Joe Napsha stories, Page 134
Search fails to find body in Brush Creek
Following another search for several hours on Thursday, dive teams found no signs of a reported body in a section of swollen Brush Creek in North Huntingdon, an EMS official said. Shane Spielvogle, executive director of North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue, said he intends to meet with North Huntingdon Police Chief Robert...
Saint Vincent senior gets Iowa writers scholarship
A Saint Vincent College senior from Belle Vernon, whose professors challenged her to be a “curious learner” and take risks, is extending her education at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in Iowa City. Mallory Truckenmiller, a graduate of Belle Vernon Area High School, is receiving a no-teaching fellowship and...
Mon Valley waterline breaks again, water buffaloes set up in affected area
The water woes for residents in Charleroi, Monessen, North Charleroi and Speers just continue as the Borough of Charleroi Water Authority reported a landslide caused two more waterline breaks Wednesday as about 3,000 customers in those communities remain under a boil water advisory. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI said the new...
Search to resume for body reportedly seen in Brush Creek
A search is expected to resume Thursday along Brush Creek in North Huntingdon for a reported body seen floating along the creek on Saturday. North Huntingdon Police Chief Robert Rizzo said that the search will resume with a “larger operation” that is expected to last most of the day. Rizzo...
Meeting set on gas well failure near Beaver Run reservoir
The failure of CNX Resources Corp.’s gas well near the Beaver Run Reservoir in Washington Township in January and its impact on the community will be discussed by environmental groups during a public meeting later this month in Delmont. The incident involving CNX Resources Shaw 1G Utica shale gas well...
Charleroi, Monessen areas under boil-water advisory
Thousands of customers in the Mon Valley towns of Monessen, Charleroi, North Charleroi and Speers are under a boil-water advisory because of the possibility disease-causing organisms may have entered the system through a break in a transmission line Tuesday, the Borough of Charleroi Water Authority said. Water buffaloes have been...
Transit parking lot plans in North Huntingdon remain on hold
Commuters parking at the Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s park and ride lot along Route 30 in North Huntingdon will have to wait a little longer to learn when the parking lot will be repaved and where commuters traveling by bus to Pittsburgh can park during the project. The site plan...
Norwin considers replacing football field turf
Eight years of playing football, lacrosse, soccer and field hockey at Norwin Stadium has taken its toll, tearing up the artificial turf to the extent it needs to be replaced, according to Norwin athletic director Brandon Rapp. Replacing the surface on the Knights’ football field “is one of our more...
Westmoreland asks state to investigate sale of Rivertowne tavern property
A Mt. Lebanon real estate company got quite a deal when it bought the 2.9-acre parcel containing the vacant Rivertowne tavern on Route 30 in North Huntingdon for $7,500 — or $512,500 less than the Rivertowne owners paid in 2011. The sale by Christian Fyke, who owned one-half interest in...
North Huntingdon sets public meeting on Markvue Manor sewer project
The North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority will discuss the scope of its Markvue sewer line replacement project, the construction schedule and how the project will affect residents at a public meeting at 7 p.m., Feb. 27 at the North Huntingdon Town House on Center Highway. The authority expects to begin...
Monessen police chief seeks district judge job
Monessen’s police chief the past 12 months wants a new job as the district judge for Monessen and the Pricedale and Webster sections of Rostraver. Chief James B. Smith, who has only headed the department since February 2018, announced Thursday he is running for the district judge’s post vacated by...
Western Pa. colleges take steps to reduce plastic usage
Colleges are taking steps to reduce the amount of plastic tossed out, or even recycled, by encouraging students and staff to reuse plastic bottles. At Saint Vincent College, the student environmental awareness club recently acquired multi-purpose reusable cups that can be bought at the college bookstore for $8. Although Saint...
Craft beer group: Stop asking if there are too many craft breweries in Pennsylvania
Is the craft beer business bubble about to burst? Those who make their living promoting, surveying and sampling products of the beer industry in Pennsylvania are convinced that, well, there is no need to worry whether craft beer makers will run out of craft beer drinkers any time soon. Breweries...
Mail truck driver in North Huntingdon crash dies
A U.S. Postal Service truck driver whose vehicle crashed into a North Huntingdon house Thursday morning died at Excela Westmoreland Hospital, the Westmoreland County coroner said. The victim, Ronald Sopko, 47, of Murrysville, apparently died as a result of a medical event, said Coroner Kenneth Bacha. The coroner’s office was...
Boosters pay for Norwin baseball field improvements
Norwin’s high school baseball facilities will get a new scoreboard, flag pole and storage shed through money raised by the baseball team’s booster group. The school board authorized administrators to buy the $20,000 scoreboard from OES Inc. of London, Ontario. Het Construction Corp. of Irwin will install it free of...
Mt. Pleasant officials fire police chief
Mt. Pleasant fired its police chief this week after four years on the job. The tenure of Chief Douglas Sam ended Tuesday, borough solicitor Deanna Istik confirmed. Borough council voted 6-3 on Monday to fire Sam. Istik declined to comment on the reasons for the termination, saying the personnel matter...
Irwin postpones amusement tax, will work with Lamp Theatre officials on issueVideo
After a heated discussion that at times turned into a shouting match, Irwin officials this week decided to table a controversial proposed amusement tax that would slap a 5 percent charge on tickets sold at entertainment venues such as The Lamp Theatre. Instead of potentially voting on the tax at...
Loyalhanna nurse served her country, community
Kathleen Michelle Rudy of Loyalhanna and her family believed in serving their country. Her father served in World War II and her brother in the Vietnam War. She served with the Army’s 339th General Hospital Reserve Unit in Pittsburgh. “Michelle was a really kind-hearted person,” said her brother, Paul Rudy...
North Huntingdon Catholic parish seeks to build new office building
A North Huntingdon church wants to build a 3,500-square-foot building on its property to replace an office that was on a parcel the church sold in November. The North Huntingdon Planning Commission will not make any decision until March on whether to recommend approval of the site plans for a...
Kennametal net income, earnings up in quarter ending Dec. 31
Kennametal Inc. of Pittsburgh saw its net income increase about 33 percent for the quarter ending Dec. 31 compared with a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped by 15 cents, to 66 cents, compared with the same period in 2017, the industrial toolmaker said this week. Kennametal, with headquarters in...
Irwin revives proposed amusement tax
Irwin officials are reviving a controversial proposal to create an amusement tax that would increase the price of event tickets sold in the borough by 5 percent — a levy that would hit hardest the revitalized Lamp Theatre. Council is expected to discuss the ordinance during a workshop meeting at...
Regional connections to be explored at tourism summit in Washington County
Trends in tourism, including focusing on ways regional partners can collaborate on experiences that resonate with visitors, will be explored at a Feb. 9 summit in Washington County. The second Heritage Tourism Summit, “Creating Great Expectations: Commerce, Collections & Connections,” will focus on the trend of “experiential tourism.” It will...
Gold Rush 5K set for June 30 on Pittsburgh’s North Shore
There won’t be any ice or snow, and the weather will be a lot warmer for runners and walkers when the first Gold Rush 5K is held in Pittsburgh to support veterans. The Yuengling Gold Rush 5K Run/Walk race will begin at 9 a.m. June 30 at Stage AE on...
Hate crime symposium to be held at Saint Vincent
Online anti-Semitism and the prosecution of hate crimes, including the October mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue and the 2015 slayings at a historic African-American church in Charleston, S.C., will be among topics of a March symposium at Saint Vincent College in Unity. Robin Valeri, professor of psychology at St....
Irwin martial arts expert inducted into hall of honor
An acclaimed martial arts expert from Irwin has been inducted into a martial arts hall of honor — at the age of 25. “It was quite an honor,” said John Morgart Jr., who was inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honor last weekend in Atlantic City, N.J....
