Westmoreland category, Page 2
Western Pa. casinos report mixed results despite 5th year of statewide gambling revenue growth
For the fifth consecutive year, gambling revenue statewide reached a record high in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Gambling revenue hit nearly $6.8 billion last year, the board said, which is a 10.7% increase from 2024 and more than double the state’s 2016 figure of $3.2 billion....
Jury seated in Westmoreland County for trial of Thomas Stanko in 2018 death of Cassandra Gross
It took nearly eight years to bring Thomas G. Stanko to a courtroom in the death of Cassandra Gross, but it took only a single day to choose the 12 people who will decide his fate. Seven men and five women were seated Monday in Westmoreland County to serve as...
Ruthie’s Diner fire started in kitchen of Ligonier Township restaurant, fire marshal saysVideo
A fire that destroyed landmark Ruthie’s Diner started in or near a cooking appliance in the kitchen, said state police fire marshal Trooper Chet Bell. The Jan. 20 blaze at the Ligonier Township diner has been ruled accidental and Bell said in a news release that he continues to investigate...
Penn State launches change-of-campus program
A new Penn State University program is designed to help undergraduate students explore and navigate changing campuses. The university announced Monday it is launching “Penn State Pathways” this spring through its Student Orientation and Transition program. It will feature in-person events at six campuses — University Park, Abington, Altoona, Beaver,...
Deposit from Midway-St. Clair boosts Hempfield fire service support fund
Money that Midway-St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department had invested is being transferred into a fund controlled by Hempfield. The township supervisors on Jan. 26 accepted the deposit of $161,365.99 into the Hempfield Township Volunteer Fire Service Support Fund at the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County. “That clears the books on...
Opponents of Homer City power plant and data center air concerns at community gathering
At a community meeting Sunday about the natural gas-powered data center project near Homer City, activists and residents expressed concerns ranging from environmental to economic and health impacts. The afternoon event was organized by Concerned Residents of Western PA, a group formed to oppose the planned 4.5-gigawatt power plant and...
Making the grade: School districts vary when configuring grade levels in buildings
A realignment of grade levels in Burrell School District buildings has offered more opportunities for students this school year. Students had more clubs, career exploratory classes and leadership prospects because of a district realignment that followed the closure of Stewart Elementary in August 2025. Effective this school year, Bon Air...
Driver accused in Hempfield fatal hit-and-run arraigned, jailed
A Jeannette man accused of killing a man riding an e-bike in a hit-and-run in Hempfield last year is now in the Westmoreland County Jail. William Edward Sever, 37, of Jeannette, was denied bail as a flight risk when he was arraigned Friday, according to court records. Sever is charged...
Jury selection set to begin for Thomas Stanko, charged in Unity woman’s deathVideo
Jury selection in the criminal homicide trial of a Unity man charged with killing his former girlfriend is scheduled to begin Monday morning in a Westmoreland County courtroom. Thomas G. Stanko, 55, was charged in 2022 with criminal homicide in connection with the disappearance of Cassandra Gross five years earlier....
Bocce builds bridges for people of all ages and abilities
Abigail Gerthoffer wasn’t sure what she was getting into when she joined Burrell High School’s unified bocce team during her sophomore year. She just knew the team aligned with her values and personal mission to have a positive effect in the world. With no prior experience playing bocce, Gerthoffer jumped...
Westmoreland happenings: Valentine’s dance, theater, bingo, more
Fundraisers • Lincoln Heights Civic Association will have bingo 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 5 at the center, 42 Millersdale Road, Hempfield. There will be 20 regular games and five quickies. Payout is 50-50. Free coffee. Cost: 25 cents for a three-card board; $1 for quickies. • Latrobe American Legion...
Murrysville receives funds for Route 22 signal, bridge replacement projectsVideo
Murrysville officials have sizable projects to begin under their 2026 capital improvements plan, but having $1.4 million in state funding in hand will help smooth the way. The first is replacing the adaptive traffic signal system along the stretch of Route 22 that runs through Murrysville, along with the traffic...
Westmoreland judge weighs extension of decade-long stay for former LECOM student
A former medical student convicted nine years ago of sexually assaulting a Seton Hill University student is seeking to extend a nearly decade-long delay in his sentence. Jerry Chai’s attorney told a Westmoreland County judge Friday that the 2017 sentence violates his client’s constitutional rights. The defense argues that the...
Former youth football director charged with taking more than $227K in league funds
The former director for the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League who resigned suddenly a little more than a year ago is charged with taking more than $227,000 in league funds. Bill E. Spencer, 57, of Washington is accused of using the money to pay bills, make payments on a Honda...
Fundraisers organized for victims of separate North Huntingdon fires
Fundraisers have been organized on a crowdfunding platform to help two North Huntingdon families who were victims of fires this month — one family who lost their home and another whose dog kennel was destroyed. A GoFundMe page for Regina and Charles Bazala Sr. has raised $22,100 of a $28,000...
North Huntingdon gets state grant for Indian Lake rehab project
The state is offering to pour $665,200 into a major rehabilitation project at North Huntingdon’s 16-acre Indian Lake Park. The fish in the lake must be relocated so it can be drained, dredged and the Kenda Dam repaired over the next few years. In return for the money from the...
Pa. turnpike drug bust nets 40,000 stamp bags of suspected fentanyl worth $80K, police say
A New Jersey man is behind bars after state police said he was transporting approximately 40,000 stamp bags of suspected fentanyl on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through Westmoreland County, according to court papers. Troopers said they pulled over a westbound Honda SUV in Hempfield at 2 a.m. Thursday after noticing multiple...
Franklin Regional grad completes 1st short film through University of Pittsburgh fellowshipVideo
Gigi Vitolo has always loved storytelling. The Murrysville native has had an interest in theater and performing since middle school. But while she was majoring in business and literature at the University of Pittsburgh, she found herself searching for a creative outlet. When she was awarded the school’s David C....
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Jan. 30-Feb. 1
It’s safe to say that after a frigid and snow-covered week, it’s time to shake off that cabin fever and rejoin the world for some good times away from your couch. Here are a few events around Westmoreland County that are a sure cure for those those cold feet and...
Back to business: Local shops, restaurants come back to life after snowstorm
Small business owners say they’ve weathered a storm that left 10 or more inches of snow on downtown streets this week. It took a mix of snow shovel handiwork, municipal plow trucks and private contractors with backhoes and tri-axle dump trucks to bring business districts back to life. “This storm...
Hempfield woman charged in husband’s shooting death pushes for speedy trial
The lawyer for a Hempfield woman accused in the October shooting death of her husband said he’s ready for a fast-tracked trial to begin in March. Leeann Steel, 51, has been in jail without bond since her arrest following what prosecutors said was the murder of her husband. William Steel,...
Lawsuit claims parents allowed ‘party house’ that led to fatal dirt bike crash of Norwin teens
Families of two Norwin High School students killed in a 2024 dirt bike crash have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the parents of two other teens, claiming they allowed and enabled underage drinking that led to the fatalities. In two separate court filings in Westmoreland County Court, the parents of...
Penn-Trafford area: Bushy Run events, Galentine’s Day, Lego bingo, more
Bushy Run events Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township will host a speaker on Feb. 21 and its annual Charter Day on March 8. The speaker, part of the historical site’s regular “History Speaks” series, will discuss how Bushy Run is portrayed in films. The event will be held at...
Watershed association awaiting response on proposed lease with Ligonier Country Market
Susan Huba, executive director of the Loyalhanna Watershed Association, is in waiting mode after Ligonier Township officials told the environmental nonprofit and the organizers of the Ligonier Country Market this week to figure out a solution on their own for the 2026 season. The Country Market, launched about 50 years...
Development authority planned by Hempfield with focus on former prison property
Hempfield is planning to create an authority that officials hope will spur development. Once it’s established, the development authority’s first task will be identifying new uses for the former SCI Greensburg state prison property that the township owns. “An initial focus would be on the redevelopment of the SCI parcel,...
