Joe Napsha stories, Page 133
One injury reported when vehicle crashes into Murrysville home
One person reportedly was injured Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle left a Murrysville road and slammed into the foundation of a house, pushing into its basement. The accident occurred at about 2:30 p.m in the 3800 block of Meadowbrook Road, south of Route 22, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said....
Unemployment rate drop leaves employers scrambling for workersVideo
In the not too distant past, Pace Analytical Services LLC did not have to scramble to find lab technicians for its analytical laboratory in Hempfield. But, with Westmoreland County’s unemployment rate down to 4.5 percent in December and the number of jobless at 8,300, those times have changed. “I never...
North Irwin man had love for his community
Louis A. Simon of North Irwin was a community-minded person who served his town’s fire department, the borough’s zoning commission, picked up litter around town and helped to preserve a local pond. “He would walk around town and clean up the litter he saw in his daily walks. He rebuilt...
North Huntingdon seeks residents to fill posts
North Huntingdon is seeking residents who want to serve on volunteer township boards and commissions. The township recently advertised for those interested in serving on two township-affiliated agencies involved in sewage treatment: the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority and the Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority. Members of both authorities are appointed...
Norwin Chamber seeks nominees for honors
The Norwin Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations from chamber members until Feb. 28 for two awards — chamber person of the year and the community volunteer of the year. The chamber is seeking nominations of people dedicated to the chamber, its members and to the local community at large....
Bank officer, corporate exec to speak at Economic Growth Connection’s annual meeting
A First National Bank representative and a corporate executive from Arconic Inc. in Pittsburgh will be the featured speakers at the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland’s annual membership luncheon on March 7. Daniel Crawford, managing director and chief investment officer for First National Bank, is expected to provide an economic...
St. Stephen Byzantine Church to sell pirohy
St. Stephen’s Byzantine Catholic Church at 90 Bethel Road, North Huntingdon, will sell potato cheese, sweet cabbage and lekvar pirohy from 10 a.m. to noon March 1, at a price of $9 per dozen....
Irwin appoints new EMA director
Irwin Borough has appointed a paramedic supervisor at North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue as the borough’s new emergency management coordinator. Robert Leuthold, 40, of North Huntingdon, was named by council at its Feb. 13 meeting to replace Christian Koury, who resigned in July. Leuthold, a member of the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department,...
Judge brokers deal on Rivertowne Pub equipment
A federal bankruptcy judge in Pittsburgh on Friday brokered a deal between owners of the former bankrupt Rivertowne Pub & Grille in North Huntingdon and the man who bought the tavern’s inventory last month so the buyer can remove the tables, chairs, coolers and freezers from the site. U.S. Judge...
Tax seminar set for Norwin library
The Duncan Financial Group LLC of Irwin will present a free seminar on the 2018 tax law at 1 p.m. March 6 at the Norwin Public Library, Caruthers Lane, Irwin. Anthony Marciano, an accounting and tax services representative for Duncan, will lead the seminar, “2018 – Tax Cuts and Jobs...
North Huntingdon crash ties up Route 30
North Huntingdon police are asking motorists to avoid Route 30 in the area of North Thompson Lane because of a multiple vehicle accident. The accident near the Sheetz convenience store, about one-quarter mile east of the Pennsylvania Turnpike entrance, was reported about 8:40 p.m. Additional information was not available....
AHN to open micro-hospital in Hempfield by end of yearVideo
Allegheny Health Network is touting what will be its emergency room department and a focus on patient care at the $30 million micro hospital it is building along Route 30 in Hempfield, only about three miles west of Excela Health’s Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. “It’s very unique. We’re bringing something...
Vlasic enters Monessen district judge race
A state employee and longtime Monessen politician has entered the race to succeed retired Monessen district justice Joseph Dalfonso. City Controller Wayne P. Vlasic, 61, an audit supervisor in the Auditor General’s Bureau of Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Association, is joining Monessen police Chief James B. Smith and Monessen attorney Alan...
Renovated Lamp diner set for ‘soft’ opening in AprilVideo
Two years after being hauled from a parking lot in Pittsburgh and deposited next to The Lamp Theatre in Irwin, a 68-year-old stainless-steel diner is scheduled for a “soft” opening in late April. Rainy weather and some bitterly cold temperatures this winter slowed work. “The weather has really dogged us,”...
AHN postpones ceremonial ‘topping off’ of new Hempfield hospital
Construction crews at Allegheny Health Network’s Hempfield hospital postponed a “topping off” ceremony Wednesday because of the snowy weather, so the lifting of the final steel beam at the site of the almost 79,000-square-foot hospital along Route 30 west of Greensburg will have to wait. AHN Hempfild-Neighborhood Hospital is expected...
Irish genealogy workshop slated in Pittsburgh
With St. Patrick’s Day less than a month away, Irish genealogy experts will discuss genealogical research at the annual Irish Genealogy Workshop on March 18 at the Heinz History Center, Smallman Street, Pittsburgh. Irish genealogy experts Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast will participate...
Irwin joins other towns in granting tax credits for firefighters, EMS
Irwin has joined the growing list of municipalities giving active volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel a tax break as an incentive to volunteer. Council approved an ordinance last week providing borough residents active in either the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department or EMS the opportunity for a 20 percent...
Somerset County’s Laurel Hill wins ‘park of the year’ award
The 4,062-acre Laurel Hill State Park Complex near Trent in Somerset County has been named the recipient of the 2019 Park of the Year Award. The non-profit Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation announced the award on Tuesday. Laurel Hill is surrounded by thousands of acres of state park and state...
Norwin OKs $6.4 million bond issue; restructures administration
Norwin stands to save about $300,000 over the next 11 years by refinancing a $6.6 million debt this month. The Norwin School Board Monday authorized the refinancing of the debt from a 2011 bond issue, a move that will save the district the money because interest rates will be lower...
Sides involved in sale of Rivertowne Pub in North Huntingdon defend transaction
Two people involved in the recent sale of half interest in the former Rivertowne Pub & Grille in North Huntingdon said there is nothing wrong with the transaction, even though the state has been asked to investigate the deal over the amount of real estate transfer taxes. Christian Fyke of...
Scottdale veteran loved to play guitar
Kerry Stefl of Scottdale loved to play his electric and acoustic guitars. He was good enough to play in several bands that traveled to clubs throughout the region. “He loved to play popular music. He played at home and for family functions,” said his daughter, Valerie A. Farino of Scottdale....
Slippery Rock president responds to racial incident on campus
Slippery Rock University’s president on Monday plans to join other university officials and student leaders to discuss how to make the university more welcoming and a safer place for all after a racial incident in which a Black History Month poster was defaced with hateful and racist comments last weekend....
Clay target shooting club proposed at Norwin
Norwin High School students who want to shoot clay targets could get the chance to compete against other schools this spring. About 20 students are interested in competing for Norwin in the Pennsylvania Clay Target League, said Lt. Col. David Sandala, high school senior aerospace science instructor. The co-curricular club...
HUD distributes funds to Western Pa. housing authorities
Housing authorities in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Butler counties will receive about $657,000 in federal money to support public housing residents and housing voucher program recipients so they can earn more money and reduce their dependence on public assistance and rental subsidies. The money from the Department of...
Norwin considers refinancing debt
Norwin can save about $360,000 if it refinances $6 million of its debt to take advantage of low interest rates, a financial adviser told school officials this week. The Norwin School Board on Monday is expected to vote on authorizing the refinancing of its debt from a 2011 bond issue....

