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Looking back

6 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

Authority: Mon River water test reassuring

JEFFERSON – Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority has begun testing Monongahela River water prior to treatment to establish data it can use to measure any deterioration in water quality in the river.

The authority now regularly tests treated water at various points in its system for numerous organic and inorganic materials.

The testing of “raw water” from the river was begun because of the possibility of new discharges, particularly those from the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Plant, authority manager Joe Simatic said.

The power plant soon will begin operating scrubbers, and concerns have been expressed about the waste water that may be discharged from the plant because of the scrubber operations. The plant is about six miles upriver from the authority’s river water intake.

CWM Environmental completed water sampling of the river water on March 19. It tested for 14 metals, including lead, copper, cyanide, arsenic, mercury and cadmium.

The analysis found no detectable levels for all but two metals, barium and fluoride, and those the levels were below Environmental Protection Agency reporting levels.

“Our raw water quality is in good shape,” Simatic said. The authority, however, will continue tests every 60 days to determine whether the quality of river water changes.

Planners give preliminary approval to mine shaft/portal

WAYNESBURG – Plans by Cumberland Coal Resources LP to build an air shaft and portal on Maple Run Road in Center Township were granted preliminary approval Monday by the Greene County Planning Commission.

The commission first reviewed the plans in February but failed to approve them, asking the company for additional information.

Company representatives provided the requested information Monday at a meeting attended by more than 50 people, most of whom work for Cumberland and support the project.

The company is developing the project on a 56-acre site on Maple Run Road near Oak Forest Road. Cumberland originally proposed building an air shaft at the site but later said it also will construct a man portal there.

The company earlier started work on the air shaft. Company engineer Bob Kimutis said it also is now preparing plans for the portal though the company has not yet allocated money for that part of the project.

The company has already met with the state Department of Transportation to begin a traffic study to address road improvements that may be needed to support a portal, he said. It also has developed a “conceptual” design for the portal building.

Federal disaster loans made available by SBA

WAYNESBURG – People whose homes or businesses were damaged during the Nov. 19 flood have until April 26 to file for physical damage disaster loans with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“At the request of Gov. Ed Rendell, SBA surveyed the damage caused by the severe storms and flooding that occurred in Southwestern Pennsylvania and determined it met the criteria necessary to make federal disaster loans available,” said SBA disaster area director William E. Leggiero Jr.

SBA’s declaration designated Greene County as the primary disaster area, as well as Fayette and Washington counties, and Marshall, Monongalia and Wetzel counties in West Virginia. However, to be eligible for consideration under the SBA disaster program, losses musts be the result of the severe storms and flooding

“SBA’s disaster loan program is committed to helping homeowners, renters and businesses recover from losses caused by disasters. Since 1989, SBA has invested $214 million in Pennsylvania through its disaster loan programs,” Leggiero said.

The county has been pushing hard for a federal disaster declaration that also would make grant money available to flood victims, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied the request, saying damage was not severe enough to warrant a disaster declaration.

More than 800 homes in Southwestern Pennsylvania suffered flood-related damage, according to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. In Greene County, 315 homes and 72 businesses were impacted.

Hidden Treasures volunteers fill 250 Easter baskets

WAYNESBURG – When it’s time to fill baskets of goodies, the Easter bunny gets a lot of help from Hidden Treasures Thrift Store in Waynesburg.

This year, more than 250 baskets, saved from donations throughout the year, were stuffed with treats and toys, wrapped in cellophane and delivered by helpers who stopped by the store and took them home to their families.

“This is the way we give back to the community. We try to do this every year for the kids,” said employee Linda Litton.

It’s the kind of cheerful service that this Washington City Mission store has been doing for years. It’s an outreach ministry that the volunteers and staff members of Hidden Treasures take seriously.

Like the City Mission, serving thousands of meals every year to the homeless and needy and providing basic health care, clothing and counseling, Hidden Treasures offers many of the same services locally.

Donated furniture, household goods and clothing are sold at a reasonable price or given to needy families. And holidays and children are not forgotten.

Minor flooding prompts early dismissal

WAYNESBURG – Classes were dismissed early in three Greene County school districts March 30 after an overnight rainfall raised streams to their banks and caused minor flooding of some roads.

Students in the Carmichaels Area, Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene districts were sent home between 1 and 2 p.m. in light of a weather prediction that called for additional heavy rains, posing a threat of major flooding.

State Department of Transportation officials said sections of three county highways were closed during the afternoon – Route 1019 along the South Branch of Muddy Creek off Route 21 near Carmichaels; Route 1019 north of Route 21 in the same area; and Route 2006 off I-79 near Mt. Morris.

Voter registration up 173 in county

Voter registration in Greene County has shown a very slight upswing from the all-time low of last spring.

According to the county election bureau, there are 16,851 voters registered for the May 20 primary election.

This is 173 more hat the 16,678 who were registered for the primary last year – a total which was lower that an any time since 1928, the first year for which records are available.

The current 16,851 total includes 12,659 Democrats, 4,113 Republicans, 72 Independents, one Constitutionalist, one Prohibitionist, one Socialist and four with “no party” affiliation.

Mrs. Betty Jennings Ray, chief clerk for the Elections Board, said that 348 persons signed up between the time the rolls were opened last November and the March 30 deadline.

Offsetting this, however, was the fact 644 names were taken from the rolls for failure to vote in two years. There were also 124 deaths recorded in the same period and 56 persons moved from the county.

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