Quincey Reese stories, Page 28
Bus driver shortage leaves schools, public transit agencies scrambling
A shortage of drivers is pinching school bus companies and public transit agencies that are left scrambling to transport students and workers, fill vacancies and keep their current stable of employees from burning out. “It’s just hard to get drivers. We just can’t figure it out,” said James Varner, manager...
Penn Township family receives community support after house fire
Greg Benson and his wife, Donna, had no idea their house was on fire Thursday evening. “A passerby came beating on the front door. We have two chocolate Labs, and I thought it was my oldest son just trying to irritate the dogs,” said Greg, 65, of Penn Township. “I...
Hempfield celebrates township’s past, future at 250th anniversary gala
Hempfield closed out a year of celebrations surrounding its 250th anniversary at a gala Thursday night. About 200 township residents of all ages attended the event, held at Live Casino Pittsburgh’s venue space at Westmoreland Mall. “We’re recognizing Hempfield Township as a part of the founding of Westmoreland County 250...
Crews battle blaze at Penn Township home
Crews from multiple fire departments were battling a blaze Thursday evening that caused extensive damage to a Penn Township home. The blaze was reported about 4:45 p.m. in the 300 block of Mt. Manor Road. Harrison City and Westmoreland City fire departments were the first to respond to the scene....
Southwest Greensburg man thanks first responders who saved him during cardiac arrest
Greg Yurcevich does not remember Sept. 2. He does not remember going to the home of a Penn Township woman to install her front door, going into cardiac arrest and ending up at the hospital for a week. “It’s all kind of foggy until I came home,” Yurcevich said. But...
Blackthorne Investors files appeal against township’s vote on construction of new clubhouse
Blackthorne Investors is appealing a vote by Penn Township to deny construction of a new clubhouse in the Blackthorne Estates golf course community. The commissioners voted 4-1 on Aug. 16 against construction of a new facility, citing the possibility of increased traffic in a residential area near the proposed site....
Bushy Run adapts annual hayride to haunted museum play, citing state hayride policy update
Bushy Run is adapting its annual haunted hayride event to a night of scary stories in the museum in light of state policy changes for hayride attractions. The Penn Township historical site had hosted a hayride each October, wheeling visitors along the trail as 18th-century reenactors tell the story of...
Penn-Trafford student, teacher recognized in Cornell scholarship program
When Jeffrey Backus was given an opportunity to recognize a high school teacher who impacted him, Stephanie Bruggeman was the obvious choice. Backus, a 2019 Penn-Trafford graduate, was among 43 students selected for Cornell University’s Merrill Presidential Scholars Program. The program, created in 1988, recognizes the top 1% of each...
Westmoreland, Allegheny emergency units practice hazard response with Norfolk Southern’s ‘safety train’
More than 100 Westmoreland and Allegheny County first responders spread across the Norfolk Southern train yard in North Versailles for a safety training Wednesday night. Members of the counties’ emergency response and hazmat units, wearing neon vests and jackets, surrounded Norfolk Southern’s “safety train,” a nine-part train used to simulate...
Knights of Columbus groups serve local communities despite controversial namesake
The legacy of 15th-century Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus has sparked controversy in recent years, but there remain about 100 Knights of Columbus councils in Western Pennsylvania. “When you join the Knights of Columbus, you swear to do charitable works,” said Albert Borgony, grand knight for a Westmoreland council....
Hobgoblin Hikes returns to Westmoreland for 46th year
Cedar Creek and Twin Lakes parks will play host to witches, zombies, monsters and more Halloween scares in late October for Westmoreland County’s annual Hobgoblin Hikes. The free hikes, hosted by the county Parks and Recreation Department, have been held since 1977. The first hike will take place Oct. 21...
Penn-Trafford approves purchase of new administration building, security cameras
Penn-Trafford school administrators will get new offices in Bushy Run Corporate Park after the board agreed this week to spend $1.7 million on a new building there. The current administration building is located on Harrison City-Export Road less than a mile away from the high school. The building — which...
Greensburg Central Catholic principal and director of admissions resigned last month, search is ongoing
Three high-level administrators have left Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School since June. Principal Kevin Frye resigned without warning effective immediately Sept. 6, two weeks into the academic year. Director of Admissions Elyse Bogner resigned in the same fashion Sept. 8. The assistant principal, Nicole Marchese, left in June —...
State police locates Punxsutawney man wanted after Indiana County shooting
State police have apprehended a Punxsutawney man wanted in connection with a shooting last week in Indiana County. Storm Michael Armagost, 27, is charged with possession of a firearm without a license, reckless endangerment of another person, assault and harassment. Troopers responded to the shooting at an apartment on South...
2 midwives, 3 doulas and no pulse: Fast-acting Mutual Aid crew help save Hempfield baby
Samantha Kindelberger was confident that the two midwives and three doulas she selected for her home birth would bring her new son into the world successfully. She and her husband, Roy, would become parents to a second child to join their 2-year-old daughter, Ivah. She did not expect to be...
Penn Township, Greensburg natives will receive awards from Pitt-Greensburg
Scott Szypulski and Myron Jones II will receive awards from the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association on Saturday. Their reaction? “It’s full-circle.” Szypulski, of Oakland, grew up in Penn Township and graduated from Pitt-Greensburg in 2014. Jones, of Washington, Pa., spent his high school years in Greensburg and attended Westminster College for...
Greensburg Civic Theatre opens 72nd season with ‘The Last Five Years’
A two-person performance will light up the stage and kick off the 72nd season at the Greensburg Civic Theatre this weekend. The show, “The Last Five Years,” will be performed at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This will be an early season opener for...
Hempfield approves comprehensive plan, will tear down old prison outbuildings
Hempfield supervisors approved a comprehensive plan this week which will guide the township’s actions for the next 10 to 15 years. The township supervisors began drafting the plan about a year and a half ago to fulfill a requirement under the state Municipalities Planning Code. The supervisors were slated to...
Westmoreland Food Bank offers open house tours Thursday
The Westmoreland Food Bank will host an open house at its Salem warehouse on Thursday. Attendees will be able to take a self-guided tour of the facility — located on Devonshire Drive — from 4 to 8 p.m. Food and music will be provided. The food bank first hosted an...
Live Casino seeks to connect with community through 3-day block party
Live Casino will host a three-day carnival at the end of the month as part of its Live in the Community campaign. The Live in the Community Block Party will take place from Friday through Sunday in the casino parking lot at Westmoreland Mall, 5256 Route 30 in Hempfield. It...
Bushy Run to host car cruise, Paranormal Night on same day
Bushy Run will be lined with classic cars during the day on Saturday, but as the sun begins to set, the park will play host to ghosts and spirits during Paranormal Night. The car cruise is the second- largest fundraising event for Bushy Run, said museum manager Matt Adams. It was...
‘He’s just one of those kids’: Pitt student balances heart research, academics, hockey
Ben Leslie works in a Pitt heart research lab while maintaining a full academic load. In his time off? He serves as a captain for the university’s varsity hockey team. Leslie, a 2019 Penn-Trafford graduate, used to doubt there was enough time in the day to pursue all of his...
Turnpike off-ramp in Cranberry to close next week
The ramp coming off the turnpike at the Cranberry interchange will be closed next week due to road paving repairs. The westbound off-ramp, which leads onto I-79, will be closed from 6 a.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Friday, according to turnpike spokesperson Rosanne Placey. Traffic will be directed onto Route...
Bushy Run hosts nature walk, final market Saturday
Bushy Run’s final market day of the season will coincide with its fall nature walk Saturday The Bushy Run Market, open from 8 a.m. to noon, is held outdoors near the museum on the fourth Saturday of each month from April to September. The market typically features eight to 15...
Greensburg Garden Center to host fall house tour, garden party
Those seeking inspiration for fall decorations and garden displays need look no further than the Greensburg Garden Center’s fall house tour and garden party. The event, scheduled for Saturday, includes a tour of a mid-century modern home and just under two acres of gardens. In addition to highlighting fall decor...

