Westmoreland category, Page 23
Derry historical society finishes replacement of Revolutionary War headstonesVideo
The Old Salem Community Church was one of the first congregations established west of the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1786. And while the church is still in lovely condition, some of the gravestones of Revolutionary War veterans in its cemetery are not. On a chilly Saturday morning...
Eastbound Route 30 back open following crash in Jeannette
The eastbound lanes of Route 30 have reopened in Jeannette following a multi-car crash Saturday morning. Westmoreland County 911 officials said the crash was reported at 10:55 a.m. along Route 30 near the DeLallo’s Italian market. One female patient was tranported by ambulance to Westmoreland Hospital, according to Mutual Aid...
Ligonier Township looks to repair 1 bridge, replace another closed for over a year
Ligonier Township is proposing to refurbish a bridge on Harvey Road while it seeks a state permit to replace a bridge on Ramsey Road that’s been closed for more than a year. The township supervisors also want to improve the township’s last remaining section of dirt-and-gravel road, a portion of...
Philips Respironics to lay off nearly 200 workers from Westmoreland locations
Dutch health technology giant Philips Respironics has notified state officials it plans to lay off nearly 200 people at three Westmoreland County locations beginning in early 2026. Philips issued a WARN notice to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, part of a move the company initially announced in June...
Class-action suit seeks to uphold in-network drug benefits for Ligonier pharmacy customers
A federal court could decide whether customers of Ligonier Pharmacy and several additional locations operated by Martella’s Pharmacies can have in-network insurance coverage through Highmark or UPMC Health Plan when they fill their prescriptions. A Pittsburgh law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of customers against those insurers...
Westmoreland judges seek return to bench amid political headwinds
All three Westmoreland County judges who are seeking new 10-year terms on the Common Pleas Court bench know there is political attention this year on judicial retention. They also worry the large sums of cash spent to campaign for and against the retention of three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices could...
Yough school board: 5 candidates seek 4 seats
Four Yough School Board incumbents and one challenger are running for four seats on the board in the Nov. 4 election. Three of the incumbents — Matthew Gardner of South Huntingdon, Linda Knor and Monica Ustazewski, both of Herminie – won on both the Democratic and Republican tickets in the...
Assault charge upheld against hunter in 2023 shooting
The criminal case against a hunter charged with aggravated assault after allegedly wounding a man in a Smithton field nearly two years ago will proceed to a trial, a judge ruled Friday. Following a lengthy hearing that featured testimony from the shooting victim and a state game warden, Westmoreland County...
Door Dash driver admits stealing packages from porches in multiple communities including Greensburg, Fox Chapel and Plum
An Indiana County man was sentenced to state prison Friday for stealing thousands of dollars worth of packages from porches in four counties and putting the goods up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. John D. Manning, 35, was sentenced to one to three years in prison followed by four years...
Greater Latrobe School Board race includes 4 incumbents, 4 newcomers
Voters in Greater Latrobe School District have eight candidates to choose from to fill four school board seats in the Nov. 4 municipal election. The field is split evenly between incumbents and newcomers — but some have aligned themselves into two separate campaigns, each including three candidates. Campaigning together are...
3 compete for 2 spots on Mt. Pleasant Council
Three candidates are running for two spots to represent Mt. Pleasant’s 3rd Ward. Republican Cynthia “Cindy” Stevenson, who has served more than 15 years on borough council, and Democrat Michael Barrick, who is finishing his first term, are running for reelection. Republican Nicholas Lucia is seeking his first term. Updating...
Irwin: 5 seeking 4 seats on council
Irwin voters will be able to choose from five candidates, including three incumbents, running for four council seats in the Nov. 4 election. Councilmen Tyler Baum and Frank Rossi, both Republicans, are seeking reelection to another four-year term, while Fonda Dalbow, appointed to council in July to replace Ron Romeo,...
Hempfield supervisors race attracts 4 candidates for 2 seats
Four candidates for Hempfield supervisor have separated into two opposing teams with each side hoping to win both open six-year terms. Becky Durbin has paired up with longtime incumbent Doug Weimer, while Paul Kosko is campaigning with Jerry Fagert, who served on the board eight years ago. All four candidates...
North Huntingdon fire station sued for wrongful death
The widow of a Herminie man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a North Huntingdon volunteer fire station, claiming staff served her husband excessive alcohol, which resulted in his fatal fall. Brandon M. Schmeltz, 44, died on Feb. 12, about two weeks after a fall down a staircase in...
Lawsuit over Westmoreland courthouse garage project settled
A lawsuit filed by a Allegheny County construction company to rebuild an underground garage and public courtyard at the Westmoreland County Courthouse has been settled. Commissioners on Thursday voted to pay Carl Walker Construction of Robinson an additional $700,000 for work the company said it was required to perform to...
Game commission seeks information after deer is illegally shot in North Huntingdon
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking for information after authorities believe a white-tailed deer was illegally shot Sunday over bait on private property in North Huntingdon. State game wardens in the Southwest Region said the deer was shot between Colonial Manor Road and Cornwall Drive, not far from Route 30,...
Candidates seek to lower political temperature on Southmoreland school board
Two incumbents and four challengers are seeking four seats on the Southmoreland School Board in the Nov. 4 election. The nine-member board has been embroiled in controversy over the past two months after director Catherine Fike was accused of disclosing confidential information about a student’s mental health during the board’s...
Roaring Run Resort sale leaves hundreds of campers facing eviction, say membership holders
Theresa Novobilsky’s teenage memories center on weekends at Roaring Run Resort. As a newly licensed driver, she and her brother would head to the camping resort in Donegal Township after school on Fridays, intent on spending the weekend amid the natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands. Their parents were among...
West Newton mayoral election: Veteran Popovich faces off against 1st time candidate Kepics
About 30 years separate the two candidates vying for the West Newton mayoral office, as veteran Mary Popovich and newcomer Robert Kepics compete for residents’ votes. Popovich, 71, a Democrat, has served as mayor for 16 years. Kepics, 40, a Republican, is staging his first mayoral campaign. Improving parks, planning...
Westmoreland commissioners pass resolution to condemn political violence
Westmoreland County commissioners unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution Thursday to condemn political violence, days after the measure appeared unlikely to pass. The vote followed a public plea from Smithton resident Karen Primm, who was injured in an alleged attack by a counter-protester during a recent No Kings rally in front...
Somerset County sheriff charged with corruption of minors
Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir was charged Thursday with corruption of minors, according to court documents detailing an alleged incident at a Shop With a Cop event last December. Weir, 46, of Quemahoning, is accused of taking a 15-year-old girl to the condom aisle of a Walmart during the event...
Candidates square off for 2-year seat on Mt. Pleasant Area board
Two candidates with teaching backgrounds are running for a two-year term on the Mt. Pleasant Area School Board. Democrat Kathleen Ceroni, 74, of Mt. Pleasant Borough, and Republican William K. Johnson, 82, of Mt. Pleasant Township, will square off in the Nov. 4 election. Ceroni, a retired Southmoreland High School...
Attorney says Hempfield woman will claim self-defense in husband’s shooting
The attorney for a Hempfield woman accused of fatally shooting her husband said he plans to present a self-defense argument at trial. “We’re going to do everything we can to bring this case to trial as soon as possible so the jury can make a decision,” attorney Tim Andrews said....
State police say death of transient man found in Loyalhanna was result of a homicide
State police said Thursday the death of a man whose body was found on state game lands was the result of a homicide. Trooper Steve Limani declined to release details about how Robert Friend, 64, was killed. His body was found Oct. 25 by a hunter on game lands in...
Fire damages Irwin home undergoing renovations
An Irwin house was extensively damaged by fire Thursday afternoon. Multiple firefighters departments responded to the fire at the two-story house at the corner of Sixth and Warden streets. The fire was reported at 1:15 p.m. The owner was not home at the time of the fire, and no injuries...
