(Announcements)

Traffic will be restricted on Route 30 in North Versailles Township beginning next week while crews complete work on the Greensburg Pike overpass.

Weather permitting, the work begins Monday and will continue through early April, says Jim Struzzi, district spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Crews will be sealing concrete, painting and performing other minor tasks, he says, and will occasionally be forced to close or restrict traffic under the bridge.

The bridge near the township municipal building and the Great Valley Shopping Center was replaced last year under a $4.5 million contract with Gulisek Construction of Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County.

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Mifflin Road Project Continues: Meanwhile, work has begun on the reconstruction of a bridge that carries Mifflin Road through the Hays neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

The bridge is an important connection for McKeesport area residents traveling to Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, traffic was rerouted from the southbound lanes of the bridge to the northbound lanes, so that the southbound bridge can be completely reconstructed. Work includes removing and replacing the southbound bridge deck, substructure repairs, and guide rail and approach improvements, Struzzi says.

The northbound bridge was rebuilt last year and re-opened to traffic in late January. The projects are part of an $8.1 million contract with Swank Associated Companies Inc. of New Kensington for improvements on several bridges in Allegheny County.

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Scholarships for Volunteer Firefighters: Scholarships to Community College of Allegheny College are again available for volunteer firefighters through the FireVEST program.

The Fire Volunteer Education, Service & Training Scholarship Program is accepting applications for 200 full scholarships for an associate's degree or certificate program at CCAC, in addition to training at the Allegheny County Fire Academy, a spokeswoman says. The deadline to apply for the fall semester is May 15.

"The FireVEST scholarship program was designed to help volunteer fire departments that have difficulty recruiting firefighters, and it's working," says Dan Onorato, Allegheny County Executive. "Volunteer firefighters protect more than 910,000 people in Allegheny County, and are essential to our public safety. We're pleased to offer an incentive to serve and a thank you for continued service."

Of 200 scholarships offered each year, 150 go to new recruits who commit to five years of service, and 50 scholarships are awarded to current volunteers who commit to an additional five years of service.

Scholarship applicants must be residents of Allegheny County and either be a current volunteer or join a volunteer fire department in Allegheny County. Applicants must apply and be accepted to CCAC, file for federal and state financial aid, and complete the financial aid process on time and in its entirety.

Applications and more information can be obtained through CCAC's web site or by calling the Allegheny County Fire Academy at (412) 931-3158, ext. 5.