Westmoreland category, Page 205
Fire displaces man from Herminie home
A fire marshal is investigating the cause of a blaze that extensively damaged a single-story home Monday afternoon in the Sewickley Township village of Herminie. No one was injured in the fire reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. in the 30 block of Fifth Street, according to Herminie fire Chief Joe...
Westmoreland settles lawsuit that alleged excessive force at juvenile detention center
Westmoreland County commissioners have agreed to settle a lawsuit that claimed excessive force was used against a teen at the county’s juvenile detention center in Hempfield. In the federal lawsuit, the teen said four corrections officers at the Regional Youth Services Center put him into a choke hold and slammed...
Hempfield teacher with viral TikTok video appears on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
A Hempfield Area teacher’s viral creativity has catapulted her to a moment in the TV spotlight. Taylor Crossland, an elementary school teacher at Fort Allen Elementary, wanted to throw a special incentive event for her students to reward them for staying on-task through the end of September. With donated Starbucks...
Arnold Palmer airport celebrates 3 millionth passenger, looks toward expansion
When Steve Smith arrived at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Monday for a flight to Myrtle Beach, he became the 3 millionth passenger to leave there on a Spirit Airlines flight. “I didn’t even look at my ticket,” said Smith, 66, of Saltlick. “Usually, my wife’s the lucky one.”...
Greensburg woman accused of setting fire to own home after argument
A Greensburg woman was arrested after police said she set a fire at her home Sunday following a domestic dispute, according to court papers. Georgia Zowacki, 59, was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $15,000 bail. Police and firefighters were called to her Adams Street home around 8:15...
3 people taken to hospital after fire at Greensburg’s Pershing Square apartments
Three people were taken to a hospital Monday after a fire in an apartment at Pershing Square in Greensburg that displaced residents of four units. Two of the injured were a city firefighter and the occupant of the unit where the flames started, according to Fire Chief Tom Bell. “The...
Wednesday is earliest date for end of boil water advisory around Ligonier
Wednesday is the earliest day that residents of Ligonier Borough, Laurel Mountain Borough and portions of Ligonier and Fairfield townships will have normal water service, according to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. The authority is gaining some water in its tanks from the Ligonier Township Municipal Authority, and will...
Derry man accused of pointing gun at bar patrons, using racial slur
A Derry Borough man is behind bars after Latrobe police said he pointed a gun at two men and directed a racial slur at them. Charles Noel, 67, is charged with two counts each of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and ethnic intimidation. The incident was reported at 10:30 p.m. Saturday...
Westmoreland City man arrested after car chase, crash, dump truck theft
A Westmoreland City man was arrested Sunday after leading state troopers on a car chase, fleeing the scene of a crash and stealing a commercial vehicle in Indiana County. Police stopped Terry Bruce Ely Jr.’s 2008 Chevrolet Aveo on Sunday around 5:19 p.m. on Route 119 in Center Township after...
Irwin plans 2-mill tax hike to fund fire department
Irwin property owners might see a two-mill tax hike in their real estate bill next year under a proposed 2024 budget that increases funding for the volunteer fire department. Council on Wednesday is expected to approve a budget that sets the real estate tax at 28 mills: 23 mills for...
Election Day bake sales, meals benefit community organizations
As voters head to the polls Tuesday for a great ritual of our democracy, many will encounter another tradition that is not enshrined in the Constitution: Election Day bake sales, soup sales and lunches. For many community organizations, the sales are fundraisers to support their missions, as reliable as Lenten...
VA seeks to expand successful adult day health care program
The Pittsburgh VA is always seeking new ways to connect veterans, both with its services and with one another. After a successful start to its adult day health care program this summer, it’s seeking additional host sites in Monroeville, White Oak and the South Hills. “It’s been going rather well,”...
‘You don’t have to let it go in the river:’ Breeders, owners defend exotic pets, push responsible care
Of the 600 to 700 reptiles Jessie Freeman brought to the Westmoreland Reptile Expo on Sunday, the crocodiles are his favorite. “They’re cool. They can hide and thrash out on you so fast, yet … if you understand their behavior, you can interact with them,” said Freeman of Asheboro, N.C....
Ligonier, Laurel Mountain residents asked to boil, conserve water following main break
Residents in Ligonier and Laurel Mountain boroughs and portions of Ligonier and Fairfield townships will have to boil their water before use following a water main break Sunday near Waterford. The main break occurred along the transmission line from the Greater Johnstown Water Authority, said Matt Junker, spokesperson for the...
Greensburg planning for possible pedestrian, biking improvements
Greensburg is poised to create a plan for helping people get around town more easily — on foot, on bicycles or in wheelchairs. Following through on a recommendation of the recent Shape Greensburg comprehensive plan, the city is expected to hire a consultant to develop an active transportation plan by...
Fatal fires prompt Greensburg campaign to distribute free smoke alarms
Three recent fatal fires in Greensburg have prompted the American Red Cross to partner with local firefighters Saturday to offer free smoke alarms to residents who may not have the means to purchase or install them unaided. To be included in the smoke alarm distribution, taking place between 11 a.m....
Sewickley Township library supporters hold fundraiser; new building in the works
A Sewickley Township library support group is helping to raise money with an Election Day Soup & Bake Sale for the small library that has been forced to move into temporary facilities. There are plans for a new building in Herminie. “We’ve got volunteers lined to donate more than 100...
Drop in Jeannette’s Democratic voters reflected in city council shift
In the past 20 years, the number of Democrats registered to vote in Jeannette has decreased by about 2,000 while the number of Republican voters has risen by 400, according to West moreland County statistics. Now, that shift will be reflected in city council. After Tuesday’s election and once a new...
Spending of covid relief to be focus of new commissioners’ board
Westmoreland commissioners voted last week to allocate $270,000 from the county’s pool of American Rescue Plan funds, and, as a result, about half of the $105 million pool of covid-relief cash received from the federal government in 2021 has been spent. Commissioners will have nearly $53 million to allocate by...
Irwin group seeks funds for home cleanup, hoarding disorder treatment
An Irwin-based organization that strives to address blight-related problems is proposing to provide mental health services to those with hoarding disorders. “There’s no formal program (for treating hoarding disorders) in Westmoreland County and this half of the state,” said Matt Williams, founder of the nonprofit Fight the Blight Inc. Williams...
‘Sky’s the limit’: 2 flying club members receive Wright Brothers awards for 50 years of flight
Ever since they were children, John Dyke and Ed Patrick have been fascinated by airplanes. “I could spend hours on the observation deck watching planes take off and land,” said Dyke, 75, of Carnegie. For Patrick, 81, of Murrysville, the first ride he took in a smaller plane was the...
‘His impact is almost immeasurable’: Longtime YMCA leader bids job farewell in pursuit of foundation position
After 27 years of working for the YMCA, Larry Stormer will pursue his goal of foundation work with a local nonprofit benefiting children and families in need. Stormer, 54, of Ligonier, has worked at YMCA branches in Greensburg, Erie, Plum and Ligonier Valley. He has served as fitness director, executive...
Jeannette woman to lead international pharmacist group
A Jeannette pharmacist is taking her seat as the leader of an international pharmacy advocacy organization that works to care for senior patients. Deborah Milito of Diamond Pharmacy Services was installed as president of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists on Oct. 26, after having spent a year as the...
Loyalhanna convenience store sustains damage in fire
A convenience store in Loyalhanna Township sustained significant damage in a fire Friday night. Saltsburg, Bell Township and New Alexandria volunteer fire departments responded to a fire at Marshall’s Market, located along Route 981, around 10:15 p.m. Friday, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. None of the fire departments...
Manor church’s free clothing store expands hours, options to meet community need
Grandparents trying to clothe their grandchildren. A woman looking for clothes to bring with her to rehab. A nursing student in search of affordable scrubs for school. Refuge Boutique, a free clothing store run by Refuge Church in Manor, has helped people in each of these scenarios. In the spring,...
