Westmoreland category, Page 5
Norwin youth sports teams oppose hiking fees for fields, gym
A group of Norwin youth sports league representatives expressed their opposition Monday to the Norwin School Board’s plans to raise rental fees for using the district’s fields and gymnasium, saying the increases could price some players out of playing. The school board on Monday night considered a policy that would...
Residents weigh in on Penn Township’s latest rezoning proposal
Penn Township resident Pati Livengood has mixed feelings about the municipality’s proposed zoning changes. The township has worked through a rezoning plan in recent years to diversify its tax base with more businesses — a goal laid out in the municipality’s 2020 comprehensive plan. About 84% of the township’s real...
Owner of Ruthie’s Diner dies nearly 3 weeks after fire destroyed longtime Ligonier Township restaurant
Doris Ruth “Ruthie” Stevens, owner of Ruthie’s Diner, died at 92 on Saturday — nearly three weeks after the Ligonier Township restaurant was destroyed in a fire. Stevens died in her home in Jenner, Somerset County, according to an obituary. She was born in Addison, also in Somerset County, in...
Homicide trial opens for 2 charged in St. Clair woman’s murderVideo
Alice Robson had been missing for more than two days in December 2023 when a dog from the Greensburg Bloodhound Team found her body stuffed in a crawl space underneath a porch at her St. Clair home. It took Lucy, the dog, 6 minutes to locate the 71-year-old woman’s body,...
Jail informants testify Stanko admitted to killing Cassandra Gross
Two jailhouse informants testified in Westmoreland County court Monday that, while they were incarcerated together, Thomas G. Stanko confessed to the 2018 killing of Cassandra Gross. The alleged jailhouse confessions highlighted the sixth day of Stanko’s homicide trial. Stanko, 55, is charged with criminal homicide and reckless burning in connection...
GoFundMe campaign is sending Christine Vincent, mother of Olympic bobsledder Jasmine Jones, to Italy
Although reaching the Olympics is a personal achievement for Jasmine Jones, it also is a joyous triumph for her top supporter: her mother. Christine Graves Vincent clearly holds a lofty spot on Team Jones. “She’s been there for every early morning, every setback, every moment when quitting would’ve been easier...
Westmoreland happenings: Family dinner, comedy nights, senior citizen news, more
Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren hosts a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St., Southwest Greensburg. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations will...
‘The love is still here’: Record search reveals Greensburg couple’s 75th anniversary is their 74th
Greensburg couple Ed and Sally Wagner have been together so long they forgot the year they were married. Ed, 95, and Sally, 92, told their children they would celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary this coming Monday. However, a recent Ancestry.com search by son-in-law Mark Aitken revealed a copy of the...
Ace Bartenders owners purchase The Club at Blackthorne for $3.9M amid zoning dispute
The future of a planned restaurant within Penn Township’s Blackthorne Estates hinges on an upcoming zoning meeting, as new ownership faces a formal challenge from developers over the facility’s use. Blackthorne Investors is challenging the occupancy permit issued to The Club at Blackthorne, arguing against the operation of a restaurant...
Planned Parenthood’s Greensburg clinic reopens following temporary closure
Planned Parenthood’s Greensburg Health Center, which had closed mid-January, has fully reopened. According to its website, normal in-person services at 125 Nature Park Road were restored Thursday. Planned Parenthood offers a variety of services including cancer screenings, testing for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as providing gender-affirming care,...
Q&A: Greensburg gallery hosts ‘work in progress’ exhibit, features local artist
The Stopwatch Gallery & Studio in Greensburg has a unique installation on display through early March — an art exhibit that is constantly in progress. “My wife Marti Haykin and I have our studio in the back of the gallery,” said Stopwatch co-owner Marc Snyder. “Typically we show other artists...
Jury hears evidence of burned belongings, power of attorney in Thomas Stanko murder trial
As the investigation into the disappearance of Cassandra Gross closed in on a suspect, the man eventually charged in her killing started to prepare for his potential arrest, according to evidence presented during the fifth day in the murder trial of Thomas G. Stanko. Stanko, 55, of Unity, is on...
Hempfield alum Jasmine Jones sprints past challenges to reach Olympic dream
She crashed once, then seven more times, whipping around sharp turns in a twisting bobsled going more than 90 mph. Key people were watching. People who held the keys to unlocking her Olympic dream. People who now had doubts. Jeannette native Jasmine Jones also was a wreck emotionally. The sprinter-turned-Olympic...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Feb. 6-8
Between the Olympics and the Super Bowl, this is a big weekend for all types of sports fans. But for those who aren’t interested — or those who need a break — this is a big weekend for events in Westmoreland County, too. Here are a few options. ‘Chicago: The...
Ohiopyle State Park dotted with ice formations ahead of Winterfest
Ohiopyle State Park is dressed in its winter finest in preparation for Winterfest this weekend. Snow-related activities will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Sugarloaf recreation area, 950 Sugarloaf Road. There’s 10 inches of snow near the park offices along Route 381, or Main Street, and...
Independence Health continues to narrow operating losses
Hefty losses have slowed for Independence Health System in the months leading up to its acquisition by West Virginia University Health System. The five-hospital network said Wednesday its operating losses fell to $7.3 million in the second half of last year, down from $16.3 million over the same span in...
State board suspends license of Torrance hospital nurse
The State Board of Nursing has temporarily suspended a Westmoreland County nurse’s license in connection with allegations that she had sexual relations with a patient at Torrance State Hospital, according to documents filed with the Department of State. Dana R. Coxon, 40, of Penn Township was licensed as a registered...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup and sandwich lunch, clothing sale, art show, more
Art The watercolors and pastel paintings of artist Tami Krusper will be on display through March 11 at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library, 237 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. A free opening reception will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the library. Fundraisers • Olive Branch Baptist Church, 296...
TV sales up during Super Bowl week as customers chase bargains
Super Bowl-related television sales typically bring a bit of a boost at a time of year when there can be a lull in sales, said Craig Kantoris, co-owner and project manager at ConnectedLife Designs By The StereoShop in Greensburg. A handful of recent customers looked to upgrade their screens in...
Prosecutors reveal last images of Cassandra Gross, attempt to link boyfriend to her killing
An image of Cassandra Gross in a black-and-white-striped sweater with a bag of work documents under her arm marks the last time she was seen alive, her high school friend testified Thursday. Westmoreland County prosecutors contend Thomas G. Stanko, 55, of Unity killed Gross, 51, after she was to meet...
State police find 2 pounds of cocaine after traffic stop of Penn Hills man on turnpike
A Penn Hills man was arrested Tuesday after state police said they found 2 pounds of cocaine in the vehicle he was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County, according to court papers. Troopers initiated a traffic stop at 1:30 p.m. near the border of Donegal and Cook townships...
Environmentalists urge DEP to make Tenaska power plant meet air pollution requirements to get permit
Environmental regulators should revise a draft permit for a natural gas-fired power plant to operate in South Huntingdon to make the plant comply with air pollution regulations or reject the permit. That’s what a group of residents and environmentalists told state officials Wednesday. The 90-minute hearing attracted about 60 people...
‘You’re killing me’: Victim testifies in preliminary hearing for Crossroads Plaza shooting suspect
Joshua Logan had just finished a workout at Planet Fitness in East Huntingdon and was getting into his pickup truck to leave when the estranged husband of his girlfriend pulled up. Within seconds, Logan testified Wednesday, Steven Heald was shooting at him. A bullet hit him in the shoulder, spinning...
Speers man accused of ethnic intimidation in connection with racist video made at Rostraver Walmart
Ethnic intimidation charges were filed Wednesday against a man accused of recording a video that includes racist language at the Rostraver Walmart store, according to state police. They say the video was recorded by Michael Todora, 36, of Speers, Washington County. Troopers have been investigating the video, which was posted...
Thomas Stanko trial: Cassandra Gross’ mother testifies about possessive relationship
Kathe Gross took an immediate dislike to the man her daughter, Cassandra Gross, was dating in 2017 and 2018. During the first day of testimony in the trial of the man charged with her daughter’s murder, Kathe Gross told a Westmoreland County jury Wednesday that she found Thomas G. Stanko...
