Westmoreland category, Page 54
Jeannette set to rebuild bumpy Sellers Avenue
Work is expected to start next month to resurface a Jeannette road that Mayor Curtis Antoniak referred to as “washboard boulevard.” Engineer Ed Antonacci said officials are pushing to get the work on Sellers Avenue done by the end of 2025. “It’s a pretty extensive project,” he said. Council on...
Westmoreland Fair opens for a week of exhibits, events, attractions
The Westmoreland Fair opened Friday with judging of inside exhibits and a motocross event at the grandstand arena. The fair will be open to the public through Saturday, Aug. 23. Highlights include a demolition derby on Sunday, rodeo Monday, monster truck show Tuesday, tractor and truck pull Wednesday and drag...
Penn Township examines parking along Rowe Road following house fire on nearby street
Penn Township officials might prohibit street parking on a road after emergency services ran into complications when responding to a house fire last week. Fire and EMS services extinguished flames that erupted Aug. 4 near the rear deck of a home along Timber Ridge Court in Penn Township. The home...
Steady rise in need for meals keeps Feeding the Spirit volunteers busy in Greensburg
Wendy Smith was first in line Thursday, waiting for the OK under a hot August sun to pick up dinner. Finances are tight for the Greensburg woman and her son, who get $100 a month in government food assistance. It’s not enough, she said. Like dozens of others who come...
Riverview teacher recognized as 2025 Pennsylvania History Teacher of the Year
Kenneth Kubistek was surprised to be selected as the 2025 Pennsylvania History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. After all, he said, he’s just doing his job. “I was really surprised. Teaching to me is just something I do because I enjoy working with the kids,” Kubistek...
Mt. Pleasant, state police investigating skill game machine thefts
Mt. Pleasant borough police are investigating a string of thefts from skill game machines in the area. In the most recent theft, about $20,000 — primarily in fraudulent winning tickets — was obtained from machines that were broken into at Mt. Pleasant Express on West Main Street on Wednesday. Police...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 15-17
We may still be feeling the heat, but there’s a whisper of autumn in the air with back-to-school sales, Halloween decorations in stores and the return of football. But never fear, summer still has some good times to come. Here are a few events for the weekend. Westmoreland Fair Is...
Westmoreland convention center study revealed, casino area is preferred site
An $86 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall could infuse more than $720 million into the community in just 10 years. That was the conclusion of a six-month study commissioned by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. Local leaders are hopeful the study...
Authorities identify 2nd person killed in Clairton Coke Works blast
A second Westmoreland County man was identified as the other victim who was killed Monday in an explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. Steven Menefee, 52, of the village of Tarrs in East Huntingdon, was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. at the scene of the blast, the Allegheny County...
Police investigate suspicious item along Route 30 exit to Turnpike in North Huntingdon
State police were investigating the Thursday morning discovery of what they described as a suspicious item in North Huntingdon. Troopers worked at Route 30 west and the entrance ramp to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Trooper Steve Limani said the item was found inside a broken wooden box by a PennDOT worker...
Latrobe man sues bar, driver over brother’s death in DUI crash
The brother of a motorcyclist killed in Jefferson Hills in March by an allegedly drunken driver is suing the motorist and the bar that served him that afternoon. John J. Wobrak, 69, of West Mifflin, was fatally struck in Jefferson Hills on March 14 — just three minutes after driver...
New Kensington man charged after inmate fight at Westmoreland prison
A New Kensington man awaiting trial in a shooting was charged by police Wednesday with beating a man at the Westmoreland County Prison. The injured inmate had to get multiple staples in the back of his head at a hospital, according to court papers. Amarion M. Michaux, 19, is charged...
Hempfield Area looks to bolster curriculum oversight at elementary schools
Hempfield Area School District is looking to add another layer of oversight to the curriculum at its five elementary schools. The school board will vote next week on assigning one chairperson per K-5 grade level. Each chairperson would help ensure continuity in learning at the district’s Fort Allen, West Point,...
Jeannette’s Smarto remembered for strong community ties, commitment to family
Janice Smarto made a name for herself in real estate and community service, but it was dedication to her family where she stood tall, her daughter said Wednesday. Smarto, 82, died Aug. 10 from injuries sustained in a fall two weeks earlier in her Jeannette home. “She was a spitfire...
Debate over marijuana intensifies as medical anxiety certifications soar
As the medical marijuana industry in Pennsylvania continues to grow, one entrepreneur says the state is missing out on a major revenue boost by not legalizing recreational use. Ari Raptis, founder and CEO of Talaria Transportation LLC and National Secure Transport, anticipates his businesses in Pennsylvania would grow fivefold if...
Website upgrade, visitor center proposed for Unity-based Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor is looking to roll out an improved website and is considering setting aside a visitor information center at its museum headquarters in Unity. Those are two ways the nonprofit organization hopes to better promote sites farther east along its six-county corridor while partnering with other...
Westmoreland happenings: Dog Days of summer, Ancestry Day, more
Fundraisers • St. John United Church of Christ, 1230 Brownstown Road, Larimer, will have a Dog Days of Summer hot dog sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at the church. Combo meals and drinks will be available. Proceeds will be donated to Chad Warhold and Laurie Kiss,...
Norwin High School Band struts its stuff at a preview of its halftime show
The Norwin High School Band held its annual preview show Wednesday evening at the high school stadium. In addition to the performance, food trucks were on site as part of a fundraiser for the band. High school bands across the region are preparing for the start of the 2025-26 school...
Westmoreland Transit: State budget stalemate not hurting yet
With state funding for mass transit held hostage in the seven-week budget battle between Senate Republicans, House Democrats and the governor’s office, Westmoreland County’s bus system does not face the financial cliff looming for other transportation systems, a county transit official said. “It has not impacted us. We have sufficient...
Greensburg’s City Hall’s former life as trolley station will be commemorated
Greensburg City Hall’s previous life as a trolley station will be commemorated in a sign along South Main Street. Planning director Alec Italiano said he applied for, and received, a $2,500 grant to buy the marker after learning about the opportunity through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. “It just sort...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee tours creek near Yukon hazardous waste landfill at request of concerned residents
It’s hard not to notice the bright yellow signs in nearly every yard while driving down Milbell Road in Yukon, South Huntingdon. “SAY NO TO MAX. NO HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL EXPANSION,” they read. Past the Dzubak residence at the end of the rural road, long after pavement switches to gravel,...
Cash stolen in early morning break-in at Aldi in East Huntingdon
State police are looking for a man caught on camera burglarizing an Aldi grocery store early Monday in East Huntingdon. According to police, the suspect broke into the store office at about 2 a.m. and made off with five black metal till drawers containing an unspecified amount of cash and...
Greensburg Salem slated to host Back to School Bash
Greensburg Salem students and families attending the annual Back to School Bash next week will be able to meet the district’s first assistant superintendent and support the student-run Mini-THON fundraiser. The Back to School Bash is slated for 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Offutt Field, 109 Laird St. in...
Judge rules Seton LaSalle student can play in football scrimmage while awaiting court action
Quarterback Anthony Smith can be on the field for Seton LaSalle at a football scrimmage this weekend, a judge ruled Tuesday. But his ability to play the rest of his sophomore season is up in the air. He remains ineligible when the season starts in two weeks after the PIAA...
Former county purchasing head claims public records refute theft allegations
In court documents filed Monday, the lawyer for Westmoreland County’s former purchasing director claimed that county leaders approved a transfer of the funds prosecutors contend was stolen during a yearlong payroll scheme. Kristopher Cardiff, 48, of Trafford was charged with felony theft counts in connection with allegations that he misappropriated...
