Noise investigated

Noise investigated
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Mercer County officials investigated a rash of reports Saturday morning from residents who said they heard a strange rumbling noise, but nothing was found.
A spokesman at the emergency dispatch center said people reported an explosion-type noise around 7:30 a.m. Reports came from people in about a 12-square-mile area from near the Shenango Reservoir through Hermitage to the Jefferson Township line.
Maple sugaring event
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Jennings Environmental Education Center will celebrate the end of winter with the seasonal tradition of maple sugaring at 2 p.m. March 18.
This free, 11/2-hour presentation will show how a tree works and demonstrate the art of maple sugaring from past to present. The program will begin indoors and move outside for a guided walk featuring a working evaporator and a taste of real maple syrup. Reservations are not necessary.
If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, contact the center at (724) 794-6011 or make inquiries through the Pennsylvania AT & amp;T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD).
Penn State health fair
SHARON, Pa. -- Penn State Shenango will sponsor its annual Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 14 in the campus gym at 147 Shenango Ave. The event is free and will feature more than 15 area agencies and health services. Visitors can get pulmonary, blood pressure, blood sugar and glaucoma screenings, among other services.
Workers OK contract
YOUNGSTOWN -- Members of the professional unit of Service Employees International Union Local 627 working at Forum Health Northside Medical Center and Beeghly Medical Park have ratified a three-year contract with 2 percent annual pay increases.
That unit, which previously rejected the contract, accepted it after hospital officials assured the union that it wouldn't use associate-degreed lab employees to do the work now done by those with bachelor's degrees, said Bill Padisak, union president.
The union's basic unit, which had also previously rejected the contract, will vote again Monday. The union's technical unit has approved the deal. A strike deadline has postponed to March 16.