Westmoreland category, Page 338
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...
Optimism clear at Jeannette Glass City Heritage Festival
The crowd that walked along a couple of blocks of Clay Avenue at the Glass City Heritage Festival in Jeannette on Saturday afternoon — enjoying the entertainment, the food and drink sold by several city churches and the tables of arts and craft — was part of what appears to...
Natrona Heights man hurt in Salem crash
A Natrona Heights man has been identified by state police as the driver of a car that overturned Thursday on Route 66 and hit a tractor-trailer at the entrance to Sunoco Logistics Partners in Salem Township. Noah E. Bianco, 19, suffered what state police said was a serious injury in...
Wrongful death lawsuit filed in fatal Derry Township crash
The mother of Derry woman killed in crash earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in which she accused the driver of another vehicle of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Jennifer Krinock, 36, died as a result of injuries in the March 20 crash on...
1 airlifted following fiery wreck in Hempfield
One person was airlifted for treatment following a multiple-vehicle crash Friday night on Arona Road in Hempfield, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Firefighters from four companies responded to the crash that occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of West Lake Drive. They extinguished a fire that...
Libertarian candidate for governor brings campaign to Unity
Matt Hackenburg didn’t plan to run for governor. But, he said, when his Libertarian Party nominated him, he decided, “I have a message to spread, and it’s my duty to do so.” Hackenburg, 37, an avionics engineer and National Guard veteran from Bangor, favors decriminalizing all drugs and prostitution. He...
Glass & Ethnic Festival honors Mt. Pleasant’s heritage
The Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival kicked off Friday. The three-day event aims to honor the borough’s heritage and glass industry. Friday’s schedule featured a performance by rock band Molly Hatchet, a glass auction, balloon launch and pumpkin carver. Planned events Saturday include the Main Street Parade, a pizza...
Multiple injuries in 2-car crash in St. Clair
Multiple ambulances were called to the scene of two-car crash at the eastern tip of Westmoreland County on Friday afternoon, according to county 911 officials. Emergency crews responded to Route 711 and Kuvinka Lane in St. Clair Township at 4:20 p.m., for a report of a two-car crash with injuries....
