently moving forward with a high school renovation project that could cost upwards of $110 million, the Hempfield Area School Board this week unanimously approved a final budget that does not raise taxes for the fourth consecutive year. Passage of the $102.8 million budget came months after board members...
Code Orange air quality alert issued for Tuesday in Pittsburgh region
High air pollution could impact sensitive groups of people Tuesday in several counties across the region, including Allegheny and Westmoreland, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The department issued a Code Orange air quality alert for high levels of ozone. In addition to Allegheny and Westmoreland, impacted counties...
Westmoreland County sets another job fair to fill vacancies
Westmoreland County is looking to fill 245 open positions at the sheriff’s office, jail, nursing home and other government entities during a job fair this month. The event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. June 28 at Westmoreland Mall’s center court. “There is a shortage in employees right now,”...
Brake failure leads to controlled crash at Rostraver Airport
No injuries were reported when the pilot of a Cessna 414 lost control of its brakes Sunday afternoon, causing the airplane to crash at the Rostraver Airport. Caiolinn Ertel, 61, of Pittsburgh was flying from Leesburg, Va., to Rostraver, where her plane is based, when she realized she had lost...
Police: 1 person killed, another flown by medical helicopter after South Huntingdon crash
One person is dead and another was flown by medical helicopter after an overnight crash on Interstate 70 in South Huntingdon, state police said. Crews responded to the two-vehicle crash at mile marker 53 near the Yukon exit shortly after midnight Sunday, according to a police report. David J. Ott,...
Bikers host memorial ‘Ride in Peace’ for slain Penn Township coupleVideo
Liz Amend hoped her brother Jacob Erdeljac and his girlfriend Mara Casale smiled down on the motorcyclists who gathered in Hempfield Saturday for a memorial ride in honor of the couple who were killed in Penn Township last year. “Jake was an avid Harley rider. He met Mara, and she...
Police: Sexual assault occurred before double shooting in Mount Oliver
A 22-year-old man is facing several charges after police say he sexually assaulted a woman in a Mount Oliver park early Saturday morning, leading to both people being shot. Maurice Ruffin is charged with rape, sexual assault, unlawful restraint, aggravated assault, receiving stolen property and simple assault in connection with...
Police: Man killed in Northview Heights shooting
One person is dead after an overnight shooting in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights neighborhood, officials said. Pittsburgh police responded to reports of a man with gunshot wounds in the 320 block of Penfort Street shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. There, they found the man with a gunshot wound to the head,...
Residents will have a say in plan for Hempfield Park
The future of Hempfield Park is at the center of an upcoming study that will build on rehabilitation projects completed at the Forbes Trail Road facility over the past eight years. Supervisors recently tapped Cranberry-based Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. to work on the park’s master plan, which will provide...
Transition center allows Hempfield Area students to learn life skills
Officials with the Hempfield Area School District this year opened a transition center aimed at helping students develop independent living and job readiness skills. The center, located in a space previously used for the district’s cyber program in the maintenance facility and bus garage, was “created out of a need...
Dr. Mehmet Oz ‘all-in’ for Senate run as he courts support in Bethel Park
Dr. Mehmet Oz turned his focus to November’s general election during a rally Monday where he spoke to vocal supporters in Pittsburgh’s South Hills about why they should choose him to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. The “Victory in November” rally at Level 20 in Bethel Park attracted a...
Interactive whiteboards on the way to Hempfield Area schools
Fort Allen and Maxwell elementary schools are at the top of the list to receive interactive instruction panels to replace outdated classroom projectors. The upgrade is part of a Hempfield Area School District plan to spend thousands of dollars to upgrade classrooms across the district with the interactive technology. The...
Hempfield Area summer programs help students avoid ‘summer slide’
Hempfield Area School District students have the opportunity to participate in summer programs this year aimed at addressing what they call “the summer slide” and pandemic-related learning loss. The programs — which include summer classes for students who failed a course and need to recover credits, enrichment camps and elementary...
Growth trend continues at Westmoreland Mall as sneaker, clothing store set to open
The Westmoreland Mall continues to see an uptick in business after the 2020 opening of a casino at the Hempfield complex. Two new stores: Kadiskicks, a locally owned sneaker store, and Daily Thread, a women’s clothing store, soon will be opening at the shopping center, according to the mall’s website....
Authorities identify man shot to death in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood
Officials have identified the man shot to death Friday in Knoxville as Isiah Paillett, 46, of Pittsburgh. Officers responded to the 400 block of Parklow Street around 8 p.m. where they found a man had been shot in the chest multiple times, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman said late Friday....
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust drops masking requirement
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will no longer require masks at its theaters and facilities starting next week after the number of covid-19 cases in Allegheny County dropped below a high rate of transmission. Beginning Tuesday, guests are not required to wear masks at indoor events. The announcement came after the...
Hempfield Area, maintenance workers ratify new 5-year contract
Maintenance workers in the Hempfield Area School District have a five-year labor agreement with pay raises each year. School board members this week ratified the pact between the district and the Hempfield Area Educational Support Personnel Association, giving union members an average raise of 2% each year over the course...
Despite 2 injuries, Westmoreland rodeo deemed a success
Forty bulls and 30 horses drew more than 4,000 people to a makeshift rodeo at the Westmoreland Mall parking lot over the weekend. “Up and all it was pretty doggone successful,” said Sean Sullivan, general manager at Live! Casino Pittsburgh, coordinator of the event. But two men were hurt during...
