Norwin Star category, Page 115
Penn Township man charged in fatal Route 30 crash in North Huntingdon
A Penn Township man is charged with homicide by vehicle and related criminal offenses for his role in a rear-end collision Jan. 21 on Route 30 that claimed the life of a North Huntingdon man. Chad Gregorini, 44, is accused of driving 53 mph in a 40 mph zone in...
Westmoreland green phase: No temp checks at courthouse, offices opening
Westmoreland County is moving to green status on Friday, meaning courthouse visitors won’t need a temperature check to enter, and some restrictions on access to row offices will be lifted. Gov. Wolf announced last week that Westmoreland would be joining other counties in southwestern Pennsylvania in moving from the yellow...
Pennsylvania Turnpike to lay off 500 employees, make cashless tolling permanent
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission this month will lay off about 500 employees — mostly toll collectors — as it switches permanently to a cashless system statewide. That’s roughly a quarter of the commission’s total workforce. The commission originally planned to make the switch to cashless late next year, promising no...
Irwin man sentenced to jail after being found with almost 30 pounds of marijuana
Saying he was a danger to the community, a Westmoreland County judge on Monday ordered an Irwin drug dealer to serve at least six months in jail for possession of nearly 30 pounds of marijuana. Zachary Morton, 33, was sentenced to serve up 23 months behind bars and an additional...
Paint a rainbow to benefit Irwin Rotary food program
Artists of all ages and experience levels are invited to create rainbow paintings to be displayed at Feathers Artist Market and Gifts in Irwin. Pieces submitted for “Project Rainbow” then will be auctioned to benefit Irwin Rotary’s Care & Share Pantry, which provides food to community members in need. Paintings...
North Huntingdon historian seeks volunteers to help digitize WWI burial records
Andrew Capets’ initial interest in World War I was finding out more about his grandfather’s unit, the 313th Machine Gun Battalion. That research led the North Huntingdon resident and amateur historian to write “Good War, Great Men,” which focused on his grandfather’s battalion and its exploits, including fighting in the...
Norwin grad Steve Petrick to play final year of college football at Maine
Steve Petrick thinks he still has something to give college football, and he plans to make his final season count. “One hundred percent,” he said. But Petrick will have to put that punctuation mark on his meandering career at another new school — his fourth in as many years. A...
Norwin delays graduation until June
Norwin made it official Friday for the class of 2020 — no graduation ceremonies as initially scheduled on May 22 because of the restrictions against gatherings of more than 25 people. Even though Westmoreland County has moved from the yellow phase of the state’s reopening plan, Superintendent Jeff Taylor said...
North Huntingdon police won’t cite businesses for violating Gov. Wolf’s orders
North Huntingdon joined other municipalities in directing its police force not to cite or take any legal action local businesses that open in violation of the state’s coronavirus-related shutdown orders — as long as they follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for wearing personal protective equipment, keep social distancing...
Lamp Theatre selling popcorn as fundraiser
What does a non-profit do when it has to postpone its primary fundraiser because of government-ordered restrictions against large gathering during a covid-19 pandemic? In the case of The Lamp Theatre in Irwin, it sells popcorn, just like it does during concerts, shows and other events that would be held...
Small businesses in Western Pa. eager to reopen, but not sure how public will respondVideo
Like thousands of other business owners, Kevin Miscik, owner of a Greensburg clothing store, has waited a long time to reopen in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. “We lost all of Easter and part of the spring buying season and missed the beginning of the summer (buying) season,” said...
Kennametal selling equipment at closed Carbidie plant
Kennametal Inc. is turning to a virtual auction next week to sell equipment from its shuttered Carbidie plant along Arona Road in Hempfield. A two-day auction of the plant’s equipment — such as sintering furnaces, a 120-ton press, computer-controlled and conventional machine tools, grinders and dust collectors, forklifts and various...
North Huntingdon man survives ‘battle’ with covid-19, cheered by Excela hospital staffVideo
With a wave, a few tears and a honk of the horn, Mark Nicholas was finally heading home. Wednesday marked the first time in seven weeks that the North Huntingdon man and his wife, Karyl Nicholas, were able to touch each other. Mark, 62, tested positive for the coronavirus in...
Norwin group to resume Meals on Wheels
Norwin Area Meals on Wheels, which stopped delivering meals o March 25 because of fears of spreading the coronavirus, will resume deliveries Tuesday, but with modifications to meet social distancing requirements, a spokesman said. Because of limited space in the New Hope Presbyterian Church kitchen in North Huntingdon where the...
Some jobless workers still waiting for benefits as Western Pa. businesses look to reopen
Matt Kastner of Irwin has been waiting for almost two months for the day he can return to his job at a Blawnox music store, which has been closed since mid-March as part of Pennsylvania’s attempt to slow the spread of covid-19. “We haven’t received word when the store will...
Cops: ‘Joyride’ in North Huntingdon causes $20K in damages, closes small airport
A North Huntingdon man arrested for DUI told police he was out “joyriding because he enjoys racing in the mud,” but the sloppy trip could leave him liable for nearly $20,000 in landscaping damages, according to court documents. Jonathan M. Galka, 39, was charged Tuesday with DUI, reckless driving and...
North Huntingdon church taking food distribution to new levelVideo
Phyllis Karasek watched as Calvary Church volunteers stacked 30 boxes of non-perishable food in her garage on Friday, a temporary holding spot until she could deliver the boxes of groceries to her fellow residents of West Hempfield Townhouses in Hempfield. “It’s is a huge help. We have a lot of...
North Huntingdon extends tax discount deadline
North Huntingdon property owners will have until Aug. 31 to receive a discount on their township real estate taxes. The township commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved an extension of the April 30 deadline for the discount period. The commissioners at the special meeting also waived any interest and penalties on...
Masked man who police say planned to rob North Huntingdon bank gets prison sentence
A man who police say wore a rubber mask depicting a heavily wrinkled, middle-aged man as part of a failed bomb plot and bank robbery in North Huntingdon could serve up to two years in jail. Luke Joseph Dell, 35, of Ohio pleaded guilty Tuesday to terroristic threats and bomb...
North Huntingdon woman raises money for Excela staff who saved her husband from covid-19
After her high school sweetheart spent 20 days hospitalized on a ventilator, Karyl Nicholas of North Huntingdon was relieved to finally talk to him by phone. The day the tube was removed — April 19 — is a bright spot in what has been nerve-wracking weeks for the family of...
Norwin students making music at homeVideo
A Norwin elementary teacher has worked with her students to bring some cheer during the five weeks they have been at home, receiving online lessons instead of in-school instruction since mid-March. Rachel Read, a music teacher at Stewartsville and Sunset Valley elementary school, assembled a video montage to showcase the...
Queen of Angels gets grant for outdoor project
Students at the North Huntingdon parochial school may have new outdoor learning and play activity space next school year that will serve as space for lessons on the environment. Queen of Angels School on Main Street was awarded a $10,000 Green Gift from Noble Environmental of Pittsburgh. It will help...
Regional AAA picks North Huntingdon woman as new president
A former University of Pittsburgh Medical Center executive is the first woman to lead the regional chapter of the American Automobile Association. Teresa “Terri” Petrick, 62, of North Huntingdon, was named president of the AAA East Central region as of April 1, the East Liberty-based organization said Tuesday. She is...
Norwin plans dates for commencement
Norwin school officials are proposing a number of dates in May, June, July and August to hold senior graduation ceremonies at the high school stadium. In an email sent to parents last week, Superintendent Jeff Taylor said the district is looking at May 22 at 7 p.m. or a rain...
Norwin proposes 2.9% hike in school taxes
North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin property owners will pay 2.9% more in school real estate taxes for 2020-21 fiscal year under a $76.4 million tentative budget unanimously approved Monday by the Norwin School Board. The proposed tax increase would raise the millage by 2.4 mills to 84.8 mills for...
