Norwin Star category, Page 87
Norwin notebook: Soccer players Swankler, Sigut commit to D1 programs
Norwin will send two more girls soccer players to NCAA Division I programs. Junior forward Paloma Swankler announced she has committed to play at Robert Morris, while senior Morgan Sigut is headed to Long Island (N.Y.). One of several speedsters for the Knights, Swankler, an all-section player, was a scoring...
Norwin track and field to lean on senior depth
A global pandemic put a line through last season, ending playoff streaks for both of the Norwin track and field teams. The boys had made the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals in 2017 and ’18, while the girls reached the team finals four years in a row (2016-19) and have made...
Restaurant restrictions loosened, but workers hard to find in Western PennsylvaniaVideo
“Help wanted” signs at restaurants across the region are as noticeable as menus, as businesses scramble to hire enough workers to serve more customers under loosened indoor dining restrictions. Restaurant owners and managers have been challenged to find enough workers to stay open longer and feed customers in a timely...
Norwin’s bats wake up in win over Penn-Trafford
Eric Chorba zeroed in on a 1-0 fastball that arrived a touch inside. When it met the business end of his bat and he sent it climbing toward a sun-canvased sky, the Norwin senior was out of his admitted slump and his team was well on its way to another...
Local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter marks 110th anniversary
When Sharon Wallhausen of Irwin was growing up, her great aunt told stories about their family being part of the Revolutionary War Patriots, but Wallhausen was never able to uncover enough family history to prove the link. Wallhausen, who had a passion for genealogy, eventually traced her family’s ancestry back...
Irwin car cruise returns as borough hires police, workers
Car cruise planned in Irwin The traditional spring car cruise will be held from noon to 5 p.m. April 24 in downtown Irwin. About 85 vehicles have preregistered for event, according to organizer Gary Ed. The car cruise typically attracts around 450 vehicles, which are parked along Main Street and...
Several area schools deemed best communities for music education by national group
Several school districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties were named among the best communities for music education by a national organization. The NAMM Foundation recognized the schools for their outstanding commitment to music education. In its 22nd year, the designation is awarded to districts that show outstanding achievement in efforts...
Norwin area charges filed, April 8, 2021
Charges filed with North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • Ashley L. Converso, 34, of Westmoreland City, by North Huntingdon police with possession of...
Pet Friends of Irwin to benefit from book sales about rescue dog
Sales of a children’s book about dog adoption will benefit an Irwin nonprofit animal rescue organization. Pet Friends Inc. partnered with Marianne Spampinato of Johnstown, who wrote “Betsy the Rescue Dog.” The sale is timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary of her adoption of Krissy, a border collie-terrier mix,...
Pitt, tech-company partners explore use of copper as filter material for PPEVideo
A group of scientists and technology companies from the Pittsburgh area want to torture the covid-19 virus literally to death, and now they have a state grant to help them do so. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but a big part of the state’s $68,000 Manufacturing PA grant awarded...
Lamp Theatre flea market fundraiser set for this weekend in Irwin
While The Lamp Theatre in Irwin remains closed for concerts and shows because of coronavirus restrictions, supporters are continuing their fundraising efforts for the venue. Volunteers are being asked to donate household goods for a flea market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the patio adjacent...
Emma Little slugs Penn-Trafford past NorwinVideo
Emma Little did not spend Easter Sunday afternoon eating candy. She was too busy working on her softball swing. “I made a complete change,” the Penn-Trafford senior catcher said. “Me and my dad came to the field, and I changed my whole swing, stance-wise. It was something I needed to...
North Huntingdon-Irwin area covid cases up slightly, as of April 5, 2021
There was a 2.8% increase in the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases from March 29 to April 5 in the four ZIP codes covering most of the Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin area, based on data released Monday by the state Department of Health. The 81 new confirmed...
North Catholic takes over Class AA top spot in latest WPIAL coaches boys volleyball rankings
The Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 2 boys volleyball rankings Monday morning, and there is a change at the top in Class AA. North Catholic, No. 3 in last week’s top 10 poll, has taken over the No. 1 position, unseating Seton LaSalle. The teams went head-to-head...
Retired Norwin teacher loved traveling, going to Olympics
Retired Norwin High School teacher Leslie “Les” M. Harvath had a lifelong love for the game of baseball, from playing on a Little League championship team to starring for the Norwin Knights and Duquesne Dukes that led to a tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and then imparting his knowledge of...
Eastern area real estate transactions for the week of April 4, 2021
Chalfant Mario Pettica sold property at 224 Lynnwood Ave. to Nedsem Investments LLC for $40,000. Churchill Erika Ahlstrand sold property at 26 Barton Drive to Michelle Zentis for $155,000. Ron Lesko sold property at 3769 Greensburg Pike to Block Chain Luxury LLC for $64,000. David Indorato sold property at 3715...
Trib HSSN Softball Team of the Week for week ending April 4, 2021
When last we saw the Norwin softball team, it was falling in the final four. The Knights lost to North Allegheny, 8-4, in the 2019 Class 6A semifinals, ending their season with a 13-8 overall record. Now in his sixth season as coach at Norwin, Brian Mesich knows a lot...
Tribune-Review Westmoreland Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Latrobe’s Anna Rafferty
Tribune-Review Westmoreland Girls Basketball Player of the Year Anna Rafferty, Latrobe 6-2, Jr., C With defenders closing in all around her — and looking up at her in the process — Anna Rafferty calmly paused and made moves to the basket. Time and again, the junior center from Latrobe seemed...
Irwin-North Huntingdon-Trafford-Murrysville team wins softball championship
A group of men from the Irwin-North Huntingdon-Trafford-Murrysville areas who qualify for senior citizen status still play softball well enough to capture a world championship in a winter tournament in Florida. The HC Global Men’s 60 AA softball team took the International Senior Softball Association’s World Championship held in late...
Norwin-area happenings, April 1, 2021
Norwin School Board moves meeting site The Norwin School Board will hold an in-person meeting for the first time in a year. The board is set to hold its April 12 workshop meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Hahntown Elementary School cafeteria/gym, where the voting meeting will be held at...
North Huntingdon fish fry organizers fulfill big taskVideo
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...
Norwin-area charges filed as of April 1, 2021
Charges filed with North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware. All individuals have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • Jamie M. Cooley, 38, of Jeannette, by North Huntingdon police with conspiracy to commit...
Rising lumber prices a pain in the pocketbook, push new house prices up $24,000
In 40 years of building homes in Westmoreland, Allegheny and southern Butler counties, Ray Snoznik, owner of R.A. Snoznik Construction Inc. of Murrysville, never has seen such a jump in lumber prices in one year. “It’s up 188% from last year. We’re trying to adjust (to the price hike), but...
New North Huntingdon-Irwin area covid cases down slightly
The number of new confirmed covid cases in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area dipped slightly from March 22 to 29, compared to the previous seven-day period, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Health. There were 47 new confirmed cases in the four ZIP codes covering most...
Eastern area real estate transactions for the week of March 28, 2021
Chalfant John Tougher sold property at 243 Greenfield Ave. to Slimcan Akyuz for $145,000. Churchill Patricia McKee sold property at 47 Churchill Road to Gary William and Barbara Phillips Gardiner for $232,500. Estate of Gernard Lapietra sold property at 2340 Greensburg Pike to Thing Of Ours Limited for $75,000. Delmont...
