Westmoreland category, Page 129
Police say man repeatedly beat a dog in South Huntingdon home
A man is behind bars after, state police said, he repeatedly beat a dog in South Huntingdon and recorded videos of the abuse. Zachary Robert Hixson, 30, is charged with neglect and two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Troopers were called Friday to a home just outside West Newton...
World War II reenactors share living history at Hanna’s Town
Hunter Wilford’s eyes were barely visible when he pulled a reproduction of a World War II U.S. Army airborne unit helmet down over his head. But there were plenty of other military artifacts and displays for the 8-year-old Derry Township boy to explore Sunday when his family stopped at an...
Dry conditions prompt burning ban in Unity
A ban on burning is in effect until further notice in Unity. Township supervisors and the Township Fire Bureau issued the ban late last week, citing recent dry conditions and the heightened risk of a potential fire. Open burning, recreational fires and fireworks are prohibited during the ban. The Pittsburgh...
Westmoreland happenings: Farmers market, car cruise, French dinner, more
Farmers market • Independence Health System Westmoreland will host a farmers market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 31 at the employee shuttle lot at Frick Hospital, 508 S. Church St., Mt. Pleasant. Everything sold will be locally sourced and produced by the vendor. Fundraisers • E C Cruisers...
‘Frog Week’ part of nonprofit’s goal to draw attention to backyard creaturesVideo
AAron Capouellez grew up around frogs and toads — from the age of 5, his family had a backyard pond where both amphibians thrived. It fostered a lifelong love of nature and led Capouellez, 28, to change course in his education and pursue a master’s degree in biology. It also...
Go Laurel Highlands sets workshop for tourism grant program
Mark Brown’s family has lived in Westmoreland County for six generations. He’s been running Hemlock Lane Designs for 24 years. Brown, 59, of Jones Mills said that a tourism grant funded through a 5% county lodging tax has allowed he and his son, Shawn Hresko, to promote their furniture business....
Hammers ring out during blacksmith gathering in Ligonier Township
Pieces of red-hot steel were shaped into close to 200 useful or decorative items Saturday as area blacksmiths gathered for the annual Hammer-In event at Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Museum. Visitors watched in the museum’s forge as about 20 members of the Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths Association hammered out a variety...
Jeannette groups, Red Cross install smoke detectors in city homes in wake of fatal fire
Michael Gendek had a sense of relief Saturday as volunteers updated the smoke detectors in his family’s second-story Jeannette apartment. Since the family moved into the Harrison Avenue rental dwelling in October, he said, the state of the detectors “has just always been a concern. We just wanted to make...
Benedum estate listed for $2.9M near Ligonier
The Benedum family no longer has any heirs to carry on the family name, or to own and operate the family residence near Ligonier. Butterfly Farm, owned by the late philanthropist Paul G. Benedum, known by most as “Benny,” died from a heart attack while visiting Florida in May 2023....
Franklin Regional grad takes over Independence concussion management programVideo
When Alex Fleming was helping the Franklin Regional Panthers football team win the PIAA’s 2005 AAA championship, he wasn’t thinking much about concussion protocol. But as the 2007 Franklin Regional graduate moved on to Davidson College — where he played football while pursuing a biology degree before earning his medical...
Some say 7% boost in Pa. Medicaid funding is not enough for nursing homes; Sen. Kim Ward agrees
A 7% increase included in the recently passed Pennsylvania budget for nursing home residents on Medicaid — upping the total to $120 million — will help facilities caring for the elderly but won’t cover the gap between cost of the care and the state’s Medicaid reimbursement, a nursing home official...
Sen. Ward says she will work to ensure potential Democratic presidential ticket including Shapiro loses
State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, pledged to try to avoid becoming Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor — something that would happen should Gov. Josh Shapiro leave office before his term ends. “I’m going to fight as hard as I can to make sure I don’t become lieutenant governor … that it never...
Jeannette company sued after rescinding job offer based on medical marijuana use
An Indiana County man is suing a Jeannette plastic lumber manufacturer, claiming company officials violated state employment laws when they rescinded a job based on the results of his drug test. Michael Howard claims in a two-count lawsuit filed this week in Westmoreland County that he was improperly rejected for...
Derry Borough issues tall order for Bigfoot portrayal
If you’re at least 6 feet tall and weigh more than 150 pounds, Derry Borough has a role for you. Borough officials are searching for someone to appear in costume as Bigfoot as they look to tap into the growing interest in the hairy creature and the local history of...
Jeannette shutters K9 program as ‘cost prohibitive’
Jeannette officials on Thursday announced the city has shuttered its police department’s K9 unit. “Critically, any new and unknown costs associated with the program made maintaining the program cost prohibitive in light of the city’s already stretched funding and budgetary constraints,” according to a statement released by city leaders. The...
‘I always need the first day of Steelers training camp off’: Fans flock to Saint Vincent as practices begin
It doesn’t take a trained eye to see that Jaime Lucchetti is a diehard Steelers football fan. Her arms, legs and collarbone are decorated with 30 tattoos of Pittsburgh players’ faces, team logos and iconic phrases such as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s 2018 huddle call, “dilly dilly.” It took her...
Latrobe man alleges packing firm wrongly fired him after he reported safety issues
A Latrobe man claimed in a federal lawsuit filed this week he was improperly fired from a packaging manufacturer as retaliation after reporting suspected safety issues. Patrick Mitchell, in a six-count complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, said he became ill while working at Opco Inc., a Latrobe-based...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 26-28
It’s the last week in July. Time to enjoy family friendly activities while school is in recess or a fun night out with friends. Here are five things to do this weekend: Bowling for Soup at the Palace Theatre Relive the early aughts with rock band Bowling for Soup’s “A...
Westmoreland happenings: Hot dog sale, parish festival, golf outing, more
Art • Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, 237 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg, will host a free exhibit of the works of artists group The Social Butterflies July 26 through Aug. 28. The group of seven local women will display more than 20 works in a variety of mediums. A free opening...
Historical society mines Derry area’s coal mining past for living history program
Miners, their wives, child laborers and patch town store operators all had a part in the history of coal in the Derry area. “There were so many mines in this area,” said Donna Showalter, a Derry Area Historical Society board member. “Just about everybody who has lived in this area...
Stage AE debuts sober space for non-imbibing concertgoers
A new opportunity is available for live music lovers who want to stay sober. Stage AE recently became the first Pittsburgh concert venue to provide a permanent “sober space” at all of its events. The North Shore entertainment site partnered with local sponsors to make the resource available at its...
Greensburg Night Market builds on humble beginning for its 6th season
Jessica Hickey had just completed her first season as manager of the Greensburg Night Market in 2019 when she was struck by devastating news. Her mother had suffered a brain aneurysm that would lead to her death in September of that year. In 2020, less than a year later, her...
Douglas R. Nowicki, former longtime archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, dies
Douglas R. Nowicki, OSB, retired longtime archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey and chancellor of Saint Vincent College and Seminary in Latrobe, has died, officials confirmed Wednesday. His death Tuesday evening at age 79 in Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh followed a brief illness. Nowicki was the 11th and second longest-serving...
Steelers arrive at training camp armed with snacks, songs
When rookie Steelers tackle Troy Fautanu prepares for 10:30 a.m. training camp practice at Saint Vincent College, he may be cranking up Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love.” “It’s probably my shower song,” he said Wednesday as he moved into Rooney Hall for the team’s annual summer camp. “It’s a...
Amazon job seekers see opportunities for advancement, paid time off, health benefits
For recent Southmoreland High School graduate Sophie Slater, the chance to work full time at e-commerce giant Amazon’s new warehouse is a chance she does not want to pass up. “It’s all about growth,” Slater said, noting the opportunity for advancement at the recently opened site off Glen Fox Road...
