Westmoreland category, Page 499
Defense seeks plea deal in 2019 death of East Huntingdon baby
The lawyer for a Fayette County man charged with first-degree murder of an 11-month old East Huntingdon child told a judge on Tuesday his client was ready to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Assistant Public Defender Jack Manderino said Derrick A. Bass, 31, of Uniontown indicated his desire to...
Dispatch: 4 people flown by medical helicopters after multi-vehicle crash in Washington Township
Four people were flown by medical helicopter to area hospitals following a multi-vehicle crash along Route 66 in Washington Township, according a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. Crews responded to Route 66 at Hancock Avenue shortly before 4:30 p.m. Both lanes of Route 66 were shut down for about two hours. The...
Former Pagans leader ordered to report to state prison July 30
A Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday ordered the former leader of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club to report to a Somerset County state prison in late July to resume serving an 80-month sentence for a drug conviction based on a 2011 raid of his Hempfield home. Dennis “Rooster” Katona, 54, was...
Greensburg, Latrobe art centers celebrate shared mission in joint show
Greensburg and Latrobe art centers will celebrate their collective mission of promoting art and artists across Westmoreland County with the annual joint exhibition, “Art Neighbors.” Featuring works by members of both organizations, the show will run from Thursday through July 31 in the Latrobe Art Center, 819 Ligonier St. An...
State police seeking witnesses to fatal Route 30 crash in Hempfield
State police in Greensburg are seeking information on a multi-vehicle crash Monday along Route 30 in Hempfield that claimed the life of a Fayette County man. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office reported the driver of one of the vehicles, Michael J. Yatsko, 69, of South Connellsville, died at Excela Health...
State Sen. Kim Ward recovering from mastectomyVideo
State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, underwent a double mastectomy at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh on Monday, according to a video she posted on her official Twitter account. She posted a thank you message to Twitter on Tuesday morning as well. Ward announced in May she was undergoing treatment for...
Man indicted on drug, firearm counts arrested in North Huntingdon drug sting
A Pittsburgh man indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on illegal narcotics and firearm possession charges was jailed without bond in Westmoreland County Tuesday after his arrest in a North Huntingdon undercover drug sting. Hazeon “Ace” Kidd, 20, was arrested by township police on two counts of...
Ligonier Chamber tour book offers restaurant deals, chance on resort stay
Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce is making it easy to plan dinners out with a new Ligonier Valley Restaurant Tour book. Diners visiting all listed eateries also have a chance to win a stay at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. The books are available for $5 each in Ligonier in the...
Eclectic local band HABATAT vying for NPR Tiny Desk Concert slotVideo
When HABATAT dragged a desk onstage at a recent concert, it wasn’t just an eclectic performance art prop. The band, whose members hail from Greensburg and Johnstown, were getting ready to video a song for submission into NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert contest. HABATAT was onstage at FUNKy FEST, an annual...
Latrobe manager: Try again for funding of additional Ligonier Street intersection upgrade
As work winds down on traffic light and pedestrian improvements at nine downtown Latrobe intersections, the city plans to seek funding for another intersection upgrade, on the south end of Ligonier Street. Final touches at the downtown intersections, including installing decorative thermoplastic crosswalks with a herringbone pattern, could extend into...
Charges filed in 2019 Sewickley Township crash that injured 2
A North Huntingdon man was jailed Monday in connection with a 2019 drunken-driving crash in which two people were hurt, according to court papers. Brandon Lamont Pugh, 24, is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, driving under the influence, accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle and a dozen summary...
State, local police plan Independence Day sobriety patrols, checkpoints in Westmoreland areaVideo
Beware, Westmoreland County drivers — local and state police are going to be keeping a close eye out for intoxicated motorists over the next several days. State troopers and the Laurel Highlands DUI Task Force both said they plan to have roving patrols and stationary sobriety checkpoints around the area...
Westmoreland commissioner urges municipalities to apply for funds by Wednesday
Eighteen Westmoreland County municipalities could collectively be leaving nearly $2.5 million on the table if they don’t apply for pandemic relief funds by this week’s deadline, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew. Chew learned that, as of Friday, 18 local communities had not applied for their share of funds from...
Saint Vincent College campus reopens after police investigate bomb threat
A bomb threat prompted temporary closure of the Saint Vincent College campus Monday evening. College officials said the campus was cleared to reopen just before 10 p.m., after state police determined the threat wasn’t credible. At about 7:30 p.m., officials were notified of a threat involving the Saint Vincent Archabbey...
Longtime Greensburg firefighter dies
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered state flags at all commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds in Westmoreland County to fly at half-staff in honor of a longtime Greensburg firefighter who died over the weekend. Richard A. Fry, 77, was found in his vehicle June 24 after participating in the Mt. Pleasant...
Prison sentence imposed for rape of Vandergrift child
A Greensburg man will serve up to eight years in prison for the rape of a 5-year-old Vandergrift girl. Eric Jermain Emory, 35, pleaded guilty last week to one count of rape of a child for repeated sexual assaults of a girl in 2019 and 2020 and three additional charges...
Lawyer’s alleged disclosure at issue in Arnold homicide case
The lawyer for a Churchill man charged in a fatal shooting in Arnold last summer told a judge that statements made to police by another attorney should not be used as evidence at his upcoming homicide trial. The trial for Devon Askew, 26, is scheduled to begin Nov. 15. Westmoreland...
Excela Health posts $72 million net income for 1st 9 months of fiscal year
Excela Health saw its net income jump to $71.9 million from July 2020 through March 31, a $100 million turnaround from the $34 million loss it posted from July 2019 through March 2020, according to a hospital report. The Greensburg-based health system, with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant,...
Commonwealth Court judge recuses himself from Murrysville fracking appeal case
A Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania judge whose previous career included helping craft state fracking legislation has recused himself from a case involving local fracking laws. Judge J. Andrew Crompton issued an order Monday granting the Murrysville Watch Committee’s request that he recuse himself from the panel adjudicating its appeal. The...
2 coronavirus cases reported at Westmoreland prison
Two Westmoreland County Prison inmates have active coronavirus infections but the facility’s warden on Monday said there is no sign of an additional outbreak at the Hempfield lockup. One inmate developed an infection while in quarantine and another tested positive after he was placed in a general population unit, said...
Unity man accused of assaulting, choking woman in Latrobe
A Unity man is charged by Latrobe police with breaking into a city residence and assaulting and choking a woman. Aaron M. Klingensmith, 38, was arraigned on multiple criminal charges including burglary, harassment, simple assault and strangulation after the alleged assault at 1:45 p.m. Sunday at a residence along Wagner...
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra to offer free patriotic concert at Greensburg amphitheater
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra announced its free patriotic summer concert at St. Clair Park in Greensburg will return July 9. Titled “Summer Sparklers,” the annual outdoor concert will be conducted by WSO Artistic Director Daniel Meyer at 7 p.m. in the park’s Robertshaw Amphitheater. Program favorites will include “The Star-Spangled...
2 seriously injured in Route 30 crash in Hempfield, ambulance officials say
Two people were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle crash Monday that prompted the temporary closure of a portion Route 30 west in Hempfield, according Mutual Aid Ambulance personnel. The collision occurred about 1:50 p.m. at the highway’s intersection with North Greengate Road, a 911 dispatcher reported. The crash closed the...
Grass-cutting dispute led to assault in Hunker, troopers say
A Hunker man is headed to court next week after state police said he assaulted a neighbor with the butt end of a knife during an argument over cutting grass, according to court documents. Troopers last week arrested Ian Christian Cartia, 28, on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly...
The Palace Theatre to return to live shows starting July 30
In a bit of scheduling serendipity, The Palace Theatre in Greensburg will reopen to live audiences with a July 30 visit from The Happy Together Tour. Marking its 11th year of national touring, the show is headlined by The Turtles and features other hit-makers from the 1960s and ’70s, including...
