Westmoreland category, Page 127
Just $10.5M remains of Westmoreland’s $105.3M pandemic relief allocation
Westmoreland commissioners have allocated nearly 90% of the $105.3 million in American Rescue Plan funds awarded to the county in 2022 as part of the federal government’s covid relief effort, according to a report released this month. County leaders will have until the end of this year to designate how...
Police: Greensburg woman claims to be ‘Rihanna Fenty’ during traffic stop
A Greensburg woman who police said was driving a stolen vehicle Sunday evening gave troopers six different names before they identified her through fingerprints, according to court papers. Leah L. White, 50, was pulled over on Route 22 east in Salem around 7:15 p.m. after a trooper on patrol learned...
Hempfield breaks ground on Weatherwood Park, municipal complex projects
Three years after purchasing 43 acres from Excela Health to build a township park and municipal complex, Hempfield is breaking ground on its $16 million project. The Weatherwood Community Park and Hempfield Municipal Complex site is off Weatherwood Lane near Route 30 and Mt. Pleasant Road. It has been cleared...
Viewing, funeral services set for 10-year-old killed in Donegal Township
A funeral will be held this week for a 10-year-old Donegal Township boy who was stabbed to death Thursday. Hunter Meyers was spending the night at 13-year-old James C. Campbell’s house in Donegal when, police said, James stabbed Hunter multiple times in the head. Hunter was found dead in a...
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Summer Fest continues to growVideo
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region’s third annual Summer Fest drew hundreds of people to Hempfield’s sun-drenched Twin Lakes Park on Sunday. The festival that was born out of the pandemic to replace a flagging fundraising event for the nonprofit now serves as its biggest fundraiser. Gabrielle...
Westmoreland County community organization plans Arnold drug march
For years, the Arnold community has been facing issues involving drug-related deaths and acts of violence. Arnold resident Cheryl Banks hopes to provide a solution. Banks, 65, is spearheading a drug march led by Voices of Westmoreland, an organization dedicated to advocating for those living in Westmoreland County. The march,...
Ligonier Valley Writers invite public to picnic at Unity farm
The Ligonier Valley Writers are setting a new scene for the organization’s annual picnic this year. On Aug. 11, attendees will gather under a pavilion at the Jamison Farm in Unity for a feast of potluck dishes and local literature. After holding the picnic for many years at St. Michael’s...
Birds, blooms prosper at Unity nature preserve; master site plan in the wings
At least two bluebird chicks have fledged and a sea of black-eyed Susan blooms have peaked at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve along Route 30 in Unity. They’re signs of the new life that has flourished on the 248 acres since the site of a former Catholic academy and convent...
Westmoreland happenings: Brewfest, super bingo, more
Festival • Cook Township Community Center will host its third annual Backyard Brewfest from 3 to 9 p.m. Aug. 10 at the center, 1714 Route 711. Must be 21. There will be food and music. Cost: $10, in advance; $15, at the gate. Tickets: tinyurl.com/mptr5dh9. Fundraisers • Westmoreland County Blind...
Ligonier Township restaurant showcases large-scale collection of Erector models
Build it, and they will come. That’s proven true with a wide-ranging collection of vintage Erector set construction toys and kits on display at Ligonier Township’s Gray Goose restaurant. Trains, blimps and Ferris wheels are just some of the scale model structures built by the late Michael Kent that line...
Murrysville recreation officials, businesses look to put unique twist on community yard sale
Murrysville officials and local businesses will team up to host a community-wide yard sale this fall with a few unique twists, including a crew that will come haul away the items that don’t sell. “I think part of what stops people from doing neighborhood yard sales is the thought of,...
From barbecue to bubbles: Residents celebrate at Delmont DazeVideo
From pork barbecue to a foam bubble play area, the beautiful weather Saturday between the morning and afternoon showers was icing on the cake for attendees at the annual Delmont Daze festival. The borough’s annual community celebration included food, live music, games, a dunking booth with town officials, a parade...
Westmoreland returns part of grant to pay for 911 upgrades; blames bookkeeping error
Westmoreland County has returned nearly 75% of a federal grant meant to pay for mobile backups of the county’s 911 dispatch system. Officials said bookkeeping errors impacted the $529,000 project to purchase the mobile 911 dispatch units. Those units could be relocated if public safety services were forced to evacuate...
Festival, practice draw thousands to Latrobe for annual Steelers Nation gathering
John and Bree Tedesco brought their family from across the country Friday to Latrobe’s Legion Keener Park. Victor Desport brought his grandson, 8-year-old Liam Desport, from just across town. They were among thousands of members of Steelers Nation who converged on the park for a free daylong festival devoted to...
‘Our baby is now forever 10’: Family of 10-year-old killed in Donegal Township stabbing speaks out on social media
The mother of a 10-year-old Donegal Township boy who was stabbed to death this week asked for his name to be remembered. “Scream our baby’s name! HUNTER WILLIAM SCOTT MEYERS! He’s the one that needs remembered. Our baby is now FOREVER 10!” Meyers wrote on Facebook Friday. Meyers and other...
Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy could put deputies in danger, sheriff says as he files lawsuit
Westmoreland Sheriff James Albert claims a new fleet policy that tracks the county’s 180 vehicles through GPS technology will put his deputies in danger. The sheriff this week filed a lawsuit challenging the county’s updated fleet policy and is seeking an injunction to keep it from being enforced. “I think...
Derry Township bridge replacement to trigger 21-mile detour; I-70 restrictions slated
PennDOT is planning a 21-mile detour for Derry Township motorists and lane restrictions on Interstate 70 in Rostraver, both beginning Monday. Route 982 in Derry Township will be closed between Garrigan Hill and Laughlin Farm roads while contractor Beaver Excavating installs a box culvert to replace a bridge over a...
West Nile virus found in Westmoreland mosquitoes
West Nile virus has been detected in Westmoreland County for the first time this year. Mosquitoes tested positive for the disease after being captured in Latrobe and at the border of Greensburg and Hempfield, according to Chrissy Edwards-McCune, who conducts the county’s West Nile virus monitoring program for the Westmoreland...
North Huntingdon man among thousands waiting for kidney transplant as Pa. marks Donor Day
Tom Farino of North Huntingdon is eight months into what could be a seven-year wait for a kidney transplant. A transplant would give Farino, 72, a new lease on life. “They’re trying to find a living donor before I need dialysis,” Farino said. Farino said his doctor at Allegheny General...
Vintage car fanatics cruise through Laurel Highlands for annual Countryside Tour
Dave Antram had no choice in the matter. He was raised to enjoy classic cars. Antram, 56, of Somerset Borough took his white 1954 Kaiser out for a spin Thursday morning to Ligonier’s Ramada Inn, where more than 50 vintage vehicles departed for more than 100 miles of driving through...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Aug. 2-4
Welcome to August! Grab your sunglasses, crank the tunes and take a drive to one of these events. Summer will only last so much longer, so make the most of it while it’s here! Casino car cruise Take a Sunday afternoon trip over to Live Casino Pittsburgh, 5260 Route 30,...
1 dead in Mt. Pleasant Township motorcycle crash
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was killed in a motorcycle crash Thursday night in the township, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. William K. Dodrill Jr., 44, of Ricci Lane died of blunt force injuries when the Harley Davidson motorcycle he was operating left the side of Hecla Road...
Defense claims judge’s conflict should result in dismissal of assisted suicide case
Attorneys for a South Greensburg woman who prosecutors say bullied her boyfriend into committing suicide in 2021 say the criminal case against their client should be dismissed. Defense attorney Tim Lyon said the district judge who held the case for trial last year participated in the initial investigation while still...
Westmoreland County loan boosts long-planned Brush Creek remediation project
A long-planned remediation effort to remove orange-tinted polluted mine drainage discharged int0 Brush Creek may finally be a reality. The eight-mile creek runs through Irwin and Trafford and into Turtle Creek. Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved a $75,000 interest-free loan to the Turtle Creek Watershed Association that officials said...
Westmoreland commissioners reject call for property reassessment
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday conceded the county’s property assessments are decades out of date but they rejected calls to modernize the system that controls valuations used to determine tax bills. “I am still not in favor of a countywide reassessment. We can’t commit the money it will cost,” said Commissioner...
