PA — May is in the middle of spring when people are starting to get outside and enjoy the warming weather Flowers are sprouting and it seems like the relentless rain has finally come to an end What is not coming to an end are the USPS efforts on hiring Some of the top reasons to look for a career are financial stability growth – all excellent reasons to apply to the Postal Service the most trusted federal agency in the country We offer a variety of challenging and rewarding opportunities nationwide with over 2,000 job functions that provide room for growth and promotion. Openings will continue to be announced on a rolling basis throughout the year for every state at www.usps.com/careers the Postal Service invites job seekers to attend the following USPS job fair to fill immediate openings: USPS personnel will be onsite at the job fair to provide detailed information about available positions and to answer questions about starting pay and benefits Applications are accepted online only at www.usps.com/careers. Applicants must be 18 years of age and be able to pass drug screening and a background investigation. Applicants must be available to work weekends and holidays. See job postings at www.usps.com/careers for full details for duties so check back often for additional opportunities The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America restore long-term financial sustainability dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage products and services to fund its operations Copyright© 2025 United States Postal Service handing Indiana its first loss of the season Matthew Firestone and Noah Zawisian each knocked in two runs for the Falcons (9-5) Ethan Shank had a hit and an RBI for Indiana (13-1) Beaver 0 – Winning pitcher Nick Rillo went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs and Eric Miehl doubled to lead Bethel Park (12-4) to a nonsection win Derek Hughes went 2 for 3 for Beaver (8-5) Ambridge 1 – Luca Dilonardo doubled and drove in three runs while Dylan Smith and Cody Woodward each knocked in two runs as Blackhawk (6-3 Carter Mason went 2 for 3 for the Bridgers Winning pitcher Carter Davis gave up one run on three hits and struck out eight in five innings for the Cougars East Allegheny 1 – Gino Giannetti doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs while Rayden Shirey and Stevie Hasson each brought home two runs as Burrell (8-5) crushed East Allegheny (0-12) in nonsection play Hempfield 3 – Massimo Falconi doubled and knocked in two runs and Collin Yeager tripled and had an RBI while Michael Stafford picked up a win and Landon Holley earned a save for Canon-McMillan (13-4 Drew Jones slapped a double for Hempfield (5-11 Beth-Center 1 – Kaden Woods went 2 for 4 with three RBIs Braeden Todaro drove in a pair and winning pitcher Jacob Gelder smashed a double as Charleroi (7-5) rolled to a nonsection win Ashten Pinkney doubled and knocked in a run for Beth-Center (3-9) Valley 9 – Winning pitcher Jeremy Haigh homered and drove in three runs Nick Seifried and Everett Clanton each had two RBIs and Kris Bandurski doubled and drove in a run as Fox Chapel (10-3) defeated Valley (7-9) in nonsection play Dom Dunkel doubled and knocked in four runs and Mason Simmons finished with three RBIs for the Vikings Highlands 7 – Winning pitcher Anthony Taddeo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth to lead Freedom (8-6) to a nonsection win doubled and drove in three runs for Highlands (6-8) tripled and plated two runs and Colton Blank had four hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs Leechburg 6 – Tyler Hahn went 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs and Cy Zufall got the win as Kiski School (1-3) beat Leechburg (10-2) in nonsection play Jayden Floyd drove in two runs while Jake Cummings and Mason Bertino each doubled for the Blue Devils Mifflin County 4 – Andrew Hantz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth for Latrobe (10-4) in a walk-off nonsection win Lincoln Ruble hit a double for Mifflin County Hayden Porterfield doubled and drove in two runs for the Wildcats Va.) 0 – Ashton Nessleroad threw a no-hitter while Lucas Stevenson homered and drove in three runs Carson Vanata went 3 for 3 with a home run and Daniel Fox finished with four RBIs as Mapletown (2-10) rolled Hundred in nonsection play Woodland Hills 0 – Will Long doubled and drove in five runs and winning pitcher Michael Zappone gave up one hit and struck out four in four shutout innings as Mt 6-3) cruised to a Section 2-6A win over Woodland Hills (2-9 Maddox Yost doubled twice and knocked in two runs and Brett Hamell had an RBI for the Blue Devils OLSH 8 – Brock Budacki and Casey Bloom hit two doubles apiece and Jaleb Bailey drove in three runs to lead New Brighton (9-5) to a nonsection win Hampton 3 – Gabriel Negri doubled and drove in a run Jacob Jurgensen went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Kyler Blauth got the win as North Hills (6-10) beat Hampton (4-11) in nonsection play Ryan Scully went 2 for 2 with a home run and two RBIs for the Talbots Carrick 2 – Winning pitcher James Lozecki gave up two runs on two hits and struck out seven in 5 ⅔ innings and Braylon Johnson doubled and knocked in two runs as Obama Academy (5-3 Brayden Fisher had two RBIs for the Raiders Quaker Valley 4 – Dylan Meyer tripled Hunter Garvin plated two and Jackson Barber doubled and had an RBI to lead Riverside (11-2 Oscar Roig doubled and drove in two runs for Quaker Valley (8-5 Winning pitcher Zack Hare surrendered one run on three hits and fanned nine in five innings Riverview 1 – Owen Dumbroski doubled and drove in a run Chris Johnson and Matt McNeal each went 1 for 3 with an RBI as Serra Catholic (12-2) defeated Riverview (12-3) in nonsection play Tyler Skaggs picked up a win for the Eagles Brashear 3 – Delia Graham went 3 for 3 with a double home run and two RBIs and Gacie Whitt hit two doubles for Allderdice (4-2 4-0) in a City League win over Brashear (0-3 Winning pitcher Braelyn Altman struck out 16 and allowed three hits in six innings Carlynton 3 – Madelina Guiddy went 3 for 4 with a triple Layla Sherman hit two doubles and a triple and Raya Sentipal tripled to lead Burgettstown (6-7 Danica DeCecco hit a double for Carlynton (4-9 Deer Lakes 5 – Bella Stewart scored on an error to cap off a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh as Burrell (7-9 Stewart went 3 for 3 with an RBI and Pyper Ferris had a single Laney Dineff and Siena Plummer homered for the Lancers East Allegheny 2 – Nori Stringa-Smith Payton Huweart and Taryn O’Neil hit a double apiece and Lyla Brunner tripled for Charleroi (6-6 Diajah Taylor hit two singles for East Allegheny (0-11 Seton LaSalle 1 – Meadow Ferri threw a one-hitter and struck out 17 for Chartiers-Houston (14-1 Layla Chapman singled and drove in a run for Seton LaSalle (4-5 Sydney English had a double and three RBIs for the Buccaneers Albert Gallatin 2 – Molly Greenawalt went 4 for 5 with a double and four RBIs and Cali Leichliter and Kalyn Cole hit a home run apiece to lead Connellsville (9-3 Ellie Seese went 2 for 2 with two RBIs for Albert Gallatin (2-9 Kaylee Roadman had a double and four RBIs for the Falcons Quaker Valley 0 – Riley Prestopine went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs and Lena Lucarelli homered and drove in two runs for Ellwood City (8-5 Grace Carver went 2 for 2 for Quaker Valley (2-8 triple and four RBIs and Addison Hiles tripled for Frazier Aniya Glendenning and Breonna Mitchell hit a double apiece for Washington Hiles threw a three-inning one-hitter and struck out six Vaughn hit two home runs and Jayanna Ciferno had a double Western Beaver 2 – Alena Zottola went 4 for 4 with a double and Aidan Hanna hit a home run for Hampton (11-3 Izzie Lefebvre went 3 for 3 and Cadence Verba hit a home run for Western Beaver (4-9 Mapletown 0 – Emilee Bazzoli threw a four-inning no-hitter and struck out eight for Jefferson-Morgan (7-4 4-3) in a Section 2-A win over Mapletown (3-10 Gabby Marmie had a home run and three RBIs for the Rockets McKeesport 3 – Kyla Hutcherson went 3 for 4 with a double Lillian Black went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs and Alyssa Perona tripled for Kiski Area (4-9 Kendal Bercik went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs for McKeesport (2-10 Greensburg Central Catholic 7; Greensburg Central Catholic 9 Amya Clawson doubled and Erica Rodriguez drove in three runs for the Centurions Butler 12 – Sarah Stroh hit a walk-off three-run homer for Mt Lily Vicari had two doubles and five RBIs and Marissa Sklencar drove in two runs for Butler (2-13 Mary Langston hit a double and home run and Dani McClinchie had a single home run and four RBIs for the Blue Devils Southmoreland 6 – Gianna Stanek and Jenna Whipkey doubled and Dani Trainer and Talia Reho drove in two runs apiece to lead Mt Zoey Murphy doubled and drove in two runs for Southmoreland (7-5 Springdale 2 – Sa’Niyah Wilson had two triples and three RBIs and Bayleigh Hooper tripled and drove in two runs to lead Northgate (8-6 3-5) to a Section 2-2A win over Springdale (0-5 Winning pitcher Johna Abramowicz struck out 10 and allowed three hits for the Flames Fort Cherry 0 – Camryn Hummel threw a three-inning perfect game and struck out three for OLSH (7-4 5-1) in a Section 3-2A win over Fort Cherry (0-11 Elizabeth Smith and Mya Eshenbaugh hit a double apiece for the Chargers Latrobe 1 – Lorryn Sepe had two home runs and four RBIs and Giuliana Youngo doubled to lead Penn-Trafford (14-1 Macy Schultz hit a single for Latrobe (8-7 Alysson Paulone gave up one unearned run on one hit in a complete-game win Jocilene Cummings threw a three-inning one-hitter and struck out seven Mackenzie Fryer doubled and Ainslee Freshcorn drove in two runs for the Panthers Kara Sutphen threw a three-inning perfect game and struck out six Macyn Greer and Saeryn Hoover hit a double apiece for Riverside Sarah Straley threw a three-inning no-hitter and struck out six and Irelyn Fisher hit a home run Korynne Shannon threw a three-inning no-hitter and struck out eight Olivia Benedict hit two home runs and Adalyn Nogay Irelyn Fisher and Olivia Williams hit a home run apiece for the Scotties Moon 1 – Nora Stutzman hit a double and triple Kenzie Pope tripled and Caroline Barnard doubled to lead Upper St Kendall Trexler hit a double for Moon (5-7 California 0 – Gina Tedrow threw a five-inning no-hitter and struck out 14 for Waynesburg (8-4 5-1) in a Section 4-2A win over California (2-6 Avery Davis went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and Ellie Makel drove in two runs for the Raiders Lebanon 2 – Justin Peters racked up 17 kills and 19 assists and Landon Patterson added 13 kills to lead Canon-McMillan to a Section 1-3A win Aydin Winkelblech collected 21 assists and three aces Jack Steele has six blocks and Nolan Rosing recorded 10 digs for the Big Macs If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase Connellsville constables Hubie Coleman and Albert “Rocky” Younkin are among the featured law enforcement officials who will be featured in the Discovery Channel’s new special “Constables on Patrol,” which follows constables from Western Pennsylvania as they work the streets “We’re excited,” Coleman said “We’ve been waiting a long time for this to finally premiere.” which also features constables from Erie and Bucks counties covers what it’s like to work as a constable – from serving arrest warrants to executing eviction orders “You never know what’s going to happen,” Youkin said proudly This is not the first time the duo has received national attention for their unique style of public service In 2010 for their out-of-the-box approach to serve a warrant involved a Steelers-themed black-and-gold van to lure people outside “There was a guy that we had been chasing for like three years and everytime we got close to his house we went up there with the Steelers van with a bullhorn telling him he had won two tickets… and the guy ended up coming out with a beer in his hand and we were able to nab (him),” Younkin said Coleman and Younkin made 32 arrests in one night and collected almost $3,000 in fines The Herald-Standard wrote about the tactic in 2010 with Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr noting that they were able to serve a decade-old warrant with the gimmick Youkin and Coleman said they were inundated with phone calls from law enforcement agencies around the country asking for their advice on how to capture criminals “I had Texas Rangers calling me from Texas telling me ‘That was hell of an idea brother Footage from the trailer for “Constables on Patrol” makes the show seem like a comedic version of the 90’s series “Cops,” featuring other unique ways constables serve papers or warrants One of the other creative ways the duo used was dressing up as a woman which given the gigantic stature of both Youkin and Coleman While there will likely be plenty of laughs during the documentary the work of a constable can still be dangerous “You never know what’s on the other side of that door,” Younkin said Most of the footage was taken about 10 years ago and the debut of the show was originally attended for the A&E network but was shelved for unknown reasons Although the reality show appears to prioritize the comedy and action sequences he hopes the documentary will help spread awareness about what constables do and draw attention to their training on a state level “I don’t think people realize how important constables are to the community,” Coleman said and we generate a lot of money for the county.” “I want this show to let people know what a constable is nobody knows – not even some of our senators or representatives know what we do…It’s a dangerous but important job,” Younkin said on the Discovery Channel and the channel’s streaming services If you have an account and are registered for online access sign in with your email address and password below Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe Copyright © Observer-Reporter | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy A Connellsville man has been jailed without bond in connection with a New Year’s Day break-in and the assault of two people with metal baseball bats was arraigned Friday before District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr on charges of attempted homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide Ninth Street after receiving a report of a male there who was unconscious and not breathing according to the criminal complaint filed in the case told police that Mulnix and two other unidentified men knocked on the door and entered the home Police stated in the complaint that Sandovol told them that one unidentified man stayed downstairs with Sandovol while Mulnix and another unidentified male went upstairs kicked in the locked door to Hice’s and Williams’ bedroom and began punching as well as hitting them with a metal baseball bat but police said that Hice and Williams told them Mulnix repeatedly asked about money during the assault and believed it was in reference to $100 that Hice had won the night before Both assault victims were transported to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville Along with attempted homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide Mulnix is charged with felony aggravated assault along with misdemeanor theft and reckless endangerment Mulnix is in the Fayette County jail awaiting a Jan Copyright © Herald-Standard | Contact | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Franklin Regional heavyweight Elishua Daugherty takes down Central Mountain’s Hayes Henry during the PIAA team championships Saturday. Burrell’s Carter Thomas takes down Davion Edmond the PIAA team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe asks a question of an official during the Connellsville match at the PIAA team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Chase Smith (right) battles Connellsville’s Luke Lilley at 133 pounds at the PIAA team championships Saturday. Connellsville’s Tommy Gretz grabs the arm of Franklin Regional’s Beau Fennick during a match at the PIAA team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Max Firestine controls Central Mountain’s Dokoda Packer-Edwards at the PIAA team championships Saturday. Burrell’s Julian Bertucci grabs the leg of Erie Prep’s Jourdin Brockett during a match at the PIAA team championships Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. Franklin Regional’s Beau Fennick pins Central Mountain’s Cael Dorman at 107 pounds at the PIAA team championships Saturday. The Falcons, after dropping a hard-fought, 29-23 decision to Bethlehem Catholic, battled to reverse their WPIAL championship loss to Franklin Regional, 28-22, and then whipped District 1 champion Boyertown, 37-21, to take the third-place trophy. Bethlehem Catholic defeated Nazareth, 44-28, in the final to earn its fourth straight title. “I’m proud of how we wrestled,” Swink said. “We came back strong after a tough loss. We gave Bethlehem Catholic a battle.” Connellsville lost a couple of close matches early, and a handful of lineup changes did not go its way. Swink bumped Julian Ruggieri up to 152, Evan Petrovich to 160 and Lonzy Vielma to 172, but only Ruggieri won. “It was a move I felt we needed to do,” Swink said. “Things just didn’t work out.” Against Franklin Regional, the Falcons reversed three matches, which made the difference. Tommy Gretz (107), Zachary Franks (114) and Ruggieri (145) reversed losses with close wins. “Franklin Regional is a great team, and it was another great battle,” Swink said. “They have some great kids who battle. “This tournament is great prep for individuals. You see a lot of different wrestlers.” Franklin Regional began the day with a 39-11 win against Central Mountain. The Panthers then came up short against Connellsville. “It was another great match with Connellsville,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “They are a great team. I was proud of our effort. It was a good weekend overall.” Franklin Regional, the WPIAL champion, got great efforts from many of its wrestlers. Lebe said a bright spot was heavyweight Elishua Daugherty getting two wins. Now Connellsville and Franklin Regional get a few days off before the start of individuals. Things did not go as planned for the Burrell wrestling team. The WPIAL Class 2A champion ran into two tough opponents this weekend, losing to eventual PIAA champion Faith Christian Academy on Friday and to fourth-place finisher Erie Prep, 42-18, on Saturday. Now the Bucs will turn their focus to the individual postseason, which begins Feb. 15. The Bucs had five winners against Erie Prep. Carter Thomas won by decision at 121 pounds, Julian Bertucci had a pin at 139, Calio Zanella won at 152, Isaac Lacinski was a winner at 172 and Luke Boylan won an overtime match at 215. “We wrestled better than we did on Friday,” Burrell coach Steve Ansani said. “We battled hard. Unfortunately we had a couple guys banged up that we held out.” Cam Baker injured his finger Friday and was held out. Ansani said it’s time to get back in the room and get ready for individuals. “We were hoping to wrestle a little better,” Ansani said. “We have guys who can compete at the state level, and we hope to bring home some medals.” Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln has been keeping count of how long the McCray Robb Bridge has been closed and hundreds of people came to downtown Connellsville to celebrate the opening of the $11.5 million reconstruction project that cut off the simplest way to get downtown in the city for nearly one year who said her route home from work has been extended “significantly” since construction of the bridge started at the beginning of the year Named after Civil War veteran and slain Connellsville police officer McCray Robb it seemed fitting to celebrate the reopening of the namesake bridge on Veterans Day Spectators of all ages donned patriotic gear to listen to Lincoln give remarks before taking the inaugural walk on the reopened bridge According to PennDOT District Executive Rachel Duda the bridge now has an expanded area for vehicles “I know there was some frustration (waiting for the bridge to open) but it was a short-term inconvenience for a long-term improvement and I think you’ll see that it’s been worth it,” Duda said during the ceremony plenty of sacrifices were made during the nearly year-long construction Owner of the Atkins Music Center Denise Friel said that the closure cost her “at least one-third” of her business attributed the drop in sales to how difficult it was for customers to access the business and all the equipment was right there in front of my store and people thought they weren’t able to come down.” executive director of Connellsville Redevelopment Authority said he was glad the bridge is open and recognized the type of economic hardship it has caused local businesses “It really has affected a lot of local businesses Most (business owners) have said they lost about 75% of their business during the time,” Edwards said “It is a major thoroughfare with 20,000 cars that pass through it daily Edwards said that despite the inconvenience the traffic and the parking issues caused by construction As a way to celebrate the structure’s reopening the Connellsville Park and Recreational Board raffled off tickets for those who wanted to become the first to walk drive and kiss on the new McCray Robb Bridge “We had five days to pull off (this fundraiser,) and I thought ‘I’d be happy if we sold 50 tickets,” said board President James Flynn Lincoln and Jamison Shelkey and Jody Merindina along with Ken Lee Dewitt the first kiss went to Donna and Kenny Brooks his wife Jennifer and their granddaughter Adison Miller took the first drive “I thought it would be something my grandchildren can look back in 40 or 50 years from now and get a kick of it,” said Kooser who drove his Ram Diesel truck across the bridge rom-coms and fun dance numbers will not want to miss Connellsville Area High School’s 2025 spring musical The talented high school students are committed to getting each dance number and vocal performance right guaranteeing a fun evening for an audience of all ages the high school’s director of choral activities “Our cast and crew are working hard and having a great time preparing for this show,” according to Harbaugh “Connellsville’s 55-year tradition of excellent musicals inspires students to do their best We are planning an immersive experience for the audience so that they will feel like they are part of the show.” who dreams of a white wedding and her father giving her away at the altar There’s just one problem: she doesn’t know who he is To find out she invites three men – each a possibility – to come to her wedding Popular songs include “The Winner Takes it All” “The Name of the Game” and “Take a Chance on Me.” Students have been sharing previews in the community with a short performance at Penn Highlands Hospital earlier this month and recently Ivy Flesik will play lead character Sophie on Thursday and Saturday and Mia Pascoe will play Sophie on Friday and Sunday “Mama Mia!” will be on the stage at 7 p.m March 2 at Connellsville Area High School Auditorium Tickets are available online at https://connellsvillemusical.ludus.com/ or can be purchased at the high school from 11:30 a.m Connellsville’s Major Stash returns for the 2024 season. one of the main goals for the Connellsville football team has been to reestablish a winning culture that can be sustained long term That’s proven to be a difficult task the Falcons seemed to take a legitimate step forward by posting a 5-5 record It was only the third time in the past 20 years in which Connellsville has been able to finish with a non-losing season “It felt like we were trending in the right direction,” said Chad Lembo who will once again share the head coaching duties with fellow coaches Jace McClean and Mick Lilley “We had a ton of community support and that made a huge difference.” Connellsville came up short of a Class 4A playoff spot but was competitive in a number of games throughout the season “The enthusiasm was the biggest thing,” McClean said The Falcons are looking to build on the excitement and momentum gained in 2023 but they will do so as an independent program in 2024 it was announced that as part of the WPIAL’s realignment plan the Connellsville football team would be bumped up to Class 5A for the 2024 and 2025 seasons It was a step up in classification that Connellsville was not willing to accept Faced with the prospect of playing in Class 5A the Connellsville Area School Board voted 9-0 to leave the WPIAL in football and play an independent schedule during the upcoming two-year cycle Albert Gallatin and Brownsville as Fayette County schools that have opted to go independent in football “It was a decision that wasn’t taken lightly,” Lembo said noting that a number of options were explored prior to the move to go independent was made official and if we thought we were putting any of our kids at a disadvantage “We were 5-40 the last time we were in 5A,” Lembo continued “We’re trying to get our numbers back up and we put a lot of thought into this Lembo reported that 62 players were on the initial roster McClean noted that he and his fellow coaches really didn’t have to do any kind of sell job on the players after it was announced that Connellsville wouldn’t be part of the WPIAL in football “The kids just want to compete,” McClean said pointing out that being competitive as an independent team should help the program more than struggling as a 5A team while playing in the WPIAL “It’s no fun being down by 45 points at halftime.” No matter who lines up across from the Falcons on Friday night the goals will be the same as they have been since Lembo McClean and Lilley took on the role as coaches in 2022 “Our focus is on improving and it’s going to continue to be our focus,” Lembo said “When you focus on little things and making improvement We are developing a lot of kids from scratch and the goal will be to get everything worked out and (eventually) get back into the WPIAL.” although Lembo and his staff admitted that they were hoping to see a bit better turnout in the weeks and months leading into the season we probably had about 25 kids (attend offseason workouts regularly),” Lembo said noting that the offseason training extends well beyond just lifting weights Connellsville has invested in functional fitness which includes a large dose of plyometrics among other aspects of the offseason training program Lembo also pointed out that many of the athletes who did not regularly attend offseason workouts were involved in other sports such as winter and spring varsity sports during the school year the coaching staff started to put everything together for the 2024 season “We want to see who will rise to the occasion,” Lembo said prior to the start of the August practices “We want to see who will help us execute on offense and defense.” there is plenty of work to do as the majority of last year’s starters have graduated there was a three-way battle entering camp between sophomores Rocco Farrell and Linkon Keller and junior Parker Lembo Junior Caden Matthews was a late transfer from Southmoreland who could also play quarterback Farrell is the most experienced under center while Keller and Parker Lembo bring some raw ability He also mentioned that all three have done their part to encourage their fellow teammates vying for the position “Those three have worked really well together,” Chad Lembo said “It’s a healthy competition and they are going after it.” Lining up in the backfield will be a number of potential candidates “We have a multitude of kids who can play tailback Ben Metzger and Xavier Malone are the senior backs Jayden Mickens and Wyatt Hall making up the junior class of running backs Mickens and Hall bring the most experience to the group of ground-gainers “They have different styles,” Chad Lembo said noting that some of the backs run with finesse while others are more powerful look for a group of seniors to make up the primary wide receiving core Carter Wilson and Trent Huffman figure to be some of the go-to targets in the passing game Senior Austin Elstner was slated to be a big part of that group but a leg injury suffered in a 7-on-7 camp at Belle Vernon will cost him his season Chad Lembo noted that McBride brings a lot of potential and ability while Stash is a burner who was one of the fastest athletes on the track team Wilson and Huffman have also worked hard to improve their overall games Ethan Foley and Josh Long to handle the workload “Long and Foley are fast and Geno is the most stereotypical tight end,” Chad Lembo said noting that all three have shown the ability to run The engine that will make the offense run is the offensive line “Our approach on the line is that a lot of the kids will play on both sides of the ball,” Chad Lembo said we will have people moving in and out.” Senior Tyler Gallis is one of the most experienced players on the offensive front Seniors Garrett Shearer and juniors Mike Work Everett Brower and Travin Bagwell all have the potential to be a starting tackle or other position along the line Glen Strickler and Ryan Brown will compete for starting time at the guard positions “They are very mobile and physical and they’re adapting well,” Chad Lembo said Junior Roghan Hollis as well as sophomores Myles Hollis and Eli Greyno are top candidates to play at center “The line will be the strength of our offense,” Lilley said noting that Gallis and Hall are the only two returning starters back from last year on offense While the offense will look to make steady gains throughout the season there is hope for a big year from the defense as well “We are going to be much improved (defensively) but we will still be young,” McClean said Work and Gallis to compete as interior linemen “They played a lot last year,” McClean said Brower and Bagwell will also be competing on the inside Strickler and Roghan Hollis to play defensive end The linebacking core will be comprised of a number of players who have shown the ability to make plays Geno Farrell and sophomore Ryan Showman will likely play in the middle with Wilson Gillott and Snyder setting up on the outside “The linebackers aren’t the biggest “They can chase the ball down.” Rocco Farrell and sophomore Jeremy Jenkins will fill roles as cornerbacks while Keller Foley and Mickens will be relied upon as safeties “They can fly to the ball and they are athletic,” McClean said junior Hunter Brown and senior Derek Routzahn are candidates to handle the kicking duties with McBride and Keller likely doing the punting the coaches are looking for the Falcons to take the next step this season after producing a respectable record last year the next step in the progression is to have a winning season,” McClean said The coaching staff understands that fans would love to see Connellsville football return to the glory days of the 1990s but they urged patience as the program continues to develop and transform but we would like to get back to that (winning) mentality,” McClean said “We want the fans to be patient and be supportive These kids are busting their butts to play on Friday nights TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service Connellsville’s Kai Vielma takes down Council Rock South’s Patrick Woloshyn at 139 pounds Friday. Franklin Regional’s Chase Smith tangles with Nazareth’s Jack Campbell at 133 pounds Friday. Franklin Regional’s Beau Fennick pins Nazareth’s Derek Fulmer at 107 pounds Friday. Connellsville’s Nolan Rice pins Council Rock South’s Richie Kiker at 121 pounds Frieday District 11 runner-up Nazareth rallied from an early deficit, won a couple of 50/50 matches and defeated the WPIAL champions 32-29 at Altoona Area High School Field House. The Panthers (18-1) drop into the consolation round, where they will face District 6 champion Central Mountain. Nazareth will face District 1 winner Boyertown at 9:30 a.m. The PIAA moved Saturday’s schedule up because of an impending winter storm. “We left a couple matches out there,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “There was no one in particular. It was a team effort; we just fell short. “I’m proud of our guys. I could have done a better job during the match. They are a great team and are ranked No. 2 for a reason.” Things started well for the Panthers. Beau Fennick picked up a pin at 107, and Titus Colangelo won a major at 114. But Nazareth rolled off four consecutive wins to take a 15-10 lead. Freshman Max Firestine picked up a pin for the Panthers at 145, and senior Luke Ankney won a decision at 152 to put the Panthers up 19-15. But Nazareth clinched the match by winning the next three bouts (two pins and a technical fall) to make it 32-18. Franklin Regional was penalized a team point at 160 pounds. “If one of those close matches go our way, it’s a different result,” Lebe said. “We just need to bounce back and try to finish third.” Henry Patts (215) won by technical fall, and Elishua Daugherty picked up a pin at heavyweight for the Panthers. Whereas Franklin Regional struggled, Connellsville looked sharp. The WPIAL runner-up had no problem defeating District 1 third-place team Council Rock South, 38-26. The Falcons (13-2) won eight of the first nine matches to build leads of 27-0 and 38-6. Connellsville coach Bill Swink let his reserves wrestle the final four bouts. Connellsville will face District 11 champion Bethlehem Catholic, which defeated Council Rock North, 43-14. “Last week’s loss to Franklin Regional was a wakeup call,” Swink said. “But the team came to practice on Monday ready to go. We looked good. Starting at 107 was a perfect starting spot.” Connellsville sophomore Tommy Gretz started things with a 23-second pin at 107. After Zachary Franks picked up a win at 114, Nolan Rice (121), Daniel Smith (127) and Jake Lilley (133) collected first-period pins to make it 27-0. After Council Rock South got a pin by Anthony Mutarelli at 139, Swink bumped up his lineup to get key matchups. Kai Vielma majored Patrick Woloshyn at 145, Jullian Ruggieri majored Kris Ortman at 152 and Evan Petrovich edged Ben Brilhart, 2-1, at 160 to clinch the match. “We came out with some fire,” Swink said. “We got after it. Maybe we were a little overconfident last week. We came in and refocused. The attitude was great, and the work ethic was great all week.” A man is in critical condition after a house explosion Tuesday afternoon in Connellsville is believed to have been doing work inside the home at 317 S Layton said the man escaped from the home and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment have not yet said what caused the explosion Jay Urban was in his basement around noon Tuesday when he heard what he said sounded like a “loud bomb” go off outside I ran outside and saw smoke everywhere,” he said “Then I heard a man screaming at the top of his lungs ‘Someone help me Urban said by the time he got outside he could see the second floor of the home that sat just three doors down from him at 317 S in Connellsville was “completely engulfed” in flames “I was surprised because the police and the fire company were able to make it out here very quickly When fire crews arrived they found the second and third floors of the home ablaze Steve Mongell lives almost directly behind the house and said he ran outside when he heard the explosion and saw the house go up in flames starting with the second floor “I could see this black wall of smoke and the fire just moved so quickly between the two floors,” Mongell said Layton said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation Franklin Regional’s Evan Petrovich celebrates after pinning Connellsville’s Julian Ruggieri in the 145-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Ethan Cartwright gets a major decision over Connelsville’s Cooper Lembo in the 172-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s John Montgomery pins Connellsville’s Nicholas Seese in the 189-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Connellsville’s Kai Vielma pins Franklin Regional’s Nico Sarnic in the 139-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Connellsville’s Nolan Rice pins Franklin Regional’s Salvatore Nassif in the 121-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Beau Fennick reacts after beating Connellsville’s Tommy Gretz in the 107-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Mike Ruane gets a major decision against Connelsville’s Luke Lilley in the 127-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Evan Petrovich pins Connellsville’s Julian Ruggieri in the 145-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Titus Colangelo beats Connellsville’s Zachary Franks in the 114-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional with the trophy after beating Connelsville in the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Henry Patts beats Connellsville’s Christopher Cook in the 215-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe celebrates with Beau Fennick after Fennick beat Connellsville’s Tommy Gretz in the 107-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Connellsville’s Lonzy Vielma gets a technical fall against Franklin Regional’s Luke Ankney during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional celebrates with Evan Petrovich after he pinned Connellsville’s Julian Ruggieri in the 145-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Chase Smith beats Connellsville’s Jake Lilley in the 133-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. Franklin Regional’s Elisha Daugherty wrestles Connellsville’s Tyler Gallis in the 285-pound bout during the WPIAL Class 3A team championships Saturday. That’s what happened Saturday in the WPIAL Class 3A wrestling team championships at Peters Township’s AHN Arena. No. 2 Franklin Regional got wins at 107 and 114 pounds and upset No. 1 Connellsville, 32-25, to win its third WPIAL title. The Panthers denied the Falcons their ninth title. The Panthers, who took out No. 3 Thomas Jefferson, 37-36, in the semifinals, carried that momentum into the finals. They were the more aggressive team in the key matches. Both teams advance into the PIAA team tournament, which begins Tuesday. Franklin Regional will host the winner of the Norwin/Obama Academy (City League) match to be contested Tuesday. Franklin Regional won seven matches, but the big ones were by Beau Fennick (107) and Titus Colangelo (114). Fennick used a second-period takedown to defeat Tommy Gretz, 6-4. Gretz let Fennick free with more than a minute left, and the freshman fought off the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the WPIAL. Fennick was ranked No. 2 but was pinned by No. 3 Zach Rehak of Thomas Jefferson in the semifinals. He bounced back strongly. “That’s the beautiful thing about wrestling,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “Short-term memory. It’s a hard sport, and you have to be mentally tough.” Colangelo was trailing Zach Franks, 4-2, late in the match and got a takedown and nearfall points in the final 13 seconds for a 9-4 victory. “These guys believe they can win, and we’ll be ready for Norwin on Tuesday,” Lebe said. “We’re a very good team from one to 13. We’re good as anyone.” Those two losses were too much for Connellsville to overcome. “Tommy has beaten that kid seven or right times already this year,” Connellsville coach Bill Swink said. “That was a big one. “I don’t think we wrestled very well … We wrestled OK. But we didn’t wrestle like we did on Wednesday. I don’t know, sometimes the pressure gets to kids now. We just must get back in the room and work.” Connellsville will face DuBois on Tuesday. Franklin Regional never trailed in the match. A pin by John Montgomery (189) and a win by Henry Patts (215) gave the Panthers a 9-0 lead, and then the wins by Fennick and Colangelo pushed the lead to 15-3. Connellsville got some life at 121 when Nolan Rice pinned Sal Nassif, but wins by Mike Ruane (127) and Chase Smith (133) extended the lead to 22-9. Connellsville’s Kai Vielma (139) and Franklin Regional’s Max Firestine (145) traded pins, and then the Falcons got technical wins from Evan Petrovich (152) and Lonzy Vielma (160) to close the gap to 28-25. Ethan Cartwright made sure the Panthers would celebrate the win with a victory against Parker Lembo. “I could not be prouder of the guys,” Lebe said. “They’ve looked up to the previous winners for years.” Lebe said there is no doubt the win against Thomas Jefferson gave the team confidence in the championship match. The Panthers trailed TJ, 24-5, in five bouts, which included Rehak’s pin of Fennick. That’s when the Panthers stepped up. They won the next six bouts, which included pins by Colangelo (114), Nico Sarnic (139) and Firestine (145) and technical wins by Sal Colangelo (121) Ruane (127) and Smith (133). Norwin earned its first trip to the PIAA playoffs by defeating No. 3 Thomas Jefferson, 36-30, in the third-place match. The Knights ran off six consecutive wins in the lower weights, outscoring the Jaguars, 33-0, to erase a 13-3 deficit. Coleton Klipa (114), Brooks Blasko (127), Landon Sidun (133) and Gage Mamie (145) collected pins for the Knights. 107: Beau Fennick (FR) p. Tommy Gretz, 6-4. 114: Titus Colangelo (FR) d. Zachary Franks, 9-4. 127: Mike Ruane (FR) m.d. Luke Lilly, 10-1. 133: Chase Smith (FR) d. Jake Lilly, 7-3. 139: Kai Vielma (C) p. Nico Sarnic, 4:09. 145: Max Firestine (FR) p. Julian Ruggieri, 1:16. 152: Evan Petrovich (C) t.f. Cohen Buccicone, 19-4 (4:07). 160: Lonzy Vielma (C) t.f. Luke Ankney, 22-7 (4:33). 172: Ethan Cartwright (FR) m.d. Cooper Lembo, 9-0. *189: John Montgomery (FR) p. Nicholas Seese, 3:50. 215: Henry Patts (FR) d. Christopher Cook, 2-1. 285: Tyler Gallis (C) d. Elishua Daugherty, 3-2. Records: Franklin Regional 17-0, Connellsville 11-2 107: Zachary Rehak (TJ) m.d. Luca Butera, 17-5. 114: Coleton Klipa (N) p. Robert Cordova, 1:32. 121: Nathan Gulibon (N) m.d. Dom Costa, 12-0. 127: Brooks Blasko (N) p. Ethan Koett, :44 133: Landon Sidun (N) p. Jacob LaBryer, 1:22. 139: Nathan Klingensmith (N) t.f. Cameron Timko, 16-0 (2:47). 152: Maddox Shaw (TJ) p. Jack White, 1:00. 160: Brayden White (TJ) p. Nicholas Puskar, 1:52. 172: Bode Marlow (TJ) t.f. Tyler Goughenour, 21-5 (1:31). *189: Zachary LaBryer (TJ) d. Riley Shaffer, 5-2. 215: Santino Brasco (N) d. Trent Miller, 4-2. 285: Shephard Turk (TJ) p. Sebastian Summerville, 2:40. Records: Norwin 15-2, Thomas Jefferson 12-2. 107: Tommy Gretz (C) m.d Luca Butera, 16-4. 114: Coleton Klipa (N) d. Zach Franks, 10-7 (SV). 121: Nolan Rice (C) m.d. Nathan Gulibon, 14-3. 127: Landon Rice (N) t.f. Daniel Smith, 17-2 (3:48). 133: Jake Lilly (C) m.d. Dom Butera, 14-5. 145: Gage Mamie (N) d. Julian Ruggieri, 4-2. 152: Evan Petrovich (C) t.f. Larry Goughenour, 25-5 (3:25). 160: Lonzy Vielma (C) t.f. Nicholas Puskar, 15-0 (1:58). *172: Riley Shaffer (N) d. Cooper Lembo, 4-0. 189: Santino Brasco (N) m.d. Nicholas Seese, 10-1. 215: Christopher Cook (C) p. William Petko, 3:23. 285: Tyler Gallis (C) p. Sebastian Summerville, 2:51. Franklin Regional 37, Thomas Jefferson 36 107: Zach Rehak (TJ) p. Beau Fennick, :44. 114: Titus Colangelo (FR) p. Robert Cordova, 3:58. 121: Salvatore Colangelo (FR) t.f. Dom Costa, 15-0 (4:32). 127: Mike Ruane (FR) t.f. Jacob LaBryer, 20-3 (5:08). 133: Chase Smith (FR) t.f. Cameron Timko, 17-2 (4:32). 139: Nico Sarnic (FR) p. Liam Overdorff, :41. 145: Max Firestine (FR) p. Colby Engel, :52. 152: Maddox Shaw (TJ) p. Cohen Buccicone, 1:08. *172: Bode Marlow (TJ) p. Jordan Perks, :39. 189: Zach LaBryer (TJ) p. John Montgomery, 2:00. 215: Henry Patts (FR) m.d. Trent Miller, 10-1. 285: Shephard Turk (TJ) p. Elishua Daugherty, 1:56. If Javascript is disabled browser, to place orders please visit the page where our photos are available to purchase. Connellsville’s Jayden Mickens looks for a lane behind Ryan Brown on Friday. turnovers spelled doom in Friday’s Week Zero season- opener against Latrobe at Connellsville Stadium A pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage quickly put the Falcons in a hole and they never recovered as Latrobe rolled to a 41-0 win Connellsville turned the ball over six times: four interceptions It wasn’t Connellsville’s best night offensively but I thought we played well defensively,” Connellsville co-head coach Jace McClean said I don’t think we make those tackles last year.” It didn’t take long for the Wildcats (1-0) to take control as John Wetzel intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play “We can’t spot a 5A contender seven points like that Connellsville pounced on some Latrobe turnovers as well Rocco Farrell recovered a fumble before Linkon Keller picked off a pass in the end zone to thwart two Latrobe drives the Falcons (0-1) couldn’t do much offensively and Latrobe eventually went up 14-0 when Alex Tatsch rumbled in from 4 yards Latrobe tacked on two more scores in the second quarter as Tatsch took a snap on a fake punt near midfield and rushed 51 yards down the right side to put the Wildcats up by three touchdowns Roman Agostoni added one of his five extra points to send Latrobe into the half with a 28-0 advantage Latrobe then scored on its first possession of the third quarter piecing together a 10-play march that culminated in a Wetzel 2-yard touchdown run With a running clock for the majority of the second half although Latrobe did plenty of mixing and matching with its personnel The Wildcats added the final score of the game when AJ Yeboah scored on a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter Wetzel led Latrobe by completing 5 of 10 passes for 95 yards Jack Drnjevich hauled in two catches for 30 yards The Falcons primarily rotated Keller and Caden Matthews under center The duo combined to complete 3 of 11 passes for 32 yards Xavier Malone had 41 yards on nine carries for Connellsville Carter Wilson caught two passes for 20 yards Connellsville had a chance to break Latrobe’s bid for a shutout but the Wildcats came up with a goal-line stand on the last play of the game to keep the Falcons off the board the coming week will be about making corrections and getting ready for a visit from Meadville “We need to make a couple of adjustments and we’ll look forward to our next one against Meadville,” McClean said Latrobe will look to make it two wins in a row when it hosts Plum in nonconference action next week Firefighters were called to a mobile home fire early Tuesday that displaced at least two people according to Fayette County Emergency Management officials Emergency officials said no one was injured The family has been referred to the Red Cross The cause of the fire remains under investigation A man is in critical condition after his house in Connellsville exploded Tuesday Firefighters found him outside the burning structure, WTAE reported adding that he told him he was the sole occupant The blast was felt and heard in the neighborhood Investigators are working to determine the cause.  Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976 Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post A Connellsville restaurant flooded Friday after sustaining significant damage to its roof Owner Kaylynn Ajquejay said a significant amount of water from recent heavy rains had accumulated on the roof “So my cooks got there first on Friday morning They walked in and called my husband and said There is flooding in the restaurant,'” Ajquejay said “I’m thinking it’s a little leak The whole ceiling for the restaurant is pouring water down.” Ajquejay added the New Haven Fire Department was called to the business She said they still aren’t sure of the full extent of the damage “They have to get it dried up enough to where they can check everything … I know we have a couple pieces of equipment that don’t seem to be working properly It is going to be a struggle for us to get everything fixed and back open According to the Pittsburgh branch of the National Weather Service between 2 and 2.5 inches of rain fell in the region over the weekend the West Virginia panhandle and eastern Ohio the state Department of Transportation District 12 issued a notice that a few state roads had closed due to flooding That included Route 3003 from Township 320 Road to Route 166 in Nicholson Township in Fayette County and Route 2020 in Washington County from Ridge Church Road in Amwell Township to Little Creek Road in West Bethlehem Township the region appeared to be spared from widespread flooding Greene and Fayette counties said they had not received any reports of flooding the damage to Tia’s Kitchen will keep the restaurant closed for at least two weeks The restaurant has been operating for less than a year and a half “I have two little boys and my husband and I both work at the restaurant all day I’m just worried about my family,” Ajquejay said “We’ve put our heart and soul into this restaurant and now we’re going to have to redo everything.” A Ligonier man accused of delivering drugs that led to the death of a Connellsville man in 2002 was charged with drug delivery resulting in death after police said they discovered Matthew Myers of Connellsville had overdosed on a combination of drugs that included fentanyl Connellsivlle police responded to a report of a cardiac arrest at 221 East Peach St Officers found Myers unresponsive on the bedroom floor showing signs of having been deceased for some time including two empty stamp bags and a syringe suggested a drug overdose with “no obvious sign of struggle.” Police said an autopsy confirmed that Myers died from acute intoxication due to a lethal mix of fentanyl Authorities obtained a search warrant for Myers’ cellphone and found text messages between him and Kelly discussing drug transactions Police said the two set up a meeting to purchase drugs just hours before Myers’ death The owner and operator of a Connellsville recycling facility is accused by state prosecutors of ignoring numerous environmental violations including improper waste management and storing contaminated materials of Connellsville was charged with eight counts of unlawful conduct and two counts of criminal attempt of unlawful conduct for violations that stretch back several years Allen runs the facility at 45 Bellevue Road which has operated under the names B&R Recycling Company and Allen Enterprises and Recycling a December 2020 order from the state Department of Environmental Protection cited violations dating back to 2008 including the unlawful acceptance of solid waste improper storage of recycled materials and operating without a permit Follow-up inspections in 2021 revealed that the facility had about one acre of disregarded recyclable materials buried 5 to 10 inches underground the state attorney general’s office contended Inspectors found drums filled with waste oil and “unknown contents,” the complaint alleged Allen also mixed large piles of recyclables with solid waste and vehicles and trailers on the property were leaking discolored liquids authorities served a search warrant at the Bellevue Road facility That led to uncovering buried solid waste and contaminated recyclables Allen was interviewed by an agent from the attorney general’s office and reportedly said he bought the property in 2000 from his daughter and used it to store cardboard he collected and sold He reportedly told agents he accepted recyclables from a waste company He also said he had receipts for waste removal but was unable to produce those receipts