Westmoreland category, Page 346
Greensburg barber opts for retirement after more than 60 years in business
Ed DiOrio knows the long and the short of hair, and a related fact that’s kept him in business for more than 60 years: “Hair grows back.” At 85, the Greensburg man is retiring Thursday from his trade as a barber, along with the barber chair that has followed him...
Davanzo hearing at WCCC reveals first responder challenges
When an emergency call is received by dispatchers, it is treated like all others — with responders on high alert. Fully equipped with firearms, police rush to the scene. When they arrive, officers quickly assess the situation. This time in Rostraver, like the 32 times before it since January, it...
Mother sues Penn Township Athletic Association after son is injured while pitching
The mother of a boy who was hurt while pitching batting practice last year for a Penn Township Athletic Association travel baseball team has sued the organization, claiming he was directed to participate in an unsafe drill. Judith Gross of Manor said coaches were negligent and careless when they ordered...
Upgrades eyed to aid Westmoreland airport’s future
More than $2.5 million in federal funds received this summer will be used to help navigate uncertainty caused by the announced purchase of Spirit Airlines, the director of the agency that runs Arnold Palmer Regional Airport said Wednesday. Officials remain cautiously optimistic about how competitor JetBlue’s proposed purchase of Spirit...
Monessen man sentenced to prison for gun, drug offenses
A Monessen man was ordered to serve up to eight years in prison this week after he pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession and drug charges. Police said Terrance Stepoli, 30, fled from officers who responded to a call of a fight at the former Sweeney’s Steakhouse in Rostraver on...
Unity man ordered to probation, house arrest after felony sex assault charges dismissed
A Unity man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sex charge this week after prosecutors agreed to dismiss more serious felony counts after he was accused of having sexual contact with a pre-teen girl in 2019. Christopher Simoncini, 36, was ordered to serve three years on probation, including a 12-month period...
Westmoreland happenings: Broom sale, bingos, car shows
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...
Latrobe antique car show gears up for Labor Day festivities, food bank drive
Car enthusiasts in the Latrobe area can enjoy antique automobiles, fellowship and giving back this Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, Sept. 4, the Western PA Region Antique Automobile Club of America will host its 58th annual Paul P. Bell Memorial Antique Auto, Custom and Street Rod Show in Legion Keener...
Westmoreland courthouse ‘legend’ Myrna McCloskey mourned
Election nights at the Westmoreland County Courthouse used to be the place to be for local politicos to gather. Long after polls closed at 8 p.m., and after working a full day at the courthouse, it was common to see Myrna McCloskey seated at a small table in the commissioners’...
Greensburg Salem looks to increase student engagement as kindergarten numbers drop
Greensburg Salem School District is looking to get students more engaged in learning as they returned to the classroom Tuesday for the fall semester. District Superintendent Ken Bissell said in a letter posted on the Greensburg Salem website that staff have been “busy all summer preparing for engagement in teaching...
Pitt-Greensburg campus store marks remodeling with discount, prizes
The bookstore at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg will mark its renovation Wednesday with deals and refreshments. Those visiting the store at 112 Chambers Hall will find fresh carpeting, campus-themed decor and a relocated checkout area, allowing a more spacious display of apparel. Throughout the day, the store will...
Hempfield woman charged in July crash in North Huntingdon
A Hempfield woman is accused by police of driving under the influence during a July crash in North Huntingdon that seriously injured her and another motorist, according to court papers. Melinda G. Fesh, 55, of Wendel, was arraigned Monday and is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. She is charged with...
Greensburg man accused of sexual assault
A Greensburg man accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. David J. Landman, 35, was arrested Tuesday on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and related offenses. City police received several reports over the...
Dollar General moving from Salem Plaza to Route 66 corridor in Murrysville
Murrysville council will vote next month on a proposal to bring a Dollar General store to the Route 66 corridor just north of Delmont. Bob Gage of GBT Realty, a Tennessee firm that contracts with Dollar General, outlined plans for a 10,640 square foot store on the northeast side of...
Union: Strike averted at Lower Burrell nursing home, 17 others; workers still set to walk out at 18 facilities
A strike has been averted at a Lower Burrell nursing home and 17 others across the state after a tentative contract was reached between the company and the union representing its employees. But workers at 18 additional nursing homes operated by other companies involved in contract talks, including ones in...
Nonprofits, community groups to mark International Overdose Day on Wednesday
Officials at Highmark’s Fifth Avenue Place headquarters in Pittsburgh will light the building purple on Wednesday to mark International Overdose Awareness Day and to draw attention to the resources available for those living with addiction. That’s just one event in a flurry of activity that will mark the day. The...
Wight Elephant Boutique owner dresses Miss Universe, Harnaaz SandhuVideo
The Wight Elephant Boutique in Greensburg has been enjoying some unexpected global exposure. Owner Victoria Piekut’s ties to the pageant world have given her an opportunity to dress the current Miss Universe, Harnaaz Sandhu of India. Sandhu recently sported outfits provided by Wight Elephant on a trip to South Africa...
Monessen man indicted on federal drug, gun charges
A Monessen man was indicted by a federal grand jury after federal and state investigators said he was in possession of drugs on three occasions, according to court papers unsealed Monday. Rashawn Ford, 27, is charged with possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a...
Monessen man killed in South Huntingdon crash
A Monessen man was killed early Tuesday morning in a wrong-way crash in South Huntingdon, state police said. Officers said 37-year-old Nathan T. Dzimiera of Leeds Avenue, was killed in the two-vehicle crash along Route 31, also known as Mt. Pleasant Road, near Hughes Lane. Dzimiera was driving south in...
Norwin teacher recognized for community involvement
Norwin High School’s show choir director has been recognized as one of the people in the Pittsburgh region who has made a difference in her community. Bridget Faulk has been named one of 22 Pittsburgh ChangeMakers in this fall’s class by the non-profit Multiplying Good, formerly known as the Jefferson...
Former Irwin School bell displayed at Mayor Dan Rose Memorial Park
Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com A small park nestled between shops lining Main Street and the bustle of the Irwin Fire Department is more than just a...
New Pitt-Greensburg Life Sciences building expected to open early next year
Crews are busy constructing a new Life Sciences building at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg that will provide expanded, updated facilities for growing programs. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot building is expected to cost about $19.5 million and is scheduled to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony early next year. The Pitt-Greensburg...
Charges withdrawn against man suspected in Unity woman’s disappearance
Criminal charges in three unrelated cases were dismissed against a man authorities have labeled a “person of interest” in a Unity woman’s disappearance. Charges of attempted burglary, forgery and tampering with evidence stemming from arrests in 2018 and 2019 were withdrawn against Thomas Stanko, 52, of Unity this month. Those...
Man enters guilty plea related to 2017 Youngwood house fire
An Irwin man pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a 2017 fire at his former home in Youngwood. Shaun Wallace, 41, was ordered to serve two years on probation and six months of house arrest for his involvement in the second of two fires police said were...
Westmoreland jury returns split verdict against man charged in incidents near school, police station
Jurors delivered a split verdict this week in two cases against a former Westmoreland County man who was charged in connection with November 2019 incidents outside a Derry Area School District elementary school and at the Kiski Valley state police station. Justin Juan De La Cruz Martinez, 42, of Illinois,...
