Westmoreland category, Page 498
Forensic anthropologist says Vandergrift woman’s remains burned for up to 10 hours
A forensic anthropologist testified Friday the body of a Vandergrift woman discovered in remote Derry Township in 2017 was likely burned in a fire for up to 10 hours. Dennis Dirkmaat, a professor at Mercyhurst University in Erie, told a Westmoreland County jury hundreds of small bone fragments along with...
Recovery trumps jail for former Greensburg man in fatal overdose caseVideo
An Indiana County man’s recovery from drug addiction won praise from a Westmoreland judge who sentenced him Friday to serve seven years on probation for his role in his girlfriend’s overdose death in her Greensburg apartment two years ago. In rejecting a recommended sentence of up to 13 years in...
Jeannette gallery invites public to help with MAD*LAB art project
Following the popularity of last year’s MAD*LAB, the public art-making project has returned to You Are Here gallery in downtown Jeannette. The first session resulted in three artist-designed benches made of upcycled materials and two murals painted by project participants. Those pieces all have been placed in publicly accessible spaces...
Murrysville officials will consider new hauling contract with Republic Services
While the cost of just about everything seems to have risen over the course of the covid-19 pandemic, the price Murrysville residents pay for trash hauling and recycling may stay the same, at least for the coming year. Three haulers provided bids for a combined Murrysville/Export hauling contract, with the...
Allegheny County hospitalizations drop to 10th of December’s peak
Covid-19 hospitalizations in Allegheny County dropped to 88 on Friday, just a tenth of the county’s peak total in December. On Dec. 16, 881 patients were hospitalized in the county. Just a month later, the county’s total had fallen by 50%, hitting 425 on Jan. 17. The total stood at...
Pole, guiderail repairs after tractor-trailer crash on I-70 temporarily closes eastbound lane
The right lane of Interstate 70 eastbound near the New Stanton exit is expected to reopen later today after a tractor-trailer crash damaged a light pole and guiderail. The Thursday morning crash affected traffic for hours as the truck was removed from an embankment near mile marker 56. The left...
‘Magic’ mushroom grow operation found at Rostraver home, police say
A suspected psychedelic mushroom grow operation was discovered in a Rostraver home Thursday while police said they were investigating threats made by the property owner, according to court papers. Authorities arrested Michael Jonathan McClain, 45, who is being held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison. Township police were called...
Penn Area Library’s new director looks toward more public events, community outreachVideo
James Facer arrived at his new position — executive director for Penn Area Library in Penn Township — by an interesting route. The Tacoma, Wash., native was living in Chicago when his wife, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, got a job in Pittsburgh in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic....
Hempfield Area officials making plans for next school yearVideo
Students in the Hempfield Area School District will not have the option to participate in a hybrid model of learning during the 2021-22 school year, officials announced this week. Instead, much like in a typical year, students will choose between attending in-person classes five days a week, joining the Hempfield...
Greensburg YMCA set to reopen its doors
The Greensburg YMCA will reopen to members June 14. In late September, it closed most of its facilities because of covid-related restrictions and because fewer members returned after the facility reopened last summer. “Our reopening will be a slow process until we’re able to hire necessary staff,” said Suzanne Printz,...
Youngwood Park N Pool, to open Saturday at age 60, gets updates through grant
The Youngwood Park N Pool will enter its 60th season Saturday with renovated facilities — thanks to nearly $180,000 in grant money. The community development block grant was primarily used to make the locker rooms, parking lot and pool sidewalk handicap accessible, said Ed Christafano, president of the Youngwood Area...
Volunteers sought to remove flags at West Newton Cemetery
Volunteers are needed Saturday to remove the more than 350 U.S. flags that were installed last month to honor local veterans for the 27th Annual Avenue of Flags at the West Newton Cemetery. Those interested in helping are asked to meet at the cemetery office on Vernon Drive at 9...
U.S. Attorney: Hillandale Farms accountant embezzled $6.8M, spent stolen money on luxury cars, condo, travel jaunts
A former accountant of Greensburg-based Hillandale Farms was arrested Thursday on federal charges of bilking nearly $7 million from the nationwide egg distributor, then funneling the stolen money through businesses across Western Pennsylvania and spending it on lavish personal items such as collectible cars, real estate, high-end dining and travel....
Passenger numbers soar at Arnold Palmer airport; air show proceeds likely to disappoint
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport closed May 2021 with the highest passenger numbers during that calendar month that it has seen in six years. But the Unity airport also ended the month with an air show that was hampered by poor weather and ticket sales that turned out to be less...
Scalp, bone fragments among evidence presented in Greensburg man’s homicide trial
Investigators found what appeared to be part of a human scalp, bone fragments, charred jewelry and clothing in a pile of ash at a secluded Derry Township camp site identified by a witness as the location where Ronny Cable was killed and her remains burned in February 2017, police detectives...
Latrobe’s Mister Rogers Family Days expands to weeklong format
Latrobe again will celebrate the legacy of native son Fred Rogers with activities and entertainment in the town where the iconic television host grew up. Inspired by the classic “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” series and today’s animated “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” show, weeklong activities from Monday through June 12 will include a...
Allegheny County’s covid hospitalizations dip below 100 for 1st time since October
Nearly all covid-19 numbers in Pennsylvania continue to drop to levels not seen since before the fall surge. On Thursday, Pennsylvania added 656 new covid-19 cases to its total, with nearly 20% of them coming from one county: Philadelphia (123). The next highest reporting county was York with just 36...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 4-6
‘Quarantine’ album release Neon Swing X-perience will be live from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker. The evening will be a CD release show for the retro horn band’s new album, “Live in Quarantine: A Virtual Evening of Originals.” Recorded at a livestreamed show a few months...
Sacred Heart to reopen in Jeannette, faces tough choice on costly water damage repairsVideo
A Jeannette church this month will host its first Mass since August, when it was forced to close. The interior of Sacred Heart Parish won’t look exactly the same, though, and costly water damage repairs loom amid hopes to revive the city’s Catholic presence. Plaster has either fallen or been...
Traffic on I-70 near New Stanton exit affected after tractor-trailer crash
A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 70 slowed traffic Thursday morning near the New Stanton exit. The tractor-trailer was reported over an embankment at 5:30 a.m. near mile marker 56 on the eastbound side, according to dispatch reports. Part of the highway was shut down while crews recovered the truck. No...
Suspect arrested after teen girl reported being followed outside Westmoreland Mall
A Greensburg man was arrested Wednesday after a teen girl reported being followed to her car after work at Westmoreland Mall. William Lael Gressman, 60, is charged with stalking, indecent exposure, harassment and disorderly conduct. Troopers said the 16-year-old girl reported Tuesday night that the suspect commented on her body...
Scouting family from Murrysville helps others find their way through park trailsVideo
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Giant Eagle worker supports state push to raise minimum wage to $12 an hour
When Sandy Zilen started working at the Giant Eagle supermarket in Harrison City, her wages were nowhere near the $13 an hour she now earns — and not even close to the $7.25 minimum wage in Pennsylvania. But, Zilen, who lives in the Claridge section of Penn Township, said she...
Murrysville tennis club looks to add outdoor courts, host sanctioned tournaments
The Murrysville Racquet Club would like to add a half-dozen outdoor courts to its Norbatrol Court property, giving it the ability to host U.S. Tennis Association tournaments. “We’re looking to have six courts because that’s the standard by which the USTA governs the type of tournaments they’d like to host,”...
Western Pa. barbers split over helping President Biden promote covid vaccines
If President Biden wants Greg Henderson to preach the gospel of getting a covid vaccine to his customers who come in for a haircut, he’s going to have to find another barber to deliver that sermon. “I really don’t want to promote it. It’s kind of personal,” said Henderson, who...
