Pa. Environmental Hearing Board reviews dispute over 11,000-acre Westmoreland County mine expansion
The battle among an environmental organization, a coal mining company and the state over whether 11,000 acres in Donegal and Mt. Pleasant townships are unsuitable for surface mining remains undecided. The Mountain Watershed Association, a Melcroft-based environmental group, the state Department of Environmental Protection and Rustic Ridge Mine owner LCT...
Murrysville Medic One driver charged with possession of child porn on work computer
A Murrysville Medic One wheelchair driver has been jailed on accusations that he used a workplace computer to access child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated files of children in indecent poses, the state attorney general said. Gregory A. Kelley, 31, of Delmont allegedly used a communal workplace computer intended for...
Chipotle to demolish former Denny’s restaurant in Irwin
The former Denny’s restaurant along Route 30 in Irwin soon will meet the wrecking ball. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has received a permit from Irwin Borough to demolish the restaurant at 9174 Route 30, said Shari Martino, borough manager. Chipotle did not list the company that will demolish the building,...
Luxury convention center hotel planned for Pittsburgh
A 500-room hotel is planned for a site adjacent to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, which will give the city two hotels attached to the convention center along the Allegheny River according to state, city and county officials. Loews Hotels & Co. of New York City,...
2 VA Hospital patients in O’Hara diagnosed with Legionnaires disease
Veterans Administration officials have said that two patients being treated at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in O’Hara have tested positive for Legionella, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The water lines at the facility have been treated, flushed and tested to make sure they are safe for people to...
Irwin to build temporary detour road around closed Colony Drive bridge
Irwin officials took a step this week to create a detour around the Colony Drive bridge by agreeing to advertise for bids to build a two-lane road that would connect Caruthers Lane with Colony Drive. The contract bids will be opened in June and a contract could be awarded to...
Norwin area: Pierogi sale, summer kickoff event, poker run, more
Pierogi for sale Pierogi will be sold starting at 10 a.m. May 22 at St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Church, 90 Bethel Road, North Huntingdon. Potato-and-cheese and sweet cabbage pierogi will cost $14 per dozen, while sauerkraut will be $15 and cottage cheese will be $17. The sale continues until supplies...
Rising fuel costs, asphalt prices, salt usage strain local road budgetsVideo
A combination of record-breaking salt usage, soaring fuel costs and rising asphalt prices is straining road budgets and forcing some municipalities to scale back their spring paving plans. The price for a ton of finished asphalt has climbed about $5 since last spring. The increase has coincided with a spike...
Ligonier Country Market on hold as Latrobe council delays decision on hostingVideo
Latrobe city council tabled a motion Monday night to host the Ligonier Country Market in the city’s downtown, leaving the popular Saturday event without a venue just days before its scheduled season opener. The 4-3 vote to table the agreement marks the third time in recent weeks that a local...
Homer City power plant water usage remains unclear
Finding the amount of water the proposed Homer City natural gas-fired power plant and hyperscale data centers will draw from Two Lick Creek remains an unanswered question as state officials prepare for a public hearing Tuesday. During the past six months, the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory at the University of Pittsburgh...
Greensburg woman optimistic about facing 3rd kidney transplant
Judith “Judy” Hansen O’Toole is in a familiar place. For the past 15 months, the Greensburg resident has undergone kidney dialysis three days a week while awaiting a kidney transplant — 24 years after receiving her first one. “I’m generally an optimistic person,” said O’Toole, 72, who served as the...
Southwest Greensburg mom wins $1M lottery prize
When Beth Dudley of Southwest Greensburg stopped at the Crabtree Gas & Go along Route 119 while on her way to visit her parents April 21, she did what she typically does and bought a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket. She spent $10 for Win Win Win, a new scratch-off lottery game...
DEP to hold hearing on plan to release mine wastewater into Donegal streams
Donegal-area residents will have the chance next month to challenge a plan to discharge millions of gallons of mine wastewater into local tributaries. The state Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a June 16 hearing to gather input on a draft permit for LCT Energy LP’s proposed Rustic Ridge Mine...
Irwin borough could move into new offices this month after long delays
Irwin could move into its remodeled offices later this month, roughly five months later than anticipated. A grand opening ceremony scheduled for mid-May has been postponed until mid-August, borough manager Shari Martino said Tuesday following a council meeting. Martino said the borough may be able to move into the new...
Norwin area: Chicken barbecue, tree plantings, art workshops, more
Irwin will plant trees Irwin Borough will spruce up Dan Rose Park and the Second Street and Fifth Street parking lots. Irwin Council approved spending up to $2,500 to purchase shrubs, trees and plants for Dan Rose Park on Main Street and the two parking lots. Chicken barbecue The Manor...
Latrobe man killed in Ligonier Township car crash
A 49-year-old Latrobe man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his car went off Four Mile Run Road in Ligonier Township and struck a tree. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Robert J. Todd Jr. The crash was reported at about 5:15 p.m. According to the coroner’s release,...
Norwin property owners face potential 4% hike in real estate taxesVideo
Property owners in Norwin could face a 4% increase in their real estate taxes for the upcoming school year, based on a shortfall of about $1.5 million in the budget. The tentative budget projects $99.08 million in expenses but just $97.52 million in revenue. The Norwin School Board on Monday...
Code enforcement important to revitalization of Main Streets in Westmoreland County
Any effort to revitalize Main Streets in Westmoreland County’s older communities needs to include code enforcement initiatives, several community leaders said Friday. “Code enforcement has to be part of it,” said Monessen Mayor Ron Mozer. Mozer was speaking at the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank program on Main...
Steelers to interview for training camp jobsVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for people who want to work at the team’s training camp from mid-July through mid-August at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe. There will be open interviews 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the first floor of the Fred M. Rogers Center on the Saint...
Norwin area: Trip to West Virginia, rummage sale, art workshops, more
Trip planned to W.Va. A bus trip and train ride are planned by the North Huntingdon AARP Senior Citizens for June 17-19. The bus will leave St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church at 9:30 a.m. June 17 and arrive in Elkins, West Virginia, around 4 p.m. Participants will see a dinner...
Ligonier Township supervisors reject fire department zoning change; Country Market still seeks a home
The Ligonier Country Market will need to search for a new home this year now that the Ligonier Township supervisors rejected a request Tuesday from the Waterford Volunteer Fire Department to rezone its property for commercial use. That would have allowed the market vendors to sell their their wares there....
North Huntingdon seeks sponsors for ballfield banners
The fields in North Huntingdon’s parks could take on the look of minor league ballparks with banners advertising sponsors’ services. The township is launching a program giving businesses the opportunity to advertise on ballfield fences and other athletic fields, said Lydia Kinkaid, the township’s parks and recreation program coordinator. The...
WCCC president: college changes inevitable to achieve improvement
The president of Westmoreland County Community College said Friday continued efforts to improve the college’s educational programs will involve change. “We have to adapt to change,” said Kristin L. Mallory. “We are not going to stay stagnant. We are moving forward.” Mallory, 63, has been president of the 4,000-student community...
Homer City power plant: Citizens group to meet ahead of DEP pipeline hearing
An Indiana-based citizens group opposing a planned power plant and data centers in Homer City plans to meet Sunday in Indiana borough. The group will share information about a May 12 hearing regarding a permit for a 5.8-mile pipeline that would feed natural gas to the plant. Concerned Residents of...
Westmoreland Envirothon: All winners in learning about the environment
Southmoreland senior Alexis Piovesan wrapped special tape around a large tree at Twin Lakes Park on Thursday — a yellow tape that measures diameter rather than circumference. “I’ve also learned to use a Biltmore stick to measure the lumber in a tree. I’ve identified different species of plants,” Piovesan said...
