Contract awarded
Local briefs The Center for Community and Public Safety at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus, was awarded a six-year contract to develop a curriculum for training deputy sheriffs across the state.
This is the first time a Penn State branch campus has been awarded the development contract, according to university officials. University Park, the main campus, offers the courses as well.
The campus was awarded the contract through Pennsylvania’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency as the result of a competitive bidding/proposal process.
According to university officials, the development of the curriculum will further strengthen Penn State Fayette as a provider of criminal justice training and education.
The curriculum includes an initial 760-hour training course and a biannual 20-hour in-service and continuing education course.
“The courses that we will be developing cover the spectrum of law enforcement training and education from use of force topics to cultural diversity issues,” said Ted Mellors, director of the Center for Community and Public Safety. “Our first step is to conduct a comprehensive training needs analysis in order to get a feel for what the deputies consider to be of primary importance in their daily duties serving their respective counties and courts of common pleas.”
Joe Segilia, director of Outreach at Penn State Fayette, added, “We are proud to be the recipient of this curriculum development grant. Ted Mellors and the staff at our Center for Community and Public Safety worked very diligently to meet the specifics of the grant requirements. This is another example of Penn State Fayette’s Office of Outreach and Continuing Education responding to the training and development needs of the various professional communities we serve. We look forward to a very successful implementation of the grant.”
Office hours set
Post offices will be open Christmas Eve to serve customer’s last-minute mailing needs. However, many will shorten retail lobby hours to enable retail employees to spend more time with their families.
Regular mail delivery for Thursday will be unaffected by the change.
“As many businesses close early Christmas Eve,” said Charles P. McCreadie, western Pennsylvania district manager, “the number of customers visiting our lobbies greatly diminishes. We view this as an opportunity to afford retail employees more time with their families by closing retail operations in many locations early Dec. 24.”
McCreadie said noon will be the last collection for mail deposited in blue collection boxes for Thursday processing. Revised hours will be posted at each post office. Commercial customers are asked to check with their bulk mail acceptance unit for hours of operation on Thursday.
Customers may call1-800-ASKUSPS for information about specific post offices.
Post offices will be closed Friday.
Express Mail will be delivered Christmas Day and regular mail delivery will resume Saturday.
For any collection points located inside buildings, the Postal Service will attempt a courtesy collection.
Board reorganizes
Belle Vernon Area School Board recently reorganized, naming Dale K. Patterson president and Joe Grata vice president.
Daniel J. Sepesky was elected secretary and Edward C. Naylor was elected assistant secretary. The board also retained the law offices of Ira Weiss of Pittsburgh as solicitor.
The board will continue to meet on the fourth Monday of the month, rotating meeting locations between the district administration office and Bellmar Middle School.
Agenda meetings will begin at 7 p.m. and regular meetings will start at 8 p.m.
Scheduled meeting dates and sites for 2010 are as follows: Monday, Jan. 25, Bellmar Middle School; Monday, Feb. 22, district administration office; Monday, March 22, Bellmar Middle School; Monday, April 26, district administration office; Monday, May 24, Bellmar Middle School; Monday, June 28, district administration office; Monday, July 26, district administration office; Monday, Aug. 23, district administration office; Monday, Sept. 27, Bellmar Middle School; Monday, Oct. 25, district administration office; Monday, Nov. 22, Bellmar Middle School; and Monday, Dec. 20, district administration office.
Warrant issued
Greene County Judge Farley Toothman issued an arrest warrant Monday for Matthew J. Matiyasic of Waynesburg for failing to appear for a court hearing for support of his children.