Westmoreland category, Page 6
Attorney claims jury erred in conviction of roommate in Penn Township shooting
A North Versailles woman claims a Westmoreland County jury reached the wrong verdict when it convicted her last year of the attempted murder of her Penn Township roommate. In an appeal filed this week, the lawyer for Leah Gillis said jurors failed to adequately consider testimony that suggested the gun...
Penn-Trafford School Board renews superintendent contract for 5 more years
Superintendent Matthew Harris will lead the Penn-Trafford School District for another five years following a vote by the school board this week. Harris came to the district in 2007. He worked in various administrative roles — including assistant principal of Level Green and Harrison Park Elementary schools, director of student...
Westmoreland County Community College to launch 2-year engineering program shortly after opening makerspace
Matthew Reed, vice president for academic affairs at Westmoreland County Community College, didn’t plan for the launch of the school’s new engineering program to coincide with the opening of its makerspace. “It’s kind of a happy accident,” he said with a laugh. The college’s board of trustees approved the two-year...
Shelter from the storm: Pittsburgh-area homeless community finds relief from brutal weather
A Greyhound bus dropped Drezon “Dre” Pankey in Downtown Pittsburgh two weeks before a winter storm shut down the city with 14 inches of snow. Born in Ohio and raised in Florida, the former high school football running back knew no one here. He carried everything he owned, including a...
Naked, knife-wielding man charged with assault at optician’s office in North Belle Vernon
A North Belle Vernon man is behind bars after, police say, he took two knives into an optician’s office Monday, knocked over several display cases and stabbed a couch and the walls, according to court papers. Borough police said Darnell Wesley Howell Sr., 54, was not wearing any clothes at...
Trial set for daughter, shooting suspect in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
Opening statements and testimony in the trial of a New Florence woman charged with ordering the murder of her mother, along with one of the two men alleged to have fired the fatal shots, are set to begin Monday, Feb. 9. The 12-person jury and four alternates who will hear...
Jurors in Thomas Stanko trial can hear evidence that Cassandra Gross was declared dead in 2019
In a key ruling Tuesday, a Westmoreland County judge decided that jurors in the Thomas G. Stanko criminal homicide trial may hear limited evidence that his former girlfriend, Cassandra Gross, was legally declared dead in 2019. Following a hearing, Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II ruled details of the...
Greensburg considering $1M fire truck purchase
Greensburg Fire Department is looking to turn two fire trucks into one while city council mulls a possible $1 million price tag. Councilman Randy Finfrock proposed buying a new rescue pumper for Hose Company No. 1 from Pierce Manufacturing at the fire department’s request. The price, around $1 million, is...
Herminie man faces charges in multiple cases in Westmoreland, Fayette counties
A Herminie man is back in jail after, police said, he broke into a Mt. Pleasant Borough home and threatened a woman with a knife. Police were called to a home on the first block of Frick Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 1 after a man called 911 and said...
Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg to accept Hometown Hero banner applications
The Greensburg Community Development Corporation is accepting applications for its annual Hometown Hero banner program. The installation, launched in 2020, honors Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg residents who have left an impact on the community — including military veterans, first responders and local officials. Nearly 70 people were honored in May...
Guilty plea appealed again in Jeannette football stadium shooting
A Jeannette man serving a 25-year prison sentence for the shooting death of a romantic rival has appealed his conviction. The incident occurred outside of Jeannette’s high school football stadium in 2019. Greg A. Harper, 46, unsuccessfully attempted last year to withdraw a guilty plea to third-degree murder. He entered...
Western Pa. casinos report mixed results despite 5th year of statewide gambling revenue growth
For the fifth consecutive year, gambling revenue statewide reached a record high in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Gambling revenue hit nearly $6.8 billion last year, the board said, which is a 10.7% increase from 2024 and more than double the state’s 2016 figure of $3.2 billion....
Years after Cassandra Gross disappeared, her mother says the unanswered questions never go awayVideo
Tucked away at Kathe Gross’ house is a turquoise plastic tote filled with the memories of heartbreak. There are note cards and scraps of paper bearing names and phone numbers, handwritten notes Gross compiled on anything she could find as phone calls and information poured in after the 2018 disappearance...
Jury seated in Westmoreland County for trial of Thomas Stanko in 2018 death of Cassandra Gross
It took nearly eight years to bring Thomas G. Stanko to a courtroom in the death of Cassandra Gross, but it took only a single day to choose the 12 people who will decide his fate. Seven men and five women were seated Monday in Westmoreland County to serve as...
Suspect in fatal hit-run found hiding under insulation in Jeannette attic
A Jeannette man was hiding in an attic underneath insulation when he was taken into custody Friday on state police accusations that he was involved in a 2025 hit-and-run that killed an e-bike rider. Troopers said in court papers that they learned William Edward Sever, 37, was staying at a...
Deposit from Midway-St. Clair boosts Hempfield fire service support fund
Money that Midway-St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department had invested is being transferred into a fund controlled by Hempfield. The township supervisors on Jan. 26 accepted the deposit of $161,365.99 into the Hempfield Township Volunteer Fire Service Support Fund at the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County. “That clears the books on...
Ruthie’s Diner fire started in kitchen of Ligonier Township restaurant, fire marshal saysVideo
A fire that destroyed landmark Ruthie’s Diner started in or near a cooking appliance in the kitchen, said state police fire marshal Trooper Chet Bell. The Jan. 20 blaze at the Ligonier Township diner has been ruled accidental and Bell said in a news release that he continues to investigate...
Penn State launches change-of-campus program
A new Penn State University program is designed to help undergraduate students explore and navigate changing campuses. The university announced Monday it is launching “Penn State Pathways” this spring through its Student Orientation and Transition program. It will feature in-person events at six campuses — University Park, Abington, Altoona, Beaver,...
Opponents of Homer City power plant and data center air concerns at community gathering
At a community meeting Sunday about the natural gas-powered data center project near Homer City, activists and residents expressed concerns ranging from environmental to economic and health impacts. The afternoon event was organized by Concerned Residents of Western PA, a group formed to oppose the planned 4.5-gigawatt power plant and...
Making the grade: School districts vary when configuring grade levels in buildings
A realignment of grade levels in Burrell School District buildings has offered more opportunities for students this school year. Students had more clubs, career exploratory classes and leadership prospects because of a district realignment that followed the closure of Stewart Elementary in August 2025. Effective this school year, Bon Air...
Driver accused in Hempfield fatal hit-and-run arraigned, jailed
A Jeannette man accused of killing a man riding an e-bike in a hit-and-run in Hempfield last year is now in the Westmoreland County Jail. William Edward Sever, 37, of Jeannette, was denied bail as a flight risk when he was arraigned Friday, according to court records. Sever is charged...
Jury selection set to begin for Thomas Stanko, charged in Unity woman’s deathVideo
Jury selection in the criminal homicide trial of a Unity man charged with killing his former girlfriend is scheduled to begin Monday morning in a Westmoreland County courtroom. Thomas G. Stanko, 55, was charged in 2022 with criminal homicide in connection with the disappearance of Cassandra Gross five years earlier....
Bocce builds bridges for people of all ages and abilities
Abigail Gerthoffer wasn’t sure what she was getting into when she joined Burrell High School’s unified bocce team during her sophomore year. She just knew the team aligned with her values and personal mission to have a positive effect in the world. With no prior experience playing bocce, Gerthoffer jumped...
Westmoreland happenings: Valentine’s dance, theater, bingo, more
Fundraisers • Lincoln Heights Civic Association will have bingo 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 5 at the center, 42 Millersdale Road, Hempfield. There will be 20 regular games and five quickies. Payout is 50-50. Free coffee. Cost: 25 cents for a three-card board; $1 for quickies. • Latrobe American Legion...
Murrysville receives funds for Route 22 signal, bridge replacement projectsVideo
Murrysville officials have sizable projects to begin under their 2026 capital improvements plan, but having $1.4 million in state funding in hand will help smooth the way. The first is replacing the adaptive traffic signal system along the stretch of Route 22 that runs through Murrysville, along with the traffic...
