Westmoreland category, Page 631
Former Latrobe firefighters sue city, allege misconduct by fire chief
Five former Latrobe volunteer firefighters filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were kicked out of the department after speaking out against Chief John Brasile. The suit accuses Brasile of routinely showing up late to emergency scenes, falsely claiming to have responded to scenes where he wasn’t present, attempting to manage...
Owners of Live! Casino Pittsburgh release online gaming site prior to casino opening
A new online gaming site will give a “sneak peek” into two casinos being built on opposite ends of Pennsylvania, including one under construction at Westmoreland Mall. PlayLive!, which launched this week, features more than 100 gaming options, including classic slots and table games, along with online-only titles and jackpot...
Westmoreland leaders mull solutions to accommodate expected volume of mail-in ballots
Additional opportunities for Westmoreland County’s mail-in voters this fall are being considered as local officials plan for potential slowdowns related to budget cuts at the U.S. Postal Service. Commissioners said Monday no plans have been finalized, but they might consider creating satellite elections bureau locations to allow voters another option...
Hempfield Area extends school property tax deadline
Hempfield Area School District taxpayers have until the end of the year to pay property taxes without being hit with a penalty. School board members voted unanimously Monday to extend tax deadlines in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Taxpayers now can pay property taxes at face value until Dec. 31....
Norwin hires new athletic director in 5-4 vote
Norwin hired an athletic director Monday who was Greensburg Salem’s athletic director the past 20 months and previously was an assistant athletic director at Norwin. Mike Burrell Jr. was hired by the school board on a 5-4 vote at a pro-rated school year salary of $84,000. Burrell’s first day on...
Latrobe centenarian surprised with birthday paradeVideo
Audrey Spangler found several birthday surprises waiting for her Monday evening when she stepped outside her apartment at Laurel Highlands Village, an independent senior living community in Latrobe. Family and friends geared up to celebrate the Philadelphia native’s 100th birthday in a big way, despite pandemic-related restrictions on social activities....
Virtual teaching: Be improvisational, engage students, experts say
As teachers get ready to return to a school format in which many will have to do virtual instruction, area experts in online teaching offer some advice. Connect with students, offer rigorous instruction, be a bit improvisational and refrain from simply providing students at home with the same lesson as...
State grants will help update water, sewer lines in Ligonier, Mt. Pleasant townships
Ligonier and Mt. Pleasant townships will receive state grants totaling about $760,000 for water and sewer improvements. The three grants, awarded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, were announced Monday. The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will receive $302,430 to extend a water line to 19 households in Ligonier Township. The...
In-person visits to resume at county-owned Westmoreland Manor in Hempfield
No additional staffers or residents of Westmoreland Manor have tested positive for coronavirus since last month, so in-person visitation at the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield could begin in two weeks, officials said Monday. In-person outdoor visits were suspended in late July, the same week they started, when officials learned...
Manor man accused of exposing himself to girl over 3 years
A 10-year-old Westmoreland County girl who went to play at friend’s home in Manor told police hours later a relative of the friend exposed himself to her, borough police allege. After subsequent interviews with a child welfare specialist and police, Penn Township police were notified the girl said similar incidents...
Derry VFW taking donations for flagpole at Veterans Memorial Bridge
Derry Borough soon may have a new patriotic landmark, with the help of local veterans and the public. The town’s Chestnut Ridge Veterans of Foreign Wars post is accepting donations toward installation of a U.S. flag and pole alongside the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The flag will be flown atop a...
Westmoreland finds new county elections bureau director in its tax office
The deputy director of Westmoreland County’s tax department was hired Monday as the new head of the county’s elections bureau. JoAnn Sebastiani, 62, of Hempfield will take over the office that will be under the microscope this fall as county officials gear up for what is expected to be the...
Delmont prepares for $4.85 million project to address sewage overflows
Delmont officials are proposing to replace two sewage lines and possibly construct a large holding tank to help deal with sewage overflows and infiltration and inflow of storm water into its sewage system. As part of a consent order finalized with the state Department of Environmental Control in late April,...
Police: Intoxicated man had heroin, Xanax in backpack when crashing into Greensburg parked cars
An Allegheny County man is being held without bail after police said he crashed into several parked cars in Greensburg, according to court papers. Dajon Anthony Smith, 26, was wearing a backpack that police said had 150 stamp bags of heroin and a “large amount” of suspected Xanax bars. Officers...
Westmoreland County adds 7 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County saw seven new cases of coronavirus added to its totals on Monday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. It marks the fifth time in August the new case count was in the single digits. The county has seen 218 new covid cases this month, and a total...
Race for Grace in North Huntingdon goes virtual
North Huntingdon’s popular Race for Grace, which raises money to battle childhood cancer, will be a virtual event this year. The race is usually run at the Norwin junior and senior high school complex in April. This year, it will be held Oct. 3. Runners and walkers can participate in...
Scottdale Bank & Trust donates to local emergency service agencies
Eleven first responder agencies in Fayette and Westmoreland Counties have a few more dollars in their pockets thanks to Scottdale Bank & Trust. The bank’s unique First Responder Donation Program is meant to help fire companies, fire police organizations, ambulance agencies and other emergency service groups that have accounts with...
Jeannette woman, 76, missing overnight at Ohiopyle State Park found alive
“Doom and gloom” were setting in about 2 a.m. Monday as crews searched Ohiopyle State Park for a missing 76-year-old woman. The Jeannette woman had gone missing off Ferncliff Trail, where park rangers Chief John Kaminsky said there are some crevices and “unique dangers.” Their fears evaporated about 8:30 a.m.,...
11 new coronavirus cases reported in Westmoreland County – Aug. 16, 2020
Westmoreland County saw 11 new cases of covid-19 added to its total Sunday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The new cases make a total of 1,620 cases in the county since the virus was first reported there March 20. Of those cases, 1,575 are confirmed, 48 are considered probable....
Facing incurable, speech-robbing disorder, Westmoreland Chamber CEO Chad Amond forges ahead
The first signs of trouble were unmistakably odd. It wasn’t like Chad Amond to forget the name of someone he knew as they greeted. Not once but twice. And it certainly wasn’t like him to ask his wife, Amy, when she brought home a new type of his favorite ginger...
Despite pandemic, smaller fairs in Export, Irwin, New Kensington decide shows must go onVideo
In a summer of canceled festivals because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials of some smaller events in Export, Irwin and New Kensington decided the shows must go on Saturday. The Westmoreland Fair slated to begin Thursday, the Arts and Heritage Festival in Hempfield that usually runs in July and Fort...
Westmoreland County reports 16 new coronavirus cases, 1 new death
Westmoreland County saw 16 new cases of covid-19 added to its total Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported, with one additional death. The death is the first death reported in the county since Tuesday. The county’s death toll now stands at 48. Through the first half of August, Westmoreland...
Penn-Trafford school staffer tests positive for covid-19
A Penn-Trafford School District staff member has tested positive for covid-19, district officials announced Friday. The staff member had been in close contact with other staffers, district Superintendent Matthew Harris said in a notice posted on the district website. “As soon as we became aware of the positive case, we...
Unity to hold special meeting regarding backyard chickens
Unity supervisors will hold a special meeting Thursday regarding whether backyard chickens should be allowed in residential areas and on any properties of less than 2 acres. The supervisors agreed to schedule the informational session — set for 6 p.m. in the pavilion behind the township building — after dozens...
Family owners hope the public will gallop in to El Vaquero Mexicano on the Diamond in Ligonier
When a prime spot became available on The Diamond in Ligonier, Stephanie and Alfredo Hernandez knew they couldn’t pass it up, even during a pandemic. They’ve had their eye on it for awhile, hoping one day they would be able to open a restaurant in town after nine years of...
