Westmoreland category, Page 572
Hundreds turn out for Unity’s drive-thru visit with Santa
The Unity supervisors have hosted a community holiday celebration near the township municipal building, complete with a Christmas tree, since 2009. This year, in keeping with pandemic precautions, those attending stayed in their cars, greeted with a wave from Santa before dropping off letters to the jolly old elf and...
Irwin hikes property tax by 15%; raises pay for workers
Irwin Borough property owners will pay about 15% more in real estate taxes next year. The 2021 budget of $4.79 million raises taxes three mills. Irwin Council approved the budget Wednesday, which raises the tax rate from 20 mills to 23 mills. Two of the three additional mills will be...
Westmoreland courthouse to operate by appointment only through December
Westmoreland County officials said Friday that most business at the courthouse in Greensburg will be conducted by appointment only through the end of December. Commissioners said all county offices will continue to operate during the three-week period of new restrictions announced earlier this week by Gov. Tom Wolf amid the...
Westmoreland Mall’s Cash-In Culture closing, moving online
Tim Hartman gets a bit wistful when he talks about the ’80s. “It was a new dawn of pop culture,” said Hartman, co-owner of Cash-In Culture, a store that celebrates his passion for the past. With his love of the era comes a love of malls. A self-described “retail hound,”...
North Huntingdon says ‘no’ to Wolf’s limits on indoor crowds
A few hours after Gov. Wolf announced new covid limits for indoor gatherings to 10 people Thursday, North Huntingdon officials essentially thumbed their nose at him, saying anyone can attend their public meeting on Dec. 16. “It they (residents) want to come, they can come and speak,” said Zachary Haigis,...
Westmoreland Clerk of Courts unveils smartphone app
The Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts office is going modern. The office, which oversees all criminal court filings, on Friday unveiled it’s own app. In September, county commissioners approved a $15,000 contract with OVC LLC, a private firm that specializes in the creation of mobile apps for law enforcement, public...
Greensburg woman to serve 7 to 14 years for fatal drug sale
A Greensburg woman was sentenced to up to 14 years in prison for the sale fentanyl-laced heroin that killed a woman in her Greensburg home in February. Jamie Lynn Dickant, 35, pleaded guilty to counts of drug delivery resulting in death and three other drug-related charges in connection with the...
Westmoreland County breaks new covid case record for 2nd straight day
Westmoreland County has again broken the record for new covid-19 cases in the county, a day after the previous record was broken. There were 657 new covid cases reported Friday, surpassing Thursday’s record of 505 cases. In the past two days, 1,162 cases have been reported. It previously took the...
Rostraver Police ask for help identifying suspect in church burglaryVideo
Rostraver Police are asking the public’s help identifying a man they say broke into St. Anne’s Church Saturday and made off with an unspecified amount of cash and checks. Detective Kerry August said the suspect pulled into the church parking lot at 1870 Rostraver Road about 10 a.m. in a...
Air Force Raptor joins 2021 Westmoreland air show lineup
The Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet demonstration team is slated to return to Unity for next year’s air show at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Va., the Raptor previously participated in the Shop ’n Save Westmoreland County Airshow in 2016. The Raptor provides...
Westmoreland County Blind Association adding kitchen, sensory room for adult clients
Financial contributions leveraged by a state tax credit program will help the Westmoreland County Blind Association renovate part of its South Greensburg center to better meet the needs of the disabled adults it serves. The organization this week was awarded $46,500 through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program. Three area financial institutions...
Westmoreland Symphony concert is truly ‘Home for the Holidays’ this year
For many around Westmoreland County, nothing signals the arrival of the Yule season quite like the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert. Even though pandemic restrictions prevent the symphony from playing in front of a live audience this year, the popular concert is on, via a livestream...
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art closes through Jan. 5
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will be closed beginning Saturday through Jan. 5. The Greensburg museum cited “recently implemented restrictions” that are part of the state’s reponse to the covid-19 pandemic for the closing. The museum is scheduled to reopen 10 a.m. Jan. 6, when the regular operating hours...
Governor’s shutdown of inside dining another blow to restaurants, barsVideo
Restaurant and bar owners in Westmoreland County who were hoping to cash in any way they could during the Christmas and New Year holidays — typically one of the busiest times of the year, when not in a pandemic — suffered another blow Thursday with the announcement of another round...
Norwin goes all-remote until Jan. 11
With covid cases rising in Westmoreland County and in the towns it serves, the Norwin School District has decided to teach its 5,300 students from home beginning Monday and continuing until at least Monday, Jan. 11. With school staff being forced to quarantine, employee absenteeism is very high, Superintendent Jeff...
Westmoreland doles out another $2 million in covid-relief grants to small businesses
Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday awarded another 130 small businesses nearly $2 million to cover losses and expenses related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The money represents the second, and what commissioners said was the final, round of funding to small businesses from $31.5 million in federal relief funds the...
Man accused of placing tracking device on Mt. Pleasant Township woman’s SUV
A 54-year-old man is accused by police with secretly placing a tracking device on an ex-girlfriend’s SUV in Westmoreland County. Bradley K. Nicholson of White in Fayette County was released from the county prison on $25,000 bond after his arrest on charges of harassment and stalking filed by state police...
Westmoreland jail to install additional video conferencing as virus spread continues
Additional video conferencing rooms will be built at Westmoreland County Prison to allow for more court hearings to be held remotely as coronavirus infections continue to spread among inmates. Commissioners on Thursday hired Laurel Design and Construction Inc. of Hempfield to install new areas at the jail to allow more...
Belle Vernon to continue with remote learning into January
Students in the Belle Vernon Area School District will continue with remote learning after the holidays as covid-19 cases continue to rise across the region. Remote instruction will continue until Jan. 19, said Superintendent Michele Dowell, who cited a 47% positivity rate in the school district community as a major...
Irwin man accused of bilking Lowe’s in $3,200 paint return scam
A 58-year-old Irwin man was arrested by state police Thursday in connection with a month-long paint return scheme that bilked an area hardware store out of more than $3,200. Terry S. Good was charged by troopers with seven counts of receiving stolen property and one count of theft by deception...
Harrison City firefighters raising funds for food bank, police toy drive
Harrison City firefighters are accustomed to holding fundraisers year-round, and this season they are helping the county food bank and a local toy drive. “We’ve had a lot of support. We wanted to give back to the community. It’s nice that everyone is supporting each other,” said Brandon Quinn, a...
Irwin, North Huntingdon holiday light displays raise money for nonprofitsVideo
Extensive and creative holiday light displays at homes in North Huntingdon and Irwin are spreading holiday joy while providing an opportunity to donate to a good cause. Daniel and Lisa Disso filled their front lawn, bushes and facade of their house at 1416 Tenth St. in Irwin with sparking lights,...
New Stanton man accused of beating dog
A New Stanton man is accused of beating a dog so badly in October that it remains in medical care, according to court papers. Chris Impink, 19, was charged this week with aggravated cruelty to animals and related offenses. Humane officers from All But Furgotten were given audio recordings on...
Westmoreland County sees record jump in covid cases with 505
Westmoreland County on Thursday added 505 new cases of coronavirus to break its daily record by 68 cases. Of the new cases, 483 are confirmed out of 1,005 new tests. The county has now had 12,369 cases of covid-19 with 9,918 of those confirmed and 1,307 recorded as probable, according...
Saint Vincent College Summer Theatre cancels 2021 season over covid concerns
Saint Vincent College Summer Theatre has canceled its upcoming season, citing circumstances surrounding the covid-19 pandemic. “After careful deliberation and after exploring additional performance ideas, including virtual, we found it best to suspend our 2021 season,” said Greggory Brandt, producing artistic director. “Overall, in terms of risks and expenses, we...
