Published: November 04, 2009 12:55 am      

IN BRIEF | Murtha will host town hall Thursday

U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, will host a telephone town hall from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday for

40,000 voters age 55 and older in Cambria, Somerset, Indiana, Westmoreland, Fayette, Armstrong and Allegheny counties.

At 10 a.m., calls will go out asking residents to participate.

Murtha will provide a short update on current legislation and then accept questions.

This is the fifth in a series of telephone town halls offering residents of the 12th Congressional District a chance to participate in a question-and-answer session on a range of issues with the congressman.

The House is expected to debate HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, this week, and Murtha’s office anticipates most questions will be about health care.

Somerset takes lead in quiz competition

Somerset Area is the leader in the Central Western Scholastic Quiz League after six weeks of play.

Bishop McCort is second, followed by Windber Area and Westmont Hilltop.

Results of Monday’s competition were Bishop McCort 62, Northern Cambria 13; Somerset Area 50, Penn Cambria 26; Portage Area 32, Richland 26; Windber Area 43, Conemaugh Valley 31; and Forest Hills 37, Central Cambria 24.

Bishop Carroll, Cambria Heights, Greater Johnstown and Westmont had byes.

Coalition offers choice for code enforcement

EBENSBURG – The Central Cambria Coalition has begun a program that allows local member governments to switch from the two existing building codes agencies to the new Central Cambria Codes Enforcement Agency.

The program will take effect at the beginning of the year.

Ebensburg now uses the Cambria-Somerset Council of Governments for building code and zoning enforcement, while Cambria and Jackson townships use Cambria County’s building codes enforcement agency.

Under the new intergovernmental agreement, Cambria Township will employ the codes inspector and will be reimbursed for expenses. Ebensburg will be reimbursed for providing office space and equipment.

Applicants have been interviewed for the full-time position of codes inspector. The coalition hopes to fill the position in early December, Borough Manager Dan Penatzer told the council at a recent meeting.

After that, a new regional appeals board will be formed.