Westmoreland category, Page 496
Vandergrift man pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 2 girls
A Vandergrift man pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting two girls, avoiding trial. Eric Jermain Emory, 35, will be sentenced June 28. Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney James Lazar said Emory waived a presentence investigation. Prosecutors are recommending a state prison sentence for Emory, who has been jailed since July....
Leechburg man gets probation in crash that seriously injured woman
Life hasn’t been the same for Helen Shaw after her car was forced off the road in Allegheny Township by an unlicensed driver. She can’t do some her favorite activities, like swim or take her dog for a walk, because the pain becomes overwhelming. Mostly, she stays at home. “The...
New Kensington man pleads guilty to homicide by vehicle in death of woman
A New Kensington man pleaded guilty Monday to driving drunk when a woman died in 2017 after falling from his moving pickup in Lower Burrell. James Jay Jenniches, 55, formerly of Vandergrift, pleaded guilty to charges of homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence, avoiding a trial. He is...
Former Derry Borough mayor expected to testify in own defense at trial
Jurors are being asked to determine what former Derry Borough Mayor Kevin M. Gross’ intent was in 2019 when he pulled out a handgun at a playground during an altercation among three teenagers. Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Pete Caravello said Monday during opening statements that Gross, 40, pointed the...
Boy, 16, shot outside Greensburg apartment; police make 2 arrestsVideo
A 16-year-old boy was shot Sunday outside a Greensburg apartment complex, and police arrested two people Monday, according to Capt. Shawn Denning. Officers were called to Eastmont Estates about 1:30 p.m. Sunday for a reported shooting involving several people. The teen was shot in the leg and hand and is...
Loyalhanna Brewfest returns with added vendor variety, 2 admission levels
Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s brewfest is back. Dubbed Loyalhanna Brewfest 2.1, the event is set from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the association farm off West Main Street, just outside Ligonier Borough. This is the second year for the association to present the evening of food, live music and tastings...
Hempfield man pleads guilty in DUI crash that seriously injured another motorist
A Hempfield man pleaded guilty Monday in connection with a 2019 drunken-driving crash that seriously injured another motorist. Joseph J. Forbes, 66, entered a general plea to charges of aggravated assault by vehicle and driving under the influence. Prosecutors dismissed other offenses. State police arrested Forbes in connection with the...
Police: East Huntingdon contractor again accused of taking money for remodel work never started
An East Huntingdon contractor is facing fraud charges after police say he accepted $9,650 in payments for work he did not complete, according to a criminal complaint. Jason Ray Pirl, 40, who does business as Proline Painting, is charged with one count of home improvement fraud after police say he...
What Western Pa. doctors are saying about controversial Alzheimer’s drug
Whether the first U.S. drug intended to thwart Alzheimer’s disease signals a major milestone or “dangerous hope” depends on which Western Pennsylvania doctor you ask. One thing many in the medical community seem to agree on: They didn’t expect the drug to win over federal regulators, at least not yet....
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 53. But this Unity woman is not giving up.
The neurologist’s diagnosis sent Sara Belt’s family members into shock. Alzheimer’s disease? At just 53 years old? “I went numb,” her husband, Don Belt, said of that summer day three years ago at the Westmoreland County specialist’s office. The 74-year-old venture capitalist and former corporate marketing executive recalls feeling helpless...
Norwin grad realizes ‘lifelong dream’ by making Paralympic goalball teamVideo
A 2013 Norwin High School graduate will play for the U.S. goalball team in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in August. “It’s been a lifelong dream to be playing in the Paralympics. It’s exhilarating,” said Calahan Young, the North Huntingdon native now living in Fort Wayne, Ind., the training site...
Devout Brewing in Penn Township expands outdoor seatingVideo
It doesn’t typically get loud and rowdy at Devout Brewing in Penn Township. But if it did, co-owner Matt Joseph wouldn’t have to worry about complaints from the neighbors. Situated in the Bushy Run Corporate Park off Mellon Road, all of Joseph’s neighbors are pretty well cleared out by 6...
Eagle Scout creates monarch butterfly habitat at Keystone State Park visitor center
Monarch butterflies are not the only ones spreading their wings at Keystone State Park this summer. On Saturday, Delmont’s Albany Slentz unveiled her Eagle Scout project, a butterfly viewing habitat at Kell Visitor Center in the Derry Township park. Slentz, 14, is the youngest female Eagle Scout from the Westmoreland-Fayette...
Scavenger hunters race through Greensburg for clues, puzzles at downtown businessesVideo
Through bursts of rain Saturday, 18 teams competed in 60 Minute Missions Escape Room’s Greensburg Scavenger Race by hunting for clues and solving puzzles. “We have 59 racers dashing through downtown Greensburg,” said Vandye Nelson, co-owner of the escape room. “They’re getting a list of clues that are pretty vague...
Hempfield’s Historic Hanna’s Town hosts Frontier Court DaysVideo
Dave Crispen found himself re-enacting a bloody mess Saturday in one of the newest structures at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Inside the Lefevre House, Crispen portrayed a Revolutionary War-era surgeon awaiting casualties coming in from the battlefield. He had the tools of the trade lined up — a tourniquet,...
‘A kind gesture to the rest of humanity’: Greensburg rabbi creates 1st braille Sefer Torah
Rabbi Lenny Sarko was told making a braille Sefer Torah while adhering to kosher laws was impossible. Challenge accepted. Four years later, Sarko produced the first braille Torah. Sarko is the rabbi at the Congregation Emanu-El Israel synagogue on Main Street in Greensburg. The inspiration for the project came to...
Food, music fill the air at Westmoreland Fair grounds this weekendVideo
The smell of burgers and barbecue smoke was in the air Friday night at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds during the Food & Music Festival, the first time fair organizers have promoted their own food-truck event. “It’s great to be out serving food for the public,” said Jason Frye of Pleasant...
Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary awards scholarship to nurse Theresa MacBlane
A luncheon at the Greensburg Country Club hosted by the Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary June 16 celebrated a new scholarship winner 一 its own Excela Health employee, Theresa MacBlane. “She just stood out,” said Darlene Delaini, auxiliary president. “She was a dynamo.” MacBlane, 52, of Home, Indiana County, who has worked...
Donora man, 66, dies after jumping from Rostraver bridge
A man seen jumping from the Donora-Monessen bridge Friday afternoon died as a result of his injuries, according to the Washington County coroner. Thomas B. Matsick Jr., 66, of Donora was reportedle seen jumping from the eastbound side of the bridge, which carries traffic over the Monongahela River between Donora...
Greensburg rally celebrates federal Juneteenth holidayVideo
Many of those attending Greensburg’s Unity in the Community rally Friday felt they were taking part in a historic event. About 20 speakers, a dozen human service organizations and a small crowd attended the afternoon gathering in St. Clair Park — held to mark the first federal Juneteenth holiday, which...
Westmoreland Transit to use federal grants to keep bus fares steady, for now
Fares to ride Westmoreland County Transit Authority buses and paratransit vehicles will remain unchanged under a new operating budget approved this week. The spending plan relies heavily on federal stimulus grants as revenues continue to lag more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic caused a dramatic drop-off in passenger...
Judge rejects Westmoreland primary challenges
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected two lawsuits seeking to invalidate results from the May primary. Judge Harry Smail Jr. said the lawsuits, both filed without the help of lawyers, were improperly submitted because they did not include verified signatures from 20 district voters and failed to include required...
PennDOT plans project road closures in St. Clair Monday, in Murrysville in 2023
Road closures and detours lie ahead for motorists in two Westmoreland County communities as PennDOT makes plans for road and bridge improvements in St. Clair Township and Murrysville. A section of Shannon Creek Road in St. Clair will be closed beginning Monday for a pipe replacement. A bridge replacement affecting...
Funding for new path at Irwin Park appears imminent
Residents accustomed to walking along the asphalt path at Irwin Park — get ready for an upgrade. The borough will receive a $135,000 Community Development Block Grant from Westmoreland County to replace the existing path, said Shari Martino, borough manager. The money also will be used to create rain gardens...
Mystery note found in donated prom dress in Mt. Pleasant sparks viral TikTok search, new trend
As Jillian Nimick sorted through bags of prom dresses donated to Nimi Boutique in Mt. Pleasant, she didn’t expect to find anything out of the ordinary. But she did. Nimick, owner of the Main Street shop, has been accepting prom dress donations to give away since the spring. Sorting through...
