Westmoreland category, Page 192
Former Westmoreland jail guard pleads guilty to conspiring in assault of inmate
A former jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in the assault of an inmate at Westmoreland County Prison. Prosecutors said Brian J. Prinkey, 26, of Connellsville, was working as a corrections officer on Aug. 20, 2022, when he conspired with two inmates who were accused of beating a...
Eastbound I-70 reopens between Arnold, Smithton following multi-vehicle crash
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened to traffic around 5 p.m. following a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon, state police said. The eastbound lanes between Exit 44 (Arnold City) and Exit 49 (Smithton) were closed because of the accident, which was reported at 3:43 p.m around mile marker 46, according...
U.S. judge grounds JetBlue-Spirit merger; local airport official optimistic
The planned $3.8 billion merger of JetBlue Airways with Spirit Airlines was struck down Tuesday by a federal judge who feared it would hurt competition among low-cost airlines. Spirit Airlines, based in Miramar, Fla., is the lone scheduled carrier serving Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. “We are going to...
3 New Jersey men accused of taking metal from Penn Township business
Penn Township police said three New Jersey men nabbed with metal items valued at $120,000 are suspected of being part of a large theft ring. Police said they responded to an alarm at Hamill Manufacturing Co. around 3:20 a.m. Saturday and spotted the three men leaving in a pickup loaded...
Police discover deplorable conditions, 77 animals; Penn Township officials condemn home
Two people were charged Friday with animal cruelty offenses after investigators removed 77 dogs, cats and other animals from a Penn Township home that later was condemned. Police said a teenage boy was living there and the home didn’t have running water. Humane officers and township police served a search...
Pedestrian struck by car on Route 130 in Unity
A pedestrian was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital last week after being hit by a car in Unity, according to information state police released Tuesday. Troopers said Leonard C. Kulha, 74, of Latrobe, was crossing Route 130, not far from the intersection with Route 981 in Pleasant Unity, when he...
Families explore themes of Martin Luther King Day at Greensburg art museum’s open house
Marie Churley of Tarentum challenged her grandson to learn something about the Rev. Martin Luther King on Monday, the national holiday that honors the slain civil rights leader. “He changed the world, and he helped people,” said 7-year-old Ryan Smith of Swissvale. The boy and his family arrived late in...
‘Up and running’: Penn-Trafford creates 1st security camera policy, installs new devices
After purchasing more than 400 security cameras and seven door access systems in the fall, the Penn-Trafford School District has a policy to guide the use of its new technology. The school board voted this month to approve the district’s first security camera policy. “We really didn’t have a policy,...
Informational pickets return for Westmoreland employees on expired contract
After months of picketing, members of a union representing more than 500 Westmoreland County employees are now working without a contract. The four-year pact with the county expired at midnight Dec. 31, said Maria Saccani, a licensed practical nurse at county-owned Westmoreland Manor and union delegate who has been taking...
Monessen fighter Michael Moorer to be inducted into International Boxing Hall of FameVideo
Anytime you’re part of a group of fighters that includes Muhammad Ali, you’re doing something right. Michael Moorer is one of only four boxers, including Ali, to win the heavyweight world title three times, and he was the first southpaw to become heavyweight champ. Born in Brooklyn, Moorer, 55, moved...
Millions will be spent on logs, rocks to stabilize Allegheny, Westmoreland stream banks
A 1,800-foot stretch of the Little Sewickley Creek in the Herminie and Darragh areas will soon be stabilized with rocks and logs. The project will help to deflect the water’s current and improve the habitat for aquatic life of the trout-stocked stream, said Greg Schaetzle, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s watershed...
Jeannette accepts Pitzer’s Townhouse as donation, looks to redevelop it
The former Pitzer’s Townhouse restaurant and lounge may be redeveloped or razed now that it’s owned by the city of Jeannette. City council Thursday accepted a donation of the property with hopes it might be redeveloped. The building at South Fifth Street and Magee Avenue that formerly held Pitzer’s Townhouse...
Tractor-trailer overturns on Route 119 near New Stanton turnpike interchange
Route 119/Interstate 70 in New Stanton reopened Monday morning after an overturned tractor-trailer was cleaned up. The highway was shut down around 7 a.m. just south of Youngwood. A photo from the scene showed the road blocked by the overturned rig at the on-ramp to Route 119 south, not far...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured after tractor-trailer fire at New Stanton exit of Turnpike
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Jan. 15: 1 injured after tractor-trailer fire at New Stanton exit of Turnpike One person was injured after a tractor-trailer carrying vehicles burned for more than an hour after the trailer rolled over early Sunday along a Pennsylvania...
LOSS Team provides support for those affected by rising suicide rates in Westmoreland County
Suicide rates are multiplying in Westmoreland County, and to provide support, the county has become the second in the state to start a Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Team. The county had 60 recorded suicides in 2023, just two less than the 62 that were recorded in 2022, according...
‘A pretty overwhelming feeling’: Greensburg Salem, Slippery Rock grad completes ‘Triple Crown of Hiking’
Greensburg native Jared Frith witnessed plenty of breathtaking sunsets and sunrises from the tops of mountains while hiking more than 8,000 miles from June 2021 to November. But Frith found much greater value in the low moments of his journey — shivering in rain-drenched clothes for days during a tropical...
‘Monticello Lights’ raises more than $24,000 for charity, Delmont recreation board
It was indeed a happy new year for both the Delmont Recreation Board and the organizers of the annual Project Bundle Up, after both received checks for more than $12,000 from the Monticello Lights fundraiser in Delmont. Residents of the borough’s Monticello neighorhood have held the decorating contest since 2020,...
Greensburg bridal store showcases ‘Bridgerton’-themed wedding dress collection
Bishop sleeves, tiered layers and florals are making a comeback in bridal dresses. MB Bride in Greensburg is showcasing Allure Bridals’ new wedding dress line themed after the hit Netflix show “Bridgerton” — a series based on Julia Quinn’s novels about eight siblings in London high society in the early...
Steelers fans have mixed reactions to shifting playoff game to Monday but express confidence in team’s chances
For Rick Porrado of Murrysville, the Steelers playoff game shifting to Monday afternoon means a lot more than just a change in his viewing schedule. Porrado owns Rick’s Sports Bar in Murrysville — and he usually isn’t even open on Monday nights. By early Saturday afternoon, he was beginning to...
Latrobe native chosen to lead Michigan State UniversityVideo
The Spartans are getting a Wildcat in the administration. Michigan State University officials announced recently that Greater Latrobe High School alum Kevin Guskiewicz was elected to serve as the university’s next president. Guskiewicz, a 1984 Wildcat graduate, will begin his term in early March, university officials said. The university’s board...
Court-appointed defense lawyers costs nearly doubled in 2023
A change implemented last year in how Westmoreland County pays defense lawyers appointed by judges to represent indigent criminal defendants nearly doubled costs for the program in 2023. Faced with opposition from the pool of lawyers who sought higher pay, the county in June shifted back to a system where...
Westmoreland square dancers, rabbits, cheese recognized at state farm show
Fancy footwork and big ears were behind some of the prizes awarded to Westmoreland County residents at this week’s Pennsylvania State Farm Show. Two teams from the Westmoreland Squares 4-H Club earned blue ribbons for taking all the right steps in their square dancing performances. And a North Huntingdon girl...
Housing authority sets construction goals for 2024
Tenants could begin moving into the Westmoreland County Housing Authority’s newest facility as early as May, officials said Friday. Construction of the 50-unit Grand View Senior Residences development in North Huntingdon started last year and is expected to be completed this spring, according to housing authority Executive Director Michael Washowich....
Union workers contend bankrupt Latrobe plastics company conducted unfair labor practices
A small group of union workers at a bankrupt Latrobe plastics company have been picketing outside the plastics plant the past few days to protest the firm’s failure to recall them back to their jobs. Westmoreland Plastics Inc. laid off its union workforce of about 14 workers in December when...
Greensburg Art Center to showcase members’ work, teach window screen painting
The Greensburg Art Center will host its annual member artwork showcase and teach a Cafe Art class on a unique painting method. About 100 people are submitting about 200 pieces of art to the free showcase — including photography, pottery, sculptures and painting. The event will run from Jan. 20...
