Apr 4, 2025 3 min read

Jeers: They’re a sure sign of spring. Potholes, much to the chagrin of motorists attempting to navigate the region’s roadways, are popping up again everywhere. The state Department of Transportation will spend more than $1.8 million and use 1,900 tons of asphalt to fix potholes across Washington, Fayette, Greene and Westmoreland counties this year. The seasonal freeze-thaw weather cycle is the culprit, and they are the bane of road crews who spend countless hours repairing them. As you drive around the next few months, keep an eye out for the bone-jarring craters. And watch out, too, for the crews making repairs. Slow down through work areas and give workers the room they need. They are doing the best they can to make the road surfaces safer for everyone.

Cheers: Cheers to two PennWest California senior baseball players from the area who are carrying sizzling hot bats so far this season. Laurel Highlands graduate Santino Marra, who played in high school under coach Scott DeBerry, is the most recent PSAC West Player of the Week after hitting .500 with seven RBIs in five games. The highlight was a three-hit, four-RBI game against Point Park that included a game-tying, two-run, inside-the-park home run. California graduate Payton Conte, who played in high school under coach Lou Pasquale, was the PSAC Player of the Week the previous week when he hit .625 with 16 RBIs during a four-game stretch that included four multi-hit, multi-RBI performances. Conte also had a big clutch hit with a go-ahead, two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh that capped a furious rally from a 12-3 deficit in a 13-12 victory over Lock Haven. The two local products are the Vulcans’ two leading hitters with Conte batting .439 and Marra hitting .429 through Monday.

Cheers: We were happy to share the million-dollar news that a single mom of three from our area won it big on a Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket. Brittnee Boot, who was presented with a giant ceremonial check last week, said she rarely drops $20 on a single Lottery ticket but decided to take a gamble while dining last month at Foster House II in Belle Vernon. “I still can’t believe it,” she said of her good fortune. Boot, who intends to continue working as a title clerk at a local car dealership, plans to buy a new house with a portion of her winnings. Oh, and a miniature donkey for her sister. Maybe she’ll get one for herself, too, she said. Why not? Hee-haw!

Jeers: A notorious, low-clearance railroad underpass in Cecil Township nicknamed the “Georgetown Scalper” needs to be addressed before more trucks get stuck – or “scalped.” Despite signs warning of the 11-foot clearance of the underpass in the 500 block of Georgetown Road before it becomes Valley Brook Road, truck drivers continue on their route, usually with disastrous results. Last week, state Rep. Jason Ortitay told a reporter that funds are available through the commonwealth’s Rail Freight Assistance Program to redesign the underpass. However, it’s up to the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad, which operates the line, to apply for the money. “It’s a major issue,” the Cecil Republican said. “It might take a year or two to get the money,” so a redesign is not imminent. The underpass also tends to flood during downpours, and a redesign should address that as well. In the meantime, truckers would be well advised to take an alternate route that connects Route 19 to Interstate 79. “It will take a little longer,” Ortitay noted. “But it will be cheaper in the long run.”