Westmoreland category, Page 596
National Drug Control Office chief holds roundtable discussion in Ligonier
Westmoreland County has made some strides in introducing programs aimed at helping those with a drug addiction. Drug treatment court started in 2014. The Westmoreland County Drug Overdose Task Force has enacted a Recovery Friendly Workplace program. Scores of naloxone doses have been handed out by the task force and...
Norwin holds to Nov. 4 school reopening; no students, staff got virus at school, district says
Norwin school officials said that the district still is planning to resume the five-day in-person instruction on Nov. 4, even though the number of covid-19 cases are rising in the North Huntingdon-Irwin area and Westmoreland County. School Superintendent Jeff Taylor said in an email statement this week that the district...
Westmoreland County reports triple-digit covid-19 cases for 2nd day
Westmoreland County on Friday reported 109 new cases of covid-19 after the previous day’s record high of 148. The county’s 7-day average is at a high of 90 cases. The 7-day total of 630 cases is also a record since the coronavirus outbreak began in March. One new death was...
Bradenville firefighters prepare to break ground for larger station
The Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department is preparing to break ground in the coming weeks for a new fire hall it has been looking forward to for decades. The $1.8 million fire hall and public safety building will stand along Bradenville’s School Street, across from the department’s original garage and...
Man sentenced for drug sales to Murrysville, Greensburg men who died of overdoses
Michelle Rubin had a simple message for one of the men accused of selling her son the drugs he used just before she found him face down and unconscious on the floor of their Murrysville home more than three years ago. “If you hadn’t sold him that illegal poison he...
Westmoreland County approves drop box sites for mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County will have drop boxes at five regional sites before the Nov. 3 general election to help collect tens of thousands of expected mail-in ballots. Voters started to receive ballots this week, and as of Thursday, more than 51,600 were sent. Another 9,600 are in the queue to be...
Charges filed, arrest warrant issued in North Huntingdon cat-hoarding case
An arrest warrant has been issued for a North Huntingdon man accused of hoarding more than 70 cats that were malnourished and infested with fleas when authorities rescued them from a township home in September. Since being rescued, the cats have been cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue...
2 more coronavirus-related deaths reported at Westmoreland Manor
Westmoreland officials said Thursday that two more residents at the county-owned nursing home died from complications of coronavirus. A total of five Westmoreland Manor residents have now died after contracting the virus since the start of the outbreak last month at the 408-bed Hempfield facility. Since mid-September, 117 residents and...
Greensburg City Hall closed this week due to suspected coronavirus case
Greensburg City Hall is closed this week due to a suspected coronavirus infection of a city employee, Councilman Randy Finfrock said. “Just as an abundance of caution we’re deep cleaning City Hall, and we’ll be back in business Monday,” he said. Officials closed the building Tuesday afternoon. A city employee...
Former North Huntingdon banquet manager to serve jail time for theft
Ron Tarquinio’s business, like many others, is struggling to survive the coronavirus pandemic. He told a Westmoreland County judge on Thursday that his catering company, Banquets Unlimited in North Huntingdon, already was behind the eight-ball after his former business manager stole at least $8,000 and alienated a steady customer base....
Police seize 2K stamp bags of suspected heroin, arrest suspect in South Greensburg
State police netted 2,050 stamp bags of suspected heroin and more than $2,100 in cash Wednesday in a South Greensburg bust that led to the arrest of one man. Chyrone Lamar Rodgers, 32, is charged with possession of and intent to deliver the controlled substance. He was arrested without incident...
Westmoreland Municipal Authority to upgrade McKeesport water intake
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will dam off a section of the Youghiogheny River next year and dig below the riverbed to install new pipes needed as part of a $7.8 million project to build an upgraded intake system in McKeesport. Authority board members this week approved the project,...
Westmoreland County sees biggest jump in reported coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County saw its highest single-day spike in covid-19 cases Thursday adding 148 new cases, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county also recorded one death. The county had not seen more than 90 cases reported in a single day, which happened Monday. Westmoreland County’s seven-day average is...
Latrobe police get Taser, training funds, seek grant for body camerasVideo
Latrobe police are working to upgrade their equipment and training with the help of donations and grants. City council this week authorized application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for a $33,530 grant to support purchase of body-worn cameras for the police department. City Manager Michael Gray said...
Ligonier Christmas Market is early, outdoors this year
Although Halloween is still two weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping — at least if you’re a fan of Ligonier Country Market’s annual Christmas Market. Traditionally held indoors on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to coincide with Small Business Saturday, this year’s holiday market has been moved...
CNN, New York Times spotlight Westmoreland County as key in presidential race
National media outlets are eyeing Westmoreland County as a key battleground in the looming presidential election. Both CNN and the New York Times this week spotlighted the county in reports, talking to residents and politicians about their efforts to swing the race in favor of either President Donald Trump or...
Irwin promotes acting chief to top spotVideo
In an expected move, Irwin Council named the borough’s acting police chief as the new leader of the police department. Sgt. Daniel Wensel, who was named acting chief on Aug. 20 when former chief Roger Pivirotto resigned, was hired Wednesday by a unanimous vote. Wensel will continue to serve as...
Live wires impede crash rescue efforts on Route 130 in Penn Township
First responders shut down part of Route 130 in Penn Township Wednesday night as they worked to free a person from a vehicle surrounded by live wires, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash near the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road happened around 8:25 when the vehicle struck a power...
Derry lifts boil water advisory
The water in Derry is safe to drink again. The Derry Borough Municipal Authority lifted a boil water advisory on Wednesday that was put in place following a Sunday evening water main break. The break at the corner of East Second Avenue and South Chestnut Street caused some residents to...
Southmoreland High School closing due to coronavirus cases
Southmoreland High School is shutting down for five days after two people tested positive for the coronavirus, the district announced Wednesday. The district was informed of the latest positive test this week. Officials have not disclosed whether the infected people are students or staff members. The high school will close...
Westmoreland approves poll changes in wake of coronavirus concerns
Seven polling sites in Westmoreland County will be relocated for the Nov. 3 general election amid concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. All 307 voting precincts will be open, but a handful — which could not meet safety protocols or are located near senior housing communities prohibited from hosting...
Westmoreland Christian Academy holds memorial 5K for late principal
Jordan Tomson found a way to combine two of his passions when he established the annual Westmoreland Christian Academy 5K. Tomson was an avid runner, and the race raised money for students at the small Hempfield private school where he served as principal for the last 10 years. On Saturday,...
Sunrise Elementary School reports 5th coronavirus case
An additional staff member at Sunrise Elementary School in the Penn-Trafford School District has tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total count to five, the district announced Wednesday. No positive student cases have been reported. Sunrise closed Oct. 8. It will stick with its plan of reopening Oct. 22 despite...
Westmoreland bus driver tests positive for virus
A Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus driver has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said the driver was last worked Monday and drove an undisclosed route. Transit officials were notified Tuesday about the positive test result and the driver will remain off the job...
Greater Latrobe decision to keep schools open amid covid-19 cases draws flak
Greater Latrobe School District’s decision to continue in-person instruction while reporting new covid-19 cases among students has prompted an email response protesting the decision. The anonymous email, signed “The Parents of the Greater Latrobe School District,” was sent to Superintendent Georgia Teppert on Wednesday. It charged that administrators failed to...
