Westmoreland category, Page 603
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...
Norwin tracks 7 more cases of coronavirus; school board majority supports full reopening
On a day when the Norwin announced seven more cases of coronavirus cases among students and staff, a majority of the Norwin School Board supported plans for students to return to class five days a week next month, rather than the current hybrid plan. Three high school students, two Hillcrest...
New owner recreates former Latrobe bakery’s all-wood facade, proposes rebirth as cafe
Yesterday’s views are new again on Latrobe’s Main Street. Motorists and pedestrians who look left as they travel northeast on the street will see the restored, ornate facade of the 1890 Mozart Hall, bracketed by twin onion domes. To the right, work is underway on recapturing the past glory of...
More ballot delays in Westmoreland County
More delays in the mailing of ballots to Westmoreland voters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election could prompt county commissioners to take back control over the process that was shipped out-of-state last month. Commissioner Sean Kertes said Monday internal discussions are underway to have elections bureau staff at the...
Jeannette man jailed following heroin, crack cocaine arrests on consecutive nights
A Jeannette man arrested on consecutive nights last week holding several thousand dollars and large quantities of heroin and crack cocaine was deemed to be “a danger to society” by a judge and ordered held in the county jail without bail. District Judge Wayne Vlasic of Monessen made the notation...
Hempfield 18-year-old accused of assaulting, raping 3 teens
A tip this summer to Pennsylvania’s child abuse hotline has led to state police arresting an 18-year-old Hempfield man on allegations that he raped three teen girls. Joshua E. Kunkle was arraigned on 36 criminal counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, indecent assault without consent, sexual assault...
Greensburg City Hall reopens after suspected coronavirus case
Greensburg City Hall reopened as planned Monday after closing last week because of a presumed coronavirus case. City employees have returned to their offices after nearly a week of working from home. Officials closed City Hall on Tuesday because an employee was feeling sick with symptoms consistent with coronavirus, councilman...
1 injured in hit-and-run in Youngwood
One person was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene in Youngwood Monday afternoon, according to Westmoreland County 911. The hit-and-run crash on the 200 block of South 3rd Street happened just after 12:30 p.m. State police, Mutual Aid EMS and Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department responded. Details about the...
