Westmoreland category, Page 414
Trial begins for Greensburg man charged with attempted murder of New Kensington cops
New Kensington detective Sam Long told a Westmoreland County jury the shots came suddenly as he and two other investigators circled a block in an unmarked white van on the lookout for man wanted for attempted murder. “We circled again and were on Kenneth Avenue when I saw legs, then...
Senate candidate Dr. Oz to host Greensburg event
Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is running for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat, is hosting a meet-and-greet Wednesday in Greensburg. During the event, guests will have the opportunity to meet Oz and ask him questions about important issues related to his candidacy. Related • Mehmet Oz is spending millions on TV...
Testimony concludes in trial of Norwin teacher and husband
Two people who helped Norwin Middle School students prepare for a musical performance told a Westmoreland County jury on Monday that a man they knew had been convicted of a crime was present for rehearsals but did not actively interact with children. But a group of students who were in...
State police: Derry Township man admits to sexually abusing 2 children
A Derry Township man is charged with raping an 8-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a boy more than six years ago, according to court documents filed by state police. Matthew T. Buchinsky, 35, is charged with rape and sexual assault in cases involving two children on multiple occasions between 2013...
State police continue to investigate hit-and-run accident in Derry Township that injured woman
State police are following up on tips from the public as a Latrobe woman remains hospitalized after being hit by a pickup over the weekend outside her workplace. The driver fled the scene. Mary Bathurst, 42, a facility attendant at Union Mission, was taking out the trash before 6 p.m....
Youngwood man arrested by troopers on multiple drug delivery, possession charges
After staking out a Youngwood apartment after receiving a report of an alleged sexual assault, state police said a search of the residence led to multiple drug trafficking and possession charges against the man who lived there, according to court records. Troopers detained Brandon J. Giron, 22, when he left...
Sewickley Township man accused in threats, shovel attack
A teenage girl was hospitalized during the weekend after state police said a Sewickley Township man struck her with a shovel, according to court papers. Jason Lee Bingaman, 50, is accused of becoming angry Saturday after waking up from a six-hour nap in a bathtub and attacking three people at...
Propane heater caused blaze that destroyed Rostraver home/animal shelter, fire marshal rules
A propane heater caused a fire that destroyed a Rostraver home used as an animal shelter, a state police fire marshal determined. About a dozen cats died in the Jan. 14 fire at the Route 51 home of Wendi Kraemer, who operated the nonprofit Angels Journey Home Animal Rescue there....
Police: Hit-and-run crash critically injures Latrobe woman
Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and critically injured a pedestrian Saturday in Derry Township. A man was driving east on Harrison Avenue, near the Union Mission, just before 6 p.m. when his Dodge Ram 1500 pickup struck a woman who was walking along the berm, state...
Tamburitzans display flare with folk dances in GreensburgVideo
Swords flashed and scarves twirled Sunday as the Tamburitzans presented a Georgian folk dance in Greensburg. Their touring show, “Symbols: The Awakening,” also features tradition-based songs and dances from several Eastern European and Nordic countries, as well as from Italy. The Georgian dance, featuring clashing swords and acrobatic leaps, highlights...
Fire causes heavy damage to house in Loyalhanna Township, no injuries reported
Firefighters responded Sunday afternoon to a fire reported in the basement of a home in Loyalhanna Township. The fire was reported in the single-family dwelling near the intersection of Route 981 and Pump Station Road about 3:45 p.m., according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. No injuries were reported. Multiple fire...
Hempfield homeowners may see lower insurance rates because of fire department’s improved ISO rating
While issues continue to impact Hempfield’s volunteer fire service, years of initiatives and efforts to reform the department are starting to pay off after officials received an improved rating from a national assessment company. The review by New Jersey-based Insurance Services Office Inc., or ISO, reflects fire protection services within...
Westmoreland officials favor congressional map that unifies county
Westmoreland County could be consolidated into one congressional district or see some of its western and northern communities split off into another that includes parts of Pittsburgh and the city’s eastern suburbs under proposals that redraw the map determining Pennsylvania’s representation in Washington, D.C. The state will lose one seat...
Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies growing in popularity as ATMs sprout up across Pittsburgh region
A different kind of ATM is popping up in stores, supermarkets and malls across Southwestern Pennsylvania. These, however, are not intended to spit out dollars. They offer cryptocurrency — a decentralized, digital currency that has no government backing or regulation. Its value is volatile, fluctuating like a stock. It relies...
Westmoreland transit authority approves new garage project in Hempfield
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority is rolling ahead with plans to build a new $10.5 million storage garage for the agency’s bus fleet in Hempfield. The 16,000-square-foot garage is to be built at the authority’s existing maintenance facility property on Route 66 to provide indoor storage for up to 20...
Out & About: Members’ ‘Ah-Ha!’ show opens at Greensburg Art Center
The day’s arctic chill was no deterrent to attendance at Saturday’s opening reception for “Ah-Ha!”, a members’ exhibition at Greensburg Art Center. With the center’s parking lot full, attendees had to trek to the gallery after finding spaces in the surrounding neighborhood. The draw was the opportunity to view works...
Cold temperatures, Ligonier Diamond provide perfect setting for icy menagerie
Visitors flocked to Ligonier on Saturday to admire a pair of giant chickens and 59 other figures sculpted from ice. After a bone-chilling night, temperatures rose into the 30s by mid-morning, making ideal conditions for viewing the town’s 31st annual Ice Fest. Although the sun was out in full force...
Delmont Diggers group to hold ‘seed swap’ at library
Louisa Fordyce of Loyalhanna is interested in attracting pollinators, both to her own garden and to the perennial pollinator garden maintained by the Delmont Public Library. So she was very excited to learn about tithonia, an annual plant also called the Mexican sunflower. “It comes in all different shades of...
Greensburg woman hand-paints Marine Corps tribute on ‘World of Wheels’ motorcycle
Building a custom motorcycle is one thing. Building one that honors one’s brothers in arms is another. At the 60th annual World of Wheels custom car show this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Todd Keyser of Ligonier is showing off his custom Harley, hand-painted with reminders of...
Westmoreland sheriff’s department sergeant testifies fugitive attempted to grab gun during struggle
A Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department sergeant testified Friday that a fugitive repeatedly tried to grab his gun as the pair struggled on the floor of a St. Clair Township mobile home where the man was found hiding last month. Sgt. Irvin Shipley testified that a search team of four sheriff’s...
Hempfield ice fisherman says of pursuit: ‘It’s addictive’
On a bitter cold day when most people would rather be inside, Ryan Parker of Hempfield not only wants to be in the elements, but he patiently sits out in them. Parker is one of that breed of angler who do not put away their rod and reel when winter...
Norwin teacher, husband in court over participation in ‘Frozen Jr.’ performance
Lawyers for a Norwin middle school teacher and her husband on trial for charges they did not comply with child safety laws told a Westmoreland County jury on Friday no crimes were committed. Tobitha Sasso, 42, and Brad Geyer, 39, both of Greensburg are on trial for misdemeanor charges related...
Hempfield’s covid numbers higher because its tracker covers 14-day period
Despite more than 180 cases being reported on the Hempfield Area School District’s covid tracker, a large number of students and staff who make up those cases could already be back in school after new quarantine guidelines were released last month. The tracker covers a 14-day rolling period and reflects...
Federal prosecutors seek to keep former Greensburg dentist detained in Zambia murder case
A former Greensburg dentist accused of killing his wife during a safari in Zambia “has a reason to take the money and run,” according to federal prosecutors in Colorado hoping to keep him detained until trial. Prosecutors pointed to $27 million in assets and firearms expertise in describing Lawrence Rudolph,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Jan. 21-23
Boogie (some) more Southern rock fans, don’t flirt with disaster by missing Molly Hatchet at 7 p.m. Friday at The Lamp Theatre in Irwin. Formed in Florida in 1971, the band had its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing the platinum-selling hit records, “Molly Hatchet” in 1978,...
