Local briefs
Help sought Habitat for Humanity of Fayette County President Daniel Visnauskas said he needs help with a proposal to build a 20-home community next year.
Visnauskas said he needs assistance to prepare and submit an application to Whirlpool and Habitat International, which are sponsoring the program.
“I am looking for help to submit an application so we could be picked for the project. Our Fayette County Habitat would be excited to partner with any and all agencies to make this happen,” Visnauskas said.
Whirlpool would provide most of the funding, but local agencies and businesses also could help sponsor the project, he said.
He said he would work with local churches to find 20 low-income families to buy the homes.
Land for the houses is also needed.
Habitat used to own a large parcel that could have accommodated the project, but it was sold to reduce the organization’s liability, Visnauskas said.
In addition to helping 20 needy families become homeowners, the project would help Habitat become a stronger developer.
Visnauskas said a Habitat affiliate builds homes and uses the interest-free mortgage payments on those homes to build other homes for low-income families.
He said 10 mortgaged properties are usually enough for the affiliate to build one home. The local affiliate has built five homes since 2000 and is struggling to finish a sixth home in Connellsville, he said.
People, businesses or organizations wishing to take part in the project can call Visnauskas at 724-437-4150.
Testing kits offered
The Penn State Cooperative Extension office will be giving away home lead-testing kits for qualifying families in Fayette County.
Residents who own or rent may want to receive a kit if their home was built before 1978 and they have children younger than age 6 living in their home.
The annual income guidelines are as follows for various household sizes: one person, $33,600; two people, $38,400; three people, $43,200; four people, $48,000; five people, $51,850; six people, $55,700; seven people, $59,500 and eight people, $63,350.
For a kit, call Cathy Brady at the extension office at 724-438-0111.
Schedule posted
Connellsville City Treasurer Judy Keller said that the tax office would be closed July 2-4 for vacation and observance of the holiday. The office will re-open Monday, July 7 at 9 a.m.
Restrictions set
Traffic on a part of Route 119 in North Union and South Union townships will be restricted beginning today because of construction of Mon/Fayette Expressway tie-ins to Route 119.
Traffic will be restricted to the right lanes of the northbound and southbound lanes through the second week of November, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The restriction will begin about 1,500 feet north of Main Street (Route 40) interchange through the Gallatin Avenue exit.
Motorists should also watch for new traffic patterns on the on-ramp and off-ramp linking Route 119 and Route 51, where temporary crossovers will be constructed.
The work is included in a $71.9million contract awarded to Walsh Construction in May. The contract includes new drainage, installation of a traffic signal at Route 51 and the ramps to Route 119 south and construction of piers and abutments for three new bridges that will carry traffic over Route 119 and Route 51.
Schedule the same
JC Sanitation will follow its normal garbage collection schedule on Friday and there will be no collection on Saturday, the company said.
JC Sanitation customers in Menallen, Georges, Redstone, Nicholson and Springhill townships should put their garbage outside Thursday night.
Closing posted
The state Department of Transportation has announced that all driver license and photo centers will be closed Friday in observance of Independence Day.
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services online through PennDOT’s driver and vehicle services Web site, www.dmv.state.pa.us
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Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver license renewal, photo identification and vehicle registrations, driver-history services, change of address and exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.