Westmoreland category, Page 336
2 Westmoreland men accused of causing $2,500 damage to Somerset soybean fields
Two Westmoreland County men are accused by state police of driving four-wheelers through Somerset County soybean fields last month, causing $2,500 in damage. The two men, both 19, from Irwin and Jeannette, were not named in a news release about the Sept. 3 incident. Troopers said the pair drove onto...
Greensburg wants to tap state gambling revenue to help fund ice arena update
Greensburg officials are looking for additional state funding to help replace the aging refrigeration system at the city’s ice arena. The city is seeking a $400,000 grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Local Share Account. The funds, which are generated through state gambling revenue, would supplement a $1.5 million state...
Westmoreland communities place their bets on windfall from casino revenue
Community leaders are hoping to be flush with cash after they placed their bets on winning a share of $3.75 million in local casino revenue. A portion of the money that gamblers spent having fun at Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield last year could be used for community upgrades such...
Latrobe in talks to add electric vehicle charging stations downtown
Downtown Latrobe could welcome numerous electric vehicle charging stations in the near future. On Monday, Sept. 26, the Latrobe City Council discussed the logistics of adding nine electric vehicle charging stations within the city limits. City Manager Terry Carcella said the city needs to install stations eventually as electric cars...
Employers have jobs to offer, yet struggle to fill vacancies
Gemma Koury of Greensburg was looking for a job Sept. 26, checking the various employers who lined the halls of the PA CareerLink office at the Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. “I was looking for something in elder care,” said Koury, 32, who had been working in a restaurant...
New Florence man charged in police assault seeks release from jail
A former New Florence man acquitted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2015 claims his speedy trial rights were violated as he awaits trial on charges that he assaulted police at his home last year. Ray A. Shetler Jr., 38, wants to be released on a nominal...
Out & About: Greensburg Garden Center event features tips from radio’s ‘Handy Andy’
Hardware store owner and all-around handyman Andy Amrhein said he likes presenting programs for the Greensburg Garden Center. “You have a lot of questions, and I have a lot of answers,” he told about 80 attendees at the group’s annual Meeting Out on Tuesday at Greensburg Country Club. Amrhein, who...
No major injuries in Route 981 crash in New Alexandria
Emergency responders were called to a two-vehicle crash Tuesday morning in New Alexandria. Fire and EMS crews responded to the intersection of Route 981 and William Penn Highway just before 5:45 a.m. Route 981 was closed down at Route 22 while officials investigated and cleared the scene, emergency dispatchers said....
Westmoreland redevelopment agency to focus on blight prevention
Westmoreland redevelopment officials Monday announced a renewed focus on community blight prevention, hoping to nip future problems in the bud. “We want to be proactive in providing our communities with a plan. We don’t want to just be a demolition authority,” agency Executive Director Brian Lawrence said. The effort comes...
Westmoreland set to return portion of unspent rental assistance funds as program continues
Low-income Westmoreland County renters lost out on more than $10 million in federal funds from 2021 because the program was mired in red tape, an official said. Qualifications for the program — designed to help renters who suffered direct financial losses during the coronavirus pandemic — were onerous and difficult...
Youngwood man receives first Beck EMS & Fire scholarship
The Andrew Logan Beck EMS & Fire Scholarship Fund that was formed shortly after the 23-year-old Mt. Pleasant firefighter’s sudden death in January has awarded Nic Blahovec $1,000 toward his tuition in his paramedic program. “I am grateful for winning the scholarship,” Blahovec said. “It is an outstanding idea due...
Homeless man pleads guilty to burglary of Greensburg church
A homeless man from Oregon was ordered to serve up to six years in prison for the burglary of a Greensburg church five days before Christmas in 2020. Timothy Lansdale, 57, pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges of burglary and for failing to register with the state police as a...
Out & About: Westmoreland Children First sells out Wine and Chocolate Gala
The Westmoreland Children First Wine and Chocolate Gala was a whirlwind world tour, with guests traveling from station to station to sample wines from California, Argentina and Italy. Carolina and Adam Quatrini dubbed themselves “The Gauchos” as they donned traditional Argentinian-style attire to pour vintages from Carolina’s native Argentina. Guests...
1 injured in truck crash in Cook Township
One person was flown by medical helicopter following a crash Sunday night in Cook Township, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. Emergency crews were called to Route 711 at Horseshoe Bend Road, near Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, just after 6 p.m., for a report of an overturned truck. Additional...
Daughters of American Revolution to dedicate marker for 18 veterans interred at Washington Township cemetery
In September 2021, members of Poke Run Presbyterian Church in Washington Township installed two new headstones to replace worn away markers in the church cemetery for two Revolutionary War soldiers, Isaac Sadler and John McConnell. Church officials had been contacted by the Major Isaac Sadler-LaBelle Vue chapter of the Daughters...
Recent crashes, fatality add to traffic concerns for Arona Road residents
Arona Road in Hempfield has seen its share of wrecks, and people who live and work along the state-maintained route worry such incidents could escalate if traffic increases. Bill and Dianne Wallace have lived along the road, just north of New Stanton, since 1983 and have noted a number of...
Behind the art: The Westmoreland’s ‘Death of Elaine’ beloved of staff and visitors
A scene of mourning at Camelot, the castle of the legendary King Arthur, is depicted in Thomas Hovenden’s 1882 oil painting, “Death of Elaine.” The king and his queen, Guinevere, along with knights, ladies-in-waiting and servants, are gathered around a bed holding the body of the young noblewoman, Elaine. Hovenden...
Residents escape fire in 2-story building in North Huntingdon, no injuries reported
Multiple fire departments responded to a fire on Sunday night in a two-story home in North Huntingdon, which re-kindled on Monday morning. Firefighters dispatched to the 2300 block of Scotch Hill Road at around 7 p.m. reported seeing flames coming from the building. Emergency crews were called back to the...
Measure to set state standards for public defenders, fill gaps in county funding passes first hurdle in Senate
The U.S. Constitution requires federal and state governments to provide effective legal counsel for people who are arrested, no matter how poor they are. But in Pennsylvania, getting a lawyer who has the resources needed to mount a proper defense often depends on the county where a person faces trial,...
Breast cancer survivor offers encouragement at Westmoreland Pink Ribbon Walk
Nikki Williams listened to what her body was telling her. That’s what helped her to learn she was suffering from breast cancer and to get the treatment she needed to beat the disease. “I want to be an advocate for women, to make sure they do their self-exams,” said the...
Out & About: Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP women’s group hosts fashion show
The guests were as runway-ready as the models at the Glitz, Glamour & Gold Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon, hosted by the Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP Women in NAACP. About 60 guests attended the swanky affair, held Saturday at the Doubletree by Hilton in Monroeville. In addition to enjoying the meal and...
Irwin police to get 6% raise in 2023 under new pact
Irwin’s police officers will get a 6% raise beginning in January in the first year of a new contract. The borough recently approved a three-year contract with the Irwin Police Officers’ Relief Association. It raises wages by 4% in 2024 and another 4% in 2025, said Shari Martino, borough manager....
Jeannette officials expect to hold tax line in 2023 budget
A property tax increase is not expected in Jeannette’s 2023 budget, chief fiscal officer Ethan Keedy said. However, there are contracts that have yet to be finalized with the city’s office workers and public works department that could potentially alter figures in the 2023 spending plan that is being formulated,...
Greensburg moves city permitting process online
Greensburg is switching to an online platform for permitting, code enforcement, inspection, licensing and planning functions, using a cloud-based program provided by OpenGov. The move is meant to streamline operations for city staff and reduce the response time for interactions with residents, property owners, contractors and members of the business...
Delmont group presses on through rain, welcomes many visitors to Apple ‘n Arts fest
A steady rain poured on the 40th Anniversary Apple ‘n Arts Festival on Saturday in Delmont, but many still braved the soggy conditions to enjoy entertainment and sample food and browse crafts offered by about 140 vendors. “We have more vendors than last year because people are coming back out...
