Westmoreland category, Page 186
Man found in North Huntingdon motel with teen runaway convicted of drug, gun counts
A man was convicted Wednesday of charges that he illegally possessed a gun and drugs when he was found in a North Huntingdon motel with a runaway teenager from Beaver County. Robert Easley, 42, formerly of Ohio, claimed during a three-day trial in Westmoreland County that police planted a handgun...
Hempfield Area looks to other districts to research security upgrades
Hempfield Area School District’s security committee is still its weighing options to upgrade procedures and equipment. District leaders visited three Pennsylvania schools over the past several weeks to learn what security protocols and equipment work best to keep weapons off campus, interim Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said at a meeting of...
Westmoreland happenings: Computer classes, turkey dinner, senior citizen news, more
Classes YWCA Westmoreland, 424 N. Main St., Greensburg, will offer several technology classes during January at the center. They are: • A cyber security workshop, 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Cost: $15. • A computer basics class, 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Jan. 9, 10, 16 and 17. Cost:...
High winds leave thousands without power in Westmoreland County; more expected in Pittsburgh region
High winds Tuesday afternoon left more than 10,000 FirstEnergy customers without power in Westmoreland County. More high winds can be expected Wednesday in the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts between 40 and 50 mph are forecast...
Murrysville library to host talk on Pittsburgh’s steel-making history
In the 1880s, the first steel mill was built in Pittsburgh. By the 1950s, the city’s top export had helped power the Industrial Revolution and supplied crucial materials during World War II. But why Pittsburgh? Susie Toman, a docent and educator with nonprofit Rivers of Steel, will explain at a...
Lawyer buys former Steelers player’s estate where retreat center had been planned
A 133-acre Ligonier Township estate owned by a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who wanted to operate a retreat center for clergy and pastors was sold to a former Pittsburgh attorney who said this week he plans to use it as a personal home. Antonio “Tony” and Amy Dias of Miami...
Trial begins for New Stanton man charged with bathroom rape at 2020 Halloween party
A Mt. Pleasant woman testified Monday that she intentionally kept quiet during an alleged rape in a bathroom because her daughter was sleeping in the next room. “I just left the bathroom and didn’t call out for help because my daughter was in the next room sleeping,” she said in...
Firefighters called to rescue motorist from Ligonier Township flooding; several roads closed
Flooding and downed utility lines caused the closure of several roads around Westmoreland County from Tuesday to Wednesday as a storm pounded the region with rain and high winds. Firefighters from Ligonier and Waterford were dispatched around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist a motorist from a vehicle in a flooded...
Strong wind topples utility poles, sparks fire in East Huntingdon
High winds Tuesday afternoon snapped three utility poles along Route 819 and caused an attic fire from the downed power lines, an East Huntingdon fire official said. The fire damaged a house adjacent to Smillie’s Family Restaurant, said Chris Brinker, an assistant fire chief for East Huntingdon. Brinker said he...
Latrobe consultant to create plan for possible walking, biking improvements in Greensburg
Gibson-Thomas Engineering will work with a steering committee to study Greensburg’s environment for walkers and bicyclists, among others. The city council on Monday selected the Latrobe firm as its consultant for developing an active transportation plan. Such a plan emphasizes forms of mobility including “walking, biking, using a wheelchair, connecting...
Survey seeks input from young adults with disabilities
Young adults who have disabilities are being asked to participate in a survey being conducted by the Westmoreland County Department of Human Services. The survey is aimed at finding out what resources are helpful and where additional assistance might be needed. Its target audience is for young adults who have...
Unity man arrested after robbery at Sugar Shack pizza shop
A Unity man is behind bars after state police said he robbed a pizza and pastry shop with a knife on Monday. Austin Miles Lewis, 23, had about $150 when troopers apprehended him near his home, according to court papers. Troopers were called to The Sugar Shack Pizza & Pastry...
Hempfield interim superintendent to remain in role for 3 more months
Hempfield Area Superintendent Tammy Wolicki will remain on a leave for another three months for unspecified reasons, school board members said Monday. The board approved interim superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht to remain in her role while Wolicki is off. Rieffannacht is the assistant superintendent for elementary education in the district. Her...
Penn-Trafford identifies buyer for former administration building
The former Penn-Trafford School District administration building on Harrison City-Export Road could be renovated for commercial or residential rental units. The district plans to finalize the sale of the building Feb. 6 to Rick Goga, owner of Artistic Pools on Route 130 in Penn Township, according to court documents. Since...
Scheme to collect false back taxes results in prison term for Jeannette man
A Jeannette man will spend 33 months in a federal prison in connection with his role in a scheme in which participants impersonated IRS officials who demanded immediate payment of fake back taxes. Ronnell Taylor, 41, of Jeannette, also was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the...
2 tractor-trailers go over an embankment along Pa. Turnpike near Donegal
Two westbound tractor-trailers crashed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Somerset and Donegal exits Tuesday morning, with the vehicles rolling over a snow-covered embankment. The crash happened about 9:15 a.m. near milepost 95, state police said. The turnpike passes over Route 130 in the area. Police said one of the...
DA drops alleged rape case after accuser declines to testify
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Monday dismissed rape and related charges against a Blairsville man who police claimed was linked to alleged sexual assaults through DNA evidence. Felony counts of rape, sexual assault, possession of child pornography and other offenses were dropped as jury selection in the case against Lawrence Paul...
Greensburg man pleads guilty to Hempfield bank robbery
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to the robbery of a Hempfield bank two years ago. Jonathan Smith Jr., 31, will remain free on $50,000 unsecured bond until he is sentenced in about three months. He pleaded guilty to charges of robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and making a terroristic...
Students await results of Paint the Plow contest
Students at five Westmoreland County high schools are hoping the snow plows they painted will win PennDOT’s annual Paint the Plow contest. Voting is open online for 10 plows in District 12 that followed the theme “seat belts are always in season.” The plows were painted by students at Albert...
New Florence man accused of threatening family with claw hammer
A New Florence man is accused of possibly spraining a state trooper’s thumb during a Saturday night domestic incident that spilled into the street and required help from witnesses and neighbors, according to court papers. Police were called to 19th Street in New Florence around 9:15 p.m. for a report...
Rostraver used car dealership cited with nearly 800 business infractions
A Rostraver used car dealership is facing nearly 800 charges after, state police said, those running it failed to keep proper business records and post open hours, according to court papers. The charges were filed Monday against Anden Auto. They include one misdemeanor alleging failure to maintain records of sales...
Looking to stay fit in 2024? Consider local rec departments, nonprofits
If you’re hoping to get fit and stay active in 2024, you’re not alone. A survey from Forbes Health/OnePoll from October found that “improved fitness” is the No. 1 New Year’s resolution, with just under half of the 1,000 U.S. survey respondents saying it is a priority. Finding ways to...
‘Here I am 3 years later, loving it’: Live Casino Pittsburgh hosts free dealer school
When Frank McClain left his 30-year career in the floral industry because of burnout, he did not expect he would become a table games dealer at Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield. But when the casino hosted its first dealer school in August 2020, McClain could not pass up the opportunity....
$10 million athletic complex proposed for North Huntingdon
The owner of a North Huntingdon business who organizes and manages youth sports leagues is proposing a $10 million, privately owned, indoor-outdoor sports complex at the township’s public works property. Shane Larkin, owner of the N Zone Sports — Westmoreland franchise, said the proposal he presented to the North Huntingdon...
Pittsburgh Symphony musicians perform at Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed as part of a presentation on musical inspiration Thursday evening at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. The program explored the ways composers draw inspiration from folk tunes to the American experience, and how it shaped the landscape of 20th and...
