Westmoreland category, Page 602
Sex assault trial for former Mt. Pleasant cop to start this week
The trial of a former Mt. Pleasant part-time police officer charged with the sexual assaults of six women will begin Tuesday in Westmoreland County. Jurors were selected Monday to hear the cases against John Andrew Brown of Mt. Lebanon, who first was arrested in 2016 in connection with an accusation...
Troopers: Alleged abuse victim hid in Bradenville streets after assault
A Derry Township woman told state police she fled multiple beatings by her boyfriend by hiding in alleys and streets throughout the village of Bradenville near her home late Friday into Saturday. Troopers arrested a Ligonier Township man, Richard P. Miller, 34, on two counts of simple assault and harassment...
Westmoreland County Prison guard accused of assaulting handcuffed, shackled inmate
For the second time this year, a Westmoreland County prison guard has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed and shackled prisoner in the Hempfield lockup. Rodney Walters, 53, was arraigned Friday on charges of official oppression and simple assault filed by county detectives after a two-month investigation into the...
Westmoreland has added over 200 covid cases in past week
Westmoreland County added 45 new covid-19 cases Monday, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county had the third highest new case count in the state Monday, coming in behind Philadelphia (76) and Allegheny (46). In the past seven days, Westmoreland County has had 215 new...
Volunteers sought for Yough River tire cleanup
It was clear to Tom Yoder last week that the work of 65 volunteers on canoes in 2019 to remove 300 tires from the Youghiogheny River had a positive impact. A recent trip on the river showed him the waterway was back to its natural state in some spots. “It...
Final antiques sale of abbreviated season coming up at Historic Hanna’s Town
The season’s final antiques and collectibles sale is Sunday at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Pandemic notwithstanding, it’s been a pretty good summer for the sales, said Lisa Hays, executive director of Westmoreland Historical Society, which manages the site for Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation. While attendance by both vendors...
Loyalhanna Watershed Association plans 2-day Oktoberfest
Area craft breweries and distilleries will join a mix of food offerings and live music Friday and Saturday for the Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s first Oktoberfest. Based at the Watershed Farm, on the western outskirts of Ligonier, the event is taking the place of the organization’s Brewfest, introduced last summer but...
Spruce Flats Bog plant species include 2 insect-eaters
The soil in a bog consists largely of slowly decaying plant matter. Along with being acidic, it is oxygen- and nutrient-poor, limiting the types of plants that will thrive there. Sphagnum moss provides the living plant layer atop the waterlogged environment. Other common bog plants include reeds, sedges, cranberries, blueberries...
Westmoreland County adds 63 new coronavirus cases for 2 days
Westmoreland County saw 63 new cases of covid-19 added to its total Sunday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The new cases are for the past two days. The state Department of Health said a technical issue caused a delay in Saturday’s reporting and the need to report a two-day...
Child advocate, horse rescue ranch partner to promote healingVideo
As a survivor of child sexual abuse, Nicole Cermak of Murrysville found herself making an instant connection with Sunday, a 15-year-old mare she fed and worked with as a volunteer at the Pleasant Valley Rescue Ranch. Sunday was about to be sold to a slaughterhouse in the spring of 2017...
Firefighters bring youth prevention message to the streets of GreensburgVideo
Greensburg children got a special visit from firefighters Sunday and a lesson in fire prevention brought right to their doorstep. Volunteers with the city’s fire department delivered plastic fire hats, coloring books and other items to help children learn how to stop fires before they even start. It’s a lesson...
Derry Township man accused of attempted homicide after trip wire found at top of basement steps
A Derry Township man is accused by state police of installing a trip wire at the top of his basement steps this weekend in hopes that a woman there would fall down the wooden staircase, according to court papers. William Joseph Dankesreiter Jr., 60, was jailed Sunday morning on charges...
1 resident, 1 staff coronavirus case added at Westmoreland Manor
One more resident and a staff member at Westmoreland Manor tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew. That brings the total number of affected residents to 83, about a quarter of the population. The Pennsylvania National Guard was brought in last month to take...
Level Green Elementary closes for 14 days after 2 more coronavirus cases
Two more staff members at Level Green Elementary School have tested positive for the coronavirus and the building will be closed for 14 days, according to Penn-Trafford School District Superintendent Matt Harris. In a message sent to parents Saturday, Harris said the new cases bring the total count at the...
Greensburg man accused of child endangerment, animal cruelty
A Greensburg man was charged Friday after city police said they found a boy alone in his apartment with deplorable conditions, and one of two dogs rescued from there defecated part of a toothbrush, according to court papers. John Harry Patak III, 29, is set for a preliminary hearing next...
‘How much blood do you want on your face?’: Haunted-house performers revel in rolesVideo
“Do you want me to dress like this for the wedding?” Holli Stiltenpole asked. Fake blood was splattered all over Stiltenpole’s straitjacket, one eye appeared glazed and useless thanks to a colored contact lens and a cross was crudely “carved” into her forehead with makeup. Tiarra Shank of Ligonier started...
State police investigating large lumber theft in Mt. Pleasant Township
State police are investigating the theft last month of a large amount of lumber from a Mt. Pleasant Township location. More than $6,600 worth of lumber was reported missing, according to troopers. The theft may have occurred between Sept. 18 and 25, police said. Reported missing were 76 pieces of...
Greensburg’s popular Turkey Trot going virtual; Latrobe race still on
It’s the tale of two turkey trots this Thanksgiving — one going virtual in Greensburg and the other forging ahead in Latrobe. The popular Greensburg Turkey Trot that typically attracts thousands of runners is going the way of so many races in the region in the time of covid-19 restrictions...
Here to help: Ward, Waltenbaugh vie to use 39th District Senate seat to better others
Tay Waltenbaugh knows if he wants to unseat Kim Ward in the race for the 39th District State Senate seat, he has to get Republicans on his side. Waltenbaugh, a Hempfield Democrat, is hopeful his years as CEO of Westmoreland Community Action will give him an edge with voters in...
Sunrise Elementary staffer tests positive for covid in Penn-Trafford School District
After announcing the weeklong closure of Level Green Elementary School on Wednesday, Penn-Trafford school officials notified Sunrise Elementary parents Friday that a staff member had tested positive for covid-19. Close contacts — defined by the state Health Department as a person who was within 6 feet of a person with...
15 more covid cases reported at Westmoreland Manor; nearly a quarter of residents test positive
An additional 15 residents of Westmoreland Manor tested positive for covid-19 on Friday, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew, bringing the number of affected residents to 82. That’s nearly a quarter of the total resident population. Friday’s numbers come on top of 16 positive tests Thursday among the county-owned nursing...
Seton Hill gets $1.7 million federal grant for students in need
Seton Hill University got a $1.7 million federal grant to benefit students who need a helping hand. The money will fund the university’s TRIO Student Support Services program for the next five years. Many universities have federally funded TRIO programs. Seton Hill’s was established in 1979. The program helps students...
Plea bargain for yawning defendant nixed by Westmoreland County judge
A Pittsburgh man’s yawns during a court hearing Friday prompted a Westmoreland County judge to reject a proposed plea bargain in which the man would plead guilty to charges related to an armed robbery last year in Jeannette. Jamar Miles, 19, of Pittsburgh, was expected to receive a sentence of...
Greensburg Salem moves ahead with homecoming after last-minute legal decision
Greensburg Salem officials were forced to make quick decisions after a last-minute legal ruling made it uncertain whether the school district could have spectators at Friday’s homecoming game. The district decided to carry on as planned, but separate spectators into three “pods” of no more than 250 people each. “We...
Derry Area OKs full-time return to secondary classrooms, cites rise in course failures
Students at Derry Area’s middle school and high school could return to classrooms full-time this month, according to a revised health and safety plan approved by the school board. The board voted 5-2 Thursdayto provide in-person instruction for secondary students five days per week, beginning Oct. 12, or on the...
