Westmoreland category, Page 564
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...
Westmoreland symphony’s next livestream to feature Cleveland cellistVideo
There is certainly no love lost between Pittsburgh and Cleveland’s football teams. But unless he tries a dirty tackle on the conductor, no one is likely to boo cellist Mark Kosower, even if he does hail from the Browns’ hometown. Kosower, principal cello for the Cleveland Orchestra, will be the...
Volunteers to provide free tax prep for older, disabled residents in Westmoreland
Older residents and those who have a lower income or disability can turn to a program organized by Westmoreland County Community College if they need help preparing a simple income tax return. The free assistance will be available by appointment only, beginning Monday, Feb. 15, at five locations in the...
Lottery players have $1 billion dreams: Travel, help family, buy lots of good stuffVideo
Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers — with visions of what it might be like to win $1 billion — plucked down $2 in droves Friday at retailers with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, they could be rich beyond their wildest dreams. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of,...
Murrysville-Export Rotary donates cots to emergency management team
The Rotary’s motto is “People Helping People.” So when Murrysville-Export Rotary President John Hartman heard that a longtime law enforcement friend needed some help, he was ready to go. Both Hartman and Murrysville Police Capt. Chuck Tappe underwent police training together. But neither was anticipating the need that arose. “Last...
New Stanton woman charged with making 40th false alarm to 911
A New Stanton woman who has been charged 11 times since September with making false alarm calls to 911 allegedly made her 40th unnecessary call to the dispatch center — one that landed her in the county jail, according to state police. Twandrea N. Brown, 33, who is awaiting hearings...
Man charged with assaulting disabled East Huntingdon resident
A 20-year-old West Newton man was ordered held in the county prison after failing to post $10,000 bond Friday on charges of assaulting a physically-challenged man and damaging a police car. George R. Babilya was arraigned on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment, institutional vandalism, making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and...
Pennsylvania casinos saw revenue drop by $759 million in 2020, state reports
Pennsylvania casinos saw total revenues decrease by $759 million in 2020, a year plagued by the coronavirus pandemic that forced the properties to shutter for several months. According to a new report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, $2.65 billion was generated last year from the state’s 13 casinos through...
New covid cases reported in Westmoreland County among fewest in a month
Westmoreland County on Friday reported 91 additional coronavirus cases and three additional deaths attributed to the virus, according to the latest data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The newly reported cases marks only the second time in the past 25 days that the county recorded fewer than 100...
2 Hempfield fire departments to merge, 1 station to close
The Luxor Volunteer Fire Department station near Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield will close as part of Luxor’s merger with nearby Bovard Fire Department. With only three members on its force, Luxor Chief Mike Errett said the move is necessary to provide adequate fire protection for the community. “Overall, it’s...
Bushy Run Battlefield group delays search for new facilitator
The organization operating the Bushy Run Battlefield museum in Penn Township will delay its search for a new facilitator until the state decides when it can reopen the facility along Route 993. “There’s no point in posting a job when we’re not open. Nobody would want the job when there...
Health problems keep Christina O’Brien from seeking 4th term as Westmoreland prothonotary
Westmoreland County Prothonotary Christina O’Brien will not seek a fourth term in office. O’Brien, 54, a Democrat from Ligonier Township, said ongoing health issues prevent her from participating in another campaign and serving four more years as the head of the county office that oversees all civil and domestic court...
Pa. Secretary of State Boockvar implores state lawmakers to ‘stop the lies’ about the election
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar implored lawmakers in Harrisburg to “stop perpetuating lies” about the Nov. 3 election as members of a House Committee relentlessly grilled her Thursday in what they billed as the first of 14 hearings on the matter. Although President Biden’s victory of more than 80,000...
Woman pleads guilty for attack on wrong man in Crabtree
Sarah Miller’s plan with three friends to retaliate against a man she claimed disrespected and spit at her might have seemed foolproof at the time. The scheme was to drive up, wait for their target to emerge from his Crabtree home, whack him in the head and then speed off...
