Quincey Reese stories, Page 31
Hempfield enters partnership with county to identify ‘best reuse’ of former state prison property
Hempfield supervisors have entered an agreement with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation to tear down the former SCI Greensburg state prison. The agreement, which the Hempfield supervisors approved in a meeting Monday evening, outlines the partnership between the township and the corporation, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the...
Seton Hill names Keisha Jimmerson dean of students, diversity officer
Keisha Jimmerson left her home in Virginia in 1993 to pursue a communications degree at Seton Hill University. Now an employee of the university for 25 years, Jimmerson said she has stayed because of the people who have shown her grace — inside and outside of the classroom. “There’s something...
Pa. working on new policy to govern reenactments at sites like Bushy Run
A draft of Pennsylvania’s new living history policy — which previously jeopardized future reenactments at state-owned historic sites — is a “step in the right direction” but could use clarification, according to Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society President Bonnie Ramus. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission held its second of...
‘It’s heartwarming’: Local running store hosts Labor Day race in support of autism nonprofit
Autism Connection of PA, a Pittsburgh nonprofit, has a “huge mission and a limited budget,” said Director of Operations Tammi Morton. So fundraising events like the Labor Day Run for Autism are vital. Gingerbread Man Running Co., a store for runners with locations in Indiana and Greensburg, has hosted the...
Penn Township planning ahead for Pa. Turnpike interchange
Penn Township will request $20 million through a state grant program to put toward future capital projects, including the upcoming Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange on Route 130. “We know that the turnpike interchange is coming,” township secretary/manager Mary Perez said. “In anticipation of any type of capital need or perhaps a...
Severe thunderstorm watch, including possible tornadoes, issued Thursday night for Pittsburgh areaVideo
Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes are expected to reach Pittsburgh late Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 3 a.m. Friday. The primary threat will be damaging wind with speeds up to 70 mph,...
Westmoreland communities receive share of casino revenue
It’s unlikely that one would expect to win money at a casino for bridge repairs or fire department renovations, but a few Westmoreland municipalities found themselves with the lucky hand Monday. Live Casino Pittsburgh doled out its latest round of Local Share Account grants at the Hempfield location Monday, bringing...
Increased turnout expected for Bushy Run reenactment
Although it was in jeopardy of not happening, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society anticipates an increased turnout at this year’s reenactment, set for Aug. 5 and 6. Reenactors portraying Native Americans at the event will have additional procedures to follow this year, a conciliation to the Pennsylvania Historical and...
Weekend turnpike closure set in New Stanton, Breezewood
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the New Stanton and Breezewood interchanges this weekend to clear a tractor-trailer crash that occurred Monday night. According to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police, the tractor-trailer crashed near mile marker 103.5 westbound in Somerset County. The report states that the vehicle...
Digital divide hurts pocketbooks of Pa. residents, roundtable participants say
The digital divide leads to lost opportunities for people in underserved broadband areas, officials said Thursday as they discussed how to spend $1.16 billion expected from the federal government to help solve the problem. “People have been talking about the digital divide for decades,” said Evan Feinman, director of the...
Blind Norwin High School student portrays Rafiki in ‘The Lion King Jr.’
An avid “Lion King” fan, Angelina Angelcyk was thrilled when she was selected to play Rafiki the baboon in the Geyer Performing Arts Center’s production of “The Lion King Jr.” Angelcyk, a rising senior at Norwin High School, has listened to the movie countless times on VHS tape and attended...
North Belle Vernon hosts music performances
North Belle Vernon’s Community Bank Park will offer free performances by barbershop and polka music groups in the third week of July. The Belle Vernon Public Library will host 3Rivers4, a barbershop-style acapella harmony group, at 6:30 p.m. on July 20. The group will perform a variety of selections, including...
Protect PT seeks support for proposed gas well ordinance
Protect PT, an environmental nonprofit located in Penn Township, will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday to gather support for a proposed ordinance regarding gas well drilling and development practices. In the proposal, the nonprofit requests that the township: • allow a 2,500-foot buffer between new well pads and...
Westmoreland County Food Bank sees increased demand
The need for emergency food assistance has skyrocketed in Westmoreland County. CEO Jennifer Miller said prior to the pandemic, the Westmoreland County Food Bank received about two calls per month for emergency assistance. Now, the organization is seeing about three to five calls a day from people in immediate need...
Trafford Legion Riders host 2nd fundraiser for Amanda’s Heart Foundation
Local motorcyclists will hit the roads Saturday for a fundraiser to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The fundraiser, sponsored by American Legion Riders Trafford Post 331, will benefit Amanda’s Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization that was started by Wall resident Linda Ooten and her daughter, Amanda — a...
Idlewild tightens summer hours: Park to close every Wednesday for the rest of the season
Idlewild and SoakZone in Ligonier Township will be closed on Wednesdays for the rest of the summer. The amusement park’s online calendar indicates closures every Wednesday through July and August. The park did not respond to requests for comment left Thursday afternoon. Kennywood Park in West Mifflin will be closed...
Powerball jackpot rises to $590 million
The Powerball jackpot has increased to $590 million for this Saturday’s drawing. It has a cash value of $304.8 million. The jackpot rose from $557 million after no one matched all six numbers during Wednesday’s drawing. The last Powerball jackpot was won by an Auburn, Wash., resident on March 3...
‘Full circle’: Westmoreland gym owners make a difference in their hometowns
Zach Snyder has been an athlete all of his life. From wrestling at Connellsville Area High School to pursuing NCAA competition at Penn State University, Snyder, of Bullskin, always has valued athletics. But it was not until he was working for a physical therapy clinic and taking over a gym’s...
Penn Township Fall Festival planning committee aims to ‘bring the community together’
For Michael Ginsburg, the annual fall festival is the one time a year every corner of Penn Township comes together. Ginsburg, a 43-year resident of Level Green, was a township commissioner when the idea for a fall festival was born in 2005. Following the success of the township’s 150th birthday...
Penn-Trafford students earn scholarship money in esports tournament, expand club
Penn-Trafford High School has expanded further into the esports scene. Penn-Trafford began participating in competitions in the spring 2020 after launching its Esports Club. This summer, students had the opportunity to play for scholarship money. From July 15 to 17, Penn-Trafford Esports Club coordinator and history teacher John Carlisle took...
‘We want to fill this program’: Seton Hill to launch varsity esports program this fall
Seton Hill track and field athlete Logan Lindenmuth will become a multi-sport athlete this fall. With the Greensburg university adapting its unofficial gaming club into a varsity program in the coming academic year, Lindenmuth — a rising junior studying computer science — will be among the first official esports players...
Trafford’s Junior Council Person program seeks to grow student, community understanding of local government
There’s more to local government than meets the eye. Trafford Borough Council president Kris Cardiff wants to expand the community’s understanding of daily borough operation, and he plans to start with youths. Cardiff, of Trafford, began designing Trafford’s Junior Council in late 2019 after coming across similar programs developed within...
Penn Township awards bids for Harrison Park stormwater, road paving projects
Penn Township commissioners awarded bids for upcoming road projects at a meeting July 20. A stormwater project for the Harrison Park neighborhood, primarily on Dolly Avenue, will be completed by contractor Curry & Kepple at a base bid amount of about $1.59 million. The township secured a $2.2 million loan...
Penn-Trafford student aims to encourage interest in STEM through makerspace
Markers, scissors, cutting boards and desks line what was once an empty corner in Penn Area Library. Adorned with a decal reading “STEM,” the corner is home to the library’s newest addition — a makerspace created by a Penn-Trafford High School student. Natalie Goldsworthy of Harrison City is a rising...
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh permits cup during Holy Communion, but parish reactions split
Churches within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh now are permitted to make their own call when it comes to offering sacramental wine at Holy Communion. Bishop David Zubik announced June 24 the diocese will allow each parish’s pastor to assess whether the Communion chalice should be reimplemented during Mass. The...
