Joe Napsha stories, Page 87
Pittsburgh region struggles to recover as unemployment rises slightly
The Pittsburgh area’s recovery from depths of the pandemic-caused recession slowed in December, as 5,300 jobs were lost in the region, pushing the unemployment rate up slightly at the end of the year, the state said Tuesday. “We‘re still kind of scuffling along,” said Frank Gamrat, executive director of the...
Sewickley centenarian, 1st female township supervisor helped push women’s rights
Sixty years ago, before the push for women’s rights gained widespread support, Mary Belak Zakutney of Herminie sought the same pay for the same job as a man in her rural community. Mrs. Zakutney was secretary-treasurer for Sewickley Township for almost 17 years, from the early 1940s to 1957, working...
Norwin to expand in-class elementary teaching
Norwin plans to give its 1,850 elementary school students the option of returning to school four days a week beginning Feb. 15, which doubles the number of in-class instruction days under the hybrid instruction model Norwin has used since school began. Superintendent Jeff Taylor said students in the four elementary...
Kennametal quarterly earnings up
Strong sales for the October through December quarter combined with savings from its restructuring and modernization initiatives helped to boost the quarterly net income of Kennametal Inc. to $20.2 million and earnings to 23 cents per share, a turnaround from losses a year ago, the metalworking toolmaker said Monday. Pittsburgh-based...
Greensburg area man’s frustration ends, finally gets unemployment benefits
Seven months of frustration trying to get the state to release thousands of dollars in unemployment benefits from last year ended for a Southwest Greensburg man this past weekend when he got a long-awaited check from the Labor Department. “I won’t have to worry so much,” Scott Flanigan, 58, said...
Coronavirus spread continues to slow in North Huntingdon-Irwin area as of Feb. 1
The spread of covid cases in the North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin areas dropped again over the past seven days, falling to just 47 new cases from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, a 1.8% increase in total cases, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Health....
Covid mutes Groundhog Day celebration; no throngs this year, but a virtual forecast set
A few days before the annual pilgrimage that thousands make to the small Jefferson County town on Feb. 2 to celebrate the appearance of that famous weather prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, Donna Grabany is experiencing something unusual. There is room at her inn, lots of room in fact, for anyone wanting...
Socially distant farewell for retiring Greensburg area minister
Retiring in the midst of a pandemic requires a different kind of farewell ceremony, which is what will happen Saturday for the minister at the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Greensburg. A socially-distant farewell is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for the Rev. Donna Havrisko, who is retiring...
Penn-Trafford-area criminal charges filed, Jan. 28, 2021
The following charges are filed with Penn Township District Judge Helen Kistler. All persons charged have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty or pleading guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • James S. Kaylor Jr., 28, of McKeesport,...
Norwin-area briefs, Jan. 28, 2021, and beyond
St. Agnes offers Lenten course St. Agnes Church in North Huntingdon is offering a 7-week video Lenten Experience titled “The Search,” beginning Feb 14. In-person, small group or virtual sharing and discussion options are available. Those interested can visit the parish website at stagnes.info or call the parish office 724-863-2626...
Norwin-area criminal charges filed, Jan. 28, 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 or pleading guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • Dallas W. Creech, 43, of Greensburg, by North Huntingdon police with...
Westmoreland creates website for vaccine info
Westmoreland County has created a page on its website with a list of vaccine providers, how to contact them and a link to the state health department’s interactive map of vaccine providers. Information on how to register for the covid vaccine and a quiz to determine when a person is...
Allegheny County’s most recent vaccination appointments filled for age 65, older
Two hours after announcing additional covid-19 vaccination appointments for people age 65 and older in Allegheny County, the registration had been filled to capacity. The newest appointments were made available on Feb. 9 and 13 by the county Health Department. But at around 7 p.m., a Trib reporter logged into...
Monroeville ICU nurses treated to taco lunch from Irwin eateryVideo
A group of intensive care unit nurses who have been on the front lines of treating covid patients at Allegheny Health Network’s Forbes Hospital in Monroeville got a treat Monday from an Irwin restaurant that delivered shrimp tacos, rice, beans, queso salsa and Mexican Coca-Cola to them. “They will really...
Jan. 25: Covid spread in North Huntingdon-Irwin area remains flat
The anticipated post-holiday spike in new covid cases has not materialized in the four ZIP codes covering most of the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area, with the percentage of new cases over the past week at less than 5% for the second consecutive week, according to state Health Department data released...
Lottery players have $1 billion dreams: Travel, help family, buy lots of good stuffVideo
Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers — with visions of what it might be like to win $1 billion — plucked down $2 in droves Friday at retailers with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, they could be rich beyond their wildest dreams. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of,...
Bushy Run Battlefield group delays search for new facilitator
The organization operating the Bushy Run Battlefield museum in Penn Township will delay its search for a new facilitator until the state decides when it can reopen the facility along Route 993. “There’s no point in posting a job when we’re not open. Nobody would want the job when there...
Norwin-area happenings, Jan. 21 and beyond
Police cars purchased North Huntingdon police will be getting two new police cars this year. Township commissioners approved a payment of $33,185 each for two 2021 Ford police Interceptor Pursuit all-wheel-drive vehicles from Jim Shorkey Auto Group of North Huntingdon. North Huntingdon is buying the cars through the state’s cooperative...
Charges filed in Penn-Trafford area, week of Jan. 18
Charges filed with Penn Township District Judge Helen Kistler. All persons charged have the right to a preliminary hearing and are innocent until proven guilty or pleading guilty before a judge in the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. • Michael D. McNeely, 48, of Pittsburgh, by Penn Township police...
North Huntingdon to hold hearing on backyard chicken rules
The controversy over regulating backyard chickens in North Huntingdon was back before the township commissioners Wednesday when the seven-member board once again split over whether to amend existing rules governing poultry in a neighborhood. The board majority on Wednesday let stand a decision to hold a public hearing at 6...
Norwin alters attendance boundaries for 4 elementary schools for next school year
Some Norwin elementary school students will attend different schools in the fall because of the district’s decision to change the attendance areas of its four elementary schools. The school board this week approved the redistricting plan to achieve what officials said would be a better balance in enrollment among the...
Norwin OKs housing authority deal for payments in lieu of taxes
The Norwin School Board put its stamp of approval on a deal to split about $11,150 a year with the taxing bodies of Irwin and the county for the next 40 years in return for not challenging the non-profit charitable status of the developer of a proposed 50-unit complex for...
Norwin to keep any tax hike to 3.9% or less
Under a resolution the school board approved this week, the Norwin School District will not raise real estate taxes for the 2021-22 school year by more than 3.9% — the state-determined inflationary index. As a result of the intention to limit any tax hike to 3.9%, a homeowner in North...
Covid case spread drops in North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area
The spread of covid cases in the four ZIP codes covering most of the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin areas continued to drop for the fourth consecutive week, falling to just 4.1% for the seven-day period ending Jan. 18, according to state Health Department data. The number of confirmed covid cases in...
Sister had respect of peers as she guided Catholic schools in Greensburg diocese
Sister Marguerite Moya Coyne, who served as the superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg from 1998 to 2003, was known for her love of children and education, her friends and co-workers said. “She was a stellar woman and one of the best persons I’ve ever worked with,”...
