Westmoreland category, Page 139
Mount Pleasant Township man dead after motorcycle collision with deer
A Mount Pleasant Township man was killed after hitting a deer while riding his motorcycle Friday night, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Jayson A. Halterman, 50, was driving his motorcycle near 400 Stone Church Road in Hempfield around 10:30 p.m. when he struck a deer and a utility...
Fayette man allegedly paid teen cash and marijuana to carry out 2023 murder
A Fayette County man charged with homicide last year was arrested Friday and accused of paying a teenager cash and marijuana to carry out the crime, according to court records. Calvin J. Huffman, 37, of Uniontown City was arrested in June 2023 and accused of assisting a teenage boy in...
New rule allows mentor to lead up to 3 novice hunters in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has updated its regulations to allow a licensed adult hunter to bring more than one novice along. Through the commission’s mentored hunting program, children or adults are guided by a mentor, an experienced, licensed hunter who teaches the basics of hunting and gun safety. The program...
6 people escape East Huntingdon mobile home fire unharmed
Three adults and three children escaped unharmed after fire broke out on the porch of their mobile home Friday night in East Huntingdon. Homeowner Janice Prolenski said all of the family members were inside the residence when a Holiday Court neighbor banged on the window to alert them that the...
Texas lab to use advanced DNA testing to help Westmoreland investigators with cold cases
Westmoreland County investigators will tap into advanced DNA testing in an attempt to formulate new leads or identify suspects as part of an effort to solve violent crime cold cases. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli this week announced the hiring of Othram Inc., a Texas-based company, to evaluate and study DNA...
Sex assault charges filed against ex-Ligonier Valley police chief held for court
Sex assault charges against a former Ligonier Valley police chief are headed to trial after a contentious two-hour preliminary hearing Friday marked by District Judge Allison Thiel admonishing attorneys. The 25-year-old accuser testified at length about how she met John Berger, 52, while they were both patients at a Donegal...
Greensburg-based artist says he feels overlooked after Kennywood auction
Online bidding for pieces of an original Thunderbolt rollercoaster mural at Kennywood Park raised over $14,000 for charity last weekend. But the artist behind the original work believes it could have raised more — if he had been told about the auction. Raphael Pantalone, a mural artist and retired elementary...
Llamas are back at Derry Township fair, along with a new generation of handlers
This is the year for llamas and the local folks who love them. Count among them 2-year-old Rodeo and his handler, McKenna Gettemy, 15, of Unity. “I think he’s super-chill,” the teen said of her shaggy partner in local fair show rings. “He doesn’t kick when you touch his back...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 12-14
Music, cars and nostalgia? What else do you need? Experience these events to enhance your summer this weekend in Westmoreland County. Summer concert series Everyone will be singin’ the blues this Saturday at Twin Lakes Park, east of Greensburg. At the Brian T. Rusnock Amphitheater in the Peach Plaza Expansion...
North Huntingdon will negotiate further on lease for proposed $30 million sports complex
Two North Huntingdon business partners will need to continue negotiating with the township on the specifics of a lease for a proposed $30 million sports complex on township-owned property off Route 30. At a work session Thursday evening, the business partners, David Ponsonby and Joshua Zugai, discussed the first draft...
Defense seeks to bar testimony in appeal of decades-old Jeannette arson murder case
Attorneys for a former Jeannette man in prison for the deaths of his wife and two young children killed three decades ago in a house fire are seeking to bar new testimony about the origins of the fatal blaze. James Young, 57, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder...
Delmont awards $1.34 million sewage project, next step in state consent order
Delmont officials awarded $1.34 million of sewage work on Tuesday, one of the major steps in addressing a state consent order to curtail sewage overflows. The work will include the installation of a sewage interceptor on Christy Road, as well as the relocation of a force main on property in...
‘It’s a real tearjerker,’ owner says as 1 of 2 North Huntingdon Hallmark stores set to close
One of two family-owned Hallmark stores in North Huntingdon will close at the end of the month. “For our family, it’s a real tearjerker, as well as for some in our community. This place is huge in people’s memories. That’s why we are so affected,” said Kathleen “Kitty” Mahosky of...
Watershed group plans Yough rafting trip
The Mountain Watershed Association in Melcroft is sponsoring a beginner-friendly rafting trip from Dawson to Layton along the Youghiogheny River in Fayette County on July 28. The rafting trip begins at 9 a.m. and will cover eight miles on the river The cost is $18 for children age seven and...
Confluence woman accused of abandoning 2 toddlers in vehicle, driving under the influence
A Confluence woman was arrested by state police for driving under the influence and endangering the lives of two toddlers following a pursuit that began in Maryland. Samantha Cherry, 25, is accused of abandoning two toddlers in a vehicle in Fayette County, according to state police. Maryland state police troopers...
Former medical provider removed from inmate’s lawsuit against Westmoreland jail
The former medical provider at Westmoreland County Prison has been removed from a federal lawsuit filed last year by an inmate. Robert James Frantz, formerly of Hempfield, claimed he was improperly cared for at the Hempfield lockup. Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti, in a ruling finalized Monday, dismissed...
Hempfield casino to move poker room, build high-limit gambling space in $3M project
Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield’s Westmoreland Mall will move its poker room and create a new high-limit gambling space in a $3 million construction project slated for completion in October. Mascaro Construction, based in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood, started renovations two weeks ago, casino General Manager Sean Sullivan said. Nearly half...
Greater Latrobe considers adding lanes as part of Memorial Stadium track update
Greater Latrobe School District is considering widening its track at Memorial Stadium as part of a proposed update of the running surface. The school board has agreed to work with architectural consultant SHP on a plan that could include expanding the track in Latrobe from six lanes to eight lanes....
Monessen native leads 1.4 million Rotarians as international president for 2024-25
California has produced a pair of presidents. If the question pops up on Trivia Night, the answer probably is Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. As it applies to Rotary International, two leaders of the worldwide service organization once belonged to the club in Washington County’s California Borough, which had about...
Ligonier Valley School District looks to upgrade baseball field for spring season
Ligonier Valley School District is in the home stretch of preparing for a major upgrade to its high school baseball field. The district wants to have the revamped field ready for batters to take their swings at a relocated home plate by spring. The direction of the field will be...
Delmont Pilgrimage organizers will host ‘Christmas in July’ fundraiser
Last year, Delmont Pilgrimage organizers expanded their annual event to include one specifically for children, and the only problem they encountered was a self-imposed limit on ticket sales. That will change in 2024, when the Pilgrimage Jr. will expand to offer 400 tickets for families to experience a kid-centered re-telling...
Latrobe rapper returns from tour, will headline August Hard Rock show
Latrobe rapper Sean Lewandowski, who goes by the moniker Sean Ski, spent his spring playing Canadian venues with fellow MC Chris Webby on his “Last Wednesday” tour. And after a couple more shows, he’ll get a chance to headline his first Pittsburgh performance in August. “After I do two shows...
Car show will help fund Franklin Regional scholarships in memory of Murrysville teen
An annual car show this weekend will raise money for Franklin Regional student scholarships, in memory of 2021 Panther graduate Damian Bearley, who died in a 2021 car crash in Derry Township. The fourth Long Live Damian Bearley Car Show will be from 3-7 p.m. Saturday at the Cook Township...
$2.3M winning lottery ticket sold at Giant Eagle in Penn Township
A $2.3 million lottery ticket was sold Tuesday at the Giant Eagle grocery store on Penny Lane Drive in Penn Township. The winner purchased a Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket. The winner correctly matched all six winning numbers, 14-30-41-44-46-48. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the...
Dunkin’ wants piece of Rostraver Airport property for a doughnut shop
The Rostraver Airport along Route 51 could become a home for a Dunkin’ doughnut shop, the airport owner said Tuesday. Dunkin’ is interested in acquiring a piece of the airport property along Route 51 in Rostraver for one of its doughnut shops, said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland...
