Westmoreland category, Page 342
Murrysville incorporates residents’ feedback into park improvements
Murrysville Parks and Recreation Director Carly Greene was pleasantly surprised when a group of about 35 people turned out for a May neighborhood parks meeting at Kovalczik Park. Less than a half-dozen folks showed up at previous park meetings, and this big turnout was the precise reason for hosting them:...
Scottdale coffee shop owners have reason to celebrate during this year’s fall festival
When Melville Petrosky first entered the coffee shop in the former Collections by Marty building in Scottdale a few years ago to see a friend’s artwork on display, he had to leave. Not because he didn’t like the space, but because he loved it. “I always wanted a coffee shop,”...
Glassport man accused of selling guns stolen from North Huntingdon home
A Glassport man accused by police of selling several guns stolen from a North Huntingdon home was arraigned Wednesday on theft charges. John S. Hudak, 47, took photographs of the guns and communicated with potential buyers through Facebook messages, according to court papers. Police believe 13 handguns and long guns...
Westmoreland set to end deal with Monessen for blight project
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday are expected to terminate a contract with Monessen to coordinate a plan to remove blighted properties in the city. Officials signed off on a $7,500 deal late last year in which the county planning department would oversee efforts to identify and publicize efforts to remove dilapidated...
Greensburg OKs 5-year union contract, code enforcement retirement and hiring
Union members of Greensburg’s recreation and public works and operations staffs will see annual pay hikes under a new five-year contract. City council this week approved the contract with Teamsters Local 30 that runs from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2027. The 21 workers included in the bargaining unit...
Hempfield man stopped at Delmont Dairy Queen with guns told police he was ‘fighting the shadow fake presidency’
A 2021 involuntary mental health commitment prohibited a Hempfield man from possessing a firearm, but Delmont police said they confiscated three loaded handguns from him after an incident at a Dairy Queen on Saturday, according to court papers released Wednesday. The man claimed to be an undercover state trooper who...
Thieves target cars at Westmoreland County parks
Westmoreland County Park Police are investigating a rash of thefts from cars at county parks, including one apparently linked to a fraudulent transaction at a Hempfield financial institution. Daylight thefts have occurred throughout the county park system, according to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, and have included purses and other items stolen...
Hempfield school officials, police investigating after bus picks up person who claimed to be a student
The Hempfield Area School District is investigating after a person claiming to be a student was picked up by a school bus Wednesday morning and dropped off at the high school. According to information sent to parents, the driver of bus 65 received permission from the bus garage to pick...
Republic Services officials say they’re planning changes to improve Delmont collections
Republic Services municipal sales manager Renee Shipley told Delmont officials that the company is making some changes to help address customer complaints about poor communication and missed collections. “We know you’ve been more than patient with us,” Shipley said at this week’s council meeting. “You’re our partner, and we have...
Pedestrian hurt after being hit on Route 982 in Derry Township
A woman was flown by medical helicopter Tuesday afternoon to a Pittsburgh hospital after apparently being hit by a vehicle in Derry Township, according to Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine. The incident happened after 2:30 p.m. on Route 982 near a storage facility and cemetery, just before Industrial Boulevard. Piantine...
Westmoreland happenings: Community picnic, rummage sale, band festival, more
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...
Navy veteran, retired insurance broker known for work ethic, volunteerism
Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series about Westmoreland County residents who have been honored as Hometown Heroes. Bill Tuscano didn’t look forward to idle time. He retired in 1992, leaving the Greensburg insurance brokerage firm he’d built to the next generation of his family. But, at...
Former Fort Pitt Brewery in Jeannette recommended for demolition
The former Fort Pitt Brewery in Jeannette and seven other structures in the city were deemed public nuisances Tuesday and recommended for demolition. It was a formality for the crumbling multibuilding brewery complex in West Jeannette that has been acquired by the Westmoreland County Land Bank in preparation for redevelopment....
Spirit cuts Fort Myers flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity
Spirit Airlines has eliminated its seasonal flights to Fort Myers, Fla., from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, on Tuesday confirmed the Unity airport’s lone commercial carrier has slashed the route that over the past half-decade carried passengers on three flights a...
Hempfield woman told police she was going to sell 40 bricks of heroin to raise cash for son’s attorney
A Hempfield woman told police she bought 40 bricks of heroin to earn money and was going to sell the drugs to pay for her son’s defense attorney, according to court papers. Misty D. Giron, 46, was arrested last week on drug charges. She is accused of talking with her...
Pitt-Greensburg, Diversity Coalition present series on bias, hate crimes, marginalization
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition are presenting a virtual speaker series to shed light on the ways different people have been marginalized and subjected to biases and hate crimes. The third annual Growth Through Knowledge and Understanding series begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday with...
Westmoreland sheriff warns new round of scam calls are posing as department
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert is warning residents that more scam calls are apparently making the rounds claiming to be originating from his department. In the latest one, the caller identifies themselves as “Officer Chris Hawkins” from the sheriff’s department calling from 724-484-6211, he said. It has been reported that...
1 taken to hospital after Route 30 crash in Derry Township
A man was taken to a local hospital following a one-car crash Tuesday morning on Route 30 in Derry Township. The car crashed into and damaged a 70-foot section of guardrail along the westbound lanes of Route 30, about a half mile before the Route 217 intersection, according to Bradenville...
Behind the art: The Westmoreland’s Tiffany window ‘a treasure among treasures’
Editor’s note: Behind the Art is a new feature in Westmoreland Plus. It profiles some of the artworks that are in museums in the region. An artwork would have to be quite remarkable to be considered “a treasure among treasures” in the permanent collection of The Westmoreland Museum of American...
Westmoreland sells 135 tax delinquent properties at auction
Westmoreland County added more than $1.62 million to its coffers Monday from the sale of tax delinquent properties. The annual sale netted about $120,000 more than what buyers paid last year, when 125 properties sold for about $1.5 million; and fell just short of the total earned during the 2020...
Hard work pays off: Jeannette couple enjoys new Habitat for Humanity home
It was a big day for Liz Blazowich and her fiancee Alan Beech. The Jeannette couple officially took ownership Monday of their new house thanks to Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity. And they immediately started moving in while mixed breed dog Luna enjoyed checking out her new place. “It’s still...
Monessen man pleads guilty for fight with police, gun and weapons charges
Aliziah Feliberty had no answer when asked by a county judge Monday morning if he understood just what could have happened when he resisted arrest following a scuffle with police last year in Monessen. “What did you think you could have accomplished when you tried to disarm these two officers....
PennDOT sets job fairs for Westmoreland, 3 neighboring counties
PennDOT has scheduled four career fairs as it looks to hire winter maintenance workers in as many counties and to fill permanent commercial driver’s license operator and maintenance positions in Westmoreland and Washington counties. Each fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the respective county’s PennDOT maintenance...
Hempfield man in clown wig carrying loaded gun arrested at Delmont Dairy Queen
Three loaded handguns and 62 rounds of ammunition were seized from a Hempfield man Saturday after Delmont police said he took one of the weapons into the Route 66 Dairy Queen. Officers were responding to the area about 1:30 p.m. after a motorist reported an erratic driver wearing a bright...
Herminie man accused of witness intimidation
A Herminie man is accused of intimidating a witness during a July revocation hearing in a 2021 case against him, according to court papers. Michael Wichelmann, 59, was denied bond during his arraignment Friday. Westmoreland County detectives said several witnesses were subpoenaed for a July 7 revocation hearing for Wichelmann...
