Looking back – March 9
A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:
Runner to raise money
for Relay
WAYNESBURG – Last spring, local runner Chris Hardie set a goal of running 65 miles from Mt. Morris to Pittsburgh to raise money for cancer research.
Hampered by a severe throat infection, Hardie ran for 13 straight hours but fell short of his goal by seven miles, ending the run near Mt. Lebanon High School.
Next month, Hardie, an assistant track and field coach at Waynesburg University and a county planner, will again attempt the run to raise money for Relay for Life
He is confident he’ll make it this time. “I’m going to do it,” Hardie said. “This year, I’ve trained harder than I’ve ever trained before.”
Hardie’s run will take place March 29, and it will begin just north of Mt. Morris. The expected finish line is PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The run, also known as “Chris Cross the County,” is his annual fundraiser.
Hardie will run Route 19 through Waynesburg, Ruff Creek, Washington, Mt. Lebanon and into Pittsburgh. The run will take Hardie about 14 hours. He will begin at 4:30 a.m., running with a headlamp.
“God has blessed me with an ability to run for long periods of time. I use this gift to help raise money for a cause that I truly believe is very important,” Hardie said.
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Water authority
making change
JEFFERSON – Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority agreed Thursday to begin using a different disinfectant to treat water during the late summer.
The authority now uses chlorine to kill bacteria in the water. It intends to implement a system using chloramine, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia.
Chloramine has been used to disinfect water safely for more than 80 years, authority engineer Randy Krause said. In addition to being safe, he said, it should give less of a taste and odor to the water than chlorine alone.
Chloramine is needed to reduce the development of a “byproduct” created when chlorine mixes with the naturally occurring organic material in water, Krause said.
The combination of chlorine and organic matter leads to the formation of trihalomethanes, the consumption of which over time can increase a person’s risk of cancer, he said.
The formation of trihalomethanes increases when water temperatures are higher during the late summer and when chlorinated water is in the system longer, Krause said.
Chloramine produces fewer byproducts such as trihalomethanes and is longer lasting than chlorine alone, he said.
The authority currently is in compliance in regard to levels of trihalomethanes in its water, which it tests for quarterly, Krause said. The level is an average of samples taken throughout the system.
Cerro Fabricating expected
to lay off 56 people
Cerro Fabricating Products Inc. has notified the state it will discontinue part of its operations at its plant in Brave, an action that could result in the layoff of about 56 employees.
The company notified the state Bureau of Workforce Investment of the layoffs Monday as required by Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
The closing of part of the operations at the plant, which will begin in May, is expected to be permanent, the company said in its letter to the bureau.
The first group of layoffs, involving 34 employees, will be made during the 14-day period beginning May 14. The remainder of the layoffs will occur during the 14-day period beginning June 18, the company said.
Company officials declined to comment Wednesday on the reduction of the workforce at the plant. Union officials were unavailable for comment.
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W. Greene students
up the creek
When was the last time you got to play in the creek … and get credit for it? At West Greene High School, members of Stream Team Club do just that on a regular basis.
Their credit is measured on how much they learn from this outdoor classroom experience that allows them to study the health of Enlow Fork Creek, a selected stream in Wheeling Creek Watershed, which extends across the western corner of Greene County into Washington County and westward through Wheeling, W.Va., into the Ohio River.
Worst ice storm in
13 years ravages county
WAYNESBURG – What has been called the “worst ice storm” in 13 years struck Greene County early Monday, causing power outages and thousands of dollars to local property owners and utilities.
Unable to withstand the weight of the ice, fallen trees closed or partially closed many road in the county.
The storm also left more than 11,000 county residents without electrical power for much of the day as utility lines fell under the weight of the heavy ice or were torn down by falling trees.
“It was the worst ice storm we’ve had in 13 years, said Dave Keller, operations superintendent for West Penn Power’s Jefferson District.
Thirteen crews were brought in from other West Penn divisions to assist in cleanup efforts, which were hampered by worsening conditions throughout the day.
Carmichaels board to ask
state for distressed status
CARMICHAELS – The Carmichaels Area School District voted unanimously Monday night to apply to Harrisburg for a special aid grant as a distressed school district.
The action was taken in view of a cumulative operating deficit, which his currently estimated at $140,000, and which is expected to reach almost $200,000 by July 1 when the next fiscal year begins.
Ronald Evans, director of the division of distressed districts within the state Department of Public Instruction, and county school superintendent William H. Hartley, met with the board to outline steps to be taken to make application for distressed status, and what it will mean if granted.
Evans said the first step would be a complete audit of district finances to determine eligibility. If the audit bears out the need, he said he could assure the board that “at least half” of the deficit would be met by the special grant.