Westmoreland category, Page 106
Morning fire destroys home in East Huntingdon; hydrant in Mt. Pleasant Village complex had no water pressure
Ben Ion, who lives on Holiday Court in East Huntingdon, was about to have breakfast Wednesday morning when he noticed a glow coming from a home across the street. He raced to the home, banged on a window and made sure the two people living there escaped the flames that...
Conservative Norwin board members lament cancellation of Turning Point USA speech
The most vocal member of the conservative faction of Norwin’s school board this week condemned the way the district handled a request by Turning Point USA to speak to students after classes at the high school. School board member Alex Detschelt said Monday the administration’s decision to cancel an appearance...
Dziados, Reschenthaler vie for District 14 seat in U.S. House
The two candidates seeking to represent Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District couldn’t be further apart on key issues. Three-term Republican incumbent Guy Reschenthaler has become a key member among the GOP’s power structure in the U.S. House, serving as deputy whip and an attack dog pushing his party’s agenda that he...
Raises doled out to Westmoreland retirees as pension fund nears record high
Westmoreland County government retirees will receive a 3.4% cost-of-living raise in 2025. The county’s retirement board on Tuesday approved the increased benefit for the 1,400 former employees who in 2024, for the first time in 13 years, were denied raises. “We’re not supposed to give raises out every year, but...
Greensburg among police departments targeting drivers along school bus routes
A few problem areas for Greensburg Salem School District buses will be among those targeted Wednesday for enforcement and driver education, said city police Sgt. Reginald Harbarger. Greensburg officers are assigned to follow bus routes and sit at bus stops while paying special attention to the area of East Pittsburgh...
14 high school bands will compete at PIMBA 2024 Championships in Monroeville
Marching bands from across the region will compete this weekend in Monroeville at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association’s 2024 championships. For Shawn Harris, director of the Southmoreland High School Scotties Marching Band, it’s a chance to showcase his students’ talent. “A lot of times at halftime, we aren’t always...
Hempfield approves director position to create innovative programs for students
A week after district officials discussed incorporating a center of innovation into its high school renovation project, the Hempfield Area School Board voted to hire a director for the proposed space. The board unanimously voted Monday evening to create a Director of Innovation, Strategic Programs and Safety position focused on...
Greater Latrobe replaces water-damaged gym floor in time for volleyball Senior Night
Greater Latrobe School District has completed replacement of its water-damaged senior high school gym floor about a month earlier than expected. The floor was damaged on a Sunday night in late June when water overflowed from the school’s nearby swimming pool, running under connecting doors and into the gym. Superintendent...
Delmont, Murrysville to host 2025 budget discussions
Delmont council will hold two public workshops on the 2025 budget beginning Tuesday. The meetings will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 and 29, both at the borough building, 77 Greensburg Street. The first workshop will focus on revenue for the coming year. The second will focus on expenditures....
Suspect charged in North Huntingdon drug buy gets 4-10 year prison term
A Wilkinsburg man was ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison for his role in a drug deal thwarted by undercover state agents in the parking lot of a North Huntingdon convenience store. Harry E. Randall, 29, pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy and drug possession after...
Hempfield man charged with stalking, solicitation of girl at bus stop
Michael D. Thomas appeared confused Friday morning when no one was at the school bus stop as usual in his Hempfield neighborhood, state police said. A state trooper parked in an unmarked car nearby watched as Thomas visited the intersection just outside Greensburg, but didn’t find the 13-year-old girl to...
Hearing set for Jeannette police officer accused of falsifying reports
A Jeannette police officer is free on $1,500 unsecured bail after his arraignment Monday on accusations that he was falsifying reports related to traffic stops. District Judge Joseph DeMarchis read details of the 18 misdemeanor counts of tampering with records to Matthew S. Painter, 40, of Penn Township during the...
Murrysville council denies citizen petition to rescind oil and gas leases under park land
According to Murrysville’s solicitor, the town would face more legal peril from breaking leases with unconventional drilling companies, than it would from possible confusion over who ultimately owns the oil and gas rights it leased to them. A little less than a year ago, Murrysville council members voted to enter...
Shapiro selects 4 Western Pa. women for ‘Distinguished Daughter’ award honoring community service
Four Western Pennsylvania women were honored by Gov. Josh Shapiro recently for their service to local, statewide and national communities. The Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, organized in 1949, has recognized more than 560 women since its inception — including 11 who were celebrated in Harrisburg on Sept. 25. Recipients are...
Westmoreland transit authority, union strike new 3-year labor deal
Westmoreland County Transit Authority board members last week ratified a three-year labor deal with the union that represents nearly 50 bus drivers and mechanics. The deal ends what had been contentious negotiations over the past five months that had seen one proposed deal scuttled by a vote of rank-and-file members...
Exchange students contribute to fabric of Western Pennsylvania as they experience American culture
When a colleague asked Deer Lakes Spanish teacher Josh Destein if he knew anyone who could host an exchange student from Spain, he jokingly said he could. “I’m single and I have a little house,” he said. “Her face lit up. She got so excited. My little joke turned into...
Former Scottdale Council candidate challenges Davanzo in 58th state House race
After losing a seat on Scottdale Council by a marble last year, Cherri Rogers is challenging four-year incumbent state Rep. Eric Davanzo on Nov. 5. Rogers, 56, of Scottdale, comes to the political arena with more than 30 years of experience as a nurse, including four years as a school...
Trump reminisces about Arnold Palmer, boasts steel workers’ praise at Unity Township rally
Former President Donald Trump returned to Westmoreland County on Saturday, meandering through many subjects, including his friendship with local legend Arnold Palmer, lampooning his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, getting the individual endorsements of some Mon Valley steelworkers and repeating false claims that he won the 2020 election. Trump began...
Some Mon Valley steelworkers break with USW and endorse Trump at Unity rally
Some Mon Valley steelworkers personally endorsed former President Donald Trump during his rally Saturday at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. Trump called some of them to the stage and took a few minutes in the midst of the rally to chat with them and pose for a group photo....
Jeannette whittles list of properties targeted for demolotion
John Gelsdorf was glad to hear Friday a rundown home on property he owns in Jeannette is slated for demolition. He said he is “totally in favor, the place is a disaster and that’s being kind. It needs to come down.” City officials agree. Gelsdorf’s property at 901 Zimmerman St....
Fire damages Greensburg auto garage
A former auto sales garage in Greensburg was extensively damaged Friday when a truck caught fire as a worker was using a torch on the undercarriage of the vehicle, Greensburg’s fire chief said. The fire, which was reported at 4 p.m., gutted the interior of the building at the corner...
Democratic Westmoreland commissioner: GOP-spurred double-voting probe a waste of time
An investigation by Westmoreland County detectives into possible voter fraud prompted by a Republican state representative finding duplicate names in voting rolls in Westmoreland is a waste of time, the county’s Democratic commissioner said Friday. Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, initiated the probe by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. “You...
2 longtime Westmoreland food businesses change hands
Hempfield high school sweethearts Halie Altman and Cole Rendulic have always wanted to open a business together. When the owner of Angelo’s Cucina and Catering in Hempfield stepped down, the couple of nearly a decade knew their opportunity had come. Like Altman and Rendulic, Irwin resident Shakib Ahmady also is...
Sewickley Township man accused of dousing neighbor, houses and vehicles with flammable liquid
A Sewickley Township man ordered last month to be released from jail to inpatient treatment in connection with an incident involving his neighbor was arrested Thursday night after state police said he lit a fire outside of a home in his neighborhood, according to court papers. Kurtis C. Baker, 33,...
Youngest Delmont Visionary Committee member, 9, builds community sled bin
Roscoe List loves sledding. And he loves helping people. For those who know the 9-year-old Delmont resident, it will then come as little surprise that List opted to combine those two things and recruit his parents to help build a bin he plans to fill with sleds and install in...
