‘You are pure evil,’ Kathe Gross tells daughter’s killer during sentencing hearing
Kathe Gross looked across the courtroom at the man convicted of killing her daughter and let loose years of anger and despair. “You are not human. You are pure evil. The only way you could get a woman was through fear. You are going to prison for the rest of...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to gun assault in Arnold
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced Thursday to serve 1½ to 3 years in prison for an assault of a man in an Arnold home in 2024, but he was given credit for serving a year of that sentence since his March 30, 2025 arrest. Roger Moore, 48, pleaded guilty to...
Thomas Stanko to be sentenced in killing of Cassandra Gross
The Unity man convicted earlier this year for the 2018 murder of Cassandra Gross is expected to be sentenced Friday morning. Thomas G. Stanko, 55, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole when he appears in court before Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart...
Judge sets $250K bond for Penn Township man accused of injuring neighbor
A Penn Township man accused of seriously injuring a neighbor was granted a $250,000 bond Wednesday. Jake G. Stepansky, 29, had been in custody without bond since his arrest last month on charges of aggravated assault, strangulation and reckless endangerment. During a hearing Wednesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher...
Ex-Derry Township shelter treasurer pleads guilty to animal neglect
The former treasurer of a Derry Township animal shelter pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor neglect charge related to the mistreatment of dozens of animals. Pamela Curry, 65, of Blairsville was sentenced to one year of probation as part of a plea deal. The agreement comes nearly three years after...
Thousands expected as Greensburg Night Market kicks off 8th seasonVideo
The Greensburg Night Market is expected to draw as many as 7,000 visitors downtown this week as the popular event resumes its outdoor schedule. Organizers will kick off the market’s eighth season Thursday with about 150 vendors selling their wares along four city blocks that make up much of Greensburg’s...
Irwin mom nets prison sentence for leaving 7 kids in dirty home
An Irwin woman was sentenced Monday to serve at least six years in prison for leaving seven children in a home riddled with trash, human waste and no water. Marah S. Urch, 34, pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of child endangerment and two charges of aggravated cruelty to...
Judge denies bond for Connellsville man accused in shooting outside Planet Fitness
A Connellsville man accused of shooting and pistol-whipping his estranged wife’s boyfriend in a gym parking lot will remain jailed pending trial, following a court ruling Tuesday. Steven Heald, 39, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and stalking in connection with the Jan. 13 shooting outside the Planet Fitness...
Westmoreland County juvenile detention center doubles capacity to 16 beds
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center has quietly doubled its capacity. Executive Director Rich Gordon confirmed Monday that a long-planned expansion of the program that houses juvenile criminal defendants at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield was launched last month. “We had a group of kids that needed to come...
Man charged in connection to Westmoreland jail overdoses granted bail
A New Kensington man awaiting trial on charges that he sold a fatal dose drugs to a Westmoreland County Prison inmate can be released from jail on an unsecured bond, a judge ruled Friday. Davi Javier Roman, 30, was charged last September following a county grand jury investigation into alleged...
North Belle Vernon mechanic to serve prison sentence for bilking clients
A North Belle Vernon mechanic was sentenced Friday to serve up to eight years in prison and ordered to repay 10 former customers nearly $37,000 for work police said he never completed. John Jeffries Jr., 60, pleaded guilty in January to more than 20 counts of theft and deceptive business...
Pair pleads guilty to $4.4M Greensburg Beverage estate theft
Jennifer Knopp knew something was wrong when her $4.4 million share of her mother’s estate never arrived. It wasn’t until she made calls from her Florida home that she learned money accrued over decades through her family’s ownership of Greensburg Beverage had been disbursed as part of a plan she...
Jury rejects reluctant victim’s call to drop case, convicts New Kensington man of assault and strangulation
A New Kensington man was convicted Thursday of leaving a convenience store customer unconscious and for an assault of a city police officer as authorities sought to take him into custody months later. A Westmoreland County jury convicted Luther Boyd, 44, of one felony count of aggravated assault of a...
New Kensington man pleads guilty to sex assault of preteen girl
A New Kensington man has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a pre-teen girl. Police said Thomas L. Burruss, 50, plied his victim with candy to convince her to keep quiet about the sexual activity that started in 2022 and continued for about five months. Burruss pleaded guilty to...
Hempfield man sentenced for bringing injured parakeet into Greensburg bar
A Hempfield man was sentenced to one year of probation Wednesday after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges for bringing an injured parakeet into a Greensburg bar. Timothy Grace, 40, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and neglect of animals stemming from a Feb. 22 incident at Callaghan’s...
Ligonier’s Thistledown Inn reaches settlement with neighbors over event pavilion
A settlement was reached Tuesday between owners of the Thistledown at Seger House and its neighbors. The boutique inn, just blocks from the historic Diamond in Ligonier Borough, will continue to host events in its adjoining designer pavilion. Attorneys for the nine-room hotel on West Main Street, neighbors, the borough...
Judge rules kids can testify against Delmont mother charged with adopted son’s murder
Two surviving biological children and a stepchild can testify next month against a Delmont woman charged with the death of her 5-year-old adopted son. Jury selection in the trial for Lauren Maloberti, 36, is scheduled to begin May 4 in connection to allegations she tortured, intentionally injured and failed to...
Judge reduces bail for former South Greensburg fire chief accused of theftVideo
A Westmoreland County judge reduced bail Monday for former South Greensburg fire Chief Matthew White, potentially clearing the way for his release as he awaits trial on charges he stole $170,000 from the volunteer fire department. Police in February charged White, 49, of Hempfield with one felony count of theft....
Westmoreland transit unveils expanded service for NFL draft
Westmoreland County Transit will operate expanded service next week during the three days of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The authority’s plans include additional service on regular commuter routes that will operate later in the afternoon on April 22 and 23 and more late evening and early morning outbound trips...
Murrysville lawyer not guilty in alleged road rage incident
A Murrysville lawyer was acquitted Friday of criminal charges that arose from an alleged road rage incident nearly three years ago. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger issued not guilty verdicts on a misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and one summary offense for careless driving. Prosecutors contended Brad Funari,...
Murrysville lawyer testifies alleged road rage incident a ‘non-event’
A Murrysville lawyer facing criminal charges for what Westmoreland County prosecutors contend was a road rage incident nearly three years ago told a judge the encounter was a “nonevent.” Brad Funari testified during the second day of his nonjury trial Thursday that his former wife and her father fabricated claims...
Westmoreland park police officer, bomb-detection K-9 will be loaned to Pittsburgh for NFL DraftVideo
Westmoreland County will deploy park police and a bomb-detection police dog to assist the city of Pittsburgh during this week’s NFL Draft. County park police Chief Jeff Shearer said one of the department’s officers and the county’s explosives canine will be stationed in Pittsburgh for four days. The assignment consists...
Mobile home park owner takes over as Westmoreland County’s top taxpayerVideo
A New Jersey-based company that owns mobile home parks and prefabricated residential communities in a dozen states will be Westmoreland County’s largest taxpayer in 2026. New totals from the county’s tax assessment office reveal United Mobile Homes Properties Inc. has taken the top spot among local taxpayers, replacing the owners...
Murrysville attorney on trial for alleged road rage incident
The former wife of a high-powered Murrysville lawyer told a Westmoreland County judge her estranged husband used his car as a weapon and ran her off a road near her home three years ago amid a heated custody battle. Brad Funari, 49, was charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless...
Authority board approves scaled-back solar farm project for Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
A scaled-back solar farm is moving forward at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport after an Arizona-based energy company received the green light this week. The project aims to power an expanded passenger terminal in Unity and could generate extra revenue for the airport over the next 20 years. The $4.4 million...
