Westmoreland category, Page 458
Gary Lewis glad he chose music over following in his famous father’s footstepsVideo
When it comes to mid-1960s pop culture, there was no bigger movie comedian than Jerry Lewis. And there was no bigger band than the Beatles. For Lewis’ oldest son, Gary, it meant there was a fork in the road. A natural performer, he was faced with a choice between following...
Westmoreland County commissioner plans virtual town-hall meeting series
Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew plans to start a series of virtual “town hall” meetings to engage more county residents with local government. “Our county’s public meetings are in the middle of the day, when a large fraction of the public can’t attend,” Chew said. The first meeting will take...
Why Pa. Turnpike tolls soared — and will continue rising for next 30 years
Surrounded by bushels of fresh local peaches, Lori Hanscom spent an afternoon greeting truckers, commuters and vacationers from behind her fruit stand at the New Stanton rest stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Her day was filled with friendly chatter about the weather, traffic and which fruits were in season. One...
Several new stores slated to open at Westmoreland Mall
Empty storefronts at Westmoreland Mall are filling up quickly, with several new businesses slated to open this year. Three stores — SpectroDolce Confectionery, Western Edge Seafood and Joseph Jacob Jewelers — are planning to open at the mall, officials with CBL Properties, the entity that owns Westmoreland and Monroeville malls,...
Rubber Ducky Race raises money for Turtle Creek Watershed Association
Rubber ducks raced again Saturday in the third annual Rubber Ducky Race. The event is put on by the Turtle Creek Watershed Association and Irwin Borough. Participants could buy a rubber ducky to compete in the race, and the money raised goes to the watershed association, which will use part...
Shoeboxes stuffed with gifts headed from Westmoreland to needy kids around the worldVideo
A simple comb, a gift from someone in another country, gave Alex Nsengimana something to hold onto in 1995 as a 7-year-old orphan in war-torn Rwanda. “It was the very first time I ever received a gift in my life,” he said. “On the one side it had a little...
Salem man makes pitch to honor Baseball Hall of Famer’s Greensburg grid stint
Fans of Major League Baseball may know that Pennsylvania native and early pitching star Christy Mathewson was an inaugural member of the sport’s Hall of Fame — entering posthumously in 1936 with the likes of Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner. What many don’t know is that...
National Public Lands Day draws volunteers to Loyalhanna DamVideo
The group of volunteers nearly had the tree planted and all the dirt filled back in on Saturday morning when someone looked up and noticed the power lines directly overhead. “Who planned this?” someone joked, then added with a laugh, “The Army Corps of Engineers, huh?” “Hey, I just dug...
Loyalhanna Watershed group adds pop-up gala to online bidding for annual art auction
Patrons of this year’s Loyalhanna Watershed Association Art Auction will have a choice of bidding on 29 creative works, either remotely from Monday through Oct. 2 or in the company of other bidders during an Oct. 1 Pop-Up Gala. Last year, in response to pandemic restrictions, the nonprofit shifted the...
Jury deadlocked, mistrial declared in rape and sexual assault trial of Allegheny Township man
A mistrial was declared Friday in the cases against an Allegheny Township man accused of rape and sexual assaults by five women and a teen. Jurors deliberated nearly 14 hours over two days and reported they were at an impasse and unable to reach verdicts on all 24 counts in...
Hempfield senator set to speak at Pennsylvania March for Life
State Sen. Kim Ward, a Hempfield Republican, is set to speak during the 2021 Pennsylvania March for Life Monday in Harrisburg. The event will be the state’s first official March for Life during which participants plan to rally at the state Capitol building to bring attention to protections for unborn...
Weather looks good for Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival mini-event
Weather conditions look favorable for the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival’s Mini-Fall Festival, set for 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday in the event’s usual location at the lower lake area of Twin Lakes Park, east of Greensburg. According to accuweather.com, the day should be “mostly sunny and nice” with a...
Unity man accused in rape of girl, 12
A Unity man is accused by police of raping a 12-year-old girl in Derry Borough two years ago, according to court papers. Christopher A. Simoncini, 35, is charged with rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault and related offenses. Borough police said in a criminal complaint that they...
Firefighters extinguish mobile home blaze in Derry Township
Firefighters extinguished a blaze Friday morning in Derry Township, according to Bradenville Assistant Fire Chief Nick Piantine. The abandoned mobile home at Longview Trailer Park off of Pittsburgh Street was engulfed in flames, he said. No one was hurt and the structure was completely destroyed. The blaze at the park...
Monessen man pleads guilty to receiving package with cocaine hidden in designer boots
A Monessen man pleaded guilty Thursday to a conspiracy charge in connection with a package delivered to his home that federal authorities said contained cocaine hidden in designer boots, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman. Devon White, 48, is free on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Federal authorities said...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Sept. 24-26
Ach, du lieber! Don your lederhosen or dirndl and head to Oktoberfest, taking place 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company Pavilion, 3235 Sardis Road. The family-friendly event will feature German-style food and music, along with libations from local breweries and wineries. A costume contest for those lederhosen...
‘Rejuvenated’ Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival returns with surprise features
The pandemic year cancellation wasn’t necessarily all bad for the Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival. “Having a year off got us rejuvenated,” said co-director Jeff Landy. “Everybody’s been working hard, and we’re excited to be back.” The annual street festival, celebrating the area’s glass-making history and diverse ethnic heritage,...
Jury deliberations to resume in sexual assault and rape trial of Allegheny Township man
A Westmoreland County jury will continue deliberations Friday morning in the rape and sexual assault trial of an Allegheny Township man. Jurors in the cases against Eric Alan Wright, 49, deliberated more than eight hours Thursday before they were sent home for the night by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge...
Chiropractor guilty of animal cruelty for 2019 shooting of dog in Monessen
A Rostraver chiropractor was convicted Thursday of two misdemeanor offenses in connection with the shooting of a dog two years ago in Monessen. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated nearly 11 hours over two days before reaching a mixed verdict that found James Scirotto, 48, guilty of animal cruelty and reckless...
Westmoreland Food Bank partners with DoorDash for deliveries to senior citizensVideo
The boxes of food can be heavy or maybe transportation is an issue. Whatever the roadblock standing in the way of a senior citizen being able to pick up items from the Westmoreland County Food Bank, there’s now an answer — delivery. A partnership with online food ordering and delivery...
Winning Match 6 ticket worth $750k sold at Belle Vernon grocery store
A jackpot Match 6 Lotto ticket worth $750,000 was sold at a Belle Vernon grocery store this week, according to Pennsylvania Lottery officials. Lottery officials said the ticket, purchased from Duritza’s Market at 735 Henry St., correctly matched all six winning numbers, 4-30-33-43-47-48, during Tuesday’s drawing. The store will earn...
Greater Latrobe School Board inks 3-year contract with support employees
Greater Latrobe School Board and the union representing 67 of its support employees agreed on a three-year contract extension. The agreement, which the board ratified this week, is retroactive to July 1 and continues through June 30, 2024. According to a joint release by the district and the union, the...
Resident escapes burning home in Murrysville
A resident was able to escape a burning Murrysville home Thursday morning, according to White Valley Fire Chief John Bohinc. The blaze on Sinan Drive, a rural road near Murrysville Community Park, was reported around 9 a.m. Bohinc said there were flames through the roof in the rear corner of...
Is everything fine? Westmoreland Museum program delves into reality
Someone asks, “How are you?” and you automatically say, “Fine.” But are you really? Six Pittsburgh-area women artists will get to the root of the question during “Everything Is Fine,” an outdoor performance art event set for 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in...
More fun on tap for last half of Greensburg Craft Beer Week
Days into this year’s Greensburg Craft Beer Week, beer lovers are venturing out to get a taste of the latest local brews. The weeklong event, which began last Friday and runs through Sunday, has attracted “a pretty good turnout” so far, said organizer Jessica Hickey of the Downtown Greensburg Project....
