Penn-Trafford Star category, Page 66
Penn-Trafford closes middle school, Harrison Park Elementary for the week
Penn Middle School and Harrison Park Elementary in the Penn-Trafford School District will be closed through Friday after students at each school tested positive for the coronavirus. Students will receive remote instruction during that time. Penn-Trafford Superintendent Matthew Harris said Monday the closures are in keeping with covid-19 pandemic guidelines...
Despite pandemic, Toys for Tots program draws donations, volunteersVideo
Cardboard boxes filled with toys for kids of all ages sat in a Youngwood warehouse Monday morning, awaiting the sorting and assembly that will start a week-long process for the Westmoreland County Marine Toys for Tots program. Now in its 25th year, the nonprofit helps collect between 25,000 and 30,000...
Excela plans to begin vaccine distribution to staff on Friday
Excela Health officials plan to administer their first doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine to staff in Westmoreland County on Friday, officials said. “We have requested 6,000 doses,” Excela spokesperson Robin Jennings said. Excela officials have conducted an internal survey among staff about the vaccine. Employees will not be required to...
Penn-Trafford fits in basketball sweep before sports shutdownVideo
One and done. Before the big pause, Penn-Trafford’s basketball teams opened the season Friday with a doubleheader — the only games the Warriors will play in 2020. The girls took on Sto-Rox and the boys entertained North Allegheny in Harrison City. In between games, a sparse crowd — about 10%...
Westmoreland courthouse to operate by appointment only through December
Westmoreland County officials said Friday that most business at the courthouse in Greensburg will be conducted by appointment only through the end of December. Commissioners said all county offices will continue to operate during the three-week period of new restrictions announced earlier this week by Gov. Tom Wolf amid the...
Westmoreland Clerk of Courts unveils smartphone app
The Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts office is going modern. The office, which oversees all criminal court filings, on Friday unveiled it’s own app. In September, county commissioners approved a $15,000 contract with OVC LLC, a private firm that specializes in the creation of mobile apps for law enforcement, public...
Air Force Raptor joins 2021 Westmoreland air show lineup
The Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet demonstration team is slated to return to Unity for next year’s air show at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va., the Raptor previously participated in the Shop ’n Save Westmoreland County Airshow in 2016. The Raptor provides...
Westmoreland County Blind Association adding kitchen, sensory room for adult clients
Financial contributions leveraged by a state tax credit program will help the Westmoreland County Blind Association renovate part of its South Greensburg center to better meet the needs of the disabled adults it serves. The organization this week was awarded $46,500 through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program. Three area financial institutions...
Westmoreland Symphony concert is truly ‘Home for the Holidays’ this year
For many around Westmoreland County, nothing signals the arrival of the Yule season quite like the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert. Even though pandemic restrictions prevent the symphony from playing in front of a live audience this year, the popular concert is on, via a livestream...
Governor’s shutdown of inside dining another blow to restaurants, barsVideo
Restaurant and bar owners in Westmoreland County who were hoping to cash in any way they could during the Christmas and New Year holidays — typically one of the busiest times of the year, when not in a pandemic — suffered another blow Thursday with the announcement of another round...
Westmoreland doles out another $2 million in covid-relief grants to small businesses
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday awarded another 130 small businesses nearly $2 million to cover losses and expenses related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The money represents the second, and what commissioners said was the final, round of funding to small businesses from $31.5 million in federal relief funds the...
Westmoreland jail to install additional video conferencing as virus spread continues
Additional video conferencing rooms will be built at Westmoreland County Prison to allow for more court hearings to be held remotely as coronavirus infections continue to spread among inmates. Commissioners on Thursday hired Laurel Design and Construction Inc. of Hempfield to install new areas at the jail to allow more...
Harrison City firefighters raising funds for food bank, police toy drive
Harrison City firefighters are accustomed to holding fundraisers year-round, and this season they are helping the county food bank and a local toy drive. “We’ve had a lot of support. We wanted to give back to the community. It’s nice that everyone is supporting each other,” said Brandon Quinn, a...
MAWC management contract extended with $5 million raise
An Allegheny County based private management company will get a $5 million raise to help run operations for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County over the next decade. A new deal with Resource Development and Management Inc. comes five years into the company’s existing 10-year $13.8 million pact, which was...
Penn Township, Penn Hills will use state grants to update key traffic signals
State grants will help to upgrade traffic signals at intersections in Penn Township and in Penn Hills. PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement program has awarded $325,000 to Penn Township, to replace an obsolete traffic light at Route 130 and Route 993 (Walnut Street). Penn Hills will use its grant of...
As covid surges, Westmoreland County suspends criminal trials until February
Westmoreland County criminal and civil trials — suspended this month because of the surging number of coronavirus cases — will be halted until February. Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway signed a court order Tuesday to delay all trials until Feb. 1. Two weeks of civil trials and one...
Westmoreland County retirees awarded small raises in 2021
Westmoreland County government retirees will receive small cost-of-living raises in 2021. The county’s retirement board, which includes the three county commissioners along with Treasurer Jared Squires and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, on Tuesday unanimously approved a 0.4% benefit increase for about 1,300 retired government workers. Annual cost-of-living raises are determined using...
State tax-credit program will help Westmoreland County Food Bank add sprinklers
Money made available through a Pennsylvania tax-credit program will help the Westmoreland County Food Bank install a needed sprinkler system at its warehouse and offices in Salem. The food bank this week was awarded $15,200 through the Neighborhood Assistance Program. The program is providing a tax credit to PNC Bank,...
Theatre Factory’s Christmas play offers in-person, livestream options
Viewers will have two options for enjoying The Theatre Factory’s production of “Christmas Gifts.” The old-fashioned radio-style play will be livestreamed for three evenings, with the opening night stream also available to an in-person audience at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Streaming time is 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, when...
Undefeated state champions lead Trib 25 football all-stars
Two WPIAL teams went unbeaten from start to finish, remarkable seasons that included lopsided wins, running clocks and record-setting stats. Ultimately, WPIAL champions Central Valley and Pine-Richland both celebrated undefeated state titles in Hershey. Their dominance — outscoring opponents by more than 400 points — is represented here in the...
Eastern area real estate transactions for the week of Dec. 6
Churchill Daniel Seaman sold property at 1909 Beulah Road to Bryan Weiss for $140,000. Robert Nicholas Willocks sold property at 15 Churchill Road to Jason Spider and Leena Ahmad Matthews for $492,000. Lowell Mark Mate trustee sold property at 27 Churchill Road to David Andrew Marr and Lauren Ashley Pawling...
Westmoreland County to award additional pandemic grants
Westmoreland County will award a final round of covid-relief grants next week to small businesses, while nonprofit agencies and local volunteer fire departments will receive awards later this month. Commissioners on Thursday increased grants handed out last week to Penn and Washington townships to cover coronavirus-related costs incurred by their...
Penn-Trafford to return to in-person learning next week
After a week of remote learning following the Thanksgiving break, students in the Penn-Trafford School District will return to in-person classes next week. School officials on Wednesday announced students will return to in-person classes beginning Monday. However, the school day will be shortened on Wednesdays, where the district will operate...
Westmoreland jury trials halted as virus cases mount in county
All trials scheduled for December in Westmoreland County will be postponed amid the rising number of coronavirus cases already diagnosed and the potential for a continued surge in the coming weeks. Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway said Wednesday that criminal trials slated to start next week will be...
Penn Township man shares love of adventure with son in trip to Wyoming
Robert Szypulski, a computer programmer with Windstream Communications, lives in Penn Township. His son, Scott Szypulski, is a financial research administrator for the University of Pittsburgh who lives in Oakland. This is the story of their recent adventure to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks in Wyoming. The past three...
