Westmoreland category, Page 576
Derry group gives away 170 Christmas meals
A group of Derry residents on Thursday gave out more than 170 Christmas dinners to families in need at Taps N’ At restaurant. The giveaway was organized by Derry Area School Board member Sean M. Kemmerer and Taps N’ At owners Larry and Jessica Gray, who recently founded the Derry...
Greensburg plans to help businesses, individuals with covid relief money
Greensburg plans to use nearly $194,000 in federal CARES Act money to aid small businesses, provide rent assistance and help feed those in need. Municipalities received coronavirus relief funds through the existing Community Development Block Grant program. Greensburg submitted its application about three months ago, and recently learned it had...
Monessen woman sentenced to 2-4 years for stabbing
A Monessen woman was sentenced this week to two to four years in a state prison on an aggravated assault charge in connection with the stabbing of her neighbor. Prosecutors dismissed attempted homicide and related charges against Tiffany Grogan-Howard, 38, on Wednesday, according to a court order. The stabbing was...
Greensburg Salvation Army receives gold coin worth $1,700
Greensburg Salvation Army Capt. Ashley Luzader was sorting through the usual pile of change that had been dropped into bell ringers’ red kettles Tuesday when she found something strange — an unusually heavy coin wrapped in white paper. “I was pulling out all the dollars, and I was thinking ‘this...
For 31st straight year, Hempfield supervisors approve budget with no tax increase
Hempfield supervisors unanimously approved a $13.5 million budget that does not raise real estate taxes for the 31st consecutive year. The approval, which took place at Monday’s meeting, came after months of cutbacks and planning to make up for lost expenses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenue streams such as...
Westmoreland County covid cases continue downward trend
With 368 new cases of covid-19 announced Thursday, Westmoreland County continues to bend the average downward. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s latest report shows the county is seeing 30% fewer new cases than a week ago. Over the past seven days, Westmoreland has registered 2,229 cases, as opposed to 3,176...
Checkpoint shields installed to boost covid-19 protection at Arnold Palmer airport
Acrylic shields are in place at the security checkpoint at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport as an added measure to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Installed the week of Dec. 18, the shields are meant to provide enhanced protection for passengers boarding Spirit Airlines flights and Transportation Security Administration officers...
Teen charged as adult in Mt. Pleasant Township armed robbery
A North Huntingdon teen was arrested by state police Wednesday in connection with an armed robbery Saturday in Mt. Pleasant Township. Elijah Ben Chaabane, 17, is charged with robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor, theft and related offenses. He is being charged as an adult. Troopers were...
VFW Christmas cheer sent to Pa. National Guard soldiers around the globe
A brief social media post relayed by state Veterans of Foreign Wars Department officials late Monday to Westmoreland County’s VFW District Commander Carl Trusiak couldn’t have been more welcome and gratifying. “A lot of the packages are coming in!!! The team and brigade love them! Thank you!” the anonymous National...
Manor World War II veteran survived little-known Christmas Eve disaster off French coast
Carl Monk, like many World War II veterans, didn’t talk much about his experiences serving with the Army in Europe. He had a small shrapnel scar on his left elbow, received as his infantry unit fought in France in early 1945, and a brief tale of surviving a German submarine...
Irwin police, fire, EMS get stuffed Moose dolls for childrenVideo
Irwin’s police, firefighters and emergency medical services received two dozen cuddly Moose dolls recently to give to children when they are in stressful situations. The brown Tommy Moose stuffed animals adorned with a red shirt and yellow antlers were distributed at the Irwin Fire Department Friday by members of the...
As elderly Greensburg couple battles covid in hospital, family asks public to ‘be smart’
Jim Kuhns had 30 cupcakes for his 91st birthday on Monday. He had balloons, gifts, cards and his favorite: scratch-off lottery tickets. But something was missing — his family. That’s because the Greensburg man celebrated in Westmoreland Hospital while battling covid. Betty Kuhns, his wife of 66 years, wasn’t by...
Southmoreland grad killed in crash ‘brought a different kind of energy to the room’
No matter who is talking about him, one thing is clear about Brandon Peterson — he knew how to brighten anyone’s day. “As soon as he’d walk into a room, he put a smile on everyone’s face,” said Mason Neiderhiser, 16, of Mt. Pleasant. “He was such a good guy.”...
Wagging tails join ringing bells for Salvation Army kettle drive in HempfieldVideo
Area owners let the dogs out Wednesday to help attract attention to the Greensburg Salvation Army’s annual red kettle donation drive. Members of the Youngwood Dog Club, accompanied by their public-friendly therapy dogs, volunteered to augment the efforts of kettle bell-ringers at several Hempfield retail locations including Walmart and Macy’s...
Westmoreland County adds 327 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County added 327 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, the 44th straight day of triple-digit new cases. The new cases bring the county’s total to 17,406, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of those new cases, 270 are confirmed and 57 are probable. The PCR test positivity rate of the...
Settlement with former Jeannette official includes repayment to city
Jeannette’s former community development director repaid nearly $7,000 to the city that she was mistakenly given after her retirement last year, according to a settlement agreement. The issue was caused by an incorrect calculation in the city’s payroll department, giving Diana Reitz more money than she was entitled to for...
Scottdale man killed after getting out of disabled pickup on Route 119
A Scottdale man was killed Tuesday when state police said he got out of his disabled pickup truck on Route 119 and was hit by a tractor-trailer in East Huntingdon. Brandon C. Peterson, 18, was driving a Dodge Ram 2500 that became disabled on the southbound side of the highway...
Sharky’s Cafe, community help make, deliver 450 Christmas meals for Latrobe area families
Hundreds of Westmoreland County families will receive hot Christmas dinners thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers. Sharky’s Cafe in Unity organized a donation drive and cooked the dinners, which will be delivered Wednesday. Cafe co-owner Jamie Huemme said she was overwhelmed by the community’s response. “I put a...
Murrysville filmmaker’s latest earns honorable mention at Top Shorts film festivalVideo
Dillon Black had finished up principal photography and was headed into post-production on his new short film, “What’s Left of Barry,” when the coronavirus pandemic turned things upside down. “I had six people helping me with post-production, and covid-19 threw a big wrench into everything,” said Black, 22, of Murrysville....
South Greensburg steel fabricator settles sex harassment suit for $80,000
A South Greensburg steel fabricator agreed to pay $80,000 to a fired female welder. The worker claimed co-workers harassed her with sexist remarks, that a foreman told her to clean feces in the women’s bathroom that her co-workers had dirtied, and then was fired four days after revealing she had...
North Huntingdon auto dealership spreads Christmas joy with boxes of foodVideo
Like millions of other Americans, it’s been a terrible year for Michelle Davis of Monroeville. She lost her job months ago as a food delivery person for InstaCart when the economy plunged and covid spread across the region. Her father died last week in New York of a non-covid-related illness,...
Route 119 southbound reopens in East Huntingdon following fatal crash
The southbound lanes of Route 119 at Route 819 in East Huntingdon reopened just after 9 p.m., following a fatal crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian late Tuesday afternoon. The crash was reported just after 3:45 p.m., according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office has...
Derry group plans Christmas dinner giveaway
A group of Derry residents who helped make Thanksgiving happier for those in need are doing the same thing for Christmas. Derry Area School Board member Sean M. Kemmerer and Larry and Jessica Gray, owners of Taps N’ At restaurant, started a donation drive to buy more than 150 Christmas...
Westmoreland County issues final covid-relief grants
More than $615,000 in covid relief grants were handed out Tuesday to local volunteer fire departments and emergency medical service units as Westmoreland County exhausted its share of federal stimulus money to help struggling businesses, nonprofits and municipalities amid the ongoing pandemic. Commissioners awarded 24 volunteer fire departments and 10...
Westmoreland commissioners rescind covid grant to Salem gym, allow North Huntingdon to keep money
Westmoreland County commissioners on Tuesday rescinded a nearly $5,000 grant awarded last week to a Salem gym after it refused to accept a provision that requires recipients to pledge to adhere to state covid guidelines. Officials said representatives of Matshark Fitness, which operates as Wallace Training Systems, declined to sign...
