Local briefs
Closures set The state Department of Transportation said that as part of the removal of a railroad arch bridge, state Route 3007 (Water Street) in Smithfield will have weekend closures and a marked detour in place.
The detour will be in affect from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday. It also will be in place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 19.
The project is located about 395 feet south of Prospect Street, over Georges Creek. The project includes the removal of an abandoned railroad bridge crossing over Route 3007. There will be a detour route used during construction on certain weekends. Flaggers will control alternating, single-lane traffic during the weekdays, as necessary. The contractor for this $59,280 project is Lycoming Supply Inc. from Williamsport, Pa.
PennDOT asks motorists to drive with caution through the work zone.
Worship planned
First Presbyterian Church of Masontown, located at 102 W. Church Ave., will worship at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Clyde Bailey is worship leader. The sermon will be “Garbage Guzzler.’ The choir, directed by Robin Carr, will lead morning hymns. Helency and Peter Sisko are greeters this month. Minute for Mission is by Peter Sisko.
The next Community Kitchen meal is from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Menu is taco salad, Jello, breads, coffee and iced tea.
Official to leave
The state deputy secretary for local and area transportation with the state Department of Transportation has accepted a job as deputy commissioner for policy and strategy for the New York Department of Transportation, effective June 3.
Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler announced Thursday the coming departure of Karen J. Rae, who has managed transit-related agencies in four states for 29 years. Rae joined PennDOT in March 2006.
Toby Fauver, director of PennDOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation, will serve as acting deputy secretary for local and area transportation, Biehler said.
During her tenure at PennDOT, Rae played a key role helping the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission in its in-depth work to deliver a comprehensive report on the state of transportation finance and operations to Gov. Ed Rendell and the General Assembly. She built strong and effective relationships with the Legislature and transit partners during her tenure.
Prior to joining PennDOT, Rae had been director of Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Between 1998 and 2002, she was general manager and chief executive officer of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas. She also served for seven years in management positions at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority in Buffalo, N.Y., and was transportation director for Greater Glens Falls (N.Y.) Transit.
Spraying begins
The state Department of Environmental Protection has begun its black fly suppression program in Fayette County and 32 other counties.
The DEP said it uses Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium, to kill black fly larvae in streams and rivers.
In Fayette County, the Youghiogheny River is the only waterway on the spraying list.
The insecticide will be sprayed from helicopters on to the waterway when the water level is low enough to allow it to work and when surveillance shows sufficient numbers of black fly larvae present, according to the DEP.
County emergency management agencies will be notified before spraying begins in each county.
Spraying usually begins between 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. on days when spraying is scheduled.
Courses offered
Waynesburg College will offer free college-level creative writing courses to the general public this summer. With three courses to choose from, the registration deadline is one week before the first day of each class.
Available courses include:
– Personal narrative: writing about family, Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., May 15 to June 19. Instructor will be assistant professor of English Martin Cockroft.
– Introduction to creative writing Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., July 2 to Aug. 6. Instructor will be assistant professor of English Dr. Amy Randolph.
– Writing from Genesis Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., July 2 to Aug. 6. Instructor will be lecturer of English Dr. Robert Randolph.
For descriptions of the courses or for more information, visit www.waynesburg.edu/creativewritingclass
. To register, call Jamie Dessart at 724-852-3429 or e-mail begin jdessart@waynesburg.edu jdessart@waynesburg.edu end
.
Vigil planned
The annual vigil for fallen and missing veterans of the Vietnam War will be held May 18 and 19 at AMVETS Post 103 in Hopwood.
Frank Voytek, president of Vietnam Veterans Inc. of Fayette County, said the 24-hour vigil will begin at noon Friday, May 18, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A candlelight vigil will be held at 9 p.m. Friday to honor the 49 Fayette County men killed in the war and the one soldier from the county missing in action in Vietnam. The closing ceremony will take place at noon Saturday, May 19, Voytek said.
The speaker for the closing ceremony will be Fleet Reservist James Smith.
The 24-hour vigil is open to the public.
Water work set
Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority will shut off the water on Bull Run Road, Craftmore Road, Rocky Run Road, Prison Road and Creek Road in Luzerne Township and in Superior from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to upgrade the system. The authority said customers may experience low pressure or no water and are advised to keep some containers of water to minimize the outage.