Westmoreland category, Page 426
Police: Boy, 17, facing charges after assault at Ligonier Valley High School
A 17-year-old boy is being charged with simple assault and harassment through juvenile court after assaulting another student at Ligonier Valley High School this week, according to Police Chief John Berger. The boy punched and kicked a 16-year-old boy in the lobby around noon Tuesday at the Ligonier Township school,...
Future of ‘double-fronted Beetle’ on Route 66 up in the air
With the exception of a few years in the early 2010s, the double-fronted Volkswagen Beetle, painted Hawaiian blue, has been a constant landmark along Route 66 in Salem Township. Created by Excel Auto Body’s original owner, Ed Britz, in 1970, it has been repaired and replaced over the years, and...
Westmoreland happenings: Breakfast with Santa, bingo and Christmas open house
Fundraisers • A pancake Breakfast with Santa and the Grinch will be from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 19 at Hartford Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Route 30, North Huntingdon. Admission: $8; children 5 to 12, $6; 4 and younger, free. Tickets: 412-742-7020 and at the door. • Lincoln Heights Civic...
Murder conviction reinstated for Penn Township man
A federal appeals court this week reinstated the first-degree murder conviction of a former Penn Township man who has been serving a life prison sentence in connection with the fatal shooting of a romantic rival in 2006. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a...
Ligonier area provides props as ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ film crew arrives at Compass Inn
Staff at Fort Ligonier and the Laughlintown Antique Mall will be watching carefully when a locally filmed Netflix movie becomes available for viewing. There’s a chance items from either of those sites could make an appearance in “The Pale Blue Eye,” a period murder mystery that is being shot at...
Westmoreland Airport Authority looks to save $185K through bond refinancing
Westmoreland County Airport Authority expects to save about $185,000 by refinancing bonds issued in 2014. The board Tuesday locked in a rate of 1.58% for refinancing slightly more than $5 million in bonds with Chase Bank, which presented the best of six proposals, according to authority consultant Jay Wenger of...
Westmoreland Co. lawmaker offers to help with vaccine exemptions as covid-19 infections surge
A state lawmaker is offering “vaccination exemption assistance,” while local health officials plead with residents to mask up and get vaccinated and Excela Health struggles to deal with covid-19 infections that have pushed its three Westmoreland County hospitals beyond capacity. State Rep. Leslie Rossi, R-Unity, said she offered help to...
Latrobe man pleads guilty to resisting arrest
A Latrobe man was set to be released from jail Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with an incident in which a city police officer claimed he was bitten during an attempted arrest in September. Codi J. Barger, 27, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of...
Police accuse 21-year-old Hempfield man of fathering child with 15-year-old girl
A 21-year-old Hempfield man is behind bars after state police said he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl, according to court papers. Tristin M. Huffine was arrested Tuesday on a charge of statutory sexual assault. Troopers received a Childline report in March in which they were notified that the...
North Huntingdon native’s E-Z Drinks kit showcased on ‘America’s Big Deal’
A North Huntingdon native who is a senior strategist for a New York City hedge fund will be on a nationally televised show Thursday promoting a different kind of business — his kit of a customized cocktail pitcher with five “rulers” listing the ingredients and amounts needed to create 20...
Delmont residents given ‘absolutely no notice’ about stormwater pond project
When Delmont officials started making plans for a stormwater detention pond off of Stotler and Dogwood drives, several Dogwood Drive residents asked to be kept in the loop. But when work began on the project, as part of the borough’s state-mandated pollution reduction plan, Dogwood residents were surprised to see...
Greater Latrobe returns to mask-optional policy by 6-3 vote
Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday voted 6-3 to revert to a mask-optional policy for students, staff and visitors at district schools. The decision comes in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling last week that overturned the Department of Health mandate for wearing face coverings in schools. Opponents...
Fort Ligonier to cap holiday season with Twelfth Night Celebration
Revelers can party like it’s 1799 at the annual Twelfth Night celebration set for Jan. 8 at Fort Ligonier. It will be a blast from the colonial past as guests attend in period costume to partake of wassail and rum punch and to put their best foot forward for English...
Out & About: Greensburg Rotary honors 2 members’ wives at holiday party
Amidst their Christmas revelry, Rotary Club of Greensburg members took time to give special recognition to the wives of two members. The group gathered for a party on Dec. 14 in the YWCA Westmoreland County’s Huff Mansion headquarters in Greensburg. Honorees were Janet James and Barbara Bloom, who were named...
Greensburg man scammed church out of money, police said
A Greensburg man is accused of taking money from a church and a grocery store when cashing a check from a second church, according to police. Anthony Lawrence McGeachy, 46, of Greensburg, is charged with theft and bad checks in two cases. “We understand that this time of year, there...
Penn-Trafford to get annual Make-A-Wish telethon back up and running
In a typical school year, video production students manning the annual Make-A-Wish telethon at Penn-Trafford High School could rely on the experience of the previous year’s class. The expertise of students who already had been through the four-hour live broadcast, with its massive production schedule and little room for error,...
Covid cases create ‘desperate’ situation at Westmoreland hospitals
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the omicron variant of covid-19 has eclipsed delta in terms of transmissibility, rising caseloads have created a “desperate” situation at local hospitals, according to the medical director of Westmoreland County’s 911 center. In an email addressed Monday to all county...
Penn Township woman arrested for 2 DUIs in 19 hours, police say
A 63-year-old Penn Township woman was accused of drunken driving after crashes on Sunday and Monday nights, township police said. Mary Anne Brennan also has two previous DUI convictions, police said. The Sunday crash happened about 10:30 p.m., when she crashed on Hyland Road and the car she was driving...
Westmoreland casino expansion plans include poker room, more gambling options
More than a year after establishing itself as an anchor at Westmoreland Mall, Live! Casino Pittsburgh is being upgraded. On Tuesday, officials unveiled several new attractions, including a poker room, event center, electronic gaming tables, a FanDuel FanCave and a reconfigured high-limit room. Those features are in addition to the...
Woman accused of cutting, biting former boyfriend and his roommate in Greensburg
A woman who called police to report an assault early Monday after a night of drinking with a former boyfriend and another man at a Greensburg apartment is wanted by city police on charges she assaulted both men, according to court records. Greensburg police are asking people for help in...
Hempfield band still going to Hawaii despite cancellation of Honolulu Festival Video
The Honolulu Festival has been called off, but the Hempfield Area Marching Band still plans to pack its Hawaiian shirts and suntan lotion this spring. The band, which was scheduled to march in the festival parade, will instead use the time to go sightseeing or to hit the beach, said...
Latrobe keeps taxes steady as part of $6.7M budget
Latrobe property owners won’t have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their city tax bill next yer. City Council has adopted a final 2022 general fund budget totaling $6.7 million while holding real estate taxes at 21.3 mills. An additional .2-mill tax, also unchanged, helps support Adams Memorial...
Man rescued during smoky fire conditions at East Huntingdon town home
Firefighters rescued a man from an East Huntingdon townhome Tuesday morning after smoke filled the upstairs. A small fire that started in a bedroom appeared to be accidental, said Christopher Brinker, East Huntingdon’s second assistant fire chief. It may have been sparked by a candle, he said, but state police...
Funeral arrangements set for David Regoli
Funeral arrangements have been made for the late David A. Regoli, a former Westmoreland County judge who died Dec. 9. Friends of Regoli, 56, of Lower Burrell, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Giunta-Bertucci Funeral Home Inc. 1509 Fifth Ave., Arnold....
Most local school districts move to mask-optional policies following court ruling
Many local school districts are using last week’s state Supreme Court ruling striking down the state’s mask mandate in schools to return to mask-optional policies in their buildings. The state Department of Health in late August ordered that face coverings be worn by everyone in all school buildings. Gov. Tom...
