Westmoreland category, Page 402
Westmoreland Courthouse dome lit blue and yellow to show support for Ukraine
The golden dome atop the Westmoreland County Courthouse will continue to be lit in blue and yellow, a public showing of support for Ukraine. The new bicolor palette is designed to mirror the Ukrainian flag, said county Commissioner Sean Kertes. “Westmoreland County stands with the people of Ukraine as they...
Westmoreland happenings: church services, fish fries and soup sale
Church news • Union Presbyterian Church, 656 Route 380, Washington Township, will have a drive-thru ashes distribution from 6:30 to 8 a.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. today at the church. A worship service with ashes will be at 7 p.m. Details: unionpresbychurch.com. • A World Day of Prayer service...
Greensburg Salem mourning death of longtime coach Steve Snider
The Greensburg Salem community and Westmoreland County are mourning the loss of a legendary coach, Steve Snider. His son, Nathan Snider said his dad would often say, “It’s a beautiful day.” “That was one of his favorite sayings, and it truly is for him,” Nathan Snider said. “He touched a...
Covid pandemic puts pressure on Pittsburgh region’s child care services
Like so many businesses over the past two years, the child care industry has been whipsawed by the covid pandemic and its impact on the economy. Some parents working from home or leaving their jobs have pulled their children from child care, which creates openings — if the centers can...
Hempfield Girl Scout receives national honor for coming to grandfather’s aid after serious fallVideo
When Ashley Bensur found out her grandfather had fallen 10 feet from a balcony at his Hempfield home the morning of July 11, 2020, there was no doubt in her mind that she had to help. Rather than waiting to hear an update on his condition, Bensur, then 12, tagged...
Greensburg man guilty of recording teens in basement bathroom
A Greensburg man was convicted of criminal charges related allegations that he recorded pictures of teen girls in a bathroom with a smart phone. Following a nonjury trial this week, Carlos Alvarado, 49, was found guilty of one felony charge of attempting to record illicit images of a child and...
Former Mt. Pleasant, Perryopolis doctor gets prison for illegally prescribing drugs, having sex with patients
Dr. Emilio Navarro told the court he made a mistake. It was a mistake that he made dozens of times over four years. A federal indictment against Navarro, a longtime family physician who practiced in Mt. Pleasant and Perryopolis, said he wrote prescriptions for painkillers and Xanax to two patients...
Hempfield man pleads guilty to raping girls, faces up to 12 years in prison
A Hempfield man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges that he had sex with two young girls. Police said Kilian A. Thomas was 20 when he met the girls, ages 13 and 11, through social media in late 2019 and arranged multiple encounters in which they had sex in his...
Man with ties in 3 counties jailed in Westmoreland on accusations of possessing meth in Salem motel
Three days after a transient man was released on bond from the Armstrong County Jail last month, he was arrested in Westmoreland County for possessing methamphetamine in a Salem motel, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Ryan J. Fredericks, 27, who has lived in Johnstown, Apollo and Derry Township, was...
Jeannette officials aim to stop trespassers at crumbling former brewery
Notices discouraging anyone from entering the former Fort Pitt Brewery property in West Jeannette were put up last week after city officials received reports of trespassing, according to code enforcement officer Bill Whetzel. He said the city was notified that adults and children were inside the abandoned property and that...
Westmoreland County to expand mobile crisis unit for mental health emergencies
Westmoreland County is getting a $372,000 grant to expand its mobile crisis unit that responds to mental health emergencies as a “988” number expected to be rolled out this summer could lead to an increase in need. Westmoreland Community Action, which operates a local crisis hotline and unit with Westmoreland...
Latrobe man jailed in Indiana County after being accused of dragging trooper with his car
A Latrobe man is in the Indiana County Jail after being accused of dragging a state policeman with his car as troopers responded to a harassment complaint, according to court papers. Matthew A. Rebar, 29, was arrested after an incident in White Township, just outside of Indiana Borough, where state...
Sign-ups start for Greensburg Walk a Mile gender violence-awareness event
All kinds of feet in all kinds of shoes will gather April 23 in downtown Greensburg’s St. Clair Park for Westmoreland County’s 11th annual Walk a Mile in Their Her His Our Shoes, an event that raises awareness of gender-based violence. Participation shows a commitment to ending violence against people...
Jacobs Creek watershed flood control projects to be unveiled
Four preliminary proposals to reduce flooding in the Jacobs Creek watershed will be open for public input during a meeting this week in Scottdale. The alternatives for flood control measures proposed for Anderson Run, Little Sherrick Run and Stauffer Avenue Run will be presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture...
Westmoreland County to sell plaques displaced by Latrobe bridge rehab, eyes work on 4 spans
Historic dedication plaques dating from the original construction of Latrobe’s Brewery Bridge and its 1970s reconstruction are up for grabs for the highest bidders. The plaques were removed during last year’s $2.4 million rehabilitation of the Westmoreland County-owned span that carries Ligonier Street across Loyalhanna Creek, next to the town’s...
Professional drummer’s collection given to Norwin school district
Larry McCloskey began playing the drums when he was 6 years old. By age 10, he was already playing in local nightclubs. The North Huntington resident’s youthful passion for the drums later spiraled into a lifelong musical career. McCloskey, who also was known professionally as Larry Mardell and Larry McCluskey,...
Covid cases at Westmoreland jail slow amid county decline
Coronavirus cases at Westmoreland County Prison continue to decline. Warden Bryan Kline said Monday that just five inmates are currently infected with the virus, the lowest number of positive cases the Hempfield lockup has seen in several months. There were 542 inmates in the jail on Monday. “Our visitation and...
Greensburg man’s bid to bar sex video evidence rejected by judge
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday ruled a cellphone video showing a woman having sex with a boy was legally obtained by authorities. Charles Hunter, 35, of Greensburg is awaiting trial of multiple counts of rape of a child, possession of child pornography and related offenses in connection with the...
Westmoreland coroner appoints new chief deputy
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office has a new chief deputy. Newly elected Coroner Tim Carson announced Monday that he has tabbed Scottdale funeral director James Jacquillard as his second-in-command. Jacquillard, 50, has been a licensed funeral director for 28 years. He is a supervisor and funeral director at Graft-Jacquillard Funeral...
Greensburg man ordered to prison for rape of unconscious woman
A Greensburg man convicted of raping an unconscious woman and for an attempted sexual assault of another person told a Westmoreland County judge on Monday he wanted to take responsibility for his actions even as he maintained his innocence. Levi L. Evans, 24, at a nonjury trial in September was...
Monessen STEM instructor earns grant as Educator of the Year finalist
Matthew Strine’s students at Monessen Middle/High School have explored the fields of business and technology by using 3-D printers to create and sell custom key chains and cube-shaped fidget toys. It’s part of the district Maker Space program the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teacher has worked to initiate...
Nurse anesthetist accused of stealing painkillers from Greensburg hospital operating rooms
A certified nurse anesthetist who worked at Excela Health Westmoreland was arrested by agents from the state Attorney General’s office on accusations of stealing powerful painkillers from locked cabinets in the Greensburg hospital’s operating rooms, according to court papers. Todd A. Hrtyanski, 59, of Unity, who worked at the hospital...
Man arrested after Export standoff, accused of threatening ex-girlfriend with shotgun
A former Export man remains in jail without bond after a standoff with police late Friday outside a former girlfriend’s residence, where he is accused of threatening her with a shotgun, according to state police. Alvin A. Kovatch Jr., 38, was arrested on charges of burglary, criminal trespass and harassment...
Western Pa. watershed groups have high hopes for tapping into abandoned mine cleanup funds
Into Crabtree Creek, every minute of every day, seemingly clear water pours out of a long-abandoned mine, only to turn the rocks over which it flows a solid orange — the color created when the iron sulfide in the mine water is exposed to the air, creating sulfuric acid. That...
Westmoreland YWCA’s used bookstore aims to support affordability, literacy
Children’s books, mystery novels, adventure tales and more line the walls of the Westmoreland County YWCA’s basement. The gently used books are the association’s latest venture to promote literacy and affordability in the community. For $1 per inch, Greensburg locals can purchase books through the YWCA’s year-round used bookstore. The...
