Westmoreland category, Page 594
16-year-old charged in Jeannette double shooting
A Jeannette teen accused of shooting and wounding two men Tuesday told investigators he had “a long-standing dispute” with the victims, according to police. Khalil L. Myers, 16, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting at 4:46 p.m. inside a...
Diversity project billboards shine along Westmoreland County roadsVideo
Drivers on Westmoreland County highways are encouraged to take their eyes off the road — carefully — to look for new billboards offering messages of hope and healing. Ten artists created works that reflect the theme “Make Our Differences Our Strengths,” as part of the Diversity Billboard Art Project created...
Westmoreland County reports 89 new coronavirus cases, 24 new hospitalizations
Westmoreland County added 89 new coronavirus cases and 24 hospitalizations on Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Those new cases bring the county’s total of covid-19 cases to 3,703 with a seven-day average of 93 new cases per day. The 89 cases — 67 confirmed and 22 probable...
Cook man, 73, charged with killing wife, keeping her corpse in home for a week
A 73-year-old Cook man remains in jail without bond after state police accused him of spending a week inside his home with the corpse of his wife, who was shot twice in the back. Troopers discovered the body on Tuesday, when a relative requested a welfare check for Sandra Montjar,...
Greater Latrobe spends $443K to boost air filtration at 5 schools amid pandemic
Greater Latrobe School Board has agreed to invest $443,000 in an ionization system to enhance filtration of interior air at its five schools during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. Installation of 147 bipolar ionization units among the schools is expected to begin in early November, according to Superintendent Georgia Teppert....
Greensburg Holiday Markets offer added shop-local opportunities
Shoppers looking for locally sourced, one-of-a-kind and last-minute gifts will have two opportunities to find those items during Greensburg Holiday Markets on Nov. 29 and Dec. 20. Organized by the Downtown Greensburg Project, the events will feature some regular vendors from the Greensburg Night Market, another DGP offering, along with...
Westmoreland events include historic house tour, networking
Fundraisers • Laurelville Christian Retreat Center, 941 Laurelville Lane, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a lunch fundraiser about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater at noon Nov. 1 in the center small dining hall. Amy Humbert, Fallingwater’s school program and outreach manager, will be the speaker. Cost: $15 paid in advance. CDC...
State rejects Westmoreland plan to eliminate Penn Township district court
The state Supreme Court has rejected a Westmoreland County plan to shutter a district magistrate office in Penn Township, officials said. County court leaders this summer pitched a redistricting plan to the state’s high court that called for elimination of two magistrates, one that temporarily closed this spring in Mt....
North Huntingdon close to resolving backyard chicken battle
North Huntingdon officials appear to be on the cusp of resolving a months-long disagreement on rules for governing the raising of backyard chickens, a dispute that at times has been emotional and acrimonious. The township commissioners on Wednesday are scheduled to consider authorizing employees to draft an ordinance that would...
Increase in covid-19 cases prompts closure of Hempfield Area High School
Hempfield Area High School is closed through Friday, following an increase in covid-19 cases at the school. Superintendent Tammy Wolicki announced the closure in a letter posted Tuesday on the district website. She said the decision was triggered when another high school student’s positive case was reported to the district...
Westmoreland GOP rally short on candidatesVideo
Tuesday’s Westmoreland County Republican Committee rally in Hempfield was short on candidates but strong on local party support. More than 50 GOP faithful attended the evening event, spilling from the main room of All Saints Brewing Co. onto the patio. Committee Chairman Bill Bretz, who expressed confidence in county support...
Suspect in custody in double shooting in Jeannette
A juvenile male suspect was in custody following a shooting Tuesday evening in Jeannette that sent two people to AHN Forbes Hospital, according to city police. A 19-year-old man was one of the two people wounded in the shooting outside a South Third Street home. His mother, who declined to...
State could recommend closure of Westmoreland County schools over coronavirus surge
Pennsylvania Department of Education officials soon could begin urging Westmoreland County schools to close and move to fully remote learning if the present coronavirus surge continues. The county has the seventh-highest coronavirus incidence rate in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This week, it moved from “moderate”...
Westmoreland sheriff wants deputies to patrol polling places on Election Day, in case needed
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert on Tuesday said he will assign deputies to patrol near the county’s 307 polling locations on Election Day. The first-term sheriff said he has received no specific information about threats but he wants deputies at the ready should disturbances or calls of voter intimidation arise...
State police looking for Acura that hit Youngwood pedestrian
State police in Greensburg are looking for the driver of a car that hit a pedestrian in Youngwood Monday. Police said a 33-year-old man was taken to Excela Health Westmoreland hospital in Greensburg by Mutual Aid Ambulance for treatment after the 12:34 p.m. incident. His identity was not released. Trooper...
Conservation district officials praise Murrysville’s environmental efforts
Westmoreland Conservation District officials had nothing but praise for Murrysville, the first collective entity — as opposed to an individual or group — to earn its annual Conservation Partnership Award. “Murrysville’s leadership and citizens are very progressive, and they’ve led the way with a lot of conservation ‘firsts’ — installing...
Plans move ahead for Blue Angels’ return to Westmoreland airshow in 2021
Beset by the covid-19 pandemic and construction at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport that has slashed commercial passenger traffic by 60%, the Westmoreland County Airport Authority is turning the page on 2020 and planning the return of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels next year. The flight demonstration squadron based in Pensacola,...
North Huntingdon-Irwin covid-19 cases up almost 20% in 1 week
The number of coronavirus cases in the North Huntingdon and Irwin areas took another jump in the past week, rising about 20% at the same time cases have been increasing in Westmoreland County, according to data from the state Department of Health. The community of about 35,000 residents saw 443...
Hempfield Area adds additional covid cases, board members discuss next steps
Hempfield Area School District is seeing a rise in reported coronavirus cases, with six more students and two staff members testing positive for the virus, school officials said. In a letter posted to the district website Monday, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said four of the students attend the high school, one...
Westmoreland County reports 64 additional covid-19 cases, 3 new deaths
Westmoreland County has 64 new covid-19 cases and three new coronavirus-related deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Tuesday’s new reported cases and deaths bring the county’s totals to 3,614 and 74, respectively. There are currently 38 covid-19 patients hospitalized in Westmoreland County, with five on ventilators. Westmoreland County...
Penn-Trafford High School to remain open despite new coronavirus cases
Penn-Trafford High School will remain open despite three recent coronavirus cases among students and one involving a staff member, according to Superintendent Matthew Harris. Two of the student cases were reported on Monday, while the other cases were reported on Tuesday. That bring the school’s total in October to nine...
Franklin Regional taking letters of interest for school board seat
The Franklin Regional school board is accepting letters of interest for a new member, after officially accepting the resignation of Director Gary English earlier this month. The board has 30 days to appoint a new member to fill English’s seat, and did not take any action to fill it Monday...
Westmoreland prison, manor register additional coronavirus cases
An additional seven guards and nine inmates have tested positive for coronavirus at the Westmoreland County Prison in Hempfield, bringing the total to 11 guards and 45 inmates. The courts have halted transfer of inmates to the courthouse in Greensburg, according to county Solicitor Melissa Guiddy. “All inmates will appear...
Democrat Tony DeLoreto challenges incumbent Republican Joe Pittman in 41st Senate District
State Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, is facing his first reelection challenge just 16 months after being sworn in to represent the 41st Senate District. Democrat Tony DeLoreto, a restaurateur from Indiana, is looking to knock off Pittman. Pittman has been representing the district since June 2019 after winning a special...
Greensburg firefighters show off upgraded drill towerVideo
What started as an effort to replace cracking concrete blocks at The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department’s drill tower at Lynch Field has culminated in a major renovation that adds numerous training tools for firefighters. “It’s become useful again,” said department President Rick Steele. New features at the five-story tower include...
