Westmoreland category, Page 543
Suspect left trail of heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia before arrest, Greensburg police report
An Allegheny County man was charged with multiple drug and escape charges after Greensburg police said he left a trail of cocaine, heroin and drug paraphernalia while he ran from a home in hopes of avoiding arrest. John R. Stenhouse, 20, of Turtle Creek was taken into custody in an...
Pitt Greensburg lowers risk level as covid-19 rates in region decline
Officials at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus have set the stage for more in-person classes. Beginning Monday, the official risk status at the Hempfield campus will be lowered from elevated to guarded, Pitt Greensburg President Robert Gregerson announced. The change means professors will have the option of returning...
Artists brave elements during Ligonier winter paint-outVideo
Painting outside in Ligonier on a 28-degree February day, under a light drizzle, is “not for the faint of heart,” said Jan Pini of Venetia, Washington County. Nevertheless, she worked with pastels en plein air Friday morning at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association grounds, just west of the borough. Pini and...
Westmoreland suppliers scramble to get de-icers for home use
Dave Andrako of North Huntingdon was filling seven buckets with rock salt this week at Norwin Landscape Supply for the spreader he uses to keep his driveway and sidewalks clear after a snowstorm. “It’s easier to use the loose salt” rather than the bags, said Andrako, who was joined by...
Greensburg woman mulls plea deal over wife’s overdose death
A Greensburg woman remains in jail as she mulls whether to accept a plea deal that would result in the dismissal of a felony charge of drug delivery resulting in death in connection the fatal overdose last February of her wife. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani on...
Loughner sworn in as acting Westmoreland Clerk of CourtsVideo
Westmoreland County has a new Clerk of Courts. Megan Loughner, 35, of Unity was sworn in to office Friday to take over the final 10 months of the clerk’s term, replacing Bryan Kline. He was hired last month as the new warden of Westmoreland County Prison. The office oversees all...
Pop-up covid testing site to open in Rostraver
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will offer one of its latest drive-thru covid-19 testing sites beginning Sunday in Rostraver. The popup site will be in operation for five days, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, at the Rostraver Ice Garden, Route 51 and Gallitin Road. The free testing...
Unchanged since 1947, Pennsylvania’s 814 area will switch over to 10-digit dialing
Most of Western Pennsylvania has had to dial 10 digits to make a phone call for quite some time now. In the greater Pittsburgh area, the 724 area code wasn’t sufficient to keep pace by 2013, and a third code, 878, was added. But for multiple generations living in the...
Murrysville council moves ahead with 1st phase of Wilson Road corporate office park
Murrysville council approved the site plan for development of 18 “luxury villa” duplex units off of Wilson Road, the first part of a proposed corporate office park. Regan Ridge Villas will be developed on just over eight acres near the intersection of Manor and Wilson roads. It is the only...
Crews clearing ice, snow damage from Forbes State Forest; part of Linn Run Road closed
Forbes State Forest maintenance workers have been contending much of the week with snow and ice that has pulled down trees and utility lines in eastern Westmoreland County. Assistant district forester Don Stiffler said part of Linn Run Road just beyond the state park with the same name will be...
Hempfield revenues behind $800,000 in January compared to same period last year
Hempfield revenues during the first month of the year were off by more than $800,000 compared to the same period last year, according to township officials. Melanie Phillips, director of finance, attributed the change to a decrease in both the earned income tax and local service tax due to the...
2 stores close at Westmoreland Mall; prom and formal wear store opens
Westmoreland Mall officials confirmed that Littman Jewelers shuttered this month, and a women’s clothing store is set to close. Littman, a national jewelry chain, was located on the first floor across from the former Sears wing and the wing that now houses Live! Casino Pittsburgh. Christopher & Banks, on the...
Southwest Greensburg police officer charged with official oppression
A Southwest Greensburg police officer is facing criminal charges because investigators allege he pulled a woman over in his personal car and while not on duty, according to court papers. James Edward Shaw, 54, of Mt. Pleasant Township is charged with a misdemeanor count of official oppression. Westmoreland County detectives...
Unity planners weigh possible changes to backyard chicken regulations
Unity’s planning commission this week heard from backyard chicken advocates who want fewer township restrictions on their hobby and from other residents who say living near chickens has ruined their quality of life. The planning board listened to testimony from both sides after the township supervisors asked it to recommend...
Westmoreland County covid case averages are lowest since early November
Covid cases averages in Westmoreland County are the lowest they have been this month — and the lowest overall since early November. On Friday, the seven-day case average was 73 cases reported per day and the seven-day case count was 509 cases, the lowest for both figures since Nov. 7....
Covid report card: A look at first semester cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts
Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus. The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by...
Westmoreland chief deputy sheriff Eckels retires after year on the job
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert said Thursday he is in no rush to find a replacement for his former chief deputy, who retired last week after serving just a year in the role. Albert confirmed Roger Eckels, a former district judge from Mt. Pleasant, has left the job as the...
Chad Amond honored for decade-long run as head of Westmoreland chamber of commerce
Current and former county commissioners on Thursday honored Chad Amond, the longtime president and CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, for his work over the last decade in leading the organization that promotes local businesses. Amond, 46, of Unity announced last summer he was diagnosed with primary progressive...
Commissioners dash calls for Westmoreland health department, trumpet broadband upgrade
With covid-19 still a constant threat and source of concern, county leaders on Thursday said they see a brighter future born from lessons learned during the ongoing pandemic. Commissioners speaking at the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce’s virtual State of the County conference outlined coronavirus-related challenges and successes, a plan...
North Huntingdon OKs new backyard chicken rules
Having debated for months on how to regulate people raising chickens in a residential neighborhood, North Huntingdon commissioners this week approved a zoning ordinance amendment that requires a permit. The seven commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved the zoning amendment. Under the revision, the owners of properties zoned R-2, R-3 and...
Veteran, puppy help police capture suspect accused of injuring Scottdale officerVideo
A Marine Corps veteran and his German shepherd puppy helped police capture a suspect accused of injuring an officer and trying to break into several Scottdale homes on Wednesday. Edward Swingle, 31, said his military training kicked in, and so did the instincts of his 4-month-old puppy, Keeper. “I’m happy...
Derry Township man charged in 2nd alleged rape
A Derry Township man awaiting trial on charges he raped a Ligonier Township woman in 2018 was charged Thursday after a second woman made similar allegations against him. Khachek Alexan Hamerski, 28, is set for arraignment next week on the new charges of rape and strangulation. Westmoreland County detectives said...
Franklin Regional Unified Club raises more than $1,800 for Special Olympics PAVideo
Franklin Regional School District debuted its unified track team in 2014, part of a Unified Club that brings together students of all abilities under the banner of inclusion and fostering new friendships. The following year, the expanded team finished first in Westmoreland County. More recently, the team has been recognized...
Cartoon favorite ‘SpongeBob’ is Stage Right’s next musical
A talking yellow sponge took the cartoon world by storm when “SpongeBob SquarePants” debuted in 1999. “It was on in my house ad nauseum in both of my kids’ lives,” said Tony Marino, co-founder of Stage Right performing arts school and professional theater company in Greensburg. Stage Right’s Student Company...
Diocese of Greensburg announces new leadership appointments
The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg announced two new key leadership appointments. Bishop Larry Kulick, who was installed last week, revealed Thursday a new vicar general and director of Catholic Charities. Both men are longtime figures in the diocese. Msgr. Raymond E. Riffle, 68, rector of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg,...
