May 31, 2014 4 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

New alert system available in Cumberland

Cumberland Township Police Department is launching a new community information service designed to deliver important and timely information to residents using the latest technologies.

The service, created by Nixle LLC, delivers important neighborhood-level public safety and community event notifications by Web, e-mail or cellular telephone.

The program is free and is the first certified communications system that allows police departments, municipal governments and local agencies to communicate with residents in their communities.

The service alerts residents to public safety threats and events or incidents in the community by the Web, e-mail and cell phone text messages.

It will help police contact residents in such events as Amber Alerts, public safety concerns, missing persons and in certain situations in which police may be looking for information or attempting to locate witnesses to a crime.

Cumberland Township police will be the first governmental agency in the region to use the network.

Any township resident with Internet access can register for free at www.Nixle.com and choose the method in which he would like to receive neighborhood alerts. No software is needed to register or use the system.

Jefferson plans to join COG to administer uniform building code

JEFFERSON – Jefferson Borough Council voted Wednesday to advertise an ordinance to permit the borough to join with other municipalities to administer the statewide uniform building code.

Council plans to join with municipalities that are part of the Jefferson-Morgan Council of Governments to administer the new statewide code.

Under the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act of 1999, each municipality has the choice of administering the code itself or jointly with other municipalities. Municipalities also can “opt out” and leave administration of the code up to the state.

The law requires that all new construction conform to the statewide building code. Builders must have certified inspectors complete inspections on five or six aspects of construction, including foundations, framing, plumbing and electrical work.

Municipalities that decide to administer the code will be required to retain a certified building inspector to conduct the required inspections. Municipalities that opt out will only have to inform a builder that the inspections are required.

Councilman Lance Sahady said he didn’t understand why the ordinance calls for a $300 fine for violations when penalties are probably also included in the state legislation creating the building code. He also said he didn’t understand when the fines would be applied.

Vo-tech at crossroads

WAYNESBURG – More than 100 students at the Greene County Vocational-Technical School received their graduation certificates May 25, and many of them are wondering if anyone cares – especially those in theirr home schools.

Representing all five school districts in the county, the students continue to fight what they feel is a stigma because some are called “techers” in the home districts.

Students have been receiving additional attention in the past few days as the result of Jefferson-Morgan District voting to reject the current payment formula because of declining enrollment by their students at the vo-tech.

Some believe the problem us with the home district and charge the school district is not promoting the vo-tech as it should.

A few students believe the home district deliberately schedules events during times when students are at the vo-tech school, thus eliminating them from certain school functions.

Greenway, GCID conduct tours of new plant

More than 150 people toured the new Greenway Manufacturing Company plant at Waynesburg Wednesday as the company and Greene County Industrial Developments Inc. (GCID) held open house to display the facility to the public.

Already being used, the building is located in the county industrial park opposite the airport. It was erected by GCID for lease to Greenway, which is expanding the clothing manufacturing business it has operated at Waynesburg for 20 years.