Westmoreland category, Page 378
Judge grants defense access to financial records in alleged Murrysville theft
A judge ordered the owners of a now defunct Murrysville business that streamed wildlife videos over the internet to turn over personal financial and tax records to lawyers representing a former employee accused of stealing from the company four years ago. Attorneys for Rick V. Furnari, 61, of Murrysville claim...
Monessen man accused by police of beating man with cinder block during robbery arrested
A Monessen man wanted by city police for beating a man with a cinder block during a robbery Friday was arrested this week in Washington County. Dwayne M. “Peenie” Grogan, 55, was arraigned on multiple criminal charges including attempted homicide Monday after he was arrested Monongahela police on an arrest...
Norwin may make teacher cuts to help balance budget
Norwin school board members continued the debate this week about how to cover a $3 million 2022-23 budget shortfall without raising taxes. The district may eliminate full-day kindergarten classes and six teaching positions, including five at the elementary level, to cuts costs. Five proposed new teaching positions, and a proposed...
Jeannette seeking applicants for vacant council seat
Jeannette is accepting letters of interest and resumes for an open seat on council after the May 13 death of Councilman Ron Smith. Submissions will be accepted until 4 p.m. June 3. Applicants must be at least 18 and a resident of the city for the past year. Council must...
Proposal would require greater public access to records from Pitt, Penn State, others
Greater transparency requirements could be in store for Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities. State Rep. Ryan Warner, a Republican from the 52nd District — which includes parts of Westmoreland and Fayette counties — has introduced legislation that would increase public access to the records of the University of Pittsburgh and Penn...
What’s that? The historical roots of Seton Hill’s landmark trees
Seton Hill doesn’t have an average driveway. The long and winding road that slowly lifts travelers to campus is bookmarked by towering trees on either side. Perhaps Seton Hill’s most prominent landmark, these renowned trees are “synonymous with Seton Hill and its identity,” according to campus archivist Casey Bowser. “When...
Fox’s Pizza Den founder dies, remembered for giving nature
Corporate leadership sometimes has a reputation for being cold and robotic. James Fox Jr. made sure he had the opposite impact through Fox’s Pizza Den. Fox, who founded his eponymous national pizza chain 51 years ago, knew the name of every franchise owner of the chain’s more than 200 restaurants,...
DEP to get input on proposed mine expansion in Westmoreland, Fayette
State environmental regulators will receive input Wednesday from Donegal area residents who may be affected by the expansion of a coal mine along the Westmoreland-Fayette border. The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a virtual informal conference at 6 p.m. May 25 on a request from LCT Energy LP to...
Auxiliary marks century of support for Greensburg firefighters
The monthly dues have increased from a nickel to 25 cents while the membership has dipped from the 34 founders to the current dozen. Still, after 100 years, the mission remains unchanged for the Ladies Auxiliary of Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Hose Company No. 8. They raise funds for equipment...
Westmoreland elections board to rule on undated mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County election officials said Monday that a decision about whether to count 64 undated mail-in ballots could be made later this week. Interim Election Bureau Director Greg McCloskey said vote counting was completed Friday with the review and tabulation of 278 provisional ballots submitted at the polls on Election...
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre returns with 2 audience-favorite shows
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre will return from a two-year pandemic intermission by presenting two familiar romps from past seasons. The theater’s 52nd season will feature the musical “Nunsense,” running June 14-19; and the popular farce “Lend Me a Tenor,” July 12-17. Performances will be staged in the Robert S. Carey...
Hempfield board ponders national ranking amid debate over what is ‘woke’ in region
A conversation on how to improve Hempfield Area High School’s rating on a Pittsburgh-based ranking list quickly turned into a contentious debate this week as board members expressed their opinions on the best way to proceed. The discussion came at the request of board President Tony Bompiani on Monday after...
Out & About: Greensburg Civic Theatre celebrates 70 years on stage
Greensburg Civic Theatre has accomplished something rare in the realm of community theater — it has survived and thrived through 70 seasons. To mark the anniversary, the troupe hosted the “GCT Goes Platinum” gala on Sunday evening at Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. About 100 guests gathered for a cocktail...
Truck driver who spilled hot dog filler on I-70 will be charged, police say
A tractor-trailer driver who crashed on Interstate 70 in Rostraver, spilling more than seven tons of hot dog filler on the highway and snarling traffic for five hours Friday, will receive multiple citations — including one for speeding, police said. Makendy Lachald, 30, of Laurel, Del., was speeding westbound near...
Pa. Turnpike reopens between New Stanton and Breezewood after crash cleared
The Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened Monday afternoon following a lengthy closure in both directions between New Stanton and Breezewood because of an overturned tractor-trailer. The crash happened around 9 a.m. between the Somerset and Bedford exits, according to PennDOT. The road reopened at 2:30 p.m. after the wreckage was cleared. Some...
Irwin: Police officers hired, zoning officer resigns, paving contract awarded
Irwin officials hired full-time and part-time police officers to replace two members of the force who recently resigned. Council hired Stephen Novotnak of North Huntingdon as a full-time officer. Previously a part-time officer, he will be paid the starting patrolman’s rate of $25.62 per hour, plus benefits afforded in the...
Officials probe cause of fire that destroyed vacant Greensburg house
Officials said they are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant house early Monday in Greensburg. The blaze was reported shortly before 3 a.m. in the 600 block of Stanton Street, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. A passerby spotted burning embers on the roof...
Flight of the Flags ceremony planned during Westmoreland air show
A new tribute to deceased service members and first responders will debut June 11 at this year’s Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland Airshow in a ceremony called Flight of the Flags. Families of the deceased who have received trifold flags in honor of their loved ones will have an opportunity to...
Pa. hopes apprenticeship program can help alleviate skilled-worker shortage
Chad Warhold, owner at Warhold Mechanicals in North Huntingdon, has plenty of business. He just needs to find some additional skilled employees, or those willing to learn. “That’s part of why we got into apprenticeships,” said Warhold, whose company does heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and gas line work...
Murrysville Community Library marks 100th anniversary
Nowadays, patrons of Murrysville Community Library can reserve an e-book from the comfort of their own homes, or attend a presentation from an astronaut at NASA by way of the library’s Tech Nook. It’s a long way from the mid-1980s, when former librarian Denise Sticha would return from the grocery...
Motorcyclists seek blessing ahead of spring riding season
George Cunningham knows both the joys and the potential dangers of motorcycle riding. Cunningham, 50, of Derry was among the nearly 100 bikers who gathered late Sunday morning at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Latrobe for the 18th annual Blessing of the Bikes. “I’m on two wheels, so it’s...
Out & About: Westmoreland Art Nationals return live after 2 years of virtual shows
The Westmoreland Art Nationals lives up to its name, with exhibiting artists hailing from as near as Greensburg and as far as Florida, Massachusetts and Alaska. The first of two annual juried exhibitions associated with the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival opened with a Saturday evening reception at Westmoreland County...
Blacksmiths show off their skills at Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Museum
Visitors to Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Museum on Saturday found a gathering of blacksmiths. About a dozen area blacksmiths demonstrated their skills on the grounds of the historic Route 30 inn, which has been restored to its prime 1830s appearance. The “Hammer-In” event included members of the Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths...
Hometown heroes honored in Greensburg
George Whipkey sat in the front row Saturday morning at St. Clair Park in Greensburg and watched as city leaders honored him and more than 90 hometown heroes. But Whipkey, 81, a Marine Corps veteran and Southwest Greensburg police sergeant, wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge his place among the honorees....
Truck hauling meat overturns on Interstate 70 in Rostraver
A tractor-trailer hauling meat products crashed Friday evening in Rostraver, temporarily restricting westbound traffic on Interstate 70. The wreck happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. as the truck left the roadway near mile marker 43, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. Two people who has been riding in the overturned...
