Westmoreland category, Page 38
Ligonier woman killed by falling tree branch at softball event in McKeesport
A Ligonier woman was killed Wednesday after tree branches fell on her at a youth softball event in McKeesport. Gendie Miller, 49, was attending the event to watch her teenage daughter participate. USA Softball of Western Pennsylvania officials said the incident took place prior to game play during the Western...
Q&A: Latrobe music festival JamBrewzle celebrates 10th anniversary
It’s hard for Derek Woods to believe that the JamBrewzle music festival he and his wife Sara started will mark its 10th anniversary Saturday. “Over the years, it’s truly taken on a life of its own,” said Woods, a Greensburg resident and singer for the Derek Woods Band, which is...
Police: New Alexandria man sought after former landlord’s lawnmower explodes
State police are looking for a New Alexandria man they believe injured his former landlord in an explosion in Salem Sunday. James M. Sever, 54, is charged with criminal attempt, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of weapons of mass destruction for allegedly placing a bomb underneath his former landlord’s lawnmower,...
Woman sues Uniontown, Latrobe firms after husband electrocuted on the job
A Fayette County woman whose husband was electrocuted while working on an air conditioning unit for a company in Latrobe is suing his employer and the customer. Lauren McGalla, of Fairchance, filed the complaint on Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against Technimark LLC in Latrobe and Hranec Corp....
Whiskey history tour premieres at West Overton
Whiskey lovers have the opportunity to register for an intimate, immersive history and tasting tour Saturday at West Overton Village. The “From Grain to Glass” tour includes a visit to the museum, rye field and current West Overton distillery. Each stop on the tour includes a pour of West Overton...
Overly’s Country Christmas selling off unused items at auction
An assortment of unique, vintage items will be sold at auction Monday by Overly’s Country Christmas at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds. Among them are a set of blacksmith’s tools and farm equipment that have not seen the light of day for 30 years. “You don’t see this kind of a sale...
Derry native tackles big job as Steelers’ team dietitian
While the Pittsburgh Steelers are at training camp for the next three weeks, a nighttime snack before another hard day of practice might be a steak, chicken or salmon filet with potatoes, rice and vegetables. It’s not everyone’s go-to bedtime bite, but it is part of the nutrition plan mapped...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: July 25-27
Welcome to the weekend. There are plenty of fun things to do around Westmoreland County. From grain to glass Whiskey lovers will be entranced by this informational experience. Explore whiskey artifacts of the past and the grain that will make this delicious spirit in the future — all in one...
East Huntingdon facility among bankrupt nursing homes scheduled for auction
A 35-bed nursing home in East Huntingdon is among six facilities in Western Pennsylvania targeted for sale this year. A public auction will be held in September to transfer ownership of Scottdale Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in East Huntingdon, a closed facility in Jefferson Hills, the 67-bed Beaver Healthcare and...
Police find 37 pounds of cocaine during Pa. turnpike traffic stop
Pennsylvania State Police arrested a Florida man Wednesday after discovering more than 37 pounds of suspected cocaine inside a hidden compartment in his vehicle. Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Explorer traveling near mile marker 83 on the turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township. Police identified the driver as...
Work crew strikes gas line near Monessen High School
Monessen High School was evacuated after contractors accidentally struck a gas line Thursday morning, according to county emergency officials. Westmoreland County 911 received a call around 10:20 a.m. that a crew working near the high school had damaged a gas line connecting the school to the main Peoples Natural Gas...
Heat doesn’t beat Steelers fans at 1st day of camp
Kenny Mullin arrived at Saint Vincent College in Unity before 6 a.m. Thursday. He wanted to be one of the first fans to arrive at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and he met his goal. “This is pretty much what I love to do,” said Mullin, who was first in line...
‘It was an impossibility’: Penn Township couple completes 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
Penn Township couple Cheryl and Larry Sturm don’t consider themselves hikers. That’s an ironic statement for a pair who traversed a 500-mile trail from France to Spain in just 40 days. Cheryl, 70, and Larry, 73, are lifelong Penn Township residents. Larry started Sturm Plumbing along Harrison City’s Route 130...
Embroiderers at Glenshaw Public Library document Pa.’s history for ‘America’s Tapestry’ project
Local embroiderers are spending their Thursday evenings for the next year at the Glenshaw Public Library, stitching the Pennsylvania panel for the “America’s Tapestry” exhibition, which is scheduled to be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing. Raven Fagelson, state co-director of the Pennsylvania...
4 more Hempfield fire stations take steps toward the township managing their affairs
Four Hempfield fire departments are taking additional steps toward dissolving their charters and moving under township management. The township’s Carbon and Hempfield No. 2 fire departments passed declarations of intent to dissolve in June. If approved by the Hempfield supervisors during the board’s meeting Monday, the departments will have taken...
Forward Township sunflower farm serves as great setting for photosVideo
The Schwirian Farm Sunflower Festival in Forward Township returned this year after drought conditions and hungry deer wiped out the sunflower blossoms, forcing a cancellation in 2024. The event runs from rom 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through July 31. Admission is free. Parking is $5. A section of...
Fraud case dismissed against Leechburg contractor
A judge on Wednesday dismissed the criminal case against a Leechburg contractor charged with defrauding a Unity couple in connection with a $59,000 home improvement project they claimed was never completed. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger ruled prosecutors had insufficient evidence to prove that Dawayne W. Redmond,...
Yarmulke-wearing inmate appears in Westmoreland County court
A Mt. Pleasant man attended a court hearing Wednesday with a yarmulke on his head, a week after he was denied transport from the county jail to the courthouse because he refused to remove it. Kort Noel Eckman, 49, sported a white head covering decorated with a floral pattern during...
Murrysville seeks funding help to upgrade Route 22 signal coordination
Murrysville officials want to upgrade the adaptive system used to coordinate Route 22 traffic lights through the town’s commercial corridor. “The system we have in place is about 12 years old, and we think it’s run its course,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico told council at its meeting this week....
State regulators: Lead in Laurel Highlands creek linked to shooting range
Spent shot from a sporting clays shooting range near Seven Springs Resort in Somerset County might be causing high lead levels in a Laurel Highlands stream, state environmental regulators said. State environmental investigators believe the lead pellets that fall to the ground after they’re fired at clay targets at Highlands...
Greensburg woman appointed to leadership role at Independence Health
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Kovacik Eicher always wanted to work close to her hometown. A clinical neurologist who joined Excela Health in 2019, Kovacik Eicher was named to a key leadership role last week by Independence Health, which was formed in the merger of Excela and Butler health systems in 2023....
Westmoreland happenings: Ice Cream Sunday, parish festival, class reunion, more
Church News • Level Green Presbyterian Church will host its annual Ice Cream Sunday at 10 a.m. July 27 at the church, 105 Olive Drive, Trafford. The theme will be “Caring for the Kids in Our Community” and will honor and bring awareness to those who work every day helping...
Unity pizza shop robber sentenced
A Unity man was ordered to serve up to an additional 23 months in jail for the armed robbery last year of a pizza shop. Austin M. Lewis, 25, pleaded guilty in April to two felony robbery counts and two related misdemeanor offenses in connection with a Jan. 8, 2024...
Family of South Greensburg man hit by snowplow files wrongful death lawsuit
The wife of a South Greensburg man who was hit by snowplow in January has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the landscape company hired to clear the parking lot were the crash occurred. Paul Tucci, 73, suffered fatal injuries as he walked to his vehicle Jan. 5 after an...
Failure to pay $3.6M in taxes on illegal workers leads to prison for Belle Vernon man
A Belle Vernon man who ran a temporary staffing agency and failed to pay $3.6 million in employment taxes for illegal employees will serve 2½ years in federal prison. Andy Ha, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in February to...
