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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:

Tax protesters rally on steps of Greene County Courthouse

WAYNESBURG – Anti-tax protesters gathered Wednesday on the Greene County Courthouse steps to hold their version of the Boston Tea Party.

Braving cold and rain, about 100 protesters joined those at similar events held across the country on tax day, the deadline for filing federal tax returns, to protest high taxes and wasteful government spending.

Billed as a nonpartisan TEA Party (TEA standing for “Taxed Enough Already”), the rally featured speakers who railed not only against taxes and pork-barrel spending but politicians who, they claim, aren’t listening to them.

“The government has spent trillions of dollars bailing out the auto industry, the insurance industry, banks and mortgage companies, and for what?” asked speaker Andrew Harding of Waynesburg. “Have any of you seen a difference in your everyday struggles with your financial well-being?”

Harding said he is tired of seeing money taken from his paycheck while he struggles to feed his children and is concerned the growing federal debt will only saddle future generations.

“I say enough is enough,” Harding said. “I demand a future for my children, and I demand that I be allowed to take my hard-earned wages and spend them however I see fit.”

Robin Henderson, who helped organize the event, called the rally the beginning of a new movement now sweeping the country. She noted another event will be held at noon May 2 at the Waynesburg Commons.

Ex-manager back

on Waynesburg’s payroll

WAYNESBURG – The Waynesburg Borough manager of five years ago will return to his old position as part of a personnel upheaval that council approved Monday.

Bruce Wermlinger was the town’s top administrator until five years ago and as of today, he will become the borough manager again. G. Edward Howard, who previously held the post, will move to the newly created position of director of public works.

“We have two men who work together very well,” said Council President Charles Berryhill.

Howard worked as code enforcement officer when Wermlinger was borough manager.

To make room for Wermlinger, council ratified the elimination of the part-time code enforcement officer. Nelson Miller held that position, but he was essentially fired last month.

Even with about $21,000 saved by removing that position, the personnel changes will ultimately cost the borough at least $24,000 a year. Howard will retain his $48,000-a-year salary, and Wermlinger will make $45,000 a year, with an option to make a $3,000 bonus if he opts out of the borough’s health-insurance policy.

CSI: Waynesburg College

WHEELING, W.Va. – Persistence paid off for a four-member team from Waynesburg College that won first place in a crime scene competition March 27 at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va.

Waynesburg competed against teams from Wheeling Jesuit, Marshall University and West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

Each team was called to a mock crime scene and given 15 minutes to assess the situation, gather information and evidence and interview witnesses.

The teams then were given 30 minutes to process the information, make a crime scene sketch, write a report about their findings and come up with a solution as to what happened.

For a mock crime scene, the teams were called to an apartment complex by a man in Room 202, saying someone had been killed in Room 203. Inside 203, the “investigators” found a dead man shot in the back and a dead woman shot in the right temple and holding a gun in her left hand.

There was a suicide note allegedly written by the woman, saying this was a murder-suicide.

Thomas Reddington, a professor in the criminal justice department at Waynesburg, who accompanied his team to Wheeling, said it was obvious from the beginning there was no suicide because it was very unlikely a right temple wound could be inflicted by a weapon fired from the left hand.

“What made the difference in solving the crime was the interview with the man in 202,” Reddington said.

When teams knocked on his door, he opened it just a little for the interview. The team from Waynesburg, however, was persistent and asked to come into the apartment.

“There, they saw blood on the man’s shirt, a bloody rag in his room, a bloody pen used to write the note and paper matching the paper on which the note was written,” Reddington.

Next step national

contest for area winners

WAYNESBURG – Two Waynesburg Central High School seniors proved earlier this month they are the best in the state at what they do.

Now, Devan Policz and Adam Bland will get the chance June 21-26 in Kansas City, Mo., to prove they are the best in the country.

The two Greene County Vocational-Technical School students won the state Skills USA competition April 5-7 in Pittsburgh, with Policz taking first place in nail care (cosmetology) and Bland taking the top honors in precision machining technology.

For Policz, who competed previously at the state level, this was her first time to come away the winner.

Bland, meanwhile, had participated in district competitions, but this was the first time he advanced to states.

Bland had to perform several tasks, including following a set of blueprints to make several items on a metal lathe, and complete a milling project.

Bland has a part-time job at R&M Manufacturing on Jefferson Road, and once he graduates, he said he plans to work there full time.

While Bland can produce art made from metal, Policz uses fingernails as her canvas.

Cigarettes extinct in

commissioners’ chamber

WAYNESBURG – Final cigarettes were smoked Thursday at the weekly meeting of the Greene County commissioners.

A resolution designating the commissioners’ meeting room a non-smoking area was adopted during the meeting as part of a general policy on smoking in county offices.

Since their meeting room is used for public meetings that are subject to the Sunshine Law, Act 168, the Clean Air Act of 1988 requires that the room be posted as a smoke-free area.

It was the only area in any county building specifically singled out for a smoking ban. Under the policy, office holders and department heads will have the discretion of designating smoking and non-smoking areas within their offices.

Rudy Marisa named

college cage mentor

Rudy Marisa of Uniontown and a native of Fredericktown was named the new head basketball coach at Waynesburg College.

He succeeds Hal King who recently completed his third season at the helm if the Yellow Jackets.

His first head coaching job was at Dunbar High School from 1958 through 1960, and then at Albert Gallatin High School until 1966. Marisa had the first winning season in 11 years at Dunbar during his first year.

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