Westmoreland category, Page 554
Hempfield leaders table rezoning vote on former Valley Green propertyVideo
Hempfield supervisors tabled a vote Monday night to rezone the former Valley Green Golf & Country Club. The rezoning from agricultural to suburban residential would pave the way for a new housing development at the site, of which 144 acres is located along Valley Green and Albrights Lake roads in...
Minor injuries reported in Blairsville-Saltsburg school bus crash
Minor injuries were reported after a Blairsville-Saltsburg School District bus slid off an icy road Tuesday morning and crashed, according to Trooper Cliff Greenfield. The crash was reported at 8:30 a.m. along Chestnut Ridge Road in Burrell Township, Indiana County. Five students were aboard at the time, Greenfield said. The...
Covid grants awarded to Westmoreland fire, EMS companies
Additional covid relief money is headed to Westmoreland County emergency medical service companies and volunteer fire departments left out of previous funding rounds last year. County commissioners have approved more than $600,000 in grants, including $343,500 to 16 fire companies and $60,000 to four rescue units, to cover coronavirus-related expenses...
Latrobe bond refinancing could help repair parking garage, replace trash compactor
Latrobe is considering refinancing a 2016 bond issue to take advantage of low interest rates and possibly help pay for capital projects at the city’s parking garage and solid waste transfer station. City council is expected to begin the refinancing process by selecting a bond counsel and underwriter at a...
Monroeville ICU nurses treated to taco lunch from Irwin eateryVideo
A group of intensive care unit nurses who have been on the front lines of treating covid patients at Allegheny Health Network’s Forbes Hospital in Monroeville got a treat Monday from an Irwin restaurant that delivered shrimp tacos, rice, beans, queso salsa and Mexican Coca-Cola to them. “They will really...
New administrator named at Westmoreland Manor
Abby Testa has first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to have loved ones who live at Westmoreland Manor. As three of her grandparents called the Manor home in 2013, Testa, then a college student, volunteered at the Hempfield nursing home to help care for family and other residents. For more...
Kline favored for vacant Westmoreland jail warden job
The vacant warden’s job at Westmoreland County Prison was formally offered Monday to Bryan Kline, the county’s three-term Republican incumbent Clerk of Courts. Kline, who will turn 40 on Wednesday, of Penn Township was the top choice of a bipartisan majority of the county prison board. Members said his educational...
Longtime Norwin athletic director taught life lessons to students
Joseph E. Pellis taught many life lessons to his children and his students. “When you get knocked down, you get back up until you can’t get up anymore,” recalled his son, Mark Pellis. The longtime athletic director at Norwin High School, Pellis also coached football and wrestling. He was an...
Penn-Trafford’s Warrior Stadium temporarily closed due to unauthorized snow shovelers
Warrior Stadium at Penn-Trafford High School is temporarily closed to the public due to recent incidents in which visitors took snow shovels to the field, potentially damaging the turf, according to Athletic Director Kerry Hetrick. “We’ve never had an issue like this before,” he said. It’s unclear who attempted to...
Greensburg parolee charged with assault, strangulation after battered woman shows up at police station
A man who was released from state prison after pleading guilty to brutally assaulting a woman in Latrobe is now charged with another alleged attack in Greensburg. A woman went to the city police station around 8 p.m. Saturday to report that Glenn J. Whittier assaulted her at his Walnut...
Former Westmoreland County driver claims racial discrimination in suit against transit authority
A Jeannette woman who drove for National Express Transit and the Westmoreland County Transit Authority is suing both, alleging race discrimination and a hostile work environment. Ashley Oliver, who is Black, began working for the Illinois-based transit company in June 2019. Her employment then switched to the transit authority in...
The Westmoreland’s recent acquisitions bolster permanent collection
There is a story behind every piece of art acquired by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Doug Evans, the museum’s director of collections and exhibition management, is the keeper of many of those stories — some that he can share and others he can’t. One shareable story concerns an...
Westmoreland County reports fewer new covid cases, deaths
Westmoreland County added 213 new covid-19 cases over the past two days, according to a report Monday from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The two-day total — from cases added Sunday and Monday — were just one less than last week’s report (214). It’s the lowest Sunday-Monday tally since Nov....
Mt. Pleasant Area students resuming hybrid instruction model
Students in the Mt. Pleasant Area School District are heading back to the classroom this week after more than a month of remote learning. District Superintendent Timothy Gabauer detailed in a letter to parents a plan that the school board approved for students to resume in-person classes Monday varying by...
Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha seeks re-election
Kenneth A. Bacha, Westmoreland County’s longtime coroner, is seeking another term in the seat he has held for almost 20 years. Bacha, 59, of Greensburg was first elected in 2001, taking over the department from his father Leo Bacha, who held the post for nearly 24 years. Ken Bacha worked...
Winter storm warning for ridges of Westmoreland, Fayette counties
A winter storm warning goes into effect Monday afternoon for the ridges of Westmoreland and Fayette counties, according to the National Weather Service. This might be upgraded to an ice storm warning as up to a quarter-inch of ice could accumulate on some roads, making driving conditions dangerous and threatening...
People enjoy ‘frosting with a twist’ class in Delmont
Chef Julia Harhai demonstrated how to frost a cake during her “Frosting with a Twist” class Sunday at the Stationhouse 7 event center in Delmont. During the two-hour class, participants received group demonstrations and one-on-one instruction from Harhai while sipping on their favorite glass of wine....
Westmoreland bus upgrades on hold as ridership remains low during pandemic
A planned upgrade of the Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus fleet is on hold as ridership on the agency’s fixed-route bus system continues to lag amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Six new commuter buses were to be purchased this winter to replace older vehicles on the road, Authority Executive Director...
Westmoreland County vaccine plan remains shot in the dark for now
As neighboring counties take steps to coordinate local covid vaccinations, Westmoreland commissioners say they are awaiting further direction from the state before crafting a distribution plan. County officials insist there has been little direction from state health and emergency management staff, a situation that has left local leaders in the...
Greater Latrobe School District starts vaccinating staff, sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’
The Greater Latrobe School District staff members who lined up Saturday to get covid vaccines said the shots gave them a glimmer of hope that the pandemic could be nearing its end. “I was thrilled,” said Renee Gyory, a secretary and one of the first district employees to be vaccinated....
Ligonier businesses welcome 30th annual Ice Fest
The 30th annual Ligonier Ice Fest was a happy occasion for business owners who have seen many of the borough’s other signature events canceled or curtailed due to the coronavirus, but this weekend’s rare live event attracted people to see dozens of ice sculptures, ride a horse-drawn carriage and pop...
Westmoreland County records 140 additional covid cases, 5 new deaths
Five more people in Westmoreland County died from covid-19, according to the latest information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Since the pandemic struck in Western Pennsylvania in March, 565 people in Westmoreland County have died from coronavirus, according to state data released Saturday. The county also had 140 newly...
Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s first online auction features Valentine’s Day theme
Staff at the Ligonier Valley Historical Society are hoping bidders will love the organization’s “Spread the Love” online auction. The society’s first venture into online bidding, the Valentine’s Day-themed auction will run Jan. 30 to Feb. 13 and is meant to help make up for a traditional in-person Christmas fundraising...
Officials anticipate work on new Route 30 GetGo store in Unity
Work could begin soon on a new, expanded GetGo convenience store in Unity, according to local officials. Unity Township Municipal Authority has approved a developer’s agreement covering sewer construction related to the store planned at Route 30 and Giffin Drive. The project will include construction of a sewer line extending...
Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation delays Comedy Night, Daddy-Daughter Dance
Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation has pushed back dates for its annual Comedy Night and Daddy-Daughter Dance amid the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The 17th annual Comedy Night, which had been slated for Saturday, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27 at Huber Hall in Latrobe. The second annual dance also has...
