Westmoreland category, Page 248
Bolivar man convicted in attempted murder, kidnapping of Ligonier joggerVideo
A Bolivar man was convicted Wednesday of the attempted murder and kidnapping of a college student who was out for a winter run through Ligonier. After hearing three days of testimony and deliberating more than four hours, a Westmoreland County jury said Frank Springer, 56, is guilty of all eight...
Former Derry man convicted of illegal recording at courthouse
A former Derry man was convicted Wednesday of three felony charges for violations of the state’s wiretapping laws. Justin Juan De La Martinez, 43, now of Illinois, was found guilty of illegally recording and distributing video of a employee in the Westmoreland County Court Administration Office. Prosecutors contended Martinez did...
Hempfield summer maker fair to highlight local craftspeople
Creative crafters from around the area will be in the spotlight on Saturday at the Hempfield’s first ever Homegrown Hempfield: Makers Market event. The craft market, which runs in conjunction with the Amp Up Your Summer concert series in Hempfield Park, will invite 12 local makers to show off their...
Police seek man accused of attacking woman in Blairsville, stealing pickup in Derry Township
A woman leaving work at an assisted living facility in Blairsville was hospitalized Wednesday after state police said she was attacked by a man who stole her car and a second vehicle. Trooper Tristan Tappe said a tip from the public helped investigators identify the suspect as Michael A. Bronson-Whitfield....
Westmoreland happenings: Garden open house, art show, blood drive, more
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks prior to the event. Each announcement is printed once; there is no fee. Art • An art show featuring the works of artists...
Export road work set to start under federal grant; Fillmore wall project will have to wait
While Export officials were able to award a contract for federally-funded paving work this week, another project lined up for the federal Community Development Block Grant program will have to wait. Council unanimously awarded a $93,000 contract to Tresco Paving Corp. for overlay work along Madison and Harrison avenues. Council...
Jeannette considers proposal from Mutual Aid for ambulance service
In the wake of Jeannette EMS’ closure last week, city officials are considering a proposal from Mutual Aid to provide ambulance service in the city. Council likely will vote on the matter during its Thursday meeting, as long as Solicitor Tim Witt gives the OK. “Solicitor Witt has to have...
Teen jogger details her struggle to avoid abduction in Ligonier Township
Madeline Smith knew she had little choice but to fight her attacker as he attempted to force her at gunpoint into his car on a cold Sunday morning in January. “I figured I might as well fight. I was terrified. I knew he was going to get me into his...
Last tour of Hempfield high school before renovations scheduled
Hempfield Area School District residents can check out the inside of the high school one last time before renovations begin by attending an alumni tour on Saturday at 10 a.m. The tour will be led by administrators, teachers and retired faculty who will guide visitors around the building and discuss...
WestCo Roller Derby team hosts final home game of the season
WestCo Roller Derby will host its fourth and final home game on Saturday in Salem. The team will take on the Black Rose Riveters from Hanover in a 7 p.m. match at Palmer Imaging Arena, 100 Center Ice Drive in Salem. Established in 2012, the team includes women from Westmoreland,...
21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic set for Salem’s Fairview Park
Historic Fairview Park, just outside Delmont in Salem, will host its 21st annual Old Fashioned Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 19. Bring a picnic basket, coolers, blankets and lawn chairs for an afternoon including old-fashioned games for children and adults of all ages. Pets and alcohol are not...
Ligonier Valley Library annual Historical Photography Show runs through Sept. 12
The Ligonier Valley Library’s annual Historical Photography Show kicks off Tuesday. This year’s show is titled “Faces of Ligonier Valley: Veterans of Vietnam and the Cold War.” The event is slated to run from Tuesday through Sept. 12 in the Pennsylvania Room and Hallway. Photographs of men and women who...
Hempfield book policies up for future vote with further revisions
School libraries would be required to post a list of requested new books a month ahead of time for the public and school board to review under new proposed revisions to book policies at Hempfield Area School District. The policy revisions for acquiring new school library materials and challenging the...
Greensburg promotes new detective sergeant, hires new officer
Greensburg city officials promoted one member of their police department and hired a new one Monday night. Detective Justin Scalzo was promoted to the rank of detective sergeant, and council voted to hire Jonathan Stevenson as the department’s newest officer. Both moves came by unanimous vote. Scalzo has been with...
Trial begins for Bolivar man accused of trying to kidnap, kill jogger
Surveillance video and tire tracks helped investigators find the man accused of attempting to kidnap and kill an 18-year college student who was out for her morning run, a Westmoreland County detective testified Monday. Detective John Swartz told jurors that evidence led police to the Bolivar home of Frank Springer,...
Real estate consultants kick off Greensburg visit with tour of downtown properties
Reimagining the potential of downtown Greensburg took another step forward Monday. A group of national commercial real estate experts toured prominent vacant properties that long have bedeviled economic growth in the city’s business district. “They had some very general questions,” said Greensburg Councilman Randy Finfrock, who met with the group...
Bon Journey to headline annual Harvest Market Dinner at Loyalhanna Watershed Association Farm
The annual Harvest Market Dinner and Dance sponsored by the Ligonier Country Market and Loyalhanna Watershed Association is set for Aug. 12. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on market grounds at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association Farm, just off West Main Street, Springer Road in Ligonier...
Penn State Master Gardeners to host open house in Hempfield
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Westmoreland County will host a July 15 open house at the Donohoe Demo Gardens in Hempfield. Master gardeners will be on hand to give tours; share techniques; and discuss native plants, composting and how to attract monarchs and other pollinators from 10 a.m. to...
Greensburg student attends gathering of future medical leaders, sets sights on career as vet
Shelby Frick, at 17, has witnessed doctors performing a rotator cuff surgery and she’s heard about ground-breaking medical research directly from the lips of Nobel laureates. The rising senior at Greensburg Salem High School had those experiences in June while attending a three-day Congress of Future Medical Leaders near Boston....
Jeannette EMS closure underlines funding concerns for area ambulance services
Ambulance crews that provide life-saving intervention are themselves in need of life support, industry officials said. Insufficient funding is one of the primary factors that prompted the abrupt closure of the Jeannette EMS ambulance service a week ago, said Randy Highlands, director of operations. It’s an outcome he fears other...
Derry Agricultural Fair goes on without chickens
The Derry Agricultural Fair has kicked off festivities for another year, but is missing some of its feathered friends. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has banned poultry and eggs from fairs across the state for another year because of high numbers of bird flu cases in the state. The ban...
Western Pa. superintendents say test scores are climbing in contrast to Nation’s Report Card results
Math and reading scores among America’s 13-year-olds fell to their lowest levels in decades, with math scores plunging by the largest margin ever recorded, according to the results of a federal test known as the Nation’s Report Card. The results are the latest measure of deep learning setbacks in the...
North Belle Vernon hosts music performances
North Belle Vernon’s Community Bank Park will offer free performances by barbershop and polka music groups in the third week of July. The Belle Vernon Public Library will host 3Rivers4, a barbershop-style acapella harmony group, at 6:30 p.m. on July 20. The group will perform a variety of selections, including...
Protect PT seeks support for proposed gas well ordinance
Protect PT, an environmental nonprofit located in Penn Township, will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday to gather support for a proposed ordinance regarding gas well drilling and development practices. In the proposal, the nonprofit requests that the township: • allow a 2,500-foot buffer between new well pads and...
Land trust expands effort at St. Xavier site in Unity
The Westmoreland Land Trust is expanding a preservation project at its St. Xavier site by planting native grasses and wildflowers. Along Route 30 in Unity, the St. Xavier Nature Preserve is part of an ongoing collaboration with Saint Vincent College, which donated cameras and other infrastructure to create livestreams of...
