Westmoreland category, Page 521
Hot housing market a boon for sellers in Westmoreland, Pittsburgh region
Record-low inventories of homes for sale in Western Pennsylvania have resulted in historically high sale prices as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the local housing market. Real estate experts said the seller’s market for existing homes in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties is likely to continue into next year, a...
PA Hero Walk in 13th year helping veterans holds event in Mt. PleasantVideo
Bad legs kept 70-year-old Vietnam War veteran Martin Majercak Jr. from taking part in the PA Hero Walk on Saturday through downtown Mt. Pleasant to Veterans Memorial Park, but he “made darn sure” he came out to VFW Post 3368 to support the organization. While most benefactors of the 13-year-old...
Johnstown native’s mob book chronicles ‘3 men from Greensburg’ in gambler’s death
What do “three men from Greensburg” have to do with a small-time Johnstown gambler whose body was found floating behind the Conemaugh River Dam in Derry Township some six decades ago? The three unidentified men were fingered by an aging Johnstown gangster — “Rip” Slowmason — as the possible murderers...
Allegheny, Westmoreland county projects among those hoping for state RACP funding
A wish list of 90 projects in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are among hundreds across the state seeking funding in the latest round of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. They include $5 million to redevelop a former Alcoa site in New Kensington, $5 million for a health sciences center at...
Ligonier’s Bethlen Communities reopens wellness center, makes changes at 100 yearsVideo
A new chapter has begun in the 100-year history of Ligonier’s Bethlen Communities. Founded by the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, the nonprofit’s mission long ago shifted from caring for the orphans of miners killed in a 1907 explosion in Rostraver to serving the needs of more than 180 older...
Latrobe party supply shop set to expand with move to former church outreach center
Paper Heart Affairs, a Latrobe party supply shop, is preparing for expansion, with a move around the corner to a former church outreach center. Emily Pasqualino is planning a moving sale at the store’s current location, 337 Main St., from Wednesday through Saturday, June 12, during the town’s Mister Rogers...
Scottdale man sentenced to prison for role in robbery, shooting of Derry drug dealer
A Scottdale man was sentenced Friday to serve up to five years in prison for his role in the shooting and robbery of a Derry drug dealer last year. Brandon Eugene “Lil-Drizzy” Thomas, pleaded guilty to felony charges of robbery and conspiracy. Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss attempted homicide,...
Southmoreland school official challenges primary results, claims county ballot error
Editor’s note: This story was amended on June 7, 2021, to correct the name of Southmoreland school board candidate Candice Raymond. A Southmoreland School Board member on Friday challenged the results of last month’s primary, claiming the Westmoreland County Election Bureau failed to include an open two-year seat on the...
Famed trial attorney F. Lee Bailey remembered for Greensburg trial
He came to town with a flourish. It was the late 1980s and word spread quickly through the Westmoreland County Courthouse that famed defense attorney F. Lee Bailey was in the building. He was due to appear before Judge Charles Loughran to defend his legal acumen. The dapper lawyer —...
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...
