Cheers & Jeers
File photo
Cheers: Cheers to the Connellsville American Legion baseball team for finishing the regular season undefeated. The team is currently in the Fayette County League playoffs, and played Uniontown for the championship on Wednesday. Regardless of the result in the league playoffs, Connellsville will enter the Region 6 tournament at John DiVirgilio Sports Complex in Rostraver Township as the top seed from the Fayette County League based on its record in the regular season. Belle Vernon, who will host the Region 6 tournament, and Uniontown have also qualified. Connellsville is coached by Brian Sankovich, and the team has been together for the majority of their careers, which, for many, started in Little League. The winner of the Region 6 tournament will play in Erie for the state championship.
Jeers: A wayward black bear has been spotted roaming around Canonsburg neighborhoods this week, prompting borough police to take to social media to urge people to use caution if they encounter the wild animal. As an addendum to that message, we urge those who feel compelled to take a selfie with the bear to consider their safety. The bear is not interested in mugging for a photo but rather locating its next meal and, if it’s a mama bear, keeping watch over her offspring. Far too many instances of people attempting to capture pictures with a wild animal have ended badly, some resulting in serious injury and death. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers this advice for bear encounters: Make your presence known by yelling, waving your arms, and slowly backing away. Give the bear an escape route and avoid sudden movements. Yell, clap, or use an air horn to scare a bear away. And never approach or corner a bear.
Cheers: Tiny Garards Fort post office – the smallest standalone post office in the state – may be hitting the big time. The historic post office building is one of three finalists being considered for inclusion in the Carnegie Science Center’s Miniature Railroad and Village in Pittsburgh. Located at the science center since 1992, the railroad and village specializes in recreating historic scenes from Western Pennsylvania from roughly the 1880s to the 1930s. Trinity Crist, postmaster relief at Garards Fort, told the newspaper, “I’d love for the post office to be a part of history. The people that have lived here, the locals that have lived here for years, have always had good things to say about the post office, and they’re worried it’ll eventually be removed because we don’t get a lot of customers or bring in a lot of money.” Also in the running are the Bethel Township High School building in Bethel Park and the Andrew Bayne Memorial Library in Bellevue. People can cast one vote per day through July 31. Last year’s winner was Pittsburgh’s Chinatown Inn. To vote and read about the three finalists, visit www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/mrrv-poll-2026.