Westmoreland category, Page 146
Man’s ear partially detached when he is struck, run over by utility van
State police said a man was seriously injured Saturday after a Jeannette woman hit him with a utility van, according to court papers. Amanda M. Knerien, 34, called 911 and then drove the man to AHN Hempfield Hospital where she left him, authorities said. The man had head and face...
Independence Health System sees shrinking losses, but looks ahead to further improvement
Independence Health System cut operating losses by nearly half from Jan. 1 to March 31 compared to the same time last year, continuing a steady trend of financial improvement for the merged health system. According to the system’s most recent financial reports, Independence saw a little more than $12.6 million...
Man arrested at North Huntingdon motel gets prison sentence
A man convicted of illegally having a gun and drugs when he was found at a North Huntingdon motel with a runaway teenage girl was sentenced Tuesday to four to 10 years in a state prison. Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio ordered Robert Easley, 42, no hometown available, spend an additional year...
Woman pleads guilty to killing pedestrian in New Florence
An Indiana County woman was sentenced Tuesday to three to 10 years in a state prison for hitting and killing a pedestrian in New Florence. Melissa Ann Anderson, 53, of East Wheatfield, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of accidents involving death, driving under the influence and reckless driving in the...
Multiple helicopters dispatched to wreck near Bolivar; at least 1 child flown from scene
At least one child was injured in a vehicle crash Sunday afternoon near Bolivar. A child initially in the care of Mutual Aid Ambulance Service at the scene of the Fairfield Township wreck was flown by helicopter to an area trauma center, according to a spokesman for the service. Details...
Michigan man who fled Vandergrift police receives probation
A Michigan man who fled from Vandergrift police upon being found asleep behind the wheel after wrecking into a parked vehicle will spend the next year on probation. Stanley Francis Molette, 37, entered a general plea Tuesday to six counts against him, including resisting arrest and driving under the influence....
Westmoreland clay target shooting clubs prepare for state tournament in Elysburg
Madi Gavrish is in her first year with Penn-Trafford’s target shooting team, but she’s been destroying clay pigeons for the past two years. “I’ve shot for 4-H since seventh grade,” said Gavrish, who is preparing along with members of her own team and several others in the region for the...
Register of wills conservator no stranger to Westmoreland courthouse
Jim Antoniono’s travels have taken him from Cold War-era Germany to the Westmoreland County Courthouse, through thousands of miles of mountain trails and into courtrooms and boardrooms. After a more than a half- century, Antoniono, 78, of Unity, will return to his roots in county government when on Tuesday he begins...
New traffic signals set to launch at Routes 286 and 380 in Murrysville
Temporary traffic signals are being installed where Route 380 and Golden Mile Highway meet, but the permanent improvements proposed for the intersection have a Murrysville family upset. Canonsburg-based Olympus Energy is funding traffic improvements as part of its Hermes fracking well pad project, being constructed nearby on the Murrysville/Plum border....
Bovard men killed in World War II remembered with song, street names
Between recorded renditions of “Ragged Old Flag” by Johnny Cash and “God Bless America” by Kate Smith, West Mifflin musician Brian Loosz sang a song that touched home with his audience in Bovard — a tribute to five men from the community who were killed in action in World War...
Westmoreland happenings: Pet blessing, bus trip, senior citizen activities, more
Bus Trip • Greensburg Garden Center will sponsor a bus trip June 20 to the Penn State Arboretum. There will be a lunch stop at Cracker Barrel and a nursery on the way home. Cost: $90; center members, $85. Tickets: 724-837-0245. Fundraisers • First Presbyterian Church of Avonmore, 518 Indiana...
A final farewell: Honor guards pay respects at military funerals
Army Maj. Eric Gass finds it difficult to talk about the times he carried a meticulously folded American flag and placed it in the trembling hands of a young widow. Seeing children cling to their mother’s side during the funerals of their killed-in-action fathers is difficult to take — no...
Unity soldier was killed in action in ‘forgotten’ Alaskan battle of World War II
The Battle of Attu, on one of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, is known by historians as the “Forgotten War” of World War II. A Derry Township man is making sure his great uncle, one of the 549 U.S. troops killed in that battle, isn’t forgotten. David W. Bates, a native of...
‘Music of the Heart’ showcases nonprofit’s music therapy clients
Katie Harrill has seen what music can do for people’s social and emotional states. As the supervisor of the Creative Arts Program and one of many music therapists at Wesley Family Services, Harrill has extensively worked with clients across various developmental stages. Despite the program’s inception 23 years ago, she...
Joe Zelenak honored with Mt. Pleasant Citizen of the Year award
Mt. Pleasant VFW Commander Joe Zelenak was invited to speak at a recent mid-week luncheon meeting of the Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club. Instead of telling the service organization about his veterans group, Zelenak learned he was chosen as the Rotary club’s 2023 Citizen of the Year. “We all said the...
Mt. Pleasant Rotary marks century of service to community, for international causes
U.S. flags fly along the streets of downtown Mt. Pleasant Borough on Memorial Day and other national holidays. A clock keeps time at the town’s Veterans Park and local Little League players take a swing at a home run at restored Willows Park Field. The common denominator in those community...
9 new recruits join Westmoreland County Young Marines
Nine new recruits recently joined the Westmoreland County Young Marines — bringing the local group’s total to an even dozen. Though some may assume the group is a pipeline to the United States Marine Corps, Eric Friez, unit commander for the Westmoreland County Young Marines, said it’s unaffiliated. The program...
‘Wonderettes’ brings back song hits of ’50s, ’60s for Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
A high school prom and reunion, set to a string of popular songs, will unfold on stage for those who purchase tickets for “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” the first production in Saint Vincent Summer Theatre’s upcoming season. This season marks Greggory Brandt’s 10th as producing artistic director of summer theater at...
Blairsville man dead after crashing motorcycle over embankment in Derry Township
A man died when the motorcycle he was driving went over an embankment in Derry Township on Saturday morning, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Joshua M. Haynes, 24, of Blairsville, was traveling south near 216 Derry Lane just before 9 a.m. when his vehicle left the roadway and...
Rochester man drowns in Donegal Township pond
A Rochester man’s apparent drowning death Friday in Donegal Township is under investigation by state police and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Carson said it appears that Glenn T. White, 58, was the victim of an accidental drowning when he jumped into a pond to retrieve an injured bird, went...
Hempfield crash involving 2 motorcycles sends 1 person to Pittsburgh hospital
One person was flown to a Pittsburgh trauma center after a crash involving two motorcycles Friday afternoon in Hempfield. The patient, who was in critical but stable condition, was flown to UMPC Presbyterian Hospital, according to Shawn Penzera, public information officer for Mutual Aid Ambulance Service. No other injuries were...
Scottdale mayor: Humble servant with ‘heart of gold’ honored for service
Charles King kept bankers’ hours for more than 50 years at Scottdale Bank & Trust Co. Now retired, King, 82, has been mayor of the borough of about 4,300 residents for 13 years and he’s willing to lend a helping hand no matter what time it is. “When a disaster...
Family sues Norwin over alleged disability rights violation, claims defamation by school director
A North Huntingdon family filed a federal lawsuit this week against Norwin School District, claiming their civil rights were violated. Melissa Karabin; her husband, Matthew Karabin; and children, Samantha and Joseph Karabin, filed the 12-count lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages....
Bids to demolish Jeannette’s Fort Pitt Brewery range from $335K to $1.4M
It will cost less than expected to raze the former Fort Pitt Brewery complex in Jeannette. Proposals from 10 demolition companies were opened Friday for the job that when completed will remove the industrial complex that has been a presence in the city for more than a century. Bids for...
Last call: Pagano’s in New Stanton closes doors, items up for auction
When Rhonda Davis began working as a cook at Pagano’s Restaurant & Lounge in 1980, she was missing a relevant skill. “I started here, I didn’t know how to cook anything,” she said. She learned as time went on, eventually turning out batches of Sicilian pasta sauce and homemade raviolis,...
