Norwin Star category, Page 96
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...
Norwin goes all-remote until Jan. 11
With covid cases rising in Westmoreland County and in the towns it serves, the Norwin School District has decided to teach its 5,300 students from home beginning Monday and continuing until at least Monday, Jan. 11. With school staff being forced to quarantine, employee absenteeism is very high, Superintendent Jeff...
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...
Irwin man accused of bilking Lowe’s in $3,200 paint return scam
A 58-year-old Irwin man was arrested by state police Thursday in connection with a month-long paint return scheme that bilked an area hardware store out of more than $3,200. Terry S. Good was charged by troopers with seven counts of receiving stolen property and one count of theft by deception...
Norwin-area court cases, week of Dec. 7
Charges filed at the office of North Huntingdon District Judge Wayne Gongaware: • Kaine Nathanie Milligan, 24, of Braddock, by North Huntingdon police with possession of marijuana. • Allen M. Delgrosss, 46, of Jeannette, by North Huntingdon police with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. • Jonathan Galka,...
Irwin, North Huntingdon holiday light displays raise money for nonprofitsVideo
Extensive and creative holiday light displays at homes in North Huntingdon and Irwin are spreading holiday joy while providing an opportunity to donate to a good cause. Daniel and Lisa Disso filled their front lawn, bushes and facade of their house at 1416 Tenth St. in Irwin with sparking lights,...
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...
Community joins to craft holiday wishes for North Huntingdon care home residentsVideo
A spur-of-the-moment idea has turned into a heartwarming project for a North Huntingdon woman who wanted to show some holiday love to residents at a township nursing home. It has come together quickly for Debbie Polczynski who enlisted help in the last few days of friends, family, the Norwin girls...
Norwin closes 1 school on Thursday; post-Thanksgiving surge hits 65 cases
Norwin is closing its Hillcrest Intermediate School on Thursday as the post-Thanksgiving surge of the virus has reached 65 cases. The school district announced Wednesday afternoon the school, which has about 860 fifth- and sixth-graders with more than 60 faculty members, will be closed as a result of contract tracing....
Norwin sees more covid cases; 57 since Thanksgiving
Norwin continues to a see a surge in covid cases, as another five students and staff reported being infected with the virus, pushing the post-Thanksgiving count to 57, the district said Tuesday. The school district said it learned Tuesday that two high school students, one Hillcrest Intermediate School student and...
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...
Irwin plans 3-mill tax hike for 2021 with 1 mill for fire department
Irwin is proposing a 15% property tax hike for 2021, a third of which will go to the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department as it considers building a new fire hall. The proposed tax increase, which was in the tentative $3.98 million general fund budget adopted last month, would raise property...
Norwin increases pay for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals
After failing to get enough substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, Norwin upped the pay for those positions beginning next month to be more competitive with neighboring districts. The higher pay is important because Norwin has had a hard time attracting substitute teachers and paraprofessionals in the past 10 to 11 months,...
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,...
Norwin reports 52 covid cases since Thanksgiving
The post-Thanksgiving spike in coronavirus cases continues in the Norwin School District, with the district reporting Monday there are 16 more cases, raising the total to 52 cases among students and staff since the Thanksgiving holiday. Norwin has had 136 cases among students and staff since school began on Aug....
Norwin covid cases continue on upward trend
The post-Thanksgiving spike in confirmed coronavirus cases hit a new high in the past week in the Norwin area, increasing by almost 30% in the week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, based on data from the state Department of Health. The North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin areas saw its virus cases...
Bill Viola Sr., Viola Jr. to receive national karate recognition
Father and son will be honored together for their contributions to karate in a virtual awards ceremony Saturday. Bill Viola Sr. and Bill Viola Jr. are inductees into the 2020 American Martial Arts Alliance’s Who’s Who Legends Hall of Honors with martial arts legend Chuck Norris. They also are featured...
Irwin officials to meet virtually
The covid pandemic has forced Irwin Borough council to go virtual this week for its meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting via Zoom will be livestreamed for the public via Facebook live on the borough’s Facebook page. The agenda will be available to the public on Monday on 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...
Prantl’s has new owner, plans new location in North Huntingdon
The last five years have been quite a ride for those baking Prantl’s famous Burnt Almond Torte — also known as “the greatest cake America has ever made.” The Huffington Post made that declaration in 2014, a year before a string of new developments at the business, which now has...
Trib HSSN 2020-21 WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball preseason breakdown
This will surely be a boys basketball season like no other. WPIAL teams are set to tip off Friday and embark on a masked journey through a schedule likely to change many times as the year progresses. Teams all have hopes of hoisting a WPIAL championship trophy in March, much...
Norwin notebook: Recruitment heating back up for Knights lineman
Anthony Giansante isn’t ready to give up on playing Division I college football. In fact, he may be more enthusiastic now than before he started getting scholarship offers. Giansante, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman from Norwin, is back on the recruiting trail, proactively reaching out to schools that had already recruited...
Irwin’s annual Festival of Trees altered because of covid restrictions
Irwin’s annual Festival of Trees, with the stores featuring decorated trees, will be yet another event that will be altered because of the pandemic covid-19 restrictions. To allow for social distancing, there will be a self-guided walking tour around downtown Irwin spread over six days. The event starts Dec. 4...
