Westmoreland category, Page 589
Hempfield officials take steps toward welcoming middle school students back daily
Officials at the Hempfield Area School District are gearing up for the possibility of middle school students returning to a more regular schedule. Surveys sent out last week by Matthew Conner, assistant superintendent for secondary education, ask parents if they will send their children back to school daily or commit...
Suspect in Unity woman’s disappearance wants federal weapons charge dropped in separate case
Federal authorities did not have probable cause to search a Potter County cabin belonging to Thomas George Stanko, making the seizure of a sawed-off rifle illegal, his attorney argued in a pretrial motion. Investigators didn’t have evidence that a firearm would be found there during the October 2018 search, said...
2 Georgia men charged in check scheme in Southwestern Pa. involving homeless, addicts
Two Georgia men are accused in a check-cashing scheme in Southwestern Pennsylvania that preyed on local residents and businesses closed for the weekend, according to court papers. Jon Jon Detrell Anthony and Jurele McKnight, both 31, are charged in Westmoreland County with corrupt organizations, access device fraud, theft, receiving stolen...
Greensburg police investigating Halloween vandals who shot vehicles, house
Greensburg police are investigating who shot out windows of nine parked vehicles and a house along several streets north of the Westmoreland County Courthouse late Halloween night or early Sunday. Most of the damage occurred over several blocks in the Academy Hill area, Capt. Shawn Denning said. No one was...
Owner of Westmoreland, Monroeville malls files for bankruptcy
After months filled with lost revenues and tenants permanently shutting their doors, the company that owns both the Westmoreland and Monroeville malls has filed for bankruptcy protection. Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL Properties made the announcement Monday, months after the company announced a restructuring plan to help alleviate debt. The move came...
Westmoreland adds 129 covid cases over two days, 1 death
Westmoreland County added 129 new cases of coronavirus over the past two days, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday. Health officials said there were 66 cases added Sunday, 56 of them confirmed, 10 probable. There were 63 cases added Monday, with 53 confirmed, 10 probable. Officials said the county...
Hempfield student captures life during pandemic, submits journal to Heinz History Center
Mary Planic is hopeful her journal will one day help people researching the coronavirus pandemic. Planic, a 15-year-old sophomore at Hempfield Area High School, created the journal of day-to-day life starting when stay-at-home orders were issued by Gov. Tom Wolf this spring to help curb the spread of the virus....
2-year-old girl killed in Mt. Pleasant Township fire
A 2-year-old girl was killed in a mobile home fire Monday in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to Westmoreland County Deputy Coroner John Ackerman. The coroner’s office identified the girl as Charli Olson. Four people escaped the Beacon Road fire and were being helped by the Salvation Army and American Red...
Westmoreland County election employee tests positive for coronavirus
An employee of the Westmoreland County Election Bureau has tested positive for coronavirus, the county announced this weekend. The employee, who last worked in the election bureau office on Wednesday, is under quarantine, according to county officials. The county is using its emergency response plan to deal with the covid-19...
Former Rivers Casino GM tapped for finance role at Live! Casino Pittsburgh
The former general manager of Rivers Casino has been tapped by operators of the soon-to-be-opening Hempfield casino as director of finance. Craig Clark, who has more than 26 years of experience in the gaming industry, will oversee the finance departments at the 100,000-square-foot facility that is under construction at the...
Women-powered grassroots efforts support Biden, Trump in Western PennsylvaniaVideo
Stasia Vernallis knew she was onto something when Facebook groups of frustrated female voters began cropping up across Pennsylvania just days after the 2017 Women’s March on Washington. “We counted 550 grassroots organizations from January to July,” Vernallis said. Like the suffragists who rallied for years in towns small and...
When will election results be known for Westmoreland, Allegheny, Pennsylvania?
Gov. Tom Wolf recalled that when he won office in 2014 and reelection four years later, media reports unofficially declared him the victor within minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. “Ain’t happening this time,” Wolf said, acknowledging that Pennsylvania’s vote count is expected to take not minutes or hours...
No hoax: October marks pandemic’s deadliest month to date in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County could be in for a bleak fall if the coronavirus death rate continues its grim increase. October has been the deadliest month since the pandemic started in March, according to state figures and county Coroner Ken Bacha. The county’s death toll surpassed 100 on Friday, with 47 of...
Neighbors with differing political views find they still can act neighborlyVideo
Despite her lone Joe Biden sign in a street filled with Donald Trump signs, Suzanne Nace knows there’s no animosity between her and her neighbors. “You have your beliefs; we have our beliefs,” said Nace, 51, of Glenview Avenue in Greensburg. In neighborhoods across Westmoreland County, differing political views are...
Public gets access to half-mile stretch of Mill Creek in Ligonier Township
Fishermen, hunters, hikers, cross-country skiers and outdoor enthusiasts will be able to enjoy a half-mile stretch on both sides of Mill Creek that is north of Ligonier. It’s now possible because a Pittsburgh conservation non-profit has obtained a conservation easement that allows people to get to the stream. The Western...
Norwin sees another covid-19 case
Norwin school officials said the district learned this past week that a high school student tested positive for covid-19. The student will not return until they have completed isolation procedures for covid-19. The school said last Tuesday that the only individuals who need to quarantine are those who have been...
Westmoreland County reports 70 new coronavirus cases, 2 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 70 new cases of coronavirus in Westmoreland County. Saturday’s addition puts the seven-day average at 71 cases; the county reported 68 cases on Friday. The high of the week was on Wednesday when 91 cases were posted. Two additional deaths were reported,...
Kim Ward says state Senate reelection is about helping people of Westmoreland County
Kim Ward feels like she’s fought this battle before. For the past eight months, the Republican state senator from Hempfield worked to push legislation that will help health care workers and the public during the coronavirus pandemic, efforts that mirror actions she took in the 1980s when the AIDS pandemic...
Tay Waltenbaugh bids to take his community action to Harrisburg as 39th District Senator
After 29 years at the helm of Westmoreland Community Action, Tay Waltenbaugh knew it was time for a change. Waltenbaugh, who spent most of his adult life dedicated to human services work in Westmoreland County, retired as executive director last year knowing he was not ready to stop working completely....
Heaven’s view: Pilot explores Latrobe landmarks from aboveVideo
Two Tribune-Review journalists last month gained a bird’s-eye view of Latrobe, the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and the Route 981 corridor stretching between them, thanks to clear skies and a helicopter piloted by Anthony Ferrante. The trip over Latrobe and environs occured about 1,000 feet above ground level. According to...
Westmoreland: Third week in ‘substantial’ category for covid-19 transmission
For the third consecutive week, Westmoreland County remains in the “substantial” level of community transmission for coronavirus cases, even though the number of actual cases decreased from Oct. 23 to 29, the Department of Health said Friday. The county had 114.9 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents for the seven-day reporting...
Western Pa. police ready for any election-related shenanigans, as report warns of possible militia violence
As law enforcement in the region plan how to respond to any potential Election Day issues or unrest, along with anything that may arise post-election, a global watchdog on armed conflict warns that Pennsylvania is a state at high risk for militia violence. Local authorities — mainly at the county...
Franklin Regional Thespians rehearse for virtual fall play, ‘A Delightful Quarantine’Video
The Franklin Regional Thespians were originally planning to perform “A Christmas Carol” as their fall production. But they certainly weren’t going to risk an asymptomatic Scrooge passing the coronavirus to Bob Cratchit. And, while this season’s virtual fall play has “Quarantine” in the title, it has nothing to do with...
Westmoreland County elections office extends hours, will remain open this weekend
With more than 22,000 mail-in ballots outstanding, Westmoreland County will keep its elections bureau office open until 8 p.m. each day through Nov. 3. The extended hours will start Fridayand continue through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, including Saturday and Sunday. “Our concern is making sure every person who needs...
Excela projects funded with $115M in bonds issued by Westmoreland County authority
Westmoreland County commissioners this week approved issuing up to $115 million in revenue bonds to be used by Excela Health to pay for capital improvement projects and to expand its service into new markets. Acting as the Westmoreland Industrial Development Authority, the commissioners unanimously signed off on the tax-exempt bonds,...
