Joe Napsha stories, Page 89
Covid case trend continues to drop in Norwin area
For the second consecutive week, the spread of new covid cases in four ZIP codes in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area has slowed, falling to 5.1% for the week ending Jan. 4, according to data from the state Department of Health. The state said there were 2,121 confirmed covid cases...
Covid claims life of Yough School Board member
A Yough School Board member and longtime Herminie business owner who had contracted covid, died last week. Sandy Mireles-Dull, 68, who was elected to the school board in November 2019, died Dec. 30, at Excela Westmoreland Hospital, Greensburg. She had been struggling with covid for a month, according to her...
New CEO takes over at Greensburg YMCA; covid creates uncertainty over reopening
The Greensburg YMCA, closed since Sept. 30 because of the covid pandemic, might not reopen until May, June or later, the new chief executive said. YMCA officials at this time can’t predict when the facility on South Maple Avenue will reopen because of the uncertainty surrounding the covid pandemic, said...
White Oak restaurant donating Tuesday eat-in proceeds to servers
Thousands of restaurant servers like Kelly Matey lost a third of their wages and months worth of tips last year because of the state’s ban on indoor dining for almost three months in the spring and then again three more weeks over the busy Christmas and New Year’s holidays. “It...
Nemacolin resort closes for holidays, plans to reopen next week when covid restrictions lift
If you’d hoped to usher out 2020 at the posh Nemacolin resort in Fayette County, you are out of luck. Nemacolin closed Dec. 22 in an effort to do its part to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The luxury retreat does not plan to reopen until Monday. The closure...
Hempfield photographer found innovative way to stay in business during pandemicVideo
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series highlighting five people whose lives were reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. Back before the covid pandemic slammed the economy and limited what people could do outside their homes, Dennis Pushkar expected that his Impressions Photography would build on what had been...
Nemacolin resort closes for holidays, plans to reopen next week when covid restrictions lift
If you hoped to usher out 2020 at the posh Nemacolin resort in Fayette County, you are out of luck. Nemacolin closed Dec. 22 in an effort to do its part to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The luxury retreat does not plan to reopen until Monday. The...
Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area covid cases rise slightly
The Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area saw a 5% jump in confirmed covid cases over the past week, with the addition of 68 cases, based on data from the state Department of Health. The health department counted 1,310 confirmed covid cases in the three communities as of Dec. 29, up from 1,242 as...
Norwin sees downward trend in new covid cases
The North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area saw fewer new coronavirus cases on Monday compared to a week ago, continuing a downward trend that has seen the week-to-week percentage increase drop below 10 percent for the first time since Thanksgiving, according to data from the state Department of Health. Since the pandemic...
Pennsylvania says federal jobless aid could be delayed several weeks
More than half a million jobless Pennsylvanians may have to wait several weeks before their federal benefits resume under the extended CARES Act that President Trump delayed signing for six days, state officials said . While the state has reviewed the extended CARES Act Congress passed Dec. 21, the U.S....
Irwin police, fire, EMS get stuffed Moose dolls for childrenVideo
Irwin’s police, firefighters and emergency medical services received two dozen cuddly Moose dolls recently to give to children when they are in stressful situations. The brown Tommy Moose stuffed animals adorned with a red shirt and yellow antlers were distributed at the Irwin Fire Department Friday by members of the...
South Greensburg steel fabricator settles sex harassment suit for $80,000
A South Greensburg steel fabricator agreed to pay $80,000 to a fired female welder. The worker claimed co-workers harassed her with sexist remarks, that a foreman told her to clean feces in the women’s bathroom that her co-workers had dirtied, and then was fired four days after revealing she had...
North Huntingdon auto dealership spreads Christmas joy with boxes of foodVideo
Like millions of other Americans, it’s been a terrible year for Michelle Davis of Monroeville. She lost her job months ago as a food delivery person for InstaCart when the economy plunged and covid spread across the region. Her father died last week in New York of a non-covid-related illness,...
Pennsylvania to freelance workers: Checks will be in the mail, but don’t know when
State officials want to assure about 500,000 jobless Pennsylvanians who are independent contractors, freelancers and tech workers that they will continue to get their unemployment benefits under the new $900 billion covid relief package, but they don’t when the checks will be in the mail. Labor and Industry Acting Secretary...
Point State Park gets to keep its Christmas tree
Looks like the Tree of Lights will be in Pittsburgh next year after all. The state decided to continue the Pittsburgh tradition by permitting the picturesque tree to be erected at Point State Park next year. In a reversal of a decision announced last month, the state Department of Conservation...
Norwin-area covid cases increase, but at slower pace
The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in the Norwin area ending the week of Dec. 21 trended below the previous week , the first time since the Thanksgiving holiday , according to the state Department of Health. The number of new covid-19 cases last week increased by 229 to...
North Irwin, Irwin reach deal on police coverage
North Irwin’s 900 residents will continue to receive police protection from the Irwin Police Department under a new three-year deal that the two adjoining boroughs recently approved. North Irwin will pay slightly more for police coverage in 2021 — $2,450 — than in 2020 — $2,333 — under the contract...
Greensburg bloodhound team called for search near Lynch Field
The Greensburg Fire Department bloodhound team was called to assist police in a search for a suspect near the Lynch Field area of the city late Friday night, according to Westmoreland County 911. A man who had contacted Greensburg police around 11:30 p.m. said that someone had stolen his child....
Washington County man slain, authorities say
State police are investigating the murder of a 27-year-old Washington County man found dead in his Coal Center home, the Washington County Coroner said late Friday. The victim, Marshall Y. Craig, was found in his Spring Street home at 5:55 p.m. Friday, the coroner said. The cause of death is...
Medical examiner: Natrona Heights inmate died of heart disease in the Allegheny County Jail
A Natrona Heights man who was an inmate in the Allegheny County Jail died of heart disease last month, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Friday. Daniel Pastorek, 63, of Harrison, was found unresponsive in his cell on Thanksgiving at about 10:20 a.m., Warden Orlando Harper and the medical examiner...
Norwin covid cases continues to rise; near 100 post-Thanksgiving
The number of covid cases among Norwin’s students and staff continued to rise this week with an additional six cases reported on Friday. The raised the number of cases reported to 31 this week — and pushing the post-Thanksgiving surge close to 100. The school district said in a statement...
Covid curtails blood donations, Western Pa. collection groups sayVideo
It was day of firsts on Thursday for Shari Vislosky of Penn Township and her two oldest teenagers, who joined about 50 donors at the American Red Cross’ blood drive at Hempfield Park. It was the first time that Vislosky has donated since the covid-19 pandemic hit Western Pennsylvania in...
North Huntingdon holds line on property taxes for 2021
North Huntingdon property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes in 2021. The commissioners on Wednesday approved setting the tax rate at 11.55 mills for the $14.7 million general fund budget. Commissioner Jason Atwood was the lone opposition to setting the tax rate at 11.55 mills;...
North Versailles man dies after being hit by township snowplow truck
Authorities have identified a North Versailles man struck and killed by a snowplow truck in the midst of Wednesday’s storm. The victim is John Vichie, 63, of North Versailles, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Vichie was walking with a snow blower when he was struck by a...
Norwin adds 8 more covid cases; nears 200
Norwin School District added eight more cases to its covid count among students on Tuesday as the rising number of cases among students and staff is closing in on 200 since classes began in late August. In this latest round of covid announcements, five Stewartsville Elementary School students tested positive...
