Westmoreland category, Page 124
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 16-18
The nights are starting to get a little cooler and longer, school is starting back up and a feeling of autumn is creeping into the air. But for now, toasty summer weekends are still for relaxing and having fun. Here are some events to catch while summer is still here:...
Norwin hires school social worker for elementary schools
A licensed school social worker will be assigned to work with students in the Norwin School District’s four elementary schools. Johanna Belako was hired by the school board Monday to serve in the school demonstrating the greatest area of need. A $200,000 School Safety Grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on...
Parents urge Greater Latrobe to settle contract with teachers as new school year nears
Greater Latrobe teachers are slated to return to school Monday for in-service duty, but they’ll be working under the terms of an expired contract until a new one is settled. Teachers and their supporters packed this week’s school board meeting following the July 31 expiration of the Greater Latrobe Education...
West Newton man to serve decade-long prison term for 3-year crime spree
A West Newton man was ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison for a series of crimes over a three-year period that included an assault, threats made against police and the theft of an American flag from a Madison funeral home. Shayne R. Moore, 33, pleaded guilty to...
‘It’s a privilege to fly them’: Greensburg pilot showcases 52-year hobby in advance of Westmoreland air showVideo
When Dave Kahley’s parents took him to an air show in Harrisburg, he fell in love with the world of aircraft. Decades later, Kahley has racked up more than 50 years of experience in the air. Kahley, 68, of Greensburg got his pilot’s license when he was 16. He joined...
70th Westmoreland Fair set to begin Friday
Aside from some bleating goats and snorting camels, the Westmoreland Fairgrounds were relatively quiet on a sun-drenched afternoon early this week. That will change Friday when the 70th edition of the Westmoreland Fair gets underway at the fairgrounds on Blue Ribbon Lane in Mt. Pleasant Township. Attendance at the annual...
Jeannette man, wanted in Wisconsin, crashes car after 105 mph police chase on Route 30
A 3-mile midday police chase on Route 30 in Hempfield reached speeds of 105 mph before the suspect crashed, according to court papers. State troopers charged Nathan M. Etheridge, 33, of Jeannette, Wednesday with fleeing from police, driving under the influence and related offenses, as well as a list of...
2 arrested in North Huntingdon drug sting operation
Two men are facing charges after police said they were planning to sell drugs to an undercover officer in North Huntingdon, according to court papers. Austin E.M. Moore, 30, of McKeesport, is charged with drug offenses and was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $200,000 bail. Deandre L....
Police say Rostraver man drugged, raped woman
A Rostraver man was jailed Wednesday after state police said he drugged and raped a woman earlier this month. Nathaniel T. Johnston, 33, of the Collinsburg neighborhood, is charged with rape of a substantially impaired person, sexual assault and related offenses. The female accuser told troopers that Johnston gave her...
Westmoreland DA unveils courthouse retreat for crime victims
It was a pre-teen victim of a sexual assault who two years ago made it clear to Westmoreland prosecutors that the sterile courthouse environment was not a comfortable place to spend time. Victims and their families had few options during court downtime. They could sit outside the courtroom as a...
Retired Ligonier Valley teacher calls for investigation into how incident with special needs student was handled
It’s been a year and a half since Linda O’Sullivan had a life-changing encounter with a special needs student while she was working as an art teacher at Ligonier Valley High School. Now retired, the 60-year-old Ligonier Borough woman is still recovering from face, head and neck injuries resulting from...
North Huntingdon karate school owner in critical condition after motorcycle crash
Elizabeth Lindsay is no stranger to pushing physical limits. The owner of C.S. Kim Karate in North Huntingdon, Lindsay has practiced karate since she was 4 years old. The 39-year-old Greensburg resident earned a place in a national Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2019. Her brother, Peter Lindsay, believes...
Guilty plea averts trial for woman accused of running over man with car in Hempfield
A woman pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday in a case brought after she was accused of running over her boyfriend with a car at a Hempfield home last year. Cassidy Christi Colbert, 30, of East McKeesport, was originally charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and other...
New home placements in Monessen help address ‘dire need’ for revitalization
Five houses that could be in place this fall in Monessen may be a harbinger of how Westmoreland County communities can move forward after clearing out abandoned homes. Westmoreland Community Action is embarking on the project that executive director Mandy Welty Zalich hopes will grow. Both county Commissioner Sean Kertes...
Convicted Trafford rapist accused of attacking woman in Penn Township
A sex offender who served a lengthy prison sentence for rape is back behind bars after Penn Township police charged him with attacking a woman he solicited for sex. Paul Daniel Zagwoski, 56, of Trafford is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bail on misdemeanor counts of...
Murrysville dance school will open 2nd location in Plum
Technically, Donna Zerjav of Murrysville runs Donna’s School of Dance in her spare time. In her day job, Zerjav works as a claims adjuster for Erie Insurance. But “Donna the claims adjuster” isn’t how most people know her. It’s “Donna from Donna’s School of Dance.” That’s because the business has...
Turtle noodler: Irwin man continues family legacy of catching turtles with bare handsVideo
Joe Clemens of Irwin has a dangerous hands-on hobby. Clemens is a fourth-generation turtle noodler, a pursuit where one catches snapping turtles with their bare hands from underwater holes in the banks of freshwater rivers, creeks and ponds. “I’m pretty much one of the last ones left around here in...
Westmoreland happenings: Yellow Tie Gala, history program, movie night, more
Fundraisers • Latrobe Art Center will host its annual Yellow Tie Gala from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 23 in an open air dining room and dance floor on Ligonier Street in Latrobe. There will be a banana split bar, music by Mike Urick and the Modelaires and an open...
Western Pa. police dog programs can be costly, but are worth the investment, trainers say
Police departments say they can be more creative in their approach to law enforcement when there is a dog on their squad. They also need to be creative when figuring out how to pay for it. Donations are often sought to help cover the purchase and ongoing costs of a...
Westmoreland broadband upgrades on track for completion, future projects eyed
Installation of about 50 miles of fiber optic cable needed for high-speed internet access in remote areas of Westmoreland County is about 60% complete, officials said Tuesday. The $3.5 million project is expected to be finished by year’s end. The work is part of an ongoing effort to bring broadband...
Derry police chief remains on leave nearly year after K-9 partner was euthanized
Derry police Chief Randy Glick remains on medical leave nearly a year after an Aug. 25 incident that resulted in the K-9 police dog he was partnered with being euthanized. Derry Borough Council has since disbanded its police department’s K-9 program. Area residents have criticized borough officials’ treatment of the...
New Stanton man to serve jail term for sexual assault at Hempfield Halloween party
A New Stanton man was ordered Tuesday to serve nearly two years in jail for the sexual assault of a Mt. Pleasant woman during a 2020 Halloween house party in Hempfield. Anthony Edward Lucas, 29, was convicted following a jury trial in January of lesser charges of sexual assault and...
Murrysville council approves luxury lot subdivision off Wiestertown Road
After sitting through a 3-3 tie vote in June and the deferral of a decision in July, developer Paul Fischione and his attorney were ready for a vote on their proposal to create 24 luxury lots off Wiestertown Road in Murrysville. Attorney Bill Sittig said his client wasn’t interested in...
‘It was too astronomical for us’ Latrobe manager says as city rejects garbage bids
Latrobe Council rejected as too costly a proposal by sole bidder County Hauling to collect garbage and recyclable items in the city from 2026 through 2030. With Monday’s vote, city officials indicated they will seek another round of bids through Oct. 28 for the collection services, noting that at least...
Norwin names assistant high school principal
Norwin has a new assistant high school principal, who has been the dean of students at the high school since 2017. The Norwin School Board Monday unanimously approved Kelly Jones as the assistant high school principal at a salary of $109,500. Superintendent Natalie McCracken said Jones was an English teacher...
