Westmoreland category, Page 438
Convicted sex offender to serve 9 years in prison for failing to register with police
A former Greensburg man living in North Carolina was ordered Wednesday to serve up to nine years in prison failing to register as a convicted sex offender. Ozzy James Bowland, 37, pleaded guilty to one felony charge that requires convicted sex offenders to register current addresses and provide their photographs...
Ties in 39 races to be broken Friday in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County election officials said 39 races on the Nov. 2 ballot ended in ties that will be broken Friday through a casting of lots, including one open seat for Jeannette city controller where 30 candidates each received one write-in vote. The county’s elections board on Wednesday issued a precertification...
Castle Doctrine debated as defense in Arnold shooting trial
A Westmoreland County prosecutor argued Wednesday that Pennsylvania’s Castle Doctrine is not an applicable defense in the murder trial of a Churchill man charged in connection with a fatal shooting last year in Arnold. Assistant District Attorney Pete Caravello said jurors should not receive legal instructions about the statute that...
Holiday happenings around Westmoreland: Christmas parades, turkey trots and more
Here is a listing of upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday related events around Westmoreland County. If you have a community event you would like to be considered, please email details to gtrcity@triblive.com. Dec. 2 Greensburg 52nd Annual Luminary Night will be held from 5-9 p.m. in downtown Greensburg. Dec. 3...
Troopers: Man accused of sexually assaulting, biting woman at South Huntingdon party
A 19-year-old Hunker man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at an outdoor party in South Huntingdon in September, according to state police. Dakota Rain Archibeque is charged with indecent assault and simple assault in connection with the alleged incident that occurred during a party in a wooded...
As national overdose deaths top 100K in a year, Pa. official urges naloxone use
State officials are encouraging people to stock up on opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone as overdose deaths climb locally and nationally. The coronavirus pandemic upended a lot of progress officials statewide had made on reducing the number of drug overdoses, said Jen Smith, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug...
Westmoreland happenings: Oil painting workshop, Christmas parade, craft and vendor show, more
Art • Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley will offer a beginners oil painting workshop with local artist Doreen Currie from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 at the museum, 1 Boucher Lane, Ligonier Township. Cost: $30 includes both days. A supply list will be...
Rockslide closes section of Route 906 in Rostraver
A portion of Route 906 between Vance Dei Cas Highway and Webster Hollow Road in Rostraver Township was closed Wednesday due to a rock fall, PennDOT officials said. The road will remain closed until further notice as PennDOT crews evaluate the site, according to PennDOT District 12 in Uniontown. Rockslides...
TribLive Taste Test: National Baklava Day
It’s National Baklava Day! And if you’re like us, after you get through the roughly 15 pounds of gyro meat that always comes with a quality gyro, you’ve barely got enough room left for one of our favorite desserts. So today we skipped the gyro and went straight for the...
Youngwood woman not guilty of hit-and-run for crash that left 5-year-old boy injured
A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted a Youngwood woman of hit-and-run charges in connection with an incident two years ago in which a 5-year-old boy on a bicycle collided with a sports utility vehicle in Hempfield. Beth Ann Briggs, 50, did not testify during the one-day trial. But her...
Police testify suspected murder weapon in Arnold slaying was found in a shoe
Detectives who searched the Arnold home where police said a man was gunned down last year testified Tuesday the suspected murder weapon was found hidden inside of a shoe left behind at the home. Statepolice Detective Nick Iera said he initially didn’t see the weapon as he walked through the...
Greensburg teen charged as adult by police in apartment shooting
A 17-year-old Greensburg youth injured in a June 16 shootout at an apartment complex was arrested this week by city police and charged as an adult with attempted homicide and reckless endangerment in connection with the shooting. Anthony Joshua Shook was ordered held in the county juvenile detention center without...
Norwin increases pay for cafeteria workers
Forced to compete with area restaurants for employees, the Norwin School District will increase the starting wage for cafeteria workers from $10.80 an hour to $14.80 an hour under terms of a contract approved by the board this week. The district’s contract with the Service Employees International Union 32 BJ...
Norwin board OKs 6-year teacher contract; pay hikes average 3%
Norwin’s teachers will enjoy wage hikes averaging 3% for this school year and the next five school years under the terms of a six-year agreement that both the teachers and the Norwin School Board approved on Monday. The board voted 8-0 to approve a contract with the Norwin Education Association...
Westmoreland commissioners to meet Thursday in courthouse lobby
Westmoreland County commissioners’ monthly voting meeting will be more public than usual. The Nov. 18 voting session, where commissioners are expected to unveil a preliminary 2022 budget, will be held in the courthouse lobby at 10 a.m. Commissioners typically convene public sessions in the large meeting room just off the...
Derry man accused of recording county court employee without permission
A Derry man was arrested Monday on accusations that he used a cellphone to record a Westmoreland County court employee at the Greensburg courthouse and later posted the video on social media, according to court papers. Justin Martinez, 41, is charged with violating wiretap laws. The employee in the court...
Kelly Tua Hammers sworn in as Derry Township district judge
Kelly Tua Hammers was sworn in as Monday as the new district judge in Derry Township. Hammers, 50, was appointed in October by Gov. Tom Wolf to fill out the remaining two months in the term of District Judge Mark Bilik, who retired in August. Bilik had been hearing cases...
Self-defense claimed in Arnold fatal shooting
The lawyer for the man charged in the fatal shooting of a man in Arnold last year told a Westmoreland County jury that his client acted in self defense. Devon Askew, 28, of Churchill feared for his life and fired two shots to protect himself, a woman and her young...
W.Va. man killed in turnpike crash in Somerset
A West Virginia man died in a weekend wreck along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. Ryan M. Smith, 35, of Huntington, W.Va., was killed when his car collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike, about five miles...
More new stores coming to Westmoreland Mall, with 2 set to reopen
A slew of new stores are set to open at Westmoreland Mall, including two that previously shuttered at the Hempfield site. Charlotte Russe and Christopher & Banks, which previously occupied storefronts at the mall, will be joined by locally owned Neecs Sneaks and Rock Bottom jewelry store. The announcements come...
Ohio driver jailed without bond after Murrysville crash, police say
An Ohio driver is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond on multiple criminal and traffic charges after a two-vehicle crash in Murrysville that seriously injured an area couple last week. Mark C. Venable, 37, of West Carrollton, located near Dayton, was charged with driving without a license and suspicion...
2 Hempfield teens charged in botched robbery attempt at Lynch Field
Two Hempfield teenagers are charged as adults with aggravated assault and attempted robbery in connection with what police say was the botched robbery of another teen at Lynch Field. Janis Biller, 16, and Jackson J. Martin, 17, are charged with threatening another teen with a “large machete knife” about 7:15...
Easy ways to boost your home’s curb appeal for fall
This installment of “Home Sweet Home” is presented by Bella Construction As the weather gets colder and your green lawn turns brown, turn your attention to finding other ways to boost your curb appeal. Everything from front door wreaths to lighting throughout the yard is essential for dressing the front...
2 flown to hospitals after crash in Rostraver
Two people were injured early Sunday morning in a crash along Route 51 in Rostraver, near the Route 981 intersection, a Westmoreland County Public Safety supervisor said. The collision was reported at 6:40 a.m. and two people were flown from the scene by medical helicopter to area hospitals, the supervisor...
Norwin band takes title at national competition
The Norwin High School Band can rightfully lay claim to bragging rights as a champion among bands from across the country that competed this weekend in Indianapolis. The local marching band placed first in the semifinals competition in its class at the Bands of America Grand National Championships at Lucas...
