Westmoreland category, Page 429
Shetler hearing continued; injured deputy unable to testify
A New Florence man accused of injuring a Westmoreland County deputy sheriff when he was arrested earlier this month had his court hearing continued until Jan. 7 because the deputy sheriff is recovering from “serious bodily injuries” he allegedly sustained during a fight with the suspect, a prosecutor said Friday....
Westmoreland County Transit Authority union rejects covid vaccine incentive
Leadership of the union that represents Westmoreland County Transit Authority fixed-route bus drivers and mechanics said Friday a proposal to offer additional sick leave to vaccinated employees who test positive for the coronavirus is not fair and won’t present the plan to its members. Dave Conley, president of the Amalgamated...
Greensburg tax hike to offset losses from parking garage demolition
Greensburg residents will see an additional 1-mill charge next year, and city officials will borrow $1 million as they look for ways to bolster funds dedicated to public safety that traditionally came from the J. Edward Hutchinson Parking Garage, which is slated for demolition. The charge and loan were part...
Manor man to serve up to 14 years in prison for drug sales in fatal overdoses
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger said he struggled with just how much blame to assign to a man who pleaded guilty earlier this year to selling the drugs used in the fatal overdoses of two men in 2017. “This is a scourge that is destroying our society,...
Judge rejects appeal of New Stanton teen convicted in murders of mother, brother
The former New Stanton teenager who claimed he was under the influence of an alternate personality that made him kill his mother and younger brother more than five years ago told a Westmoreland County judge he hasn’t received proper mental health treatment as he serves a prison sentence of 30...
New Florence club collecting donations to help people in Kentucky impacted by tornadoes
When Susan Buckles decided to host a collection drive to help those impacted by devastating tornadoes that tore through Kentucky and the Midwest last week, she never expected such a large response. “I know we live in a great area,” said Buckles, secretary of the Squirrel Hill Hunting Club in...
‘Mr. Mt. Pleasant’ Gerald Lucia, longtime mayor and fire chief, dies unexpectedly
There wasn’t much in Mt. Pleasant that didn’t bear Jerry Lucia’s fingerprints. Some say he was the lifeblood of the small town at the foot of the Laurel Highlands. Gerald Lucia, the longtime Mt. Pleasant mayor and fire chief, died unexpectedly Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, in his home. He was...
Franklin Regional multimedia students prepare for 2nd year of ‘Holiday Showcase’ with some live aspectsVideo
Franklin Regional senior Anthony DeFilippo is looking forward to getting back behind the microphone at this year’s Holiday Showcase, which will take the place of the annual telethon for the second year in a row, albeit with a bit more creative freedom than last year. “This year, it will be...
1 person flown by medical helicopter, another taken by ambulance after Salem Township crash
One person was flown by medical helicopter to an area hospital and another taken by ambulance after a crash Friday morning in Salem Township, a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said. Crews responded to the intersection of Route 22 and East Pittsburgh Street around 7 a.m. for reports of the crash involving...
Commissioners halt reading of emailed comments during public meetings
Time is an asset Westmoreland County commissioners said they can no longer waste. Starting next year, commissioners will save some of it by no longer listening to emailed comments at the start of each public meeting. “It is time constraints, and we do have back-to-back meetings,” Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher...
Westmoreland commissioners trim deficit in 2022 budget, which overspends but won’t raise taxes
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved a 2022 budget that increases spending but also trims a projected deficit by nearly $7 million. The property tax rate will remain unchanged at 21.49 mills. “Overall, we are financially looking solid as we move forward into the next two years,” Commissioner Sean Kertes...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Dec. 17-19
‘Does Someone Need a Hug?’ “Elf the Musical” comes to the stage of the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, courtesy of Actors and Artists of Fayette County. A Sunday matinee is sold out. Based on the 2003 movie starring...
MAWC water rates unchanged in new budget set for approval in January
Water rates for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers are expected to remain unchanged during the 2022-23 fiscal year. A preliminary budget unveiled this week calls for the authority to retain its rate structure even as inflation has raised the costs associated with routine repairs and other upgrades planned for...
Controller blasts Westmoreland commissioners over rejection of pay raise proposal
Westmoreland Controller Jeff Balzer called a vote by county commissioners Thursday to reject proposed raises for three of his office supervisors “incompetent or political.” For the second time this year, Commissioners Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli Thrasher voted down a request from the controller to increase the pay of three...
New York Times honors The Westmoreland with best art book choice
The catalogue for “Simple Pleasures: The Art of Doris Lee,” currently showing in The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, has made the list of The New York Times Best Art Books of 2021. The 240-page, fully illustrated, full-color hardback catalogue includes an essay by The Westmoreland’s chief curator...
Murrysville adopts 2022 budget, enacts 1st tax increase since 2007
It wasn’t a property tax increase, but Murrysville officials adopted a $9.5 million 2022 budget this week that includes the municipality’s first tax hike of any kind since 2007. The budget includes a projected $1.6 million in additional revenue by way of a bump in the municipality’s share of the...
North Huntingdon OKs 2022 budget, holds line on taxes
North Huntingdon property owners will not pay any additional township real estate taxes next year under a final budget adopted by commissioners this week. Commissioners approved a $14.62 million general fund budget, an increase of about $720,000 from the 2021 budget, while holding the line on taxes at 11.55 mills....
Sewickley Township man accused of money laundering in insurance check scheme
A Sewickley Township man is accused by state police of taking a $5,200 insurance check belonging to a woman who was in jail after another man wrecked her vehicle, according to court papers. John R. Hyatt, 47, is charged with money laundering, forgery and theft. He was arraigned Wednesday and...
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...
