Westmoreland category, Page 465
Loose keys cause minor injury at Westmoreland Fair
A teen girl had a minor injury at the Westmoreland Fair this week after a set of keys fell during an amusement ride and landed in the mechanism operating the ride, according to a fair representative. The girl was on the Superman ride Monday when another rider’s keys fell down...
West Newton man accused of threatening to bring gun to state representative’s office
A West Newton man is behind bars after police say he threatened staff members working in the office of State Rep. Eric Davanzo and had a stolen handgun when officers arrested him, according to court papers. Raymond C. Keller, 54, is charged with receiving stolen property and four counts of...
Derry Township man charged with ramming police cruiser, dragging officers during pursuit through Murrysville, Monroeville
A Derry Township man is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond after being charged with dragging police officers and ramming a patrol car during a chase through Murrysville and Monroeville. Cory R. Nolan, 33, was taken into custody after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday by police from both municipalities...
North Huntingdon wants Guffey Road speed lowered
North Huntingdon officials want PennDOT to conduct a traffic study on Guffey Road as a prelude to reducing the 35 mph speed limit. Township commissioners approved a request for the traffic study on a portion of the road that runs from the intersection of Main Street and Barnes Lake Road...
Hallowboo! set to return to Idlewild
Idlewild & Soak Zone’s popular Halloween program, Hallowboo! is returning this fall on weekends, beginning Sept. 25 and continuing through Oct. 31. A variety of family-friendly entertainment, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be provided, highlighted by a trick-or-treat trail through Story Book Forest. Many of the park’s...
Historic Bell’s Mills Bridge closure extended a few days
The closure of the historic Bell’s Mills Bridge in Westmoreland County will last a little longer. The covered wooden span initially was set to reopen to traffic on Thursday, but county Engineer Vaughn Neill said there have been delays in pouring concrete. “We now expect the bridge to remain closed...
Court action threatened over Franklin Regional school mask policy, as debates rage in Pa.
An attorney representing a group of parents in the Franklin Regional School District sent the superintendent and board of directors a letter this week threatening litigation if masking is not made mandatory. It is one of many lawsuits being considered by parents on both sides of what has become a...
Hempfield man pleads guilty in prison cell vandalism, escape attempt charge dismissed
A Hempfield man was ordered to serve up to 18 months in prison for an incident earlier this year in which police said he tried to escape from the county’s lockup. Jule Aaron Mascherma, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of institutional vandalism after Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss...
Farm’s excess ears provide fresh corn for Westmoreland Food Bank recipientsVideo
Ideal growing conditions this summer left John and Sam Greenawalt up to their ears in excess sweet corn on their Sewickley Township farm. That overabundance now is a windfall for the Westmoreland County Food Bank and the families it serves. About 30 volunteers gathered Wednesday morning at one of the...
Hempfield retiree helps fend off attack on sheriff’s deputy in emergency roomVideo
Joseph Twigger said he didn’t think twice in the emergency room at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg this week when he saw a county jail inmate trying to grab a sheriff’s deputy’s gun. On Monday, an inmate was draped over Deputy Edgar Fink, who was pinned against a wall...
Westmoreland officials say no plans to accept juveniles from soon-to-close facility in Pittsburgh
Westmoreland officials said Wednesday there are no plans for the county’s juvenile detention center to accept troubled youth from the soon-to-shutter Shuman Center in Pittsburgh. Allegheny County officials announced this week the 120-bed Shuman facility would close Sept. 18, after state regulators rescinded the detention center’s operating license following disclosure...
State police charge Derry Township man with raping juvenile girl
State police on Wednesday arrested a Derry Township man, charging him with rape and sexual abuse involving a girl over eight years, according to court documents. Tyler A. Elsworth, 21, was arraigned on 30 counts of sexual assault, 20 counts each of rape and rape of a child, 10 counts...
Hempfield woman jailed on $50K bond, accused of threatening relative with knife
State police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old Hempfield woman on charges that she allegedly threatening to stab a relative with a 6-inch knife during an altercation. Brittany S. Wilson was arraigned on criminal charges of attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and making terroristic threats filed by...
Excela Health seeing increase in covid cases, with nearly all hospitalizations for unvaccinated people
The vast majority of covid-19 patients at Excela Health’s three hospitals have not been vaccinated against the virus, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox. “Our numbers have dramatically increased in the last month,” she said, pointing to a “tenfold” uptick in covid patients compared to the three patients...
Westmoreland news: Digital literacy workshops, safe driving class and virtual job fair
Art • The Greensburg Art Center will host an exhibit of 3D art Sept. 25 to Oct. 22. Sculptures, reliefs and artisan craft entries are being accepted and there will be prizes for each area. A purchase prize of up to $1,000 will be awarded for an outdoor sculpture to...
Orders up: Greensburg Restaurant Week dishing up summer meal deals
Greensburg Restaurant Week is underway and will run through the weekend. The summer lineup features 21 restaurants offering specially priced menus through Sunday. And though its name cites Greensburg, the eateries are located around Westmoreland County. Local restaurants promote lunch and/or dinner specials offering reduced prices for a fixed-price menu....
Hempfield man accused of sexually assaulting teen girl at party
A Hempfield man is free on bond after state police charged him with sexually assaulting a teen girl during a party near his home last year, according to court papers. Chad M. Flow, 47, is charged with several counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors...
Masks remain optional at Greater Latrobe after elementary mandate fails by slim margin
When Greater Latrobe parents send their elementary students back to the classroom beginning Monday, they will have the option of deciding whether their children should wear a mask upon entering their school building. The school board this week was just one vote away from amending its July 27 mask-optional policy,...
Fired Westmoreland election bureau director claims commissioners set her up to fail
Former Westmoreland County Election Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said she worked sometimes 16 hours a day and struggled through health issues as she was belittled and set up for failure by her bosses before being ultimately fired without cause. Sebastiani, 63, appeared with her lawyers at virtual news conference Tuesday...
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over 2020 crash that killed popular West Penn Power lineman
Relatives of a New Stanton man killed Oct. 21, 2020, when a tractor trailer slammed into the rear of his car along Interstate 70 sued the rig’s driver and his California employer for wrongful death, according to court papers. The administrator of the estate of Dillon W. Walton, 27, a...
3 serious crashes in 3 days in Derry Township leave motorists hospitalized
One person was flown by medical helicopter from a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Derry Township, according to state police. The crash was reported about 11:15 a.m. at the intersection of Route 217 and Pizza Barn Road, just south of Blairsville. Sean R. Ober, 24, of Latrobe, drove a Hyundai Santa...
Trout Unlimited to host fishing day for military veterans
Veterans, including those who are disabled, will have the opportunity to fish for trout, bass and panfish at a Derry Township sportsman’s club. The Oct. 2 event will be held at the Kingston Veterans Sportsmen Association at its facilities along Route 217. The Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited will...
Monessen man killed in Washington County motorcycle crash
A Monessen man died after a motorcycle crash Friday in Washington County, according to state police. Dennis Sepesy, 60, was headed north on Route 43 in California just after 8 p.m. when he drove his Harley-Davidson onto the side of the road near milepost 32, police said. After one-tenth of...
Damage contained, no one injured in Loyalhanna bedroom fire
Firefighters quickly knocked down a bedroom fire and were able to contain damage to one room Monday night at a modular home in Loyalhanna Township. Crews were dispatched before 10 p.m. to the dwelling along Moween Road in Loyalhanna Township. “We had a pretty good knockdown,” Saltsburg Fire Chief John...
2 taken to hospital after car-pickup collision in Unity
Two motorists were taken by ambulance to Excela Latrobe Hospital for treatment following a two-vehicle crash Monday night in Unity. Firefighters responded just before 9:30 p.m. after a car and pickup truck collided on Marguerite Road, between Marguerite Lake Road and Kimberly Drive. All occupants were able to free themselves...
