Joe Napsha stories, Page 113

The Norwin School Board has narrowed its choice for its next superintendent to two experienced administrators — the Mars Area superintendent and a North Hills assistant superintendent. Both finalists for the job — Wesley Shipley, 52, a Scottdale native, and Jeffrey Taylor, 46, a Canonsburg-area native — told the school...

Firefighters from multiple departments were responding to a barn fire in Washington Township Wednesday afternoon, the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety reported. Several tankers were dispatched to the fire at 260 Echo Ridge Road. It was reported at 3:40 p.m. Additional details were not immediately available....

The Norwin Senior Softball League is looking for players — specifically ones who are age 55 and older and still want to play for fun. The slow-pitch league typically fields six teams, said Bill Rollason, president of the Norwin Senior Softball Association. Players need not be North Huntingdon residents. Those...

An idea to keep highway construction workers safer through the use of laser technology led to two Norwin High School students being rewarded by PennDOT. Emily Jumba and Hannah Jackson, mentored by math teacher Thomas Harskowitch, won the recent Innovations Challenge sponsored by PennDOT District 12 in Uniontown, with its...

Shelby LaBar‘s daily routine requires her to take a cocktail mix of medications to try to prevent epileptic seizures that have altered her life since she began having them last May. The 27-year-old Southwest Greensburg woman takes 18 pills from at least five different medications in what has become an...

Property along Route 30 in Ligonier Township, where the Fleatique and Red & White grocery store once were in operation, will become part of the greenway corridor between Idlewild Park and Ligonier. The 3.3-acre property at the intersection of routes 259 and 30 was purchased in October 2018 by the...

An avian research coordinator for the long-term bird-banding program at Powdermill Nature Reserve was named a Western Pennsylvania Environmental Award winner. Lucas W. DeGroote was one of the four winners of the award, presented to organizations and individuals demonstrating leadership, effectiveness and results in making an impact on the environment....

A Civil War soldier from Greensburg who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the waning days of the war will get long overdue local recognition when he is inducted into a hall of fellow heroes in Pittsburgh. John C. Matthews will be among nine inductees into the...

Robert “Archie” Long of Southwest Greensburg wanted to be a pilot when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in December 1943. With the United States fighting a war in Europe against the Germans and Italians and a war in the Pacific against the Japanese, the Army certainly needed pilots....

The two finalists competing to be Norwin’s next superintendent will have an opportunity Wednesday to explain what positive impact they would have on the district. With the public meeting and presentations by the candidates, the board wants to make the hiring process as transparent as possible, said Barbara Viola, board...

Sante DeMarino joined his three brothers in serving with the Marines during World War II and was awarded the Silver Star for his heroism against the Japanese in a battle on the island of Saipan in June 1944. He was severely wounded during the fighting, resulting in the loss of...

The driver shortage that forced the Westmoreland County Transit Authority to cancel some bus routes last month is moving closer to being resolved as six people are in training, authority officials were told this week. There have been no service cancellations in almost two weeks, transit authority Executive Director Alan...

North Huntingdon residents already volunteering with Irwin’s fire department or emergency medical service will get a tax break similar to one proposed for Irwin residents serving the same roles in North Huntingdon. North Huntingdon commissioners this week unanimously approved extending the volunteer service tax credit for residents serving in Irwin...

Westmoreland County Community College culinary art students who are learning the art of cooking and baking, brandished different kind of sharp utensils Thursday to fine tune creations that a professional ice sculptor carved out of 265-pound blocks of ice. Jared McAlister, an ice sculptor for DiMartino Ice Co. of Jeannette,...

A missing 10-year-old North Huntingdon girl was found safe in a wooded area in White Oak on Wednesday night, police said. A searcher found the girl, who lives in that neighborhood, shortly before 11 p.m., lying down about 50 feet from the road, said North Huntingdon Police Chief Robert Rizzo....

Mary Poppins, the magical English nanny made famous in the 1964 film starring Julie Andrews, will be flying across the stage at the Norwin High School auditorium. “We chose ‘Mary Poppins’ because we thought it would be a perfect show to showcase the students’ talents, especially in terms of the...

Winghart’s Burger Beer & Whiskey Bar must “immediately vacate” its space behind Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield because it owes the mall about $91,150 in rent and costs dating back two years, a Westmoreland County judge ruled. Judge Chris Scherer last week granted mall owner CBL/Westmore­land L.P. the right to take...

The Norwin School Board on Monday hired Wallover Architects Inc. of Lancaster to conduct a detailed evaluation the high school pool. The board said the cost of the Wallover’s study is not to exceed $7,110. Wallover was directed to provide information about the pool’s current conditions and to look at...

Norwin School Board may be in a position to hire a new superintendent next month, according to a school board official. More than 20 candidates applied for the position, board President Barbara Viola said. Interviews have already started. Viola declined to say if any candidates were employees of the district....

A Penn Township boy who received the love and support of the community in his battle against acute Myeloid leukemia has died. Rocco Joseph Monteleone, 2, the son of Brandon and Michelle Monteleone, died Sunday, according to an obituary released by the family. He had been diagnosed with leukemia Dec....

Charles Ocepek served in the Army during World War II and worked as the postmaster for his hometown of Claridge in Penn Township. “He served his country in times of war and served his country in times of peace,” said his son, Karl Ocepek of Downington. Charles Ocepek of Claridge...

The Washington County District Attorney wants the state Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that overturned a Mon Valley woman’s conviction of conspiracy to commit homicide in the 2011 death of her 92-year-old neighbor. The neighbor was murdered after being repeatedly burglarized by the inmate’s family. In his...

Children’s games, crafts, prizes and refreshments will be part of the free Kitten Shower donation drive that Pet Friends Inc. will hold from 1 to 4 p.m. March 23 at Dom’s Pizzeria, 502 Cavitt Ave, Trafford, in anticipation of the upcoming “kitten season” when animal rescues are overrun with new...