Westmoreland category, Page 447
Race for Westmoreland prothonotary pits former row officer against fiscal clerk
Westmoreland County will have a new prothonotary in 2022. But the officeholder elected this fall to replace retiring Democrat Christina O’Brien will not be an unfamiliar face. Democrat Tom Murphy, 57, of New Kensington served 16 years as the county’s Recorder of Deeds until he was ousted for the second...
Trib journalists promoted to key roles
Several longtime Trib journalists assumed key leadership roles last week. Jason Cato, Matt Provenzo and Ben Schmitt have been promoted to deputy managing editor positions, said Trib Executive Editor Luis Fabregas. Dirk Kaufman is director of newsroom operations. “Their experience and talent will play a crucial role in this ever-changing...
Nursing homes fall short of vaccine mandates for staff
Nursing homes are struggling to meet vaccination mandates for workers despite the likelihood of federal sanctions. In Pennsylvania, about 28% of the state’s 688 skilled care nursing facilities had met an 80% threshold for staff vaccination rates as of Oct. 3, according to the state Department of Health. Even fewer...
Damp weather can’t dampen spirits at Pink Ribbon Walk in HempfieldVideo
The damp weather had zero chance of dampening Kelly White’s spirits on Saturday morning. The Ligonier resident, who is a breast cancer survivor who underwent a mastectomy in May, was attending her first Westmoreland Walks Pink Ribbon Walk. The event is hosted by the nonprofit of the same name that...
Westmoreland Conservancy officials invite families to ‘Enchanted Forest’ in MurrysvilleVideo
Despite the best efforts of Westmoreland Conservancy officials and volunteers, steady rain made Saturday’s “Autumn Enchanted Forest” event a bit less magical than previous years at the Morosini Nature Reserve in Murrysville. But while families who might have attended will miss out on the delicious spice-bush cookies, made with berries...
Out & About: Gratitude flows at Westmoreland Symphony’s Autumn Rhapsody gala
An attitude of gratitude prevailed at the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Autumn Rhapsody gala. There was gratitude for the opportunity to gather again with friends, gratitude for business and community support for the symphony during the pandemic, and gratitude that the symphony will return to Oct. 23 to the stage of...
Investigation ongoing into deaths of elderly Mt. Pleasant Township couple
Investigators said there were no signs of foul play in connection with an elderly Mt. Pleasant Township couple found dead in their home this week. According to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office, the bodies of Donald Werry, 78, and wife, Patricia Werry, 72, were discovered Wednesday in their home on...
Passenger in pickup seriously injured after truck slams into SUV, home in Derry
Elmer Derry said he and his wife were literally “shaken out of bed” when a pickup slammed into the side of their Derry home at 10:30 p.m. Thursday. “It shook the entire house. It woke us both up,” Elmer Derry said. A piece of wood fence paneling temporarily covers the...
Shuttered North Huntingdon haunted house had to clear local, state hurdles
The North Huntingdon couple who had hoped to give people a Halloween treat by visiting their “home haunt” in a neighborhood would have had to satisfy both state and local regulations. Jeff Silka, township manager, told commissioners Thursday that a desist order was issued Oct. 7 based on the fact...
Medical marijuana dispensary to open in Southwest Greensburg
A medical marijuana dispensary is coming to Southwest Greensburg. Maitri Medicinals will open in a strip mall located at 1075 S. Main St., near the intersection of Route 30 and Route 119. A ribbon cutting is planned Monday. This will be the third medical marijuana dispensary opened by Maitri Medicinals,...
Unity OKs plans for restaurant drive-thru, car lot expansion
Plans for an Eat’n Park restaurant drive-thru window, a used car lot expansion and a bed and breakfast in Unity all have received thumbs-up from the township supervisors. Township planning director Merle Musick told the supervisors at their meeting this week that Eat’n Park Hospitality Group plans to reduce the...
Furnishings, collectibles up for auction at Ligonier’s closed Campbell House B&B
Dolls, stuffed animals, glass bells and a musical clock are among collectible items bearing the famous Campbell’s soup brand logo that will hit the auction block Saturday as people can bid on the contents of Ligonier’s closed Campbell House Bed & Breakfast. After suffering a health setback in February, owner...
Single-lane squeeze on Route 119 in Youngwood included in PennDOT traffic alerts
A long-term lane restriction in Youngwood is set to begin Monday, along with a brief road closure in Mt. Pleasant Township and a traffic restriction in West Newton, according to PennDOT. Traffic in Youngwood will be limited to a single lane on a section of Fourth Street (Route 119 southbound),...
Penn Township man killed in crash on Route 30 in Hempfield, coroner says
A 77-year-old Penn Township man was killed and two other people were hurt Thursday in a two-vehicle collision along Route 30 in Hempfield, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Thomas Ernest Stutz of Harrison City was pronounced dead at the scene of the 12:46 p.m. crash in front of...
Unity supervisors disappointed with slim response to Wimmerton intersection plans
Supervisors in Unity aren’t ready to make a decision on potential changes to the Wimmerton Boulevard intersection with Route 30 after only about 14% of residents in the adjacent housing development weighed in on plans for the project. According to Supervisor Ed Poponick, 56 people out of about 400 who...
Greensburg woman turns 103, recalls World War II service
It isn’t likely that Madeline Buchek will forget the pride she had while serving as a telephone switchboard operator in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. The Greensburg resident recalled the feeling while sitting in her home this week, just days before she celebrated her 103rd birthday with...
Vehicle crashes into house in Derry Borough; medical helicopter summoned
A medical helicopter was summoned for one patient after a vehicle crashed into a house Thursday night in Derry Borough, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatch supervisor. The wreck was reported just before 10:30 p.m. in the 200 block of West Owens Avenue. The Derry Volunteer Fire Company responded...
Irwin senior housing project approved for funding; construction set to begin in 2022
Westmoreland County Housing Authority officials expect construction of a new 50-unit apartment building for low-income seniors to begin next year in Irwin and the doors of the proposed four-story facility to open in early 2024. “There is a tremendous need for this. We have long waiting lists in all of...
Hempfield father and son arrive home to burning house
Matthew Kissell and his son, Daniel, have made a tradition of stopping at the Burger King in South Greensburg after his football games for what the pair call “Whopper Wednesdays.” This week, the seventh grader at Harrold Middle School and his father opted to head straight to their Hempfield home...
Art ‘thieves’ to hit The Westmoreland for night of whodunit fun
The art world was rocked in 2004 when Edvard Munch’s iconic painting, “The Scream,” was stolen from museum in Oslo, Norway. Luckily, it was recovered three months later. Now, art thieves will infiltrate The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg for a night of whodunit fun at 7 p.m....
Westmoreland coroner called to fatal crash on Route 30 in Hempfield
The Westmoreland County coroner was called Thursday to a fatal crash along Route 30 in Hempfield, according to a county dispatch supervisor. Route 30 was closed in both directions more than one hour after the multiple vehicle crash happened about 12:45 p.m., the dispatcher said. The roadway reopened just before...
New Stanton man jailed after 18-mile police pursuit that began in Jeannette
A 38-year-old New Stanton man is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond on drug and traffic charges. Police arrested him following an 18-mile pursuit on Route 30 that started in Jeannette and ended at a roadblock in Forest Hills, according to court documents. The incident started about 1:45 a.m....
Irwin fire department to get land for new base
The Irwin Volunteer Fire Department is a step closer to getting a larger firehall at the site of the former Sixth Street School, with hopes of moving into the building next year. Irwin Council on Wednesday approved the transfer of the property to the fire department at no cost. The...
Kennywood, Idlewild pumpkin spice up fall-themed menu items
Now you can get your pumpkin spice fix at Kennywood. Fall festivities at both Kennywood and Idlewild parks are enhanced this year with the addition of special seasonal food items. For visitors to Kennywood’s Phantom Fall Fest, that includes a pumpkin spice-flavored funnel cake and cheesecake, along with turkey legs,...
Latrobe OKs library sidewalk repair, seeks police technology grant
Latrobe Council seeks to improve access to the city’s public library while it pursues funds for upgrading technology used by the police department. City council this week awarded a $5,845 contract to low bidder McMahon Construction for replacement of a sidewalk located between a city parking lot along Chestnut Street...
