Westmoreland category, Page 306
Hempfield Area seniors eager to raise money at Mini-THON
After a roughly five-year hiatus, Mini-THON is making a comeback at Hempfield Area High School. In March, 180 seniors will dance for 12 hours in the field house during the no-sitting event that raises money to fight pediatric cancer. Hempfield Area senior Ella Jones is organizing the event after attending...
Tiny house, big dreams for Irwin man
Got to get back to the land And get my soul free … And we got to get ourselves Back to the garden — “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell Benjamin D’Amico of Irwin is going on a life-changing venture and getting back to the land, at least for the foreseeable future,...
‘Remembrance is the thing’: Owners of vintage, antique stores report big business
The rapid growth of Yesterday’s RAVE in Greensburg has been a surprise to co-owner Patty Wolfe. The store that specializes in antique and vintage items with 15 vendors in a renovated space at the former Schaller’s Bakery building on Highland Avenue opened in November 2021. As more sections of the...
Westmoreland doubles plans for broadband upgrade projects
As much as $3 million will be spent this year on four projects aimed at improving high-speed internet access in Westmoreland County, commissioners said. These broadband upgrades come as a followup to a study by the county last year that, according to preliminary results, determined as much as 71% of...
Westmoreland County struggles with public defender staffing shortage
Westmoreland County Chief Public Defender Wayne McGrew has served more as an administrator than a courtroom attorney in recent years, supervising a team of lawyers responsible for representing indigent clients in the criminal and juvenile court systems. But that is expected to change in the coming months as McGrew’s staff...
Out & About: Fort Ligonier hosts Colonial-style Twelfth Night Celebration
Imagine a Colonial-era dance party. Fortified by a cup of rum punch, revelers kick up their heels in a few rounds of English country dancing. After that, they raise their voices to sing some popular tunes of the day. At least that’s the way it was for the Twelfth Night...
Penn Area Library teen group fosters creativity, love of reading
On a counter at the Penn Area Library In Harrison City, a pile of neatly folded glossy publications sits among fiction and nonfiction books, waiting to be perused. Upon opening a copy of the library’s Teen Zine, readers can find 12 pages full of colorful art, poetry, collages, articles, photos...
Western Pa. folks excel at state farm show
From square dancing to cheesemaking to rabbit handling, Southwestern Pennsylvanians know the agricultural industry. Here is just a sample of regional folks who won big at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show. The annual event, held Jan. 7 to 14 in Harrisburg, is the largest indoor agricultural exposition under one roof...
Disc golf course proving popular in North Huntingdon park
The weather outside might get frightful, but that won’t deter those who love to play golf at a North Huntingdon park, albeit with a twist —disc golf that requires the player to throw a specially designed Frisbee into metal basket rather than hitting a small ball into a hole. “We’ll...
Vehicle slams into North Huntingdon house in the middle of the night, flees scene
A North Huntingdon woman spent much of Saturday on the hunt for the driver who crashed into her home and then drove away. By the evening, she said she was notified by township police that they had identified the driver in the 1 a.m. incident. “It was less than 24...
Sunday service will kick off 175th anniversary events at Greensburg’s Zion’s Lutheran Church
A difference over languages spurred the founding of Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greensburg. “A number of people wanted to worship in the language of commerce, which is to say English,” said the Rev. Brian Chaffee, 23rd in the line of pastors who have led the congregation since Jan. 16,...
Feathers Artist Market in Irwin to host local author open house
Tracy Alaia, owner of Feathers Artist Market and Gifts in Irwin, describes herself as “a crazy book person.” “I read 48 books last year, and I’ve already read five books in January,” she said. “Reading is my peace and my stress relief. If I can’t sleep, I read; I prefer...
Greensburg Salem School District eyes improved website, alert system
Greensburg Salem School District plans to upgrade its website this year and offer an improved alert system for communications with local families. The district will revamp its online presence through an agreement with Finalsite, an educational technology company based in Connecticut. The school board this week approved an agreement with...
Sluggish start to snow is no obstacle to skiing season
At Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, the snow guns rev up a storm anytime the temperature gets below a chilly 27 degrees. Whether during cold nighttime off-hours or while skiers are trying out the slopes during the day, the Vail Resorts property is keeping up with the warm and...
Mt. Pleasant Township family of 5 loses everything in house fire, clothing collection started
A home in the Mt. Pleasant Township village of Hecla was destroyed in a fire Friday evening, and a neighboring fire company is collecting donations for the family. The blaze was reported around 6:30 p.m. in an old, two-story former “company home” off Hecla Road on Academy Lane. Hecla Assistant...
Greensburg woman gets jail sentence for sale of child’s medication
A Greensburg woman was ordered to serve jail time for selling a family member’s medication and paying a child for urine to help others pass drug tests. Christine M. Meadows, 48, pleaded guilty Monday to charges in four separate cases involving felony drug counts, child endangerment and other offenses as...
Greensburg man accused of trading explicit images with 16-year-old girl
A Greensburg man is charged with possession of child pornography, corruption of minors, criminal solicitation and related violations after he and a 16-year-old girl allegedly shared explicit images of themselves with each other. Greensburg police said Paul Michael Fogle, 37, requested in December that the girl send him photographs in...
Salem man sentenced to prison for sexual assault at Ligonier Township party
A Salem man was ordered Friday to serve up to 44 months in prison for the sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman at an outdoor birthday party more than two years ago in Ligonier Township. Zachary John Saflin, 24, was convicted in October of two counts of aggravated indecent assault,...
Bolivar man charged in attempted Ligonier Township kidnapping
A nearly weeklong search ended Friday when a Bolivar man was arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a female jogger at gunpoint in Ligonier Township. Frank Springer, 56, was taken into custody by Westmoreland County detectives and Ligonier Valley police and charged with attempted homicide, attempted kidnapping, aggravated...
Sewage backup prompts early dismissal at Franklin Regional Senior High
Students at Franklin Regional Senior High were dismissed from classes early Friday afternoon after a sewage backup prompted closure of the school’s bathrooms. Students were dismissed beginning at noon and teachers also were permitted to leave since bathroom facilities weren’t available, according to district Superintendent Gennaro R. Piraino Jr. Piraino...
Sociologist sees ‘haunting’ similarities between 20th, 21st century pandemic responses in U.S.
The last time Tom Soltis spoke to the American Association of University Women’s Murrysville chapter, it was during the emergence of the omicron variant of the covid-19 virus. Soltis recently retired after a career teaching sociology and anthropology at Westmoreland County Community College. He also is the author of “An...
Penn-Trafford running track to close during summer for renovations
Joggers, athletes, and local residents accustomed to using the track at Penn-Trafford High School may have to find somewhere else to walk this summer. The track will undergo renovations starting soon after Memorial Day and will be closed to the public for about two months, according to business manager Brett...
Greensburg Salem aims to help more students claim college credits for advanced courses
About 80% of Greensburg Salem High School students enroll in courses that are eligible to receive college credits. But only about 10% of those students pay the fees associated with actually receiving those credits, district Superintendent Ken Bissell said. The district plans to use a $45,000 grant from the Richard...
Repair costs undetermined for Westmoreland courthouse waterline break
Two weeks after a broken pipe caused water to cascade into four floors at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, officials still are assessing the cost of repairs. Crews worked for nearly 24 hours to fix water damage caused when sub-zero temperatures led to a waterline break the evening of Dec. 25,...
5 thing to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Jan. 13-15
Local flavors “Taste of Westmoreland” is the theme for Art on Tap 2.0, from 6 to 8 p.m. today at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The 21-and-older happy hour will feature libations and light bites from local vendors, including Bella Terra Vineyards, Salem Spirits...
