Quincey Reese stories, Page 30
South Huntingdon fire department purchases gear for firefighters
The Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Department in South Huntingdon will purchase more than $30,000 worth of gear thanks to a grant from a Florida-based nonprofit. The $30,500 grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation will cover the cost of seven sets of bunker gear. Each set includes a jacket, pants, hood,...
Hempfield releases comprehensive plan draft ahead of August vote
Hempfield supervisors will vote this month on a comprehensive plan that maps out the priorities of the township over the next 10 to 15 years. The plan’s goals include improving township signage, expanding sidewalks and trails, removing blighted property, developing available property on Route 30, preserving greenspace and evaluating the...
Hardware, electrical stores adapt to federal light bulb legislation
Jim Zink is not sure what to do with his remaining stock of incandescent light bulbs. Federal rules that took effect Aug. 1 prohibit the sale of most bulbs patented over a century ago by Thomas Edison. Now, Zink — owner of Hummell Brothers lighting store in Jeannette — is...
New Aldi store to open next month in Hempfield
The new Aldi store in Hempfield Plaza is expected to open in September. The store is taking over a former Staples location at 6207 Route 30 in Hempfield. The office supply retailer closed March 10. “We are excited to provide local shoppers a revamped and refreshed Aldi store designed to...
Battle at Bushy Run set to return after ‘positive move’ by state commission
The Bushy Run reenactment will proceed as usual this weekend and in the years to come thanks to a living history policy approved by the state this week. The Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, which governs Bushy Run and all other state-owned historic sites, voted on its final living history...
Live Casino Pittsburgh expects 700 cars for 2nd annual car cruise
Live Casino Pittsburgh will host its second car cruise Sunday in support of young student-athletes. The Hempfield casino held its first car cruise last year. It showed about 600 cars, drew 3,200 attendees and generated $6,000 for Educated Athletes First — a nonprofit started by former Jeannette football player Demetrious...
‘We’re just the helpers’: Nonprofit donates 7 strollers to children with disabilities
Rachel Losier loves shopping at the mall and going to amusement parks. But, for the past few years, a knee injury has prevented her from keeping up with her family and appreciating these outings. Losier, 18, of New Alexandria has Down syndrome, which is known for causing recurring knee injuries....
Bushy Run prepares for 260th anniversary of Penn Township battle
About 90 reenactors are registered for this year’s Bushy Run Battlefield reenactment, which was in jeopardy earlier this year after a change in state policy. The reenactment traditionally held the first weekend in August portrays a 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. It will take...
Hanna’s Town kicks off Civil War reenactment with children’s program
Of all the portrayals and demonstrations Friday at Historic Hanna’s Town, Waylon Bizup was most excited about the weaponry. “I liked the cannon,” 10-year-old Waylon said. “I liked the Gatling gun over there. We got to fire it, like two rounds. It was really cool, and we got to be...
Fire damages attic, basement of former South Huntingdon coffee shop
Fire damaged a former coffee shop in South Huntingdon Township on Tuesday evening. According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, fires were found in the basement and the attic of the former Breaktime Coffee Services building, located at 2246 First St. in Wyano. No one was found in the building...
Hempfield enters partnership with county to identify ‘best reuse’ of former state prison property
Hempfield supervisors have entered an agreement with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation to tear down the former SCI Greensburg state prison. The agreement, which the Hempfield supervisors approved in a meeting Monday evening, outlines the partnership between the township and the corporation, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the...
Seton Hill names Keisha Jimmerson dean of students, diversity officer
Keisha Jimmerson left her home in Virginia in 1993 to pursue a communications degree at Seton Hill University. Now an employee of the university for 25 years, Jimmerson said she has stayed because of the people who have shown her grace — inside and outside of the classroom. “There’s something...
Pa. working on new policy to govern reenactments at sites like Bushy Run
A draft of Pennsylvania’s new living history policy — which previously jeopardized future reenactments at state-owned historic sites — is a “step in the right direction” but could use clarification, according to Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society President Bonnie Ramus. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission held its second of...
‘It’s heartwarming’: Local running store hosts Labor Day race in support of autism nonprofit
Autism Connection of PA, a Pittsburgh nonprofit, has a “huge mission and a limited budget,” said Director of Operations Tammi Morton. So fundraising events like the Labor Day Run for Autism are vital. Gingerbread Man Running Co., a store for runners with locations in Indiana and Greensburg, has hosted the...
Penn Township planning ahead for Pa. Turnpike interchange
Penn Township will request $20 million through a state grant program to put toward future capital projects, including the upcoming Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange on Route 130. “We know that the turnpike interchange is coming,” township secretary/manager Mary Perez said. “In anticipation of any type of capital need or perhaps a...
Severe thunderstorm watch, including possible tornadoes, issued Thursday night for Pittsburgh areaVideo
Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes are expected to reach Pittsburgh late Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 3 a.m. Friday. The primary threat will be damaging wind with speeds up to 70 mph,...
Westmoreland communities receive share of casino revenue
It’s unlikely that one would expect to win money at a casino for bridge repairs or fire department renovations, but a few Westmoreland municipalities found themselves with the lucky hand Monday. Live Casino Pittsburgh doled out its latest round of Local Share Account grants at the Hempfield location Monday, bringing...
Increased turnout expected for Bushy Run reenactment
Although it was in jeopardy of not happening, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society anticipates an increased turnout at this year’s reenactment, set for Aug. 5 and 6. Reenactors portraying Native Americans at the event will have additional procedures to follow this year, a conciliation to the Pennsylvania Historical and...
Weekend turnpike closure set in New Stanton, Breezewood
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the New Stanton and Breezewood interchanges this weekend to clear a tractor-trailer crash that occurred Monday night. According to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police, the tractor-trailer crashed near mile marker 103.5 westbound in Somerset County. The report states that the vehicle...
Digital divide hurts pocketbooks of Pa. residents, roundtable participants say
The digital divide leads to lost opportunities for people in underserved broadband areas, officials said Thursday as they discussed how to spend $1.16 billion expected from the federal government to help solve the problem. “People have been talking about the digital divide for decades,” said Evan Feinman, director of the...
Blind Norwin High School student portrays Rafiki in ‘The Lion King Jr.’
An avid “Lion King” fan, Angelina Angelcyk was thrilled when she was selected to play Rafiki the baboon in the Geyer Performing Arts Center’s production of “The Lion King Jr.” Angelcyk, a rising senior at Norwin High School, has listened to the movie countless times on VHS tape and attended...
North Belle Vernon hosts music performances
North Belle Vernon’s Community Bank Park will offer free performances by barbershop and polka music groups in the third week of July. The Belle Vernon Public Library will host 3Rivers4, a barbershop-style acapella harmony group, at 6:30 p.m. on July 20. The group will perform a variety of selections, including...
Protect PT seeks support for proposed gas well ordinance
Protect PT, an environmental nonprofit located in Penn Township, will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday to gather support for a proposed ordinance regarding gas well drilling and development practices. In the proposal, the nonprofit requests that the township: • allow a 2,500-foot buffer between new well pads and...
Westmoreland County Food Bank sees increased demand
The need for emergency food assistance has skyrocketed in Westmoreland County. CEO Jennifer Miller said prior to the pandemic, the Westmoreland County Food Bank received about two calls per month for emergency assistance. Now, the organization is seeing about three to five calls a day from people in immediate need...
Trafford Legion Riders host 2nd fundraiser for Amanda’s Heart Foundation
Local motorcyclists will hit the roads Saturday for a fundraiser to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The fundraiser, sponsored by American Legion Riders Trafford Post 331, will benefit Amanda’s Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization that was started by Wall resident Linda Ooten and her daughter, Amanda — a...
