Judge OKs prosecuction alleging woman’s messages led to boyfriend’s suicide
Prosecution of a South Greensburg woman on allegations that she bullied her former boyfriend to kill himself in 2021 can continue. In a 20-page opinion, Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears said a series of demeaning messages sent by Mandie Rose Reusch provided sufficient evidence to allow a jury to consider...
Prosecutors: Monessen parents left 2-year-old twins in squalor
Two Monessen parents broke the law when they left their 2-year-old twins trapped in a bedroom strewn with feces and infested with insects, a Westmoreland County prosecutor told jurors Tuesday. Felicia Dugan, 31, and Jerimiah Roberts, 32, are on trial, accused of felony child endangerment. Prosecutors allege the children were...
Westmoreland slashes benefits for retired workers
Westmoreland County’s salary board on Monday rescinded a policy that allowed nonunion employees to receive health benefits after retirement, a move officials said could save taxpayers up to
$3.5 million annually. The three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer voted unanimously to eliminate the program, which allowed retirees to buy into...
Communities reap millions from Pennsylvania casino revenue
State-mandated distribution of revenue from the state’s casinos has paid off for Western Pennsylvania municipalities. More than $60 million in grants was distributed in 2025 to municipalities through a state program that allocates tax revenue collected from casinos to pay for economic development projects, infrastructure upgrades, public safety and equipment...
Westmoreland judge rejects battered woman appeal in decades-old murder case
A Westmoreland County judge has rejected a claim that a battered woman defense should have been used in the trial of a woman serving life in prison for a murder in Manor nearly two decades ago. Jennifer Vinsek, 44, of Greensburg, was one of five people convicted in the 2006...
Judges swap dockets in Westmoreland court shuffle
Two Westmoreland County judges will swap dockets in January as part of a shakeup of the county’s court system. President Judge Christopher Feliciani will return to criminal court after a year presiding over civil cases. He will take over the criminal caseload handled by Judge Scott Mears, while Mears will...
Conviction in 2019 Arnold fatal shooting upheld
The conviction of a Pittsburgh man serving a 40-year prison sentence for a fatal shooting six years ago in an Arnold alley will stand, a Westmoreland County judge ruled. Shawden Ross, 39, argued his conviction should be overturned because evidence presented against him during a 2022 trial did not prove...
Judge rules guilty plea stands for man convicted in fatal shooting at Jeannette football game
A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday rejected an attempt by a Jeannette man to withdraw his guilty plea in connection with a 2019 fatal shooting outside a Jeannette High School football game. Greg A. Harper, 46, contended he was not properly represented when his former defense lawyer advised him to...
Judge orders New Kensington Elks Lodge to remain closed after fatal shooting
The New Kensington Elks Lodge will remain closed until at least February, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Monday. The club was temporarily shuttered last week in accordance with a preliminary injunction issued by Common Pleas Judge Chris Scherer. The injunction stems from nuisance-bar claims raised in a court filing by...
Westmoreland inmate charged with assault in courthouse holding cell
An Arnold man was charged Friday for an assault of another inmate in a Westmoreland County Courthouse holding cell, according to the county sheriff’s department. Officials said Brian Rebold, 39, was taken to a hospital after what officials described as an unprovoked attack in which Rebold was struck at least...
DA objects to sentence imposed for Easter egg hunt assault of teen in New Kensington
Westmoreland County prosecutors said Friday they will appeal what they contend is a too lenient sentence imposed on a New Kensington man convicted in October for the assault of an autistic teen during a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Stacey Oneal Jr., 36, was ordered to serve two to five years...
Future raises for Westmoreland elected officials under review
The Westmoreland County commissioners signaled Thursday they might soon overhaul the decades-old method used to calculate annual pay increases for the county’s elected officials. A policy enacted in 1996 ties raises for elected officers to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Under this formula, these officials are slated for a 3.25%...
Westmoreland commissioners pass budget, look to assign blame for ‘precarious’ finances
The Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday passed a $466 million budget for 2026 that holds the line on property taxes despite a nearly $15 million deficit. The shortfall will be offset by surplus funds. To reach the final figure, commissioners slashed an anticipated $30 million deficit in half through personnel...
Westmoreland jury donation program raises over $100K for local nonprofits
Westmoreland County jurors have donated more than $100,000 to local charities over the past decade. It’s a program first implemented in 2016 that allows jurors to forgo their daily pay, which in turn is donated to local charities. Jurors are paid $9 a day for their first three days of...
2 Westmoreland water authority workers awarded Carnegie Medal for lifesaving rescue
Pete Dunegan was repairing an underground water tank in Mt. Pleasant Borough last year when a pipe inside the tank broke loose. It dislodged from a support and pinned him, nearly severing his leg and at the same time releasing water into the enclosed vault. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County...
Some furloughed Westmoreland County workers recalled as commissioners weigh additional returns
More than a third of the Westmoreland County employees furloughed in October have returned to work, commissioners said Tuesday. “More are scheduled to come back next month,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. Cash flow issues that resulted from a four-month state budget impasse and a subsequent freeze on allocations for mandated...
