Joe Napsha stories, Page 22
Irwin to hold hearing on Manor Grille liquor license
The owners of Manor Grille want to transfer their liquor license from their former restaurant in Manor to their new location in downtown Irwin. Derek and Megan Gutkowski are seeking to transfer their liquor license to their new location at 200 Main St., which formerly was the site of Brandy’s...
Nearly $8 million Norwin deficit could be covered by raising taxes and dipping into reserves
Norwin officials are projecting a nearly $8 million deficit as the district works on a 2024-2025 budget. The spending plan presented by Ryan Kirsch, director of business affairs, projects about $83 million in revenue and anticipates about $91 million in expenses. It doesn’t account for about $9.4 million in reserves....
Norwin stadium targeted in makeover that includes new home grandstand
Norwin is planning on an ambitious project to raze the Knights Stadium’s home grandstand next year. The Norwin School Board is expected to vote on April 22 to approve the project. None of the board members at the meeting Monday voiced any objection to the project. The district could be...
UPS layoffs to begin at New Stanton; shipper to cut 206 jobs
UPS plans to end its dayshift package sorting operations Monday, just as the company said in February it would eliminate 198 part-time jobs and eight full-time positions at its warehouse. Regina Dalton, a UPS spokeswoman, said in a statement she was not aware of any changes in the plans for...
Fitness centers donate books to Charlie Batch charityVideo
Three fitness centers in the region donated 3,200 new and gently used children’s books to enhance reading and literacy through a charity founded by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. “It was a great donation, for sure. It will help provide books for our summer reading program and our Batch...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust taps Penn Township native as new CEO
Twenty-one years ago, Penn- Trafford High School student Benjamin Luczak stood on the stage of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, performing for an audience in the musical “Brigadoon.” In a few weeks, Luczak, 37, will have the responsibility of overseeing operations of The Palace, now that the Westmoreland Cultural Trust has...
Irwin gets police body cameras, OKs prosecutorial review of footage
Irwin has joined six other municipalities in the county that have an agreement to let prosecutors review police body camera recordings before publicly releasing the footage. Irwin council this week unanimously approved the memorandum of understanding from Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. Prosecutors who will review the footage are...
Norwin area: Irwin Clean Up Day; mulch sale; pirohi sale and more
Irwin Community Clean Up Day slated Irwin Borough will hold its free Community Clean Up Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 at Irwin Park parking lot off Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Waste Management will provide the dumpsters and Westmoreland Cleanways will handle the disposal of electronics,...
Hempfield house with 20 acres and lake listed for $1.25M
An easily recognizable home with a private lake surrounded by acres of woodlands near Hempfield Area High School is on the market for $1.25 million. “This home was designed for entertaining,” said Scott Ludwick, the listing agent and associate broker for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Unity. The four-bedroom, four-bath...
Woman, 3 children hurt in crash in Pittsburgh’s Arlington neighborhood
A woman and three children were sent to hospitals Monday night when the woman’s vehicle hit a utility pole in the Pittsburgh’s Arlington neighborhood, Pittsburgh police said. The driver was hospitalized in critical condition after the crash, reported at 6:55 p.m. at Arlington Avenue and Rinne Street, police said. A...
Zoning hearing board to review plans for townhouse in Irwin
A North Huntingdon developer wants to build a two-story four-unit townhouse in Irwin. Painter Development Co. LLC is seeking a special exception to Irwin’s zoning ordinance to build the multi-unit residential building at the corner of Chestnut Street and Eighth Avenue. The borough’s zoning hearing board has scheduled a hearing...
Guided wildflower walks set for Braddock’s Trail Park
Nature lovers who enjoy seeing wildflowers can join the Wildflower Walks at Braddock’s Trail Park of Robbins Station Road in North Huntingdon. The guided walks are led by local experts and gives participants the opportunity to learn about the natural beauty the park, according to the North Huntingdon Parks and...
Norwin Lions to present murder mystery theater
Fans of murder mysteries can have dinner and be entertained at the Norwin Lions’ “Death and Taxes” show April 20 at the Circleville Fire Department’s social hall. The show is at 5:30 p.m. at 129 Robbins Station Road, North Huntingdon. Tickets are $50 per person, which covers the admission to...
Norwin students plan dinner for senior citizens, signup deadline is Wednesday
Norwin senior citizens can enjoy a free meal and entertainment April 21 at Norwin Senior High School, McMahon Avenue, North Huntingdon, courtesy of the Norwin Student Council. The meal for Norwin residents age 55 and older will be held from 1 to 3:30 pm. The theme of the event is...
Westmoreland flood damage may not be bad enough for disaster declaration
As bad as the flood was for some Westmoreland County residents whose appliances, furnaces and other items in their basements were ruined by flood waters Wednesday, the losses may not rise to the level needed to be declared a disaster, which releases government aid, a county official said Friday. “Westmoreland...
Former East Huntingdon plant workers left with $40K in medical bills despite judge’s order
Former workers of a shuttered East Huntingdon metalworking company are waiting for the firm’s owner to pay about $40,000 in overdue medical bills incurred after they found out they were without insurance. U.S. Judge Robert Colville ordered Robert H. Kendi, president of the Ken-Co Fabricating Co. Inc., to “immediately pay”...
Too familiar: Residents near creeks, streams begin flood cleanup
Pamela Courie reached her breaking point Thursday when it began raining again. She and her husband spent hours tearing apart and throwing away flood-damaged pieces of their Lowber home after Sewickley Creek overflowed its banks Wednesday and came rushing in. “I want to move. I’m too sick to do this....
Widespread flooding in Westmoreland: homes flooded, roads closed
Widespread flooding Wednesday throughout Westmoreland County closed roads, flooded basements, required the rescue of some people and stranded others. Drenching rain the past three days that totaled 3 to 5 inches across the region pushed streams and rivers over their banks. Among the hardest-hit areas were the villages of Lowber,...
‘It’s a real shock’ friend says of fatal North Huntingdon dirt bike crash
A 19-year-old former Norwin High School student and a 16-year-old Norwin sophomore who were killed over the weekend in a dirt bike crash were mourned by classmates and friends Monday while donations poured in to help the families. The victims, Adam Bilinsky, 19, and Colin Bargiel, 16, both of North Huntingdon,...
North Irwin bridge project lands funding; work may begin in 2026
A new bridge over a ravine and railroad bed in North Irwin could be built in two years if plans hold true, a PennDOT official said this past week. The Fourth Street Bridge has been closed for a decade and was removed last year. As some residents await its replacement,...
Westmoreland GOP commissioners again nix drop boxes for mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County’s two Republican commissioners denied a request from several voters to install drop boxes throughout the county in advance of the April 23 primary. Commissioners heard from seven voters during the elections board meeting Thursday who urged them to approve drop-off boxes for mail-in ballots. Neither of the two...
New women’s clothing store opens in Irwin
An Irwin store owner is betting that she can fill a niche in the market for clothing for plus-size women’s store. Stacey Larkin of North Huntingdon, recently opened her store, She’s All That & More at 606 Oak St. in downtown Irwin. “It’s a boutique without the boutique prices. It’s...
Norwin nurse honored with state recognition
Norwin’s certified school nurse has been chosen as the Southwest Region School Nurse of Excellence by a statewide school nursing organization. Anita Miklos, who has been a school nurse at Norwin since 1999, was selected for the honor recently by the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners. The person...
Solar power for New Kensington, Harrison area buildings could save nearly $45 million over 25 years
Owners of 54 buildings in the New Kensington and Harrison areas could save nearly $45 million on their electric bills over the next 25 years if they unlocked the solar power potential of their properties, according to a Pittsburgh nonprofit. “Nonprofits (would be) able to direct more funding toward their...
North Huntingdon VFW Post raising money to renovate Kattic Pavilion
A 28-year-old pavilion named in honor of a former commander of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 needs to be renovated, and the organization has launched an effort to raise $25,000 to do the work. Post commander Kory Bulloch said the goal is to make the...
