Westmoreland category, Page 338
Smithton teen accused in crude, vulgar graffiti incidents
A Smithton teen is facing several misdemeanor charges after police said he hand drew crude and vulgar graffiti on five properties, three of which are near churches, according to court papers. The vandalism included depictions of male genitalia and a racial slur, according to Smithton police. Jeffrey Schoaf Jr., 18,...
Free pierogi samples at Gosia’s Pierogies in Unity this weekend
Curious to know what a sweet potato pierogi tastes like? You’re in for a treat this weekend. Gosia’s Pierogies will host a fall pierogi kickoff from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the business’s Unity distribution center. Attendees can enjoy free pierogi samples, and those who purchase 10 dozen...
Emergency responders poised to upgrade equipment via federal grant money
Volunteer fire companies and EMS organizations across Southwestern Pennsylvania continue to benefit from federal grants targeted at local emergency responders. Since 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Department of Homeland Security has doled out more than 1,800 Assistance to Firefighters Grants across the country, totaling nearly $323 million. The most...
Westmoreland happenings: Apple jamboree, craft shows, car cruise
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...
Group seeks to cut Norwin library funding; director says service cuts may follow
Norwin Public Library could lose about 85% of its taxpayer-generated funding if voters in the area it serves decide to cut 1 mill from the special 1.2-mill library tax on real estate. “It will impact the library’s state funding and other funding. It will have a cascade effect,” that likely...
Officials urge preparedness, insurance coverage in wake of Westmoreland flooding
More than 80 homes in Unity and Hempfield townships were damaged on Aug. 5 when a storm dumped 5 inches of rain on the area, causing flash flooding. But only four of those dwellings were covered by flood insurance, according to state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield. That local statistic punctuated...
Pets saved from Mt. Pleasant Township house fire
Dogs and cats were rescued from a home that caught fire in Mt. Pleasant Township Wednesday morning. No people were home at 6802 Low St. but there were pets in the house as smoke billowed from the upstairs windows, according to Hecla Volunteer Fire Department firefighters and neighbors at the...
Jeannette police accused of excessive force in 2021 arrest
A New Alexandria man claims he was assaulted by Jeannette police officers last year when he arrived at the scene of a vehicle crash involving his mother. David Vucish, 50, appeared in court on Tuesday to challenge charges of resisting arrest and other offenses filed in connection with the May...
Delmont man pleads guilty to sexual assaults of teens
A Delmont man was ordered to serve nearly one year in jail for the 2021 sexual assault two teenaged girls. William J. Seibert, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three felony counts of statutory sexual assault. Police said two girls, ages 14 and 15, claimed they had sex with Seibert in...
Pitt-Greensburg to display art, honor alumni, hold festival during Blue & Gold Homecoming Celebration
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg will honor outstanding alumni, showcase campus and local art and host festival activities during its annual Blue & Gold Homecoming Celebration continuing through Saturday. The art show is underway at Millstein Library on campus. Running through Oct. 7 on the library’s second floor, it...
Man dies after being stabbed multiple times in Jeannette
A 62-year-old Jeannette man was stabbed to death Monday night in a fight with a Penn Hills man, police said. Police were responding to a call about an altercation about 9:45 p.m. on South Sixth Street in Jeannette when they found William Osselburn bleeding from wounds to his neck, left...
North Huntingdon man receives 25 to 50 years in prison for sexual assaults
A North Huntingdon man was sentenced Monday to 25 to 50 years in a state prison for repeatedly raping a girl and taking pornographic photographs and videos involving her. The girl testified during a sentencing hearing for John M. Wilbanks, 41, that therapy helped her realize that the sexual assaults...
Judge to determine if Jeannette man understood rights in arson case
A Westmoreland County judge is being asked to determine whether a Jeannette man was capable of understanding his rights and whether a statement he made to police in a deadly 2018 row house fire was voluntary. Brian E. Rendon, 38, is charged with homicide and arson in the April 9,...
Deputy warden retires from Westmoreland jail
George Lowther started his job as a corrections officer with the Westmoreland County Prison on the first day the facility opened in 1993. Lowther, who rose through ranks over the years to become deputy warden, will be saying goodbye to the jail in Hempfield and his longtime job. The county...
Donegal Township man sentenced for assault of child
A Donegal Township man was sentenced Monday to 22 to 44 months in a state prison for sexually assaulting a mentally challenged child. Ronald W. Kern, 81, was ordered to spend an additional five years on probation after the prison term. He pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated indecent assault...
New Jersey man gets 3 years’ probation for deceiving Hempfield woman
A New Jersey man was sentenced Monday to three years of probation in a bail scam that netted $5,000 from a Hempfield woman who state police said was led to believe her daughter needed bail money. Noel Medrano-Abreu, 30, will remain jailed pending the outcome of a similar case in...
Pumpkin grown in Harrison City snares top prize at Ohio festival
A Harrison City man squashed the competition at a pumpkin festival in Ohio. Erik Gunstrom’s 2,405-pound entry won first place in the 58th annual Barnesville, Ohio, Pumpkin Festival on Wednesday, beating the next runner-up by more than 40 pounds. Last year’s winner at that festival was 2,195 pounds. Gunstrom, an...
Westmoreland County begins testing of voting machines in preparation for general election
Westmoreland County election officials Monday began the lengthy week-long process of testing all the voting machines and scanners to ensure they are operating properly before being sealed and transported to voting sites beginning seven days before the Nov. 8 election. The tests to be conducted on all 889 voting machines...
Derry Township road closure, Route 22 lane restrictions to begin Wednesday
Motorists will encounter a detour in Derry Township and a lane restriction in the New Alexandria area this week, according to PennDOT officials. Single-lane, nighttime restrictions are scheduled to begin Wednesday on Route 22 in New Alexandria and Salem Township. The nightly restrictions are to be in place between 8...
New Stanton man seriously hurt in Hempfield crash
A New Stanton man was seriously injured Friday after state police said he tried to pass another vehicle on Arona Road in Hempfield. A Toyota Sienna with two occupants slowed near the road’s intersection with Davinci Drive around 8:30 p.m. to make a left turn. Troopers said James D. Herrin,...
Breezy day doesn’t dampen Mt. Pleasant glass festival crowd
A cool breeze with an intermittent threat of showers Sunday afternoon did not prevent crowds of people from enjoying the numerous food and craft booths and entertainment at the Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival in downtown Mt. Pleasant. “It was packed Friday and Saturday. People come from all over...
Behind the art: Layers of meaning hidden in The Westmoreland’s ‘magic realist’ painting
Early in his career, Jeremiah William McCarthy was told by a mentor, “Until you lay your hand and eye on all the objects in the collection, you can’t call yourself a curator.” When he came to The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in April as chief curator, he set out...
Mellon Foundation bolsters effort to address chronic absenteeism in region’s schools
Schools are back in session for in-person learning, but in some cases, students are simply not showing up. And these are not just kids ditching a class or two. Millions of students are now being classified by the U.S. Department of Education as chronically absent after missing 10% or more...
Sutersville dedicates town park to ’14 Sons’ who died serving their country
Lucy Barber Petershankski looked at a sign attached to the fence of the 14 Sons of Sutersville Memorial Park. The park was dedicated Saturday morning to 14 native sons of Sutersville who died while serving in the military in the last century. The sign had pictures and text about each...
15th annual Yough Night high school band festival draws hundreds to Cougar Mountain
The 15th annual Yough Night band festival was held Saturday at Cougar Mountain in Herminie. Marching bands from McKeesport, Maplewood, Southmoreland, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel Area, Penn Hills, Burrell, Moon, Norwin, Kiski Area, Belle Vernon, Connellsville, Jeannette, Greensburg Salem, Derry, Hempfield and Yough high schools were scheduled to...
