Penn-Trafford Star category, Page 78
Penn-Trafford freshman Mallory McRae achieves hunting’s rare ‘Triple Trophy’
Mallory McRae already accomplished something her dad didn’t while hunting: kill a bear. But the Penn-Trafford freshman recently achieved a rarity: She killed a bear, a buck and a turkey in the same license year. McRae, 14, achieved the “Triple Trophy” honor after getting her turkey earlier this month in...
Penn-Trafford video students snag awards, adjust to producing amid pandemicVideo
The students who create Penn-Trafford TV, the school district’s in-house television broadcasts, brought home 16 nominations and six awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-Atlantic Region High School Production Awards. Both are school records. But there was barely any time to enjoy their success before schools...
Penn-Trafford nurse wins Highmark nursing excellence award
In 2014, Lisa Popovich of Penn Township would never have guessed she’d now be in her fourth year as a Penn-Trafford School District nurse. She certainly wouldn’t have guessed that she’d be receiving one of the Highmark Foundation’s Advancing Excellence in School Nursing Awards. “This was never on my radar,”...
Penn Township manager resigns; interim manager named
Penn Township’s secretary-manager for the past six years resigned earlier this month and an interim replacement has been named. Alexander Graziani, 49, of Greensburg, resigned from his post on May 4, said Michael Korns, township solicitor. “The township will do well and it has good leadership,” Graziani said when contacted...
Penn-Trafford students still holding out hope for high school musical coronavirus put on holdVideo
They memorized their lines, perfected their dance steps and were hitting their marks on stage night after night as 43 Penn-Trafford High School students rehearsed for their spring musical “Footloose.” Jen Haberberger, a high school art teacher, was in her fifth year as faculty sponsor of the PT Drama Guild’s...
East Suburban clinic reports data breach affecting 500 patients
East Suburban Sports Medicine Center, an athletic training and physical therapy center with branches in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, announced a data security breach that affected more than 500 Pennsylvania residents. Last spring, two patients told center officials that, when they ran a Google search for their names, the results...
Penn-Trafford sets new dates, plans for graduation, prom
Penn-Trafford officials have set two alternative dates this summer to hold the commencement ceremonies that were canceled for May 26 because of Gov. Wolf’s order banning large gatherings and the closing of schools in the state. Commencement is now scheduled for June 26. But if that date must be postponed,...
Easter Bunny brings joy to Trafford neighborhoodVideo
Genevieve Delsignore waited excitedly in the driveway of her Hillcrest Drive home, ready to show off her blue and pink dress to the Easter Bunny leading a parade of firefighters and Trafford Elementary School teachers through the neighborhood. “I’m excited to see the Easter Bunny, because I like when he...
Irwin, Trafford cancel council meetings
Trafford has canceled its April 7 meeting because of the shutdown restrictions and Irwin has canceled its council meeting on April 8, opting for a virtual meeting on May 13, if Gov. Wolf’s order against public gatherings remains in place. Council members will meet via a social media platform that...
Coronavirus derails Penn-Trafford student’s dreams of competing in Irish dancing world championshipVideo
A Penn Township teenager’s dreams of competing in the World Irish Dancing Championships in Ireland next month were dashed when the U.S. government imposed a 30-day ban on travel to the Republic of Ireland in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19. “I was pretty devastated....
Harrison City woman serves as ‘Miss Smiling Irish Eyes’ as Pittsburgh cancels annual paradeVideo
A Penn-Trafford graduate was looking forward to walking in the annual Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade as Miss Smiling Irish Eyes, but officials canceled Saturday’s event as a precaution for the spreading coronavirus. “I am disappointed, but I know that the city and the (St. Patrick’s Day Parade) committee is...
Penn-Trafford to host Princess Party fundraiser
The show must go on and so must the fundraisers. The Penn Trafford Drama Guild’s cast of “Footloose” will host a Royal Sing-A-Long with your favorite princes and princesses on Friday, March 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Penn Trafford High School cafeteria. The event will feature...
Penn library to hold chess tournament
Students will get a chance to test their chess skills against youngsters in their age group at a chess tournament on March 14 the Penn Area Library, Municipal Court, Harrison City. Tournament play begins at 1 p.m. and will continue until all rounds are completed. The junior division is open...
Concert, vendor show in Jeannette will benefit cancer charity
When Rocco Monteleone of Penn Township was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 2018, the outpouring of support was immediate. Friends, neighbors and community members quickly formed Rocco’s Warriors to raise money for the 2-year-old’s treatment, and were devastated when he succumbed to the disease a few months later...
Penn-Trafford to induct 12 into first Hall of Fame class
A chef, school nurse, Pittsburgh area sportscaster, physician, historian, veteran, volunteer with several community organizations and former high school principal are among a dozen Penn-Trafford graduates to be inducted into the school’s inaugural hall of fame class. The Penn-Trafford High School Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni and school associates...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit impact grants open to all teachers
In 2019, the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit Foundation for the first time opened their impact grant program to any teacher, rather than just special-education teachers. “We literally threw the rubric out,” said foundation board member Roberta Cook of Murrysville. Cook and others in the foundation liked what they saw when choosing...
Lamp Theatre to show locally produced film by P-T gradsVideo
When Brandon Keenan was a teenager growing up in Harrison City, he would take a date to The Lamp Theatre, where the price of admission was cheap and so was the popcorn. Now 36 and living in Monroeville, Keenan will return to the Irwin theater on Saturday with fellow filmmaker...
Stage crew: Unsung heroes of the high school musicalVideo
If Franklin Regional sophomore Jess Wingard never has to build another staircase, it will be too soon. “That’s the biggest challenge,” said Wingard, 15, a member of the stage crew for FR’s spring production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “You have to cut some things bigger than they...
Protect PT to host workshop on fracking
Penn Township environmental group Protect PT will hold a free educational workshop next week about unconventional gas drilling, also known as fracking. The organization will meet from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Penn Area Library to discuss pollution, noise and other concerns related to fracking. “We...
Route 130 reopens in Penn Township following 2-vehicle crashVideo
A two-vehicle crash shut down Route 130 in Penn Township for more than four hours Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. The crash, involving a car and a pickup truck, was reported at 12:20 p.m. on Route 130 near Hungry Hank’s Pizzeria, a 911 supervisor said. “We had one patient in...
Penn-Trafford wrestler diagnosed with MRSA, school says
A Penn-Trafford High School wrestler recently was diagnosed with MRSA, a contagious staph infection, the school district said Tuesday. The wrestler, who was not identified, is receiving medical treatment and will not return to the team until he receives a medical clearance, said Tony Aquilio, high school principal. The student...
Comedy fundraiser to benefit Westmoreland Heritage Trail, nearing 5th phase
As Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials begin prep work for the trail’s fifth phase, they are also gearing up for an annual fundraiser to offset the cost of trail maintenance. This year’s Comedy Night will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 15 at Colton Hall in Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood....
Penn Township targets growth with comprehensive plan
Penn Township last adopted a comprehensive plan for the community in 2005. A lot has changed since then. Officials hope an updated plan will position the community for growth in the decade ahead. New housing developments are cropping up all over the township. Plans for a high-speed rail line, once...
Penn-Trafford telethon raises more than $65,000 for Make-a-WishVideo
Penn-Trafford students raised more than $65,000 to help local children through the Make-a-Wish Foundation at their annual telethon Dec. 19. See the video above for a few numbers that will help put this year’s telethon in perspective....
Penn Township veteran’s Quilt of Valor was a ‘labor of love’Video
Homer Lyons sat in the chair of his Penn Township living room, the center of attention, as his three children and several grandchildren gathered around him Christmas Eve. Around the shoulders of this World War II veteran was draped a special quilt, a Quilt of Valor presented to him because...
