Westmoreland category, Page 162
Work begins to stabilize subsidence-prone portion of Hempfield village
Workers were busy Wednesday drilling a hole in a yard near the top of the hill on Bovard’s Price Street. They were preparing to stabilize one of about 100 targeted homes in the Hempfield village by injecting cement-like grout to fill a section of the abandoned Keystone Coal and Coke...
Sage’s Army services evolve with changing substance abuse challenges
When Carmen Capozzi founded Sage’s Army in 2012, his phone rang off the hook every day. “From the day we started, it was my (phone) number,” Capozzi said. “We weren’t funded then — it was just volunteers.” After the death of his son, Sage, from a heroin overdose, Capozzi felt...
Staff rebuts Register of Wills’ work claims, contends office improving but still plagued by backlogs
Westmoreland County Register of Wills employees described a courthouse office in disarray and neglected by its elected office holder, Republican Sherry Magretti Hamilton, during Wednesday’s resumption of a contempt of court hearing. During the daylong hearing, Rachael Lute, a clerk in the Register of Wills Office, said, between 2016 and...
East Huntingdon man’s bond revoked over safety concerns
An East Huntingdon man charged with the attempted murders of police officers was returned to jail Wednesday after a Westmoreland County judge said his continued freedom presented a danger to the community. James R. Miller Jr., 61, had been free for the last two weeks after he paid $500,000 bail...
Widespread flooding in Westmoreland: homes flooded, roads closed
Widespread flooding Wednesday throughout Westmoreland County closed roads, flooded basements, required the rescue of some people and stranded others. Drenching rain the past three days that totaled 3 to 5 inches across the region pushed streams and rivers over their banks. Among the hardest-hit areas were the villages of Lowber,...
Hempfield Area schools awaiting funding for weapons detector upgrades
The Hempfield Area School District is waiting to hear back about funding before moving ahead with security upgrades, officials said this week at a safety and security meeting. The district has applied for $450,000 in funding through a competitive grant with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The funds...
Westmoreland happenings: Bushy Run cleanup, UFO conference, Walk a Mile event, more
Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren hosts a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations will be...
Flooding, road closures continue along with rain
Road closures continue throughout the region as rain forces creeks and rivers out of their banks, and major flooding was predicted at the Youghiogheny River in Sutersville. A flood warning remains in effect for the region until 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. In Pittsburgh, the 10th Street Bypass is closed between the...
Greensburg seeking public feedback on city walking, cycling for Active Transportation Plan
Jeff Richards ditched his car 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back. When the car’s transmission went kaput and repair costs were too high to justify, Richards decided to perform an experiment: How long could he last without a car? It turns out, longer than he thought. For the past...
Bridge rehab to trigger traffic restrictions on I-70 in Rostraver, South Huntingdon
Single-lane restrictions are planned this week in both directions on a stretch of Interstate 70 in Rostraver and South Huntingdon. Daily restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for at least two days — beginning on Wednesday, if weather permits. The lane closures will affect traffic...
Iwaniec Memorial Race at Saint Vincent College to help police target drunken driving
Organizers hope to raise $100,000 to help curb drunken driving through the 15th annual Trooper Iwaniec Memorial Race, set for April 20 at Saint Vincent College. The event, known as Takeoff 2024, will also feature children’s races, beginning at 9 a.m. on the college’s Unity campus. Participants in 5K or...
She’s a high schooler and an IUP student. State system finds success with dual admission strategy
Ella Fleming’s stomach sank when she walked into her first class at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After all, Fleming was 16. Not to mention, she was almost two years shy of finishing high school during that initial class last fall. “I was absolutely terrified,” said Fleming, of Armstrong Township, Indiana...
Seward man gets probation to resolve case involving sex with then-14-year-old girl
A Seward man was ordered to serve two years on probation after for an indecent assault against a teenage girl. Westmoreland County prosecutors dropped four felony counts against Timmy Carl Betts, 38, including statutory sexual assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse after the now 20-year-old accuser testified during a hearing...
Westmoreland commissioners reschedule night meeting
Westmoreland County commissioners have delayed board’s first evening public meeting in decades for one week. Commissioners earlier this year revamped the schedule for public meetings to include a voting session that was to be conducted at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the courthouse in Greensburg. Officials said a scheduling conflict...
Jeannette schools move to flex day Friday because of memorial service for house fire victims
Jeannette City School District will have flexible instruction Friday to allow students, staff and the community to gather to mourn five lives lost in a house fire last month. Superintendent Matt Jones said the move will allow those who want to attend a public memorial service at Word of Life...
‘As a parent, it scares the hell out of me,’ Franklin Regional superintendent says of AI
Franklin Regional officials paused a proposed artificial intelligence summer student program after questions arose about its content. Inspirit AI is an eight-session summer program developed and taught by graduates of Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. “Students will learn the fundamental concepts of AI and gain...
Memorial fishing derby honors Murrysville boy on the first day of trout season
Parents and children took part Saturday in the annual Joey Gombosh Fishing Derby, at Townsend Park in Murrysville. The tournament is held in memory of Gombosh, a Murrysville resident and avid fisherman who died at age 15 when a virus attacked his heart....
About $528 million in Southwestern Pa. roadwork detailed by PennDOT
About $528 million will be spent on more than 100 road projects across four Southwestern Pennsylvania counties this year, state transportation officials said Monday. The work includes everything from reconfiguring a highway interchange in Rostraver to improving traffic signal features at nearly 50 intersections. The projects represent a combined cost...
‘It’s a real shock’ friend says of fatal North Huntingdon dirt bike crash
A 19-year-old former Norwin High School student and a 16-year-old Norwin sophomore who were killed over the weekend in a dirt bike crash were mourned by classmates and friends Monday while donations poured in to help the families. The victims, Adam Bilinsky, 19, and Colin Bargiel, 16, both of North Huntingdon,...
Mom can’t explain son’s role in Hempfield bank robbery
Latreace Anna Jackson never suspected the trajectory of her son’s life would lead her to a Westmoreland County courtroom. “The weight of my son’s crime is enormous. At first, I was in disbelief when I found out it was him. I thought, why? It was not his character,” Jackson of...
Ex-Allegheny County detective pleads guilty to harassment in Export bar incident
A former Allegheny County detective pleaded guilty Monday to two summary harassment citations connected to an incident at an Export bar last year. Raymond Bonacci, 57, of McKeesport, was ordered to pay $362 in fines and costs, according to court records. The two harassment counts were filed last week when...
Morning Roundup: Jeannette man sought in Swissvale crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, April 1: Jeannette man sought in Swissvale crash An arrest warrant was issued over the weekend for a Jeannette man accused of being impaired when he crashed into a backhoe in a construction zone in Swissvale. The backhoe...
Hempfield supervisors approve part-time, paid fire department position in contested vote
Hempfield supervisors narrowly approved seeking paid part-time day shift drivers for the fire department. The move is part of efforts to strengthen and support the township volunteer fire department’s 10 stations in the face of challenges with emergency response. The township has met with firefighters over the past few months...
Schools adjust schedules for April 8 eclipse
Editor’s note: This report has been updated as school districts have changed plans. Potential safety concerns with viewing Monday’s solar eclipse have led some school districts to shift schedules, give students the day off or go remote with a flexible instruction day April 8. The eclipse coincides with regular dismissal...
Eclipse education: Western Pa. schools make plans for day of astronomical event
When the moon passes in front of the sun in the afternoon of April 8, students with the astronomy club at Penn-Trafford High School will be waiting on the football field to see it. Most Penn-Trafford students are being dismissed two hours and 15 minutes early on the day of...
