Westmoreland veterans organization seeks descendants of Civil War soldier for Memorial Day ceremony
Penn Township resident Bill Bray has made it his mission to ensure the Civil War veterans buried in Westmoreland County are not forgotten. An Army veteran who served from 1984 to 1993, Bray has worked to restore abandoned cemeteries for more than two years — cleaning and replacing headstones of...
Westmoreland nurses form group to honor career of service
To Lynn Lawrence of South Greensburg, the solemn ceremony a group of area nurses conducted at a Greensburg funeral home to honor her late mother’s long career as a nurse, was “absolutely beautiful.” “We were so touched … the entire family. We were so grateful that we were part of...
In brief: Happenings from the North Allegheny area
Free trees available for kids Northland Public Library in partnership with Minneapolis-based Neighborhood Forest is offering free trees for kids. Parents can register their children to receive a free tree through March 15. Details on the varieties of trees and pickup in late April will be announced at a later...
Dreams come to life at Greensburg Art Center’s latest show
Al Sanfilippo was back at the Greensburg Art Center on Sunday. The 82-year-old has always had a creative side and after retiring from a 50-year career in education nearly 10 years ago, he focused on interests including fly fishing, for which he makes his own flies and rods, and painting,...
‘A freeing experience’: Guides help visually impaired skiers take to Seven Springs slopes
Editor’s note: The captions under the photographs associated with this story include a description of the image content so that information might be relayed to software assisting the visually impaired. Downhill skiing with a guide took away any fears for Amelie Colletti. Having the support close by to navigate the...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Jan. 16-22, 2025
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Area fallen soldiers remembered 81 years after Allied landing craft sank off coast of Italy
When Allied forces landed on the Italian coast at Anzio 81 years ago, they began a four-month battle that left some 7,000 of their 100,000 troops dead. That toll included 58 soldiers from the Keystone State — several residents of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties among them — who never made...
Building the Valley: Apollo woman opens cafe and market in North Apollo
Megan Weigand wanted to create a place where people could gather. The Apollo woman’s ambition led her to open Indigo Market and Coffee, a cafe and personal goods shop along River Road in North Apollo. “I wanted to bring something to the community that wasn’t here,” Weigand said. In her...
Early morning fire damages Jefferson Hills home
A Jefferson Hills home is heavily damaged after an early morning house fire. According to a social media post from the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company, the company was called to a home on Hunters Field Circle just before 3:30 a.m. Firefighters encountered flames in the back of the home....
4 people displaced after Arnold house fire
Emergency crews were called to an Arnold neighborhood Saturday night for a house fire that displaced four people. Westmoreland 911 said a call for a two-alarm fire on the 1800 block of Kimball Avenue came in just after 8 p.m. Dispatchers said everyone was out of the home by the...
Westmoreland happenings: Black History Month event, coin show, more
Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren hosts a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St., Southwest Greensburg. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations...
From the archive: Punxsutawney Phil’s famous prognostications had humble beginnings in 1880s
Pennsylvania’s famed weather prognosticator has been at it for more than a century. With that fame, Punxsutawney Phil and his namesake hometown have become a sort of ground zero on Groundhog Day. The limelight has turned every Feb. 2 into an early morning festival at Gobbler’s Knob that ends with...
Chartiers Valley area real estate transactions, week of Jan. 26, 2025
Bridgeville Lori Snatchko sold property at 726 Locust St. to Mova Invests LLC for $85,000. Kathleen Vrable sold property at 947 Ella St. to Nathan Dragisich and Kaitlyn Uram for $240,000. Blake Deblasio sold property at 217 Eisner Ave. to Jordan Rush for $246,500. Estate of Charles Dunbar sold property...
Springdale Township mulls offer from Harmar Water Authority to buy Springdale’s system
The Harmar Water Authority is offering to buy the Springdale Township water system. Springdale Township officials said this week the Harmar offer was unsolicited and came in a letter dated Jan. 2, that was dropped off at the township office. The letter, signed by Harmar Water Authority Chairman Jason Domaratz,...
Students, faculty nervous for future of Penn State branch campuses
Gabrielle Green is in it for the long haul at Penn State New Kensington. The 18-year-old from Altavista, Va., is a second-semester freshman at the Upper Burrell campus. She is studying biobehavioral health and plans to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree at the school. So conversations among university leadership this...
The Stroller, Jan. 26, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Food drive planned Saturday...
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport bleeds cash as leaders pin hopes for brighter future on terminal project
Westmoreland County directs $2.6 million annually to support Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe, but a drop in commercial flights over the past five years has left the facility “bleeding” money. Today, the once-thriving airport loses money every month it operates. As the new year gets underway, the county airport...
2050 look-ahead: Developments in Pittsburgh driven by tech hubs, housing demands
Editor’s note: One-fourth of the way through this century, TribLive is looking ahead to the next 25 years, using the events of the past 25 as a roadmap of what possibly is to come. This installment of the occasional series looks at Pittsburgh. Where mills once sat along the Monongahela...
Norwin Lions seek bakers for ‘Cubcake Wars’ fundraiser
The Norwin Lions Club is looking for a few good bakers for its 10th cupcake fundraiser, which raises money to provide food to students from food insecure families in three Norwin elementary schools and the intermediate school. “We’ve raised between $90,000 and $100,000” from 10 years of what the group...
Subito Quintet feature in second Academy Concert Series show in Greensburg
The Westmoreland Symphony will present the Subito Quintet at 2 p.m. Feb. 2 at Zion’s Lutheran Church in Greensburg. It is the second in the Academy Concert Series presented this season. The quintet includes musicians Warren Davidson and Andrew Bronkaj, violin; David Sinclair, viola; Cecelia Caughman, cello and Gino Faraci,...
‘Something for everybody’ at Hempfield antique show
John Mickinak began attending antique auctions with his mother when he was 12. As a 70-year-old, the Greensburg man is a full-time antiques dealer and appraiser. While he’s made a career out of his passion, Mickinak said he’s watched his line of work lose the interest of younger generations over...
Kids learn communication, problem solving, value of hard work through New Kensington program
Kim Louis told the kids gathered at United Presbyterian Church of New Kensington to pretend they were on a tropical island, somewhere green and warm. Then imagine an impending snowstorm threatened to wreak havoc on that island. Snowplows, Louis told the kids, would be key to clearing the snow. But...
Southern Armstrong police settling into Freeport headquarters
The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department now has a proper headquarters. After two years of performing key functions in a cramped Gilpin basement, the force moved this week to a roomy station at 235 Fifth St. in Freeport. “Finally, we found somewhere that worked, made sense, was big enough for...
O’Barto announces reelection bid for Westmoreland prothonotary
Republican Gina O’Barto will seek reelection as Westmoreland County prothonotary. O’Barto, 61, of Unity, was first elected in 2021. She replaced longtime prothonotary Christina O’Brien, a Democrat who served 12 years in office but did not seek reelection four years ago. O’Barto defeated O’Brien’s handpicked successor, former Recorder of Deeds...
Murrysville window company earns 5th business ethics award, unveils diabetes fundraiser
The first time the Better Business Bureau called Energy Swing Windows to let them know they’d won its ethics award, co-owner Betty Rennekamp hung up on them. “She’s a real pit bull, and I mean that in the best possible way,” said Energy Swing Vice President Donnie Darragh. Rennekamp thought...
