Westmoreland category, Page 311
As Westmoreland’s suicide numbers rise, ‘we have to talk about it’
When Melissa Hughes’ son, Mason, died by suicide in November 2021, she didn’t know where to turn for help with the grief. The Derry Township woman eventually found local resources and now helps comfort others who experience the same devastation while keeping her son’s memory alive. “If I can save...
Looking for New Year’s plans? 5 Westmoreland County destinations to celebrate
Still looking for New Year’s plans? Here are five places you can celebrate from today to Monday, Dec. 29 to Jan. 1, in Westmoreland County. Champagne and dancing at Morelands at Waterworks The South Greensburg venue Morelands at Waterworks will host a New Year’s Eve party beginning at 9 p.m....
Westmoreland happenings: Day at the races, exercise classes
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
3 people flown to hospitals from head-on crash in Washington Township
Three people were flown by medical helicopter from a head-on crash late Tuesday night in Washington Township, according to emergency officials. First responders including Murrysville Medic One, four fire companies and state police were called to the intersection of Route 66 and Mamont Road around 10:45 p.m., for a report...
Westmoreland’s political focus shifts to county races in 2023
With the books closed on the 2022 election, Westmoreland County political leaders are ready to focus on local races heading into 2023 with control of most key courthouse offices at stake. Republicans will attempt to continue the party’s stranglehold on local politics as the calendar flips with races for county...
Natural gas service disrupted in Hempfield
About two dozen homes in the Penn High Park section of Hempfield remained without natural gas service Tuesday, after the service lines were flooded on Christmas Day by a crew fixing a water line break, a Columbia Gas Co. of Pennsylvania spokesman said. The time frame for when residents will...
Jeannette man killed in Derry Township crash
A 26-year-old Jeannette man died Tuesday night in a one-car crash along Route 981 in Derry Township, state police at Kiski Valley said. Jacob Scott Mayer was pronounced dead at the scene, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. Police said Mayer was traveling northbound on Route 981 at a high...
Annual Christmas Bird Count set for area surrounding Bushy Run Battlefield
When members of the Westmoreland Bird and Nature Club conduct the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, many of them will have their eyes peeled for a specific avian arrival. That’s because a Northern shrike, affectionately known by nature lovers as “the butcher bird,” has been sighted in...
Man dies after falling down embankment while checking animal traps on Unity property
A Unity man died Tuesday night after falling down an embankment on his property while checking animal traps, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said. The coroner’s office identified the man as Paul Berger, 63. “It was icy and he fell down the side of the hill. It was a very...
Drop-off recycling programs turn live Christmas trees into mulch
Once the gifts have been unwrapped and the ornaments have been packed away, households that celebrated Christmas with a live tree have options for disposing of their used evergreen in an environmentally friendly way. Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling has partnered with several local communities, organizations and businesses to offer its...
Westmoreland among counties with most drug delivery resulting in death prosecutions
More drug dealers implicated in fatal overdoses are being prosecuted in Westmoreland County than in any other county is Southwestern Pennsylvania. Statistics released in December by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts revealed that 6.2% of all drug delivery resulting in death cases brought by state prosecutors since 2017 were...
Derry Township fire victim died of smoke inhalation, coroner says
The fire that killed a Derry Township woman on Christmas Eve started on the kitchen stove in the rear of the house, a fire official said. The victim, Esther Ann McChesney, 78, was trapped inside her Pizza Barn Road home and died from her injuries, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson...
Latrobe may consider ban on consumer fireworks
Latrobe council may ban consumer fireworks in the city. The issue arose during a debate to amend the city fireworks ordinance to mirror that of newly passed state regulations, which prohibit fireworks within 150 feet of the nearest building or vehicle. City Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer James Niesuma presented...
Victim of fatal Derry Township house fire identified
An elderly woman died after a house fire Saturday night, one of two simultaneous fires Christmas Eve in Derry Township. Bradenville Volunteer Fire Department members along with crew from a half-dozen other companies were called to Pizza Barn Road around 5:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of a house fire,...
Out & About: Westmoreland Symphony takes audience ‘Home for the Holidays’
It took a joint effort to conduct the Westmoreland Symphony’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert, on Dec. 17 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. WSO Artistic Director Daniel Meyer was leading the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Highmark Holiday Pops concert that night, so he invited guest conductor Andres Franco to the...
New Alexandria teen creates flag monument, soars to Eagle Scout rank
Motorists driving along Route 22 after dark may notice something new in the air if they glance up as they pass through New Alexandria. Three patriotic flags, illuminated at night, now stand tall at the west end of town — thanks to New Alexandria teen Lachlan McKlveen. McKlveen, who will...
State forester leads tree value workshop at Penguin Court
When people look at a tree, they might admire its branches, bark or leaves. Some private landowners might also want to know what the tree is worth. Pennsylvania Service Forester Michael Doucette recently led a forest mensuration class at Penguin Court in Laughlintown to teach community members how to determine...
Down time: What to do in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve
’Twas the day after Christmas … You’re off work and the kids are home from school. You’ve visited all your friends and relatives. The kids already are tired of their gifts. Now, you’re just waiting for New Year’s Eve. What to do in the meantime, while school is closed and...
Out & About: Greensburg Art Center hosts members’ Christmas party
Greensburg Art Center President Jerry Scorpion took a moment to reflect on the past year, during the Dec. 11 members’ Christmas party at the Hempfield gallery and educational facility. It’s been a good one in terms of growth in both membership and class attendance. “The clay classes are going through...
Christmas traditions live on at Western Pa. churches
About 20 volunteers bustled about the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew parish in Crabtree one morning this week, converting the simple country church into an elaborately decorated sanctuary. Garlands and wreaths now hang from the balcony, as a decorated tree and Nativity scene fill the space. The group of helpers, primarily...
Behind the art: ‘Night Shift’ depicts Aliquippa steelworkers at The Westmoreland
It looks cold, the men walking on a snowy street, their hands stuffed in jacket pockets heading into work. “Night Shift” is more than that though. The 1936 painting by Ernest Fiene that depicts men walking to a steel plant in Aliquippa came at a formative time for U.S. labor...
Caretaker accused of stealing $30K from Greensburg man
A former caretaker for an elderly Greensburg man is accused of stealing $31,600 from him between May and September, according to court papers. Gede L. Stewart, 48, of Greensburg was charged Thursday with forgery, theft, financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person, access device fraud and related...
International students enjoy Christmas celebration in Westmoreland County
It rarely snows in Tokyo. So it was “really cool” for Sohta Miyagawa, a Japanese student who is attending Penn-Trafford High School, to see a layer of snow blanket the ground in Western Pennsylvania. “I’m looking forward to Christmas (in America),” Miyagawa said this week at a Christmas party hosted...
Westmoreland law enforcement agencies get $1.5M in grants
Five law enforcement agencies in Westmoreland County have been awarded $1.5 million in state funding that will help at least two of them make technology upgrades. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office received the largest share of the five, $497,000, from the local law enforcement support grant program through the...
Vintage blow mold figurines are hot this holiday season
It didn’t take long for the angel blow mold Christmas decoration Laura Kochasic dropped off for sale at L&L Fleatique II in Adamsburg to find a new home — someone bought it the same day. The vintage hollow plastic holiday light-up figures have resurged in popularity this year with retailers...
