Westmoreland category, Page 202
Judge sentences former East Huntingdon man for ‘unfathomable’ crime against child
A former East Huntingdon man was ordered to serve up to seven years in prison on Monday for a crime that a Westmoreland County judge called “unfathomable.” Scott Rys, 49, pleaded guilty to felony counts of indecent assault, corruption of a minor and child endangerment in connection with allegations that...
Drug death charge dismissed against Southwest Greensburg woman
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against a Southwest Greensburg woman who prosecutors said was responsible for the fatal overdose of her live-in boyfriend in 2021. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger found there was insufficient evidence to establish that Jennifer Lynn Gartland delivered the fentanyl-laced drugs that...
Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver fined more than $62K for violations
The Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver will need to make changes and report progress to the public after being fined $62,475 by the state Department of Environmental Protection for breaking state rules. The DEP fined the landfill for violating the state Solid Waste Management Act and Clean Streams Law. Violations...
Murder trial begins for Apollo man charged with wife’s killing
Prosecutors told a Westmoreland County jury Monday there was no mystery as to who killed an Apollo woman last year at a Lower Burrell storage facility. Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker said Alfred Keith Steele shot his estranged wife in the head with a 9 mm pistol as she leaned...
St. Clair couple charged after police called to home for shots fired during domestic dispute
A Bolivar man narrowly escaped injury Sunday after his wife fired shots at him during a domestic dispute at their St. Clair home, according to state police. Troopers said there was a bullet hole in the man’s pickup truck. Both husband and wife, who are separated, were denied bail Monday....
Person found dead in New Stanton pond identified as Jeannette woman
A Jeannette woman was publicly identified Monday as the person found in a New Stanton pond last week. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said Kele Diane Townsend, 34, was found floating in the water off Broadview Road around 12:30 p.m. Nov. 6. The death is not believed to be suspicious,...
Derry Township couple accused of beating boy, causing disfigurement of his ear
A Derry Township woman is accused of beating a 14-year-old boy so badly that it caused permanent disfigurement in one of his ears, according to state police. Jamie Denise Harr, 51, and her husband, Charles Edward Harr, 53, were arrested last week in connection with the assaults and remain at...
School van involved in crash in East Huntingdon
A three-vehicle chain-reaction crash involving a school van shut down part of Route 819 in East Huntingdon on Monday. State police said all three vehicles were traveling north on Route 819 around 8:50 a.m.. Two were stopped in the road while one was waiting to make a turn when the...
Atlanta man to go to trial in Westmoreland County over accusation of car insurance fraud
A Georgia man has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court on charges that he falsified the date of a collision by a month so he could add the crashed car to his policy and file a claim. An agent with the state Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section...
‘Something to learn, an adventure’: 3 Irwin brothers, business owners add coffee shop to repertoire
Brothers Chris, Nick and Mike Juricich have spent their entire lives in the restaurant business and have no intention of changing it. The brothers, who reside in Irwin, co-own Ginny’s Neighborhood Pizza Joint in Murrysville, Parkside Creamery ice cream shop in Trafford and Mr. Squeegy window cleaners in North Huntingdon....
Penn Township set to vote on plan for independent living facility
Penn Township commissioners will vote this week on a land development plan for an independent living facility proposed for Harrison City-Export Road. The 119-unit facility was proposed by contractor Concordia of Monroeville for 21 acres of land behind Westmoreland Country Club, near the Bella Victoria housing plan. Commissioners tabled the...
Donated funds, labor set Revolutionary War soldiers’ service in stone in Derry Township
The identities of Revolutionary War soldiers buried near Old Salem Community Church in Derry Township have been fading into history as time and weather ravage their headstones. A campaign led by the Derry Area Historical Society, to rescue those veterans from obscurity, saw progress Saturday. Volunteers organized by society member...
Fire in Greensburg townhouse sends man to hospital
A Greensburg resident was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out Saturday at his home on Odinwood Court, according to Greensburg fire Chief Tom Bell. Firefighters found the soot-covered man outside the townhouse when they responded to the call at about 9:30 a.m., Bell said. The man had...
Export mayor proposes 2024 budget with no tax increase
Export will advertise a $1.1 million budget for 2024 that does not call for a tax increase. “Revenue’s up,” Mayor Joe Zaccagnini said in presenting the annual budget proposal. “We’ve been very fortunate. It’s darn near the same budget as last year. We have some savings because of the work...
Murrysville council will consider updates to short-term rental regulations
Murrysville council members will consider an ordinance addressing short-term rental properties. Council directed its staff to prepare an ordinance which would decouple short-term rentals — including AirBnBs and VRBOs — from restrictions based on zoning. The ordinance also would set a maximum occupancy of two people per bedroom or 10...
Eagle Scout adds Little Free Library to Hempfield demonstration garden, 2 other sites
Visitors to Hempfield’s Donohoe Center now can dip into a free book while birds and bees dip into nectar and pollen at the adjacent demonstration gardens. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, in partnership with Ligonier Eagle Scout Jesse Glenn, recently unveiled a Little Free Library display next to the...
Inaugural Women of Westmoreland fashion show attracts 200 to Hempfield venue
About 200 people attended an inaugural fashion show held by the Women of Westmoreland organization Nov. 2 at the Venue Live conference center of Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield. A program of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, WOW organizes four events each year that provide networking opportunities for members while...
Latrobe chamber holds annual awards dinner to honor locals impacting community
For Jason Brinker, owner of the Lopatich-Brinker Funeral Home, winning small business of the year in Latrobe took him “completely by surprise.” “I never felt that a funeral home would be on the radar for something like that,” said Brinker, 35, of Latrobe. “I guess I’ve never viewed ourselves as...
Greensburg Art Center offers unique, handmade creations at Art of Gifting sale
Handmade works by about 30 artists are up for grabs at the Greensburg Art Center’s holiday sale until late December. The Art of Gifting will run through Dec. 20, said sale chairperson Debbie King. The art center at 230 Todd School Road in Hempfield has held the sale for about...
Groundbreaking geneticist, Hempfield grad to kick off annual Greensburg Turkey Trot
A longtime runner and Hempfield Area graduate whose work on a rare genetic disorder has helped a young girl begin to walk will be returning home on Thanksgiving Day to officially start the Greensburg Turkey Trot race co-founded by his father. Dr. Caleb Bupp, 41, a medical geneticist living in...
Greensburg Salem promotes athletic director to assistant high school principal
Frank Sundry will return to the role of an assistant principal Monday, after being promoted to that job at Greensburg Salem from his current post as the district’s athletic director. The school board this week approved Sundry as assistant high school principal, at a prorated salary of $85,571. The assistant...
Southmoreland High unveils display honoring district military veterans
Glen E. Nicholson peered for a few moments at the contents of a shadow box displayed on a wall of the Southmoreland High School student union. He soon found what he was looking for: a dog tag inscribed with the name of his son and fellow Army veteran, Glen S....
Clairton man charged in shooting of Monroeville officer
A Clairton man is charged with attempted homicide and other crimes in connection with the shooting of a Monroeville police officer during a police chase that ended with a crash in Allegheny Township. Bruce Alvarado, 38, remains in the Westmoreland County jail after being denied bail Saturday. Monroeville police Chief...
Former Jeannette EMS building won’t become city’s fire station
An idea to use the former Jeannette EMS station as the city’s new fire department was nixed after a tour revealed the proposal might be more costly than anticipated. “Even to get the electricity up to snuff to support a fire station” would be expensive, said Councilman Chuck Highlands, who...
North Huntingdon Marine honored during Veterans Day 5K
Members of the Steel City Naval ROTC still look to the legacy of Lt. Col. Chris Raible, who died 11 years ago in Afghanistan while serving in the Marines. The former North Huntingdon resident will be honored during the unit’s 5K race Saturday in Schenley Park near Carnegie Mellon University,...
