Westmoreland category, Page 160
Bolivar man subdued after courtroom suicide threat following sexual assault conviction
Just moments after a jury convicted a Bolivar man of sexual assault on Wednesday he threatened to kill himself and lunged toward the windows of a second-floor courtroom in the Westmoreland County Courthouse. He was quickly tackled by two deputy sheriffs. Deputies spent more than a minute attempting to subdue...
Jeannette mulls paying for repairs to damaged ladder truck to keep insurance rates in check
Jeannette is considering dipping into its budget to cover at least $20,000 in repairs to the city ladder truck damaged by heat responding to a March 20 fire that killed five people. “That’s better than having a higher insurance deductible or insurance premium,” said City Manager Ethan Keedy. The ladder...
You’ve got court: Text messaging is latest tool in effort to reduce warrants for missed hearings
Westmoreland County Special Courts Administrator Christopher Haidze used to get a call every few months from District Judge Charles Conway, asking for a way to send digital reminders to defendants about their court dates. “My answer was always the same: ‘They’re working on it,’ ” Haidze said. Conway retired last...
Seton Hill University plans lecture with Georgetown theologian, publisher
Jim Wallis, founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, will present a lecture at Seton Hill University on April 18. The 2024 Sister Mary Schmidt Lecture presentation will be held at 7 p.m. in Cecilian Hall in the administration building at Seton Hill. Wallis will discuss...
Greensburg Sheetz reopens after major remodeling
Following a months-long closure for remodeling, the Sheetz on Harvey Avenue in Greensburg reopened Tuesday. The gas station and convenience store, located near Lynch Field, closed Oct. 1 for a major remodeling. Employees worked at other Sheetz stores during the renovations. Natawsja Sosnak, hospitality assistant manager at the Greensburg store,...
Ligonier Valley Police Commission receives proposal for new station location; anonymous donor would foot $1.8 million of the bill
The Ligonier Valley Police Commission is mulling a proposal for a new $2 million police station that apparently would be funded largely through a donation. Ligonier Township resident Greg Sullenberger, who said he is a former state trooper, presented a general proposal for constructing a new police station near the...
Defense lawyer says Jeannette man is a scapegoat for key witness in fatal overdose
The lawyer for a Jeannette man told a jury that prosecutors are seeking to convict the wrong man for the sale of a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced heroin to a Unity man who died in 2021 of an overdose. Defense attorney Tim Dawson said the case against Andrey Young is...
Monessen pair charged in theft of credit cards while man was preaching at Smithton church
Two Monessen residents are accused of stealing a lay worship leader’s wallet while he was leading services at a Smithon church. “It was kind of a wake-up call for us,” said Hope Memorial Lutheran Church Pastor Becky Dittenhafer. The theft was reported March 10 and on Tuesday state police filed...
Commissioner says reassessment a nonissue in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes said Tuesday there are no plans for a reassessment. “The court will have to mandate it for us. I am against reassessment,” said Kertes, who chairs the three-person board of commissioners. Lawyers for the Pittsburgh Public Schools filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to trigger a...
Bolivar man denies sexual assault allegations in court
A Bolivar man denied allegations he repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl. Jerry Boring, 60, testified in his own defense on Tuesday and claimed allegations raised by a now 16-year-old accuser were fabricated and a confession police say he made the day before his arrest in 2022 was concocted by...
Rostraver firefighter remembered for dedication to department
There was an important rule to remember at the Bunardzya house — don’t turn down the volume of the scanner. Also, keep quiet when the fire sirens are blaring. Chryste Zimmerman said she quickly learned those moments were key for her dad John “Bill” Bunardzya to know where the emergency...
Pa. Supreme Court hears debate on gun-industry immunity in lawsuit over Mt. Pleasant boy’s death
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday heard argument on whether a federal law that protects gun manufacturers from civil liability prohibits a Westmoreland County family from suing the company whose gun killed their teenage son. The case turns on the court’s interpretation of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in...
1 person injured in East Huntingdon accident along Route 31; driver suspected of DUI
One person was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital Tuesday morning after a car apparently drove through a yard and onto railroad tracks in East Huntingdon. Fire Chief Brian Kite said firefighters cut the roof off a Honda Accord to free the male passenger who was trapped inside. The...
Latrobe hires 2 police officers, OKs purchase of new handguns
Latrobe bolstered its police ranks Monday by hiring two new officers. Joining the force and increasing the number of patrol officers to nine will be David Antal, a 2013 Kiski Area School District graduate, and Brady Sherback, a 2018 Greater Latrobe School District alumnus. Antal will be joining the Latrobe...
1 killed, 2 injured in Rostraver Township crash
A man is dead following a motorcycle crash Monday night in Rostraver Township. Camden Ellin, 24, died at Penn Highlands Monongahela Valley Hospital after his motorcycle crashed along Fellsburg Road. Officials said two motorcycles collided with an SUV. The Washington County Coroner said a state trooper witnessed the crash, which...
‘I sprinted out of the building’: Franklin Regional reflects on attack 10 years later
Kate Berry heeded the fire alarm, briskly walked down a stairwell and opened the doors into a hallway at Franklin Regional High School when she encountered a knife-wielding student. She was face to face with Alex Hribal. “I remember … seeing him and thinking like, ‘Oh, why is he walking...
Judge rejects Youngwood man’s appeal of murder conviction
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday rejected the appeal of a Youngwood man who sought to withdraw his guilty plea last year to third-degree murder. Michael James Covington Jr., 26, claimed he was coerced into accepting a deal that resulted in a 60-year prison sentence. He also argued that the...
Zoning hearing board to review plans for townhouse in Irwin
A North Huntingdon developer wants to build a two-story four-unit townhouse in Irwin. Painter Development Co. LLC is seeking a special exception to Irwin’s zoning ordinance to build the multi-unit residential building at the corner of Chestnut Street and Eighth Avenue. The borough’s zoning hearing board has scheduled a hearing...
Teenage boys charged in connection with Hempfield armed robbery
Two teenage boys were charged as adults over the weekend in connection with an armed robbery in Hempfield. Daniel Govora, 17, of Crabtree, and Cayden Essway, 16, of Greensburg, are each charged with robbery, a felony, and theft and possession of a firearm by a minor, both misdemeanors. Essway faces...
Section of Route 130 in Jeannette expected to close Friday
A section of Route 130 in Jeannette and Penn Township is expected to close Friday. PennDOT officials said the road likely will be shut down through late June, depending on weather and operations. Route 130, or Harrison Avenue, connects Harrison City and Jeannette. During the closure, a 60-inch corrugated metal...
Guided wildflower walks set for Braddock’s Trail Park
Nature lovers who enjoy seeing wildflowers can join the Wildflower Walks at Braddock’s Trail Park of Robbins Station Road in North Huntingdon. The guided walks are led by local experts and gives participants the opportunity to learn about the natural beauty the park, according to the North Huntingdon Parks and...
Latrobe man receives federal prison sentence for drug offenses
A Latrobe man was ordered to spend one year and one day in a federal prison in connection with drug offenses. Richard Bakey, 30, will spend three years on supervised release after the prison term, according to court records filed after the Thursday hearing. Bakey was arrested in September. Drug...
Proposed consent decree includes Philips Respironics site, product inspections for 5 years
Philips Respironics must hire independent experts to inspect facilities and products and hand over part of its revenue to the U.S. Treasury under a proposed consent decree filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. Under the proposed decree, Philips Respironics would not admit to any wrongdoing. “The consent decree provides...
Woman escapes unharmed from burning vehicle in Interstate 70 crash, police say
A 20-year-old Greensburg woman escaped unharmed from a burning vehicle Thursday after a crash on Interstate 70, according to state police. The woman was traveling east on the highway in Hempfield at 2:45 p.m. in a Nissan Murano when troopers said she looked at her cell phone to reply to...
Westmoreland happenings: Italian dinner, touch-a-truck, sandwich sale, more
Children’s event • Community Revitalization of West Newton will host a free touch-a-truck event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 in the West Newton Elementary School parking lot. Reservations required: send an email with the parent’s name and address and the number of children to crown15089@yahoo.com. Church News...
