Megan Tomasic stories
Hempfield Area mulling when to float new bond with financial markets in flux
Hempfield Area School Board members are working closely with banking officials as they prepare to start a multimillion-dollar high school renovation project next year. School directors met with PNC bankers this week to discuss the current state of the market and the possibility of issuing a second bond near the...
Crews battle fire in Southwest Greensburg
Crews battled a house fire in Southwest Greensburg Monday afternoon, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The Southwest Greensburg Fire Department and South Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department responded to the 700 block of Green Street around 1:30 p.m. According to a Facebook post from the South Greensburg VFD, firefighters prevented...
Beloved former Westmoreland Mall Santa to return for a pre-holiday visit
Santa Claus is coming to town. For four days this week, New Jersey resident Michael Collins — the man many have deemed to be the real Kris Kringle — will return to the Christmas Town store at Westmoreland Mall, where he is expected to meet with thousands of children to...
Halloween-themed pet parade raises money for local animal shelter
The sound of excited barks floated across Indian Lake Park on Sunday afternoon, where 50 dogs and their owners prepared to show off their costumes while raising money for a local animal shelter. The Howloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest benefiting Cross Your Paws Rescue attracted animals from across the...
Early morning fire damages 2 McKeesport homes
Two houses were damaged in an early morning fire Sunday in McKeesport, according to an Allegheny 911 shift commander. Crews responded to the 1700 block of Willow Street around 1 a.m. for reports of a two-alarm house fire. Flames eventually spread to a neighboring home, causing damage. No injures were...
Land bought from Excela could become new park along Route 30 in Hempfield
Hempfield residents soon could have a new park more centrally located in the township as officials look to revamp land recently purchased from Excela Health. Of the 43 acres comprising the property along Route 30 near Mt. Pleasant Road, 14 acres could be designated for a park featuring a splash...
Historic Hanna’s Town mixes history with fun on Family Day
Nicholas Borrelli might have donned a Halloween-themed T-shirt Saturday afternoon as he strolled through Historic Hanna’s Town Fall Family Day, but he wasn’t there for just candy. Instead, the 11-year-old Greensburg resident was bursting with excitement at the chance to discover more about Western Pennsylvania’s history. “I really enjoy learning...
Police recover gun matching description of firearm used in Brighton Heights shootings
Pittsburgh police arrested two teenagers they say were involved in Friday’s shooting at a Brighton Heights church that left six people injured and caused a scene described as “chaotic.” Shawn Davis, 19, of McKees Rocks and Hezekiah Nixon, 16, of Pittsburgh are facing multiple charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault...
Police: Man in stable condition after Sheraden shooting
A man is in stable condition after Pittsburgh police said he was shot late Friday night in the city’s Sheraden neighborhood. Officers responded to a five-round Shotspotter alert in the 500 block of Sherwood Avenue around 11:45 p.m., said Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews. On scene, officers found the...
2 young children killed, firefighter injured in Wilkinsburg blaze
A fire tore through a Wilkinsburg home early Saturday, trapping and killing two children, officials said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as a boy and a girl: Novad Arman Loveings, 7, and Brecc Loveings, 6. The blaze broke out about 1:40 a.m. at a home in...
Hempfield native’s short film to be featured on WQED’s ‘Filmmakers Corner’Video
Lauren Keller was sitting in her childhood bedroom in 2019 after completing her first semester at Point Park University when an idea for a film script began to kindle. Three pages later, Keller had one of the first drafts of what would become the film “A Little Glass of Rum,”...
Hempfield parents voice concerns over middle school consolidation plans
Hempfield Area School District parents say they are concerned about possible disruptions students might face if the district’s middle school consolidation plans are approved. Around 50 parents and guardians attended a meeting this week at Hempfield Area High School detailing proposed plans to permanently close Harrold Middle School and consolidate...
State police say Indiana County man was kidnapped, killed
State police are investigating after they say a 19-year-old man was kidnapped and killed in Indiana County. Hayden Robert Garreffa was first reported missing from his East Wheatfield Township home on Thursday. Police found Garreffa’s body early Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area of Brush Valley Township. Indiana County...
Hempfield book challenge policy could mirror one used for websites
The process for reevaluating challenged books and materials in Hempfield Area School District libraries could soon become more stringent after board members indicated they would like to model the policy after one used for Chromebooks. Rather than going through a process of informal and formal challenges, board members are hoping...
Pa. casino revenue jumps to $448 million in September
Pennsylvania casinos saw an increase in revenues last month, state regulators said, a jump from the gradual decrease felt across the industry since the record-breaking month of March. In all, casinos generated $448.4 million in September, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That’s one of the...
A passion for science: Seton Hill program pairs college, high schools with STEM education
It took only seconds, but the soft shuffle of paper fluttering to the floor quickly enthralled a class of Jeannette High School students last week learning about “Whirlybird Physics.” Over the course of a 40-minute physics class led by Seton Hill University seniors Mackenzie Longo and Brady Whalen, students stretched...
Former Hempfield grocery store set to become entertainment venue
Brothers Bobby and Chris Hogue are in the middle of designing a new entertainment venue at a former Hempfield grocery store, but they already know there’s nothing quite like it in the region. 814 Lanes & Games is set to open next year at the former Shop ’n Save building...
Hempfield residents can weigh in on comprehensive plan
Hempfield residents will have chances this month to voice their opinions on the township’s future and on possible projects slated for Hempfield Park. Three public input meetings are scheduled in October where township officials will collect comments on the comprehensive plan, which has not been updated in 15 years. The...
Foundation offers scholarship funds for private school students in Westmoreland
Pastor Bob Ross understands the need for scholarship programs that open the door to private schools for lower income students. He sees it each year at his school — Heritage Baptist Academy, a school tucked into the small Heritage Baptist Church along Lowry Avenue in Jeannette — where families in...
Legislation proposed to regulate book bans in Pennsylvania school districts
A Philadelphia Democrat is working to reign in the number of book bans occurring at Pennsylvania schools as challenges continue at unprecedented rates. State Rep. Chris Rabb proposed legislation Tuesday that would establish uniform procedures for school boards to follow before they could eliminate a student’s access to a book....
Hempfield Steak ’n Shake items go up for auction
Burgers and shakes are off the menu at the former Steak ’n Shake in Hempfield, as it is being emptied to make way for a new business. An auction is scheduled Monday, Oct. 17, at the Greengate Centre restaurant known for its black, white and red 1950s decor and kitschy...
Hempfield Area officials get look at high school renovation plans
Hempfield Area School District students stand to gain several perks — including space for a student union and new performance arts and athletic wings — once a multimillion-dollar high school renovation project is completed, drawings show. Officials with Oakmont-based SitelogiQ and Bellevue-based Core Architects recently presented school directors with schematic...
Proposed policy lays out process for book challenges books at Hempfield Area
Individuals who want to challenge a book or item they deem inappropriate in Hempfield Area School District would have more ways to do so under a policy proposed by the school board. Board members who sit on the district’s policy committee last week dove into a proposal that would tweak...
Most Western Pennsylvania schools don’t test for radon, despite high levels in the state
As a father of four, Tim Briggs considered it common sense that schools would test for radon. As a state lawmaker, he was appalled that every school doesn’t, and he has made it his mission to do something about it. A months-long Tribune-Review investigation found that most schools in Southwestern...
These women effected change to spur radon laws in their states
For Gail Orcutt, what began as a cough and a bit of wheezing ended with a baffling diagnosis of lung cancer one day short of her 57th birthday. She never smoked, always watched her diet and never missed a chance to exercise. While recovering from surgery to remove her left...
