Westmoreland category, Page 14
Game commission seeks information after deer is illegally shot in North Huntingdon
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking for information after authorities believe a white-tailed deer was illegally shot Sunday over bait on private property in North Huntingdon. State game wardens in the Southwest Region said the deer was shot between Colonial Manor Road and Cornwall Drive, not far from Route 30,...
Candidates seek to lower political temperature on Southmoreland school board
Two incumbents and four challengers are seeking four seats on the Southmoreland School Board in the Nov. 4 election. The nine-member board has been embroiled in controversy over the past two months after director Catherine Fike was accused of disclosing confidential information about a student’s mental health during the board’s...
Roaring Run Resort sale leaves hundreds of campers facing eviction, say membership holders
Theresa Novobilsky’s teenage memories center on weekends at Roaring Run Resort. As a newly licensed driver, she and her brother would head to the camping resort in Donegal Township after school on Fridays, intent on spending the weekend amid the natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands. Their parents were among...
West Newton mayoral election: Veteran Popovich faces off against 1st time candidate Kepics
About 30 years separate the two candidates vying for the West Newton mayoral office, as veteran Mary Popovich and newcomer Robert Kepics compete for residents’ votes. Popovich, 71, a Democrat, has served as mayor for 16 years. Kepics, 40, a Republican, is staging his first mayoral campaign. Improving parks, planning...
Westmoreland commissioners pass resolution to condemn political violence
Westmoreland County commissioners unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution Thursday to condemn political violence, days after the measure appeared unlikely to pass. The vote followed a public plea from Smithton resident Karen Primm, who was injured in an alleged attack by a counter-protester during a recent No Kings rally in front...
Somerset County sheriff charged with corruption of minors
Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir was charged Thursday with corruption of minors, according to court documents detailing an alleged incident at a Shop With a Cop event last December. Weir, 46, of Quemahoning, is accused of taking a 15-year-old girl to the condom aisle of a Walmart during the event...
Candidates square off for 2-year seat on Mt. Pleasant Area board
Two candidates with teaching backgrounds are running for a two-year term on the Mt. Pleasant Area School Board. Democrat Kathleen Ceroni, 74, of Mt. Pleasant Borough, and Republican William K. Johnson, 82, of Mt. Pleasant Township, will square off in the Nov. 4 election. Ceroni, a retired Southmoreland High School...
Attorney says Hempfield woman will claim self-defense in husband’s shooting
The attorney for a Hempfield woman accused of fatally shooting her husband said he plans to present a self-defense argument at trial. “We’re going to do everything we can to bring this case to trial as soon as possible so the jury can make a decision,” attorney Tim Andrews said....
State police say death of transient man found in Loyalhanna was result of a homicide
State police said Thursday the death of a man whose body was found on state game lands was the result of a homicide. Trooper Steve Limani declined to release details about how Robert Friend, 64, was killed. His body was found Oct. 25 by a hunter on game lands in...
Fire damages Irwin home undergoing renovations
An Irwin house was extensively damaged by fire Thursday afternoon. Multiple firefighters departments responded to the fire at the two-story house at the corner of Sixth and Warden streets. The fire was reported at 1:15 p.m. The owner was not home at the time of the fire, and no injuries...
Westmoreland happenings: Pancake dinner, bingos, meetings, more
Fundraisers • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a Vera Bradley bingo at 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at the church. Doors open at noon. A light lunch will be served. Details and tickets: 724-396-8065 or 724-244-2586. • A pancake and sausage dinner will be...
6 in school board race for 4 Ligonier Valley 4-year seats; 2 face off for 2-year term
Six candidates are vying in the Nov. 4 election for a quartet of four-year seats on the Ligonier Valley School Board. Two other hopefuls — John Fitchwell, selected by Republican Party leaders, and Maureen Ittig, chosen by the Democratic Party — are facing off for a two-year seat. The winner...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct.31-Nov. 2
Halloween is upon us, and plenty of spooky happenings will be popping up in the next few days. As we enter November, Westmoreland County is jumping with other weekend happenings, too. Here are just a few: ‘Rocky Horror’ events If you’re a fan of “Rocky Horror,” you’ve got multiple opportunities...
Latrobe man charged with gun permit violation at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint
Allegheny County Police have charged a Latrobe man with a firearms violation after a handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag Wednesday morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. Police identified the passenger as 51-year-old John Frye. They determined he did not possess a valid concealed carry permit. Transportation Security Administration officers...
All treats, no tricks: Mt. Pleasant Halloween parade lacks notoriety from past year
Last year’s Halloween parade in Mt. Pleasant Borough brought the small community of 4,250 people plenty of publicity, but not in the way officials would have liked. This year, organizers promised to be extra vigilant about parade participants to avoid a repeat appearance of a controversial entry like one last...
Judge reinstates house arrest for Jeannette man charged with assault of county detective
A Westmoreland County judge has reinstated house arrest for a Jeannette man accused of breaking into an off-duty county detective’s home last year and assaulting him. The reversal by Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger came after the alleged victim, Detective Nick Caesar, voiced safety concerns about defendant Jonathan E....
PennDOT holds annual training session in advance of winter season
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 12 held winter training Wednesday in Unity for snowplow operators. They practiced using wing plows mounted on the sides of their big yellow trucks while maneuvering through a course marked by orange cones. Drivers had to back into a parking spot, avoid obstacles such as...
Murrysville massage parlor worker pleads guilty to prostitution
A woman charged in connection with a raid at a Murrysville massage parlor pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor prostitution charge on Wednesday. Police said Weihong Wang, 63, was one of two women working last month during a raid of the Asian Garden Spa on Route 22. Police said Wang offered...
WPIAL football playoffs compel communities to adjust Halloween parade, trick-or-treat plans
Costumes and candy are about to collide with high school football playoffs Friday, and some communities either playing host or traveling to games have tweaked traditional holiday schedules in response. Halloween last fell on a Friday in 2014, and it won’t do so again until 2031. In Harrison, township officials...
Solar farm eyed in Ligonier Township passes initial hurdle; emergency plans, buffer required
Ligonier Township Supervisors unanimously approved a permit for a proposed solar farm on Springer Road on the condition that developer SunVest Solar agrees to plant a buffer and coordinates with first responders on handling any emergencies that may occur at the site. “This is the first step of many, but...
IU to borrow $2 million; layoffs coming if there’s no state budget by the new year
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit employees and the special needs students they serve got a bit of good news Tuesday, along with potentially bad news. The good news for them is that the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit 7 board approved a $2 million revenue anticipation note that will hold off any layoffs or...
Commissioners vow to keep Westmoreland government running as state funds dry up
Westmoreland County government will continue to function as state funding dries up amid the ongoing budget impasse in Harrisburg, commissioners said Tuesday. Despite the uncertainty, county officials plan to keep operating essential human service programs as they await word on a pending application to the state Treasury for a $14...
Murrsyville man held for trial after attack with baseball bat
At first, Elizabeth Hobbs thought the baseball bat a Murrysville man grabbed out of his backseat during a fight was plastic. She quickly realized it was metal as Reno James Roberts, 26, began attacking her and her boyfriend with it outside a Salem gas station Oct. 16, she said. Hobbs...
Haunted Path in Irwin: Fascination with Halloween helps feed the needy
An Irwin man, whose lifelong fascination with Halloween started when he was a youngster, spent two months and thousands of dollars to create a haunted audiovisual experience in his backyard. The creator of the unique experience, called the Haunted Path, is Jesse Vargo, 38, who worked with his husband, Nick...
State police seek information on transient man found dead near Mannitto Golf Course in Loyalhanna
State police are trying to figure out how a man, who they described as transient, ended up dead on state game lands near New Alexandria over the weekend. “Still early on in our investigation … (we’re) really leaning into the public to hope that we get some help,” Trooper Steve...
