Westmoreland category, Page 574
Hempfield sports postponed as coronavirus cases rise
Winter sports in the Hempfield Area School District are on hold as coronavirus cases rise across the region. The decision, made by school administrators at Monday’s board meeting, was attributed largely to the number of coronavirus cases within the athletic department. Administrators decided to mirror academics, which moved to remote...
Santa Claus to ride through Greensburg on a fire truck this weekend
Coronavirus kept Santa and Mrs. Claus from making their traditional appearance in the Greensburg Holiday Parade this year, but they’ll make up for it this weekend by touring the city in a fire truck. “With everything going on, we really wanted to bring some Christmas cheer to residents in the...
Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes, Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline test positive for coronavirus
Two Westmoreland County elected officials said Tuesday they tested positive for coronavirus. Sean Kertes, chairman of the county commissioners, and Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline both said they are experiencing symptoms of the virus and both are at their respective homes in isolation. “I had a 100-, 101-degree temperature and,...
Fayette man charged in East Huntingdon drug overdose death
A 31-year-old Everson man is in Westmoreland County Prison on charges of providing a fatal dose of fentanyl to an East Huntingdon man last summer, according to state police. Stephen T. Shively was jailed after failing to post $100,000 bond Friday on charges of drug delivery resulting in death and...
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Reese tests positive for coronavirus
State Rep. Mike Reese, who represents parts of Westmoreland and Somerset counties, is the latest Pennsylvania lawmaker to announce a positive coronavirus test. “I recently learned I have tested positive for covid-19,” Reese said in a statement. “I have been quarantining for the last week awaiting my test results, and...
Norwin increases pay for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals
After failing to get enough substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, Norwin upped the pay for those positions beginning next month to be more competitive with neighboring districts. The higher pay is important because Norwin has had a hard time attracting substitute teachers and paraprofessionals in the past 10 to 11 months,...
‘Health tops education’: Hempfield Area school officials explain remote learning call during virus surge
More than 350 people tuned in to a virtual Hempfield Area School Board meeting on Monday to hear the rationale for why the administration chose to move students to remote learning until after the holidays — a decision made days after the board reaffirmed students would return to the hybrid...
State tax-credit program will help Westmoreland County Food Bank add sprinklers
Money made available through a Pennsylvania tax-credit program will help the Westmoreland County Food Bank install a needed sprinkler system at its warehouse and offices in Salem. The food bank this week was awarded $15,200 through the Neighborhood Assistance Program. The program is providing a tax credit to PNC Bank,...
Car theft charge against Salem man leads to arrest of his mother
A 26-year-old Salem man charged after allegedly stealing a neighbor’s car last month is in the county prison, while his mother is charged with two felony counts of hindering his apprehension. After a month on the run, Jesse Vaughn Lawson was caught Sunday by state police after they investigated an...
Norwin reports 52 covid cases since Thanksgiving
The post-Thanksgiving spike in coronavirus cases continues in the Norwin School District, with the district reporting Monday there are 16 more cases, raising the total to 52 cases among students and staff since the Thanksgiving holiday. Norwin has had 136 cases among students and staff since school began on Aug....
Norwin covid cases continue on upward trend
The post-Thanksgiving spike in confirmed coronavirus cases hit a new high in the past week in the Norwin area, increasing by almost 30% in the week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, based on data from the state Department of Health. The North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin areas saw its virus cases...
East Huntingdon woman seeks dismissal of 1st-degree murder charge
An East Huntingdon woman in jail since September on charges of fatally shooting a former boyfriend claimed in court documents filed Monday there is no evidence she intended to kill her victim. Adam Gorzelsky, the lawyer for Meghan West, 24, asked a Westmoreland County judge to dismiss a first-degree murder...
Excela to add more covid-19 beds at its hospitals as cases continue to rise
Officials at Excela Health plan to add beds for coronavirus patients, possibly as early as Tuesday, at one of its Westmoreland County facilities as hospitalizations continue to increase. Dr. Carol Fox, Excela’s chief medical officer, said Monday the move to convert a procedure room into one for inpatients will add...
Virus spreads quickly among Westmoreland County Prison inmates
A massive coronavirus outbreak at Westmoreland County Prison has seen more than 100 inmates and a number of staffers infected over the past 10 days, and officials believe additional cases are possible at the lockup in Hempfield. Interim Warden George Lawther said Monday two units are in lockdown in an...
Westmoreland County reports over 500 new covid cases in 2 days, 3 new deaths
Westmoreland County added another 522 covid-19 cases over the past two days, according to a report Monday from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of the new cases, 285 were reported Sunday, 237 on Monday. With those additions, the county’s seven-day total surpassed the 2,000 mark for the first time, standing...
‘Baking With Lucy’ goes on, as daughter continues late mom’s online cooking show
Mary Ellen Raneri hasn’t taken much time to mourn her mother’s passing. She’s been too busy baking. Her mother, 98-year-old Lucy Pollock, who went viral this year with her “Baking With Lucy” Facebook videos, died Nov. 22 from complications of covid-19. The Latrobe resident said she feels like she owes...
Penn Township man arrested in apparent robbery attempt that failed
A Penn Township man was stabbed and arrested after an apparent robbery plot in Jeannette on Sunday failed, according to court papers. Kelby K. Saddler, 32, is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, driving on a suspended license and related offenses. Jeannette police investigating a suspicious person report at...
At least 1 injured in Ligonier Township crash
At least one person was injured in a rollover crash in Ligonier Township Monday morning, according to Westmoreland County 911. The single-vehicle crash on Route 30 eastbound happened shortly before 8 a.m., according to dispatchers. The Ligonier Township Volunteer Fire Department and Ligonier Valley Police Department responded. Route 30 remained...
Seven Springs prepping for ‘mid-December’ opening amid new covid restrictions
Despite 10 inches of natural snow falling on the slopes last week, Seven Springs Mountain Resort is not quite ready to open for skiing. “It’s too bad, but we feel we don’t have enough snow to open yet. With social distancing, we’re not comfortable opening with just two lifts and...
Irwin officials to meet virtually
The covid pandemic has forced Irwin Borough council to go virtual this week for its meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting via Zoom will be livestreamed for the public via Facebook live on the borough’s Facebook page. The agenda will be available to the public on Monday on the...
Prantl’s has new owner, plans new location in North Huntingdon
The last five years have been quite a ride for those baking Prantl’s famous Burnt Almond Torte — also known as “the greatest cake America has ever made.” The Huffington Post made that declaration in 2014, a year before a string of new developments at the business, which now has...
Pandemic challenges Greensburg food pantry
The number of families helped by the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Greensburg had been dropping steadily for several years. Organizers saw it a good news, a sign that fewer people were facing food insecurity. Then coronavirus came, thousands of people lost their jobs, and the food pantry...
Ramada auction draws crowd as longtime Hempfield hotel is set for demolition
Jeff Pollick got to the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center just in time Saturday. The owner of Wooden Door Winery walked into the Hempfield hotel moments before the draft system he was hoping to get went up for auction. After a short bidding war, he won it...
Westmoreland County posts record covid-19 cases for 3rd-straight day. This time 437.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported a record 437 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County. It is the third-straight day the county reported at least 400 cases and the third-consecutive day it broke its own record. On Thursday, 400 cases were posted, followed by 412 on...
Christmas tree sales going well in Western Pa., but growers see scarcity of trees in futureVideo
John Fazio and family drove all the way from Swissvale to a tree farm east of New Alexandria this week so he and his son, John, could trudge up a hillside, where he got to lie down in 4 inches of snow and wield a bow saw to cut down...
