Westmoreland category, Page 559
Derry Area set to resume classroom instruction next week, cites online concerns
Derry Area School District will end a month of full remote instruction Tuesday, when in-person lessons once more will be offered to elementary students five days per week. A switch to online learning in the district started Dec. 7. Students at the middle and high schools may opt for a...
North Versailles man pleads guilty in teen rape case spanning Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
An Allegheny County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to repeatedly raping a teenage girl in 2019. Police said that starting in June 2019, Daniel E. Powell, 37, of North Versailles forcibly raped a 17-year-old girl and continued the sexual assaults through September. According to court records, the victim in February told...
Counting of lost ballots underway in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County elections officials Wednesday morning started counting more than two dozen provisional ballots cast in November but just recently discovered by staff during routine inspections of voting equipment. Elections bureau staffers, serving as appointed members of a reconstituted provisional board, reviewed and qualified 20 ballots cast in North Huntingdon...
Coronavirus vaccine the answer to nuns’ prayers in Hempfield
There have been lots of prayers for relief from the coronavirus pandemic coming from the nuns at Caritas Christi in Hempfield. “I’ve been praying every night and every morning,” said Sister Mary Agnes Kirsch, 85. A bit of hope came to the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton...
Former Greensburg man arraigned, jailed in Southwest Greensburg hit-and-run
A man accused in a Southwest Greensburg hit-and-run was arraigned on the charges Wednesday and is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison. Bond for Justin Lamont Hudspath, 38, of Greensburg was set at $35,000, according to online court records. Hudspath was arrested a week ago at a home north...
Unity man charged with locking child in closet now accused of child rape
A Unity man awaiting trial on charges of locking his 9-year-old son inside a closet and nailing it shut was arrested this week by state police, who accused him of raping a girl. Shawn L. Waulk, 33, who was free on $25,000 unsecured bond on the 2020 complaint, was ordered...
107 new covid cases counted in Penn-Trafford, Jeannette area as of Jan. 13
The Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area had 107 confirmed new covid cases in the last five days, raising the total count for the area by almost 5%, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Since the pandemic began in March, the six ZIP codes covering most of the three communities have...
Westmoreland County surpasses 500 covid deaths
Westmoreland County topped 500 deaths related to the coronavirus Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state added 11 new deaths to the county’s total, bringing it to 502. Westmoreland became the 12th county in the state to reach 500 deaths. The county’s death rate per 100,000 residents...
Greater Latrobe to consider 3.11-mill cap on potential 2021-22 tax hike
Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday will consider capping any potential 2021-22 property tax increase at 3.11 mills. If the district agrees to stay within that maximum number, it can forgo approving an early preliminary budget for the coming fiscal year, in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 1 of 2006, also...
Tylers Bakery & Cafe brings bubble tea, kombucha on tap to LigonierVideo
Have you ever strolled the streets of Ligonier, thinking, “I could really go for a bubble tea right now”? Until recently, you might have been out of luck — but now you can stroll up East Main Street to Tylers Bakery & Cafe to satisfy your craving. The eatery specializes...
Greater Latrobe continues remote learning through Jan. 22
All Greater Latrobe students will continue to receive full-time remote instruction at least through Jan. 22, as district officials review covid-19 infection levels in Westmoreland County. Whether the district changes that instructional model to include any in-person learning for students will depend on the school board’s decision at its meeting...
Developer seeks to construct homes on closed golf course at Unity-Hempfield border
Unity officials have set in motion a proposed zoning change for the former Valley Green Golf & Country Club that would set the stage for a new housing development. Meanwhile, neighboring residents are concerned about the effect the development might have on Township Line Run, a stream that flows toward...
Franklin Regional students sign petition requesting more support from district
Franklin Regional school officials are asking for feedback from students about this year’s educational model, a few days after a Change.org petition titled “Franklin Regional Students Need Support” garnered more than 1,000 signatures online. High school Principal Ron Suvak said students would receive a form on Tuesday “seeking feedback on...
Westmoreland events include art exhibit, meeting
Art • The Greensburg Art Center new free exhibit, “Vision,” the annual members’ show, will open Jan. 24 and run through Feb. 27. A free opening reception will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. The exhibit will include paintings, sculpture,...
Westmoreland Democrats call for GOP congressmen to step down
Westmoreland County’s Democratic Committee called on two local Republican congressmen to resign in response to their votes last week objecting to Pennsylvania’s presidential election results following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. Committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic said in a statement released late Monday that Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and John...
Democratic Women to collect for food bank, family shelter
Like so many other activitities and events over the past 10 months, the covid pandemic has affected volunteer opportunities at the National Day of Service on Monday, the national holiday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Colleges and universities in the region that might have volunteer opportunities for students and...
Special election set to fill Mike Reese’s state House seat
A special election to fill the vacancy in the state House 59th District left by the sudden death of Rep. Mike Reese will be conducted May 18. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, announced Tuesday the special election will be held along with the regularly scheduled primary the same day....
Man accused of threatening woman with gun in Unity also charged with drug possession
State police say they seized a handgun from a hidden safe and numerous bags of heroin and methamphetamine Monday from a Unity apartment. Jerome W. Thorton II, 30, of Wilkinsburg, was arraigned on charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, terroristic threats, possession of a firearm...
Spirit Airlines holds off on resuming flights from Arnold Palmer airport to Ft. Myers
Passengers flying from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport may be limited to Orlando as a destination for the immediate future, part of the continuing hit air travel is taking from the covid-19 pandemic. While Spirit Airlines flights from the Unity airport to Myrtle Beach, S.C., are expected to resume Feb. 12,...
Ligonier Ice Fest to celebrate ’30 years of cool fun’
This year’s Ligonier Ice Fest will celebrate “30 years of cool fun,” said event chair Cindy Purnell. The frozen festivities are scheduled for Jan. 23-24 in Ligonier Diamond Park and the surrounding downtown area. Whether it’s 7 degrees or 70, Purnell said, the event will have all the visitor favorite...
Westmoreland County reports 8 new covid deaths, most in a week
Westmoreland County reported eight new covid deaths Tuesday, tying the second largest daily total this month. The most coronavirus-related deaths thus far in January were reported Jan. 6, when 16 were reported. Eight deaths were also reported Jan. 5. Tuesday also saw 207 new covid cases reported in Westmoreland County....
Brothers accused of fighting, spitting on guards at Westmoreland County Prison
A man is accused of spitting on a jail guard after his brother threw punches at another guard at the Westmoreland County Prison last month, according to court papers. The brothers were arraigned Tuesday on charges filed by county detectives. Austin Levi Kimmick, 20, is charged with aggravated and simple...
Greensburg Restaurant Week will showcase dine-in, takeout options
Greensburg-area eateries are cooking up special menus for Greensburg Restaurant Week, scheduled for Jan. 25-31. About 20 restaurants are expected to participate, according to Ashley Kertes, executive director of Greensburg Community Development Corp., which organizes the semiannual event. During the week, local restaurants typically offer reduced or fixed price menus,...
Hempfield middle school students to remain with hybrid model of learning
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District once again postponed a full return of middle school students as covid-19 cases remain high. Rather than returning to in-person classes five days a week starting Jan. 19, students will continue indefinitely with the hybrid model, or a mix of in-person and online...
Tractor-trailer crashes, falls down hill in DonegalVideo
A driver suffered minor injuries and was trapped in the cab of a tractor-trailer that tumbled over a hillside along Route 31 in Donegal Township Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash on Route 31 near the intersection of Route 381 happened just after 9:20 a.m. No other vehicles...
