Westmoreland category, Page 426
Dog or coyote? Animal rescued in Fairfield Township perplexes volunteers
An animal that has perplexed rescuers is being cared for at a Mt. Pleasant Township wildlife rehabilitation center while waiting on DNA results to determine exactly what it is. The four-legged, 37-pound creature is being treated for mange after a Fairfield woman spotted it last week, said Wildlife Works volunteer...
Former student in Jeannette sues school district over sexual abuse
A former student is suing the Jeannette City School District alleging that administrators there were aware that he was being sexually abused by a teacher. The teacher, Maria Chappell, was charged by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office in 2016 with having sex with a student. She pleaded guilty on...
Jury split in verdicts for Norwin teacher, husband in middle school musical case
A Westmoreland County jury acquitted a Norwin Middle School teacher of failure to comply with child protective service laws but found her husband guilty of a similar charge. The jury deliberated more than five hours Tuesday before it rendered its mixed verdict to clear English teacher Tobitha Sasso, 42, of...
Police: Unity brothers’ brawl during morning alcohol run ends in injury, arrest
Two Unity brothers’ early morning run for alcohol led to a brawl during the trip, landing one in a hospital with severe facial injuries and the other in the Westmoreland County Prison charged with aggravated assault and DUI. Steven R. Clem, 29, was arrested just after 3 a.m. Tuesday by...
Latrobe woman accused of taking $28K from Hempfield employer
County detectives arrested a Latrobe woman on Tuesday in connection with a $28,000 theft from the Hempfield trucking and glass recycling firm where she worked last year, according to court papers. Robin M. Poole, 60, paid her personal bills and made checks out to herself by forging the names of...
Hempfield nixes mask requirement, changes school’s covid-19 tracker
Students in Hempfield Area School District identified as close contacts who do not test positive for covid-19 or show symptoms will be permitted to attend in-person classes rather than quarantine, the school board said. The vote Monday was one of several made in a meeting during which board members nixed...
Donnie Iris returning to Greensburg for 79th birthday shows
In February 2018, Donnie Iris played three 75th birthday shows at The Palace Theatre. Two years later, he was back for two more birthday shows. On the cusp of turning 79, he’s returning to Greensburg for concerts Feb. 5 and 19. Pittsburgh’s “King of Cool,” who was born Feb. 28,...
Police: Hit-run driver drove to liquor store after causing Route 30 crash in North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon police say a man was under the influence of alcohol, hit another driver and left the scene before making a quick stop at a liquor store and circling back past the crash on Route 30. Dennis M. Moog Jr., 58, of Jeannette, was arrested Saturday on multiple misdemeanor...
Greensburg man accused of stealing woman’s car after asking her to pick him up
A Greensburg man is accused of stealing a woman’s car after assaulting her Monday, according to state police. State police charged Terry Lynn Brumley Jr., 32, with robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, simple assault, harassment and driving under the influence. He was arraigned Monday and released on an unsecured...
Westmoreland residents capture photo awards in Pa. Parks and Forests Foundation contest
Latrobe resident Clare Kaczmarek’s affinity for area parks is reflected in the photos she takes at the scenic locations. It also has translated into multiple wins in an annual photo contest conducted by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. An image Kaczmarek snapped of snow-covered structures and evergreens at Laurel...
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...
