Westmoreland category, Page 395
Ex-Norwin director, wife sue over alleged retaliation
A former Norwin School Board president and his wife sued the school district, the Westmoreland County Republican Committee and a school board member alleging civil rights violations. The controversy stems in part from a string of social media posts school board member Robert Wayman made in August 2020 on the...
Trial begins for Rostraver man charged with sexual assault of child
Testimony started Monday in the trial of a Rostraver man accused of repeated sexual assaults of a 7-year-old girl. Westmoreland County prosecutors contend Robert Taylor Parks IV, 24, had sexual contact with his accuser at least five times dating back to 2015. Parks was charged in December 2020 with two...
Driver shortage results in Westmoreland transit service cuts
Despite a recent uptick in ridership, Westmoreland County Transit Authority will need to cut some commuter bus service to account for an ongoing driver shortage, officials said. Keeping and retaining drivers has been an issue for the authority since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and that shortage has left...
Pittsburgh man accused by troopers of stealing a friend’s van after altercation on Route 22 in Salem
A Pittsburgh man is accused of beating his friend and stealing his van after asking for a ride home from Latrobe late Friday, according to court documents. Nathan S. Baron, 46, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bond. He is charged with two counts of simple...
Unity man accused in theft of relative’s $100K coin collection
A 19-year-old Unity man is accused of stealing a relative’s $100,000 coin collection, intending to trade it for marijuana, according to court papers. Troopers said Alec S. Curran, a senior at Greater Latrobe Area High School, initially denied taking the gold, silver and platinum coins in February but later admitted...
City Brewery, union locals OK new 4-year contract, end brief Latrobe strike
Union locals over the weekend ratified a new labor agreement with City Brewery in Latrobe, ending a brief strike. The four-year contract with CBC Latrobe Acquisition was approved by 78% of the members of IUE-CWA Locals 22 and 144 during the Saturday vote, according to the respective local presidents, Bill...
No one transported from 2-vehicle crash on Route 22 in New Alexandria
A crash between a tanker truck and a PennDOT triaxle Monday in New Alexandria caused backups for westbound traffic. The collision was reported at noon about 1 mile west of the Route 981 interchange. No one was transported by ambulance from the scene, according to Mutual Aid director of emergency...
Man jailed after police say he tossed drugs out of window during high-speed chase that ended in East Huntingdon
State troopers recovered crack cocaine, suspected heroin and marijuana that they said a driver tossed along Route 119 during a high-speed chase in Westmoreland County early Sunday, according to court papers. The driver — Jonah K. Reid, 30, of East Pittsburgh — was apprehended in East Huntingdon, police said. Troopers...
Hempfield man accused of assaulting Lyft driver after ride home from gentlemen’s club
A Hempfield man who got a ride home from a gentlemen’s club during the weekend is accused of assaulting his Lyft driver and stealing an electronic device from the vehicle, according to court papers. Carl L. Beltz, 42, is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, escape and related offenses....
‘God & Cod’: Community Church of Harrison City hosts first Lenten fish fry in 3 years
The fully outfitted fisherman standing along Route 130 — replete with coat, boots, hat and a three-foot long artificial cod dangling from a fishing pole — was the first sign that the traditional Friday Lenten fish fry had returned to the Community Church of Harrison City after a three-year hiatus....
Penn-Trafford Drama Guild will bring ‘tradition’ to the stage with ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
A show steeped with tradition is “a perfect match” for Penn-Trafford High School’s 50th anniversary, according to spring musical director Tom Bekavac. The Penn-Trafford Drama Guild will perform “Fiddler on the Roof” this April. The Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of a Jewish family that faces cultural changes and...
Additional damages sought for pool injury as Washington Township homeowners appeal $19M verdict
The lawyer for a Vandergrift man who won a $19 million verdict this month from a Westmoreland County jury has asked a judge to order a Washington Township couple found responsible for his injuries to pay another $3.8 million in delayed damages. The verdict, the largest ever awarded in Westmoreland...
Derry Township woman killed in 2-vehicle crash
A Derry Township woman was killed Sunday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Jennifer L. Krinock, 36, was driving a 2003 Acura RSX headed west on Industrial Boulevard in Derry Township just before 3 p.m. when a Toyota Camry driven by Marilyn Kondrich, 56,...
Palmer airport still seeking $7 million for terminal expansion
Expansion plans for the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport terminal have been stuck in a holding pattern the past several months because of a $7 million shortfall in funds needed for the $21 million project, an airport official said. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority has received commitments for about $14 million...
Out & About: Roaring 20s live again for Lamp Theatre gala
A century later, the Roaring 20s still have plenty of allure. On Saturday night, guys and dolls put on their glad rags, hopped in their jalopies and headed for Stratigos Banquet Centre for The Lamp Theatre’s fifth annual gala. The theme was Black Tie & Pearls: A Roaring 2os Affair,...
State police: Reports about Easter Bunny at Westmoreland Mall determined to be false
State police over the weekend investigated a report of inappropriate behavior involving the person playing the Easter Bunny at Westmoreland Mall and determined it to be false, according to Trooper Steve Limani. Parents of two teen girls on Saturday reported the situation to police, but the girls later said it...
Westmoreland’s clout in Harrisburg cut through redistricting
For the past decade, state Rep. George Dunbar’s 56th District local office has operated in a building just south of Clay Pike, near the Circleville Volunteer Fire Hall in North Huntingdon. For a while last week it was unclear whether the veteran state lawmaker would be able keep his office...
Chattanooga’s tourney appearance turns out to be Klimchock family affair
As Laura Klimchock left the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon with her father, Rick, she told him she felt sick. The No. 13-seeded University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, coached by Laura’s longtime boyfriend, Lamont Paris, was about to take on heavily favored No. 4 seed Illinois in a first-round...
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick greets potential voters in Murrysville
David Painter pushed back from his table at North Park Lounge in Murrysville satisfied. He had just spent about an hour listening to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick as he addressed several dozen people in a private room, talking about his qualifications and what separates him from the rest...
Former Westmoreland deputy sheriff pleads guilty to sex crime; sentenced to probation
A former Westmoreland County deputy sheriff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he bribed female inmates with tobacco products in return for sexual favors. Daniel Aaron Gradischek, 34, of Unity, was charged in late 2019 with five counts alleging that over a 10-year period he used his position as a deputy...
State aid combats sexual assault, harassment by raising awareness
State-funded programs to combat sexual harassment and violence on campus through education is paying dividends, state education officials were told Friday at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The programs are raising awareness through plays, speakers, activities, workshops and frank discussions, according to Seton Hill officials. In a 45-minute roundtable discussion,...
‘God & Cod’: Community Church of Harrison City hosts 1st Lenten fish fry in 3 years
The fully outfitted fisherman standing along Route 130 — replete with coat, boots, hat and a three-foot long artificial cod dangling from a fishing pole — was the first sign that the traditional Friday Lenten fish fry had returned to the Community Church of Harrison City after a three-year hiatus....
Former Westmoreland deputy sheriff pleads guilty to sex crime; sentenced to probation term
A former Westmoreland County deputy sheriff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he bribed female inmates with tobacco products in return for sexual favors. Daniel Aaron Gradischek, 34, of Unity, was charged in late 2019 with five criminal counts alleging that over a 10-year period he used his position as a...
Murrysville GOP organizer will challenge Silvis in 55th District
A Murrysville political organizer will challenge fellow Republican and state Rep. Jason Silvis in the May primary election for the newly shaped 55th District. Jill Cooper of Murrysville been active in local politics for more than a decade, working as part of the Murrysville Export Republican Committee and serving as...
Carla Sands returns to her roots, speaks to Hempfield students as she stumps to be GOP’s Senate candidate
Carla Sands, former President Trump’s ambassador to Denmark who is vying for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat, took her campaign to a local high school Thursday where she pitched her views to a group of seniors while digging into her Westmoreland County ties. Speaking to a class of about 100...
