Westmoreland category, Page 255
Latrobe parade brings large crowds to celebrate Fourth of July
Large crowds gathered on Tuesday morning in downtown Latrobe to celebrate Independence Day at the town’s annual Fourth of July parade. During this year’s Greater Latrobe 4th of July Celebration, which began at 10:30 a.m., children caught candy tossed from parade floats, and families cheered in red, white, and blue...
Jeannette EMS shuts down after 63 years
Jeannette EMS announced that the ambulance service was shutting down Monday night after 63 years. The department ceased operations at 7 p.m., citing poor reimbursement rates from insurance companies, according to a Facebook post on the service’s page. The post added that Jeannette EMS is “sadly not the first service...
Ligonier Township man charged with 25 counts of possessing child pornography
A Ligonier Township man was arrested late last week and charged with 25 counts of child pornography possession and five counts of sharing child pornography, after a police investigation led to the seizure of computers at his home, according to court records. Members of the state attorney general’s Child Predator...
Connellsville man accused of recording, distributing video of nude teen
A Connellsville man is accused of video recording a topless teen and sending it to others through Facebook, according to court papers. Jonathan A. Dulaney, 28, is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, child pornography, corruption of minors and related offenses. State police said the girl reported she was...
More than 2 pounds of suspected fentanyl found in minivan bumper on Pa. Turnpike, police say
More than 2 pounds of suspected fentanyl was found hidden Thursday in the front bumper of a minivan traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to court papers. Ernesto A. Lantigua-Arias, 39, of Massachusetts, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $250,000 bail. He is...
Ligonier Township man wielded machete before being fatally shot by police, detectives say
Ligonier Valley Police were responding to a domestic disturbance Sunday afternoon when they fatally shot a machete-wielding man at a Ligonier Township home, according to Westmoreland County detectives. Robbie Thomas Saunders, 59, was armed with a machete when officers arrived just before 4 p.m. at a Gravel Hill Road home....
Mercedes driver sought in reported hit-and-run incidents at Pa. Turnpike interchange
State police are looking for an older model black Mercedes sedan that reportedly was involved in two hit-and-run crashes in as many days on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Irwin interchange exit ramp to Route 30. Troopers said a 24-year-old Mt. Pleasant man reported the 7 a.m. crashes on Thursday and Friday...
Iceburgh’s Express offers quick lunch options in downtown Greensburg
Busy workers and shoppers have a new on-the-go lunch option in downtown Greensburg. Iceburgh’s Express opened June 12 at 15 E. Pittsburgh St., offering create-your-own salads and wraps, along with pre-made wraps, snacks, cookies and beverages. It’s the second Iceburgh’s venture for Skip and Alicia Majiros of North Huntingdon, who...
Despite weather, labor challenges, sweet corn is still king for area farmers
Greg Forejt Jr., owner and operator of Windy Heights Farm in East Huntingdon, was determined to get an early jump on sweet corn season this year. He and his team began in the early spring by planting about 140,000 seeds in a greenhouse on his property. As the stalks began...
Fireworks in Pennsylvania: Public menace or family fun?
For decades, backyard fireworks enthusiasts in Western Pennsylvania had two choices: trek across state lines to purchase fancy pyrotechnics or settle for some sparklers in Pennsylvania. Rob Kuhns of Hempfield spends around $500 a year on fireworks for the Fourth of July and would cross the border to Ohio every...
Officer-involved shooting leaves 1 person dead in Ligonier Township
A Ligonier Valley police officer shot and killed an unidentified man Sunday at a township residence, authorities said. Police responded to a Gravel Hill Road home about 3:50 p.m., which led to the shooting, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said in a news release. She did not elaborate...
Latrobe’s Miss 4th of July 2023: Volunteer, scholar, performer
Seventeen-year-old Piper Anke has a busy schedule. With work as a volunteer, shows to perform and awards to accept, it’s no small feat that the Derry Area student was able to compete in this year’s Latrobe’s Miss 4th of July pageant, let alone take home the crown. Anke is well-known...
Police say Pittsburgh bar owner hired locksmith to open padlocked nuisance property
A Penn Township man who owns a Pittsburgh bar that was padlocked Friday was arrested over the weekend after authorities said he hired a locksmith and entered the building, according to court papers. Derrick Hemby, 60, was released on his own recognizance Sunday on felony charges of trespass and solicitation....
Out & About: Westmoreland Art Nationals bestow 2nd round of awards
Walter Mizwa of Monongahela was accepted into the Westmoreland Art Nationals for a photo titled “Mr. Stump,” an image of a craggy face carved into a tree in Washington County’s Mingo Park. Unfortunately, viewers intrigued by the photo won’t be able to go find the source of his inspiration. The...
Out & About: TGIS summer concerts return to The Palace Theatre
Westmoreland Cultural Trust hosts its signature Party at The Palace every winter at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg — but that doesn’t mean there’s not a party going on at other times of the year. A festive atmosphere prevailed as the TGIS series of free summer concerts returned to the...
Scottdale Concert Band kicks off season with back-to-back performances
The Scottdale Concert Band will perform at 7 p.m. July 8 and 9 in Scottdale and Ligonier to kick off it upcoming summer concert series. The band was formed in 1981, and in 2021 reorganized as a nonprofit organization which can apply for grants and accept donations. The concerts will...
Out & About: The Westmoreland celebrates community with ‘Block Party’
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is joining in the Westmoreland 250, a yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Westmoreland County, with the exhibit,“Block Party: Community and Celebration in American Art.” Running through Sept. 17, the exhibit takes inspiration from the World War I-era innovation of...
Unusual arts, crafts showcased at Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival
An idea and a leap of faith led business partners Tina Fink and Ron Johnson down a new career path — creating jewelry and other items from vintage flatware and coins. Fink said it’s been rewarding to find unique pieces and then a new home for them. One customer who...
Appeals court rejects Thomas Stanko’s bid to lower federal prison sentence
A federal prison sentence was upheld by appeals court judges who considered an appeal from a Unity man serving time in a gun case. Three Third Circuit judges last month rejected an appeal from Thomas G. Stanko, 52, who was sentenced in July 2022 to seven years and three months....
Officials stop in Greensburg to urge fireworks safety, burn prevention
Fireworks were blamed for causing a Memorial Day house fire in Penn Township, a scenario local officials are hoping won’t be repeated somewhere else over the Fourth of July holiday. “You can ruin what is supposed to be a happy occasion through the careless use of fireworks,” cautioned Greensburg Mayor...
July 14 deadline for Westmoreland Democrats to apply for commissioner vacancy
Qualified Westmoreland County Democrats who are interested in filling a pending vacancy on the county’s board of commissioners have until 4 p.m. on July 14 to submit an application. Westmoreland County’s 11 Common Pleas judges are scheduled to meet on July 17 in Courtroom 3 to hear oral presentations from...
Judge denies bond request by suspect in Jeannette stabbing death
Antwone Dupree Thurston II, 24, of Verona will remain behind bars as his criminal homicide case proceeds in Westmoreland County Court. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday denied the defense request that he set bail for Thurston, who is accused of fatally stabbing William Osselburn, 62, of Jeannette, following an altercation...
Westmoreland County to hold job fair to fill up to 250 vacancies
Westmoreland County has put out the help wanted sign. The county will conduct a job fair Wednesday, Aug. 16 at Twin Lakes Park designed to help fill as many as 250 vacant government jobs. “We desperately want to fill these vacancies,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. “When you don’t have proper...
Monessen man dies in Washington County crash
A Monessen man died of injuries after he crashed Thursday night just off Route 43 in California, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. Eric A. Moore, 56, was exiting Route 43 onto Malden Road just before 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and traveled down an...
Tractor-trailer crash shuts Pa. Turnpike between Irwin-Monroeville for hours
A crash involving a tractor-trailer early Friday shut down the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Irwin and Monroeville exits for several hours. The wreck was cleared and all lanes between Exits 67 and 57 were reopened by 9 a.m., according to PennDOT. The crash was reported at...
