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Westmoreland category | TribLIVE.com

Westmoreland category, Page 126

Severe weather forecast, flood watch issued after 5 tornadoes hit Western Pa.
Workers have been clearing uprooted trees and broken branches from Winifred Sherman’s yard since a tornado whipped past her Penn Township home Wednesday. But with the potential for flash flooding, a tornado, hail and strong winds in this weekend’s forecast, local tree services and power companies may need to hit...
Feds seize cocaine, fentanyl, guns linked to 4 felons in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Four men are charged in federal court with drug distribution after federal investigators on Thursday seized more than 75 kilograms of cocaine, 90,000 doses of fentanyl and several guns after executing a series of search warrants. All of the men charged have previous felony drug convictions that prohibited them from...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting truck pleads guilty to lesser charges
An attempted homicide charge against a Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting her estranged husband’s pickup truck while he stood nearby was dropped Friday in exchange for her guilty plea on lesser charges. Fauna J. McDowell, 35, was sentenced to nine to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison...
Murrysville house cleaner has paid $7K, promises to pay more and plead guilty in jewelry thefts
A Murrysville woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars in expensive jewelry from homes where she worked as a cleaner plans to plead guilty in four cases, according to her attorney. But first, Holly L. Simpson has started paying off some of the restitution her attorney anticipates she will owe....
Despite pleas from mother, Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing mom will remain in jail on $500K bail
Judge Scott Mears decided Friday against lowering the bond for a Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing his mother, calling it one of the saddest cases he’s handled while sitting on the bench. It’s at least the second time in three months defense attorneys have asked in court that...
‘He was a joy’: Penn Township family mourns loss of pony after tornado
Darla Cynkar couldn’t believe it when her husband, Jim, told her a tornado had just whisked by their Penn Township home Wednesday night, toppling trees and scattering branches across their yard. She was even more shocked and heartbroken to hear that a fallen tree struck and trapped their 16-year-old pony,...
New errors discovered in Westmoreland Register of Wills Office lead to personnel changes
The ongoing review of records in the embattled Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office has unearthed more incomplete adoption files, leading to personnel changes enacted this week by the conservator appointed to oversee the office. According to court documents filed Thursday, conservator Jim Antoniono said staff found multiple cases of...
Unclaimed cremains buried in Potter’s Field near Westmoreland prison
No one at a memorial service Thursday in Hempfield knew the people they were honoring. The 54 names read aloud were unfamiliar to them, though still worthy of being treated with dignity and respect as they found their final resting place. “These individuals, though they may be strangers to us,...
Westmoreland approves GPS tracking of county vehicles
Westmoreland County soon will begin intensive tracking of its vehicle fleet, including dozens of take-home cars used by employees and elected officials. Commissioners on Thursday revised the county’s fleet management policy to require drivers to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every vehicle. The equipment will provide...
Unity residents speak out against proposed solar farm; zoning hearing to continue
A Unity supervisor and several other residents voiced concerns this week about a proposed solar farm’s potential negative impact on local property values, quality of life, and health and safety in the township. Ninemile Run Solar Master Tenant LLC and parent company GreenKey Solar are seeking a special exemption from...
20 tickets available for vintage whiskey tasting that offers 6 shots for $1,500 at West Overton
What makes a bottle of whiskey cost nearly as much as a compact car? Twenty people will get the chance to find out when West Overton Village hosts a $1,500-per-ticket vintage rye whiskey tasting on July 26. “This is an experience that is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere on Earth,”...
No more car trouble as Model T makes it to California
Just a few weeks ago, Mike Vaughn and two other volunteers from Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed were spending the night in Greensburg before traversing the roads of Ohio in search of spare parts. They had strayed quite a bit from the Route 30 corridor, which they planned to take...
Weather service confirms 3 tornadoes touched down in recent Western Pa. storm
Three tornadoes touched down in Western Pennsylvania late Wednesday, damaging homes and downing power lines, the National Weather Service said Thursday. An EF2 tornado with wind gusts up to 115 mph was spotted near Route 22 in the Beaver Run Road area and cut a path through parts of Salem...
Irwin man accused of teen's rape told police he had 'conscious blackouts'
An Irwin man is behind bars without bail in connection with the reported sexual assault of a teen girl. Jason Cush, 43, is charged with rape and related offenses. Westmoreland County detectives said in court papers that the girl reported being sexually assaulted by Cush for about two years. She...
Bushy Run Battlefield now part of the national Old-Growth Forest Network 
Each year, Bushy Run Battlefield is the site of historical reenactments. But some of its trees may have been around nearly long enough to have seen the real thing. The battlefield — specifically the forested section of its property — was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network at a May...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 28-30
June has almost drawn to a close. Here are some things to do this weekend before we head into July. Charity horse show party Making Strides Foundation uses “equine-assisted services” to provide assistance to children and young adults with disabilities. Located in Penn Township, the organization provides several therapy services...
Duquesne Light promises improvements, touts upgrades in wake of power outages
Cathy Schantz was among the tens of thousands of people whose homes lost electricity during storms amid last week’s heat wave. The Richland resident, who lives in a housing plan near Bakerstown Road, said she lost power for more than three days — a total of 73½hours. The next outage...
Severe storm results in damage, outages in Westmoreland, Allegheny 
Wednesday’s powerful storm that swept through Western Pennsylvania caused widespread damage and power outages. Two suspected tornadoes were reported in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Tornado touchdowns were reported about 7:45 p.m. 2 miles south of Imperial, Allegheny County, and about 8:15 p.m. in the Jeannette area, according to TribLive news...
Westmoreland Community College names interim president, vice president of academic affairs
Westmoreland County Community College has turned to one of its existing administrators to serve as interim president while the board of trustees continues to search for a successor for the college’s departing president, Tuesday Stanley. Kristy Bishop, who has served as vice president of academic affairs during her nine years...
Advocates blast Westmoreland commissioners for not recognizing Pride Month
Local leaders of a LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group on Wednesday accused Westmoreland County commissioners of refusing to recognize local diversity. The group last week submitted a petition asking commissioners to proclaim June as Pride Month in the county. The request is not listed for consideration at Thursday’s commissioners meeting. “They...
Unity man accused of operating chop shop
A stolen motor that police say was sold to a driver in need of a car repair landed a Unity man in trouble with the law. Windell S. Carroll, 46, is accused of charging the driver $3,000 for the motor that ended up not working. He was arraigned Tuesday on...
Police: Western Pa. check-cashing scheme netted nearly $118K
Four North Carolina men are accused of involvement in a fraudulent check-cashing scheme that netted $117,600 from 9 banks in the region, including seven in Westmoreland County. State police said the group was not successful in attempts to cash an additional $130,700 worth of checks, according to court papers. Jaylon...
Film company to pay $3.5K to film at shuttered prison property in Hempfield
Previously a location for crime thrillers “Mindhunter” and “Mayor of Kingstown,” the former SCI Greensburg prison property soon will grace screens once again. Hempfield supervisors approved a Brooklyn and Toronto-based film company, Visual Inclination, to film at the site this fall. The company will use the location for a 10-...
Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department spotlights 1915 engine as it marks 125 years of service
Long years of dedicated service are nothing new in the 125-year history of the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department. Take, for example, fire Chief Paul Harenchar, who has been a member of the firefighting organization for 41 years, or Bill Hare and Dave Bert — each with three decades or...
Murrysville man with 3 previous DUIs charged in fatal accident on Route 22
A man arrested Tuesday in connection with a fatal Murrysville crash had nine shots of liquor and six beers at a local club before he got behind the wheel, according to court papers. Darren S. Hamm, 60, of Murrysville is accused of driving through a red light and crashing his...


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