Westmoreland category, Page 643
Grant helps Greensburg nonprofit continue ‘Feeding the Spirit’ through summer
Members from the nonprofit group Feeding the Spirit are used to sitting down with nearly 100 people each week for their annual free meal at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Greensburg. Since the covid-19 pandemic began, that hasn’t been an option — but it didn’t stop the nonprofit’s members, who...
Trafford councilman criticized for transphobic joke about state health secretary
A Trafford councilman is under fire for making a comment he deemed a joke about Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine’s gender on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Facebook page. Wolf on his Facebook page Sunday wished a happy Father’s Day to all Pennsylvania dads. Zack Cole, a Republican councilman who chairs...
Penn Hills man gets life in prison for 2017 Jeannette murder
An Allegheny County man was sentenced Wednesday to serve life in prison without parole for a 2017 fatal shooting in Jeannette. Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee, 31, of Penn Hills, was convicted in January of first-degree murder for the April 13, 2017, daylight shooting of Michael Wilson on Clay Avenue. Police said Wilson,...
November ballot to feature plenty of contested races for Westmoreland County voters
November’s general election in Westmoreland County will likely look much different than the relative calm of this month’s primary as a slate of incumbent lawmakers finally will face challenges. The county’s elections board on Wednesday precertified primary results. Barring any unexpected protests, they become official July 1. No write-in candidates...
Police: Mental health patient stabbed nurse in Greensburg with pen
A registered nurse was hospitalized late Tuesday after Greensburg police said a mental health patient stabbed her with a pen, according to court papers. Susan Barkley, 41, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. She is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, escape and resisting arrest. Officers...
Uniontown woman held for court on baseball bat assault allegations
A former Scottdale woman was left with a serious eye injury last year after she was attacked by two people she didn’t know, according to testimony. Shyanne Hawk, 20, of Derry had a baseball bat to protect herself during the fight Jan. 8, 2019, outside her Scottdale home, but testified...
11 new coronavirus cases reported in Westmoreland County – Jun. 24, 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday reported 11 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths in Westmoreland County. This brings the case total to 563, with deaths remaining at 38 in the county. This marked the third time in four days that the county saw double-digit increases in cases...
Adaptive traffic signal project on Route 30 in Hempfield expected to start soon
A PennDOT project adjusting 11 traffic signals to improve traffic flow on about 3 miles of Route 30 in Hempfield is expected to get underway this summer. Spokesman Jay Ofsanik said officials from Bronder Technical Services Inc. are meeting with project managers soon. The adaptive traffic signal system will allow...
United Way provides grocery shoppers for elderly, homebound during pandemicVideo
After hearing about United Way through Charter Oak Church in Unity, Becky Bortz, 62, felt called to help pick up groceries for those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Open Your Heart to a Senior Program started a free grocery shopping assistance service at the...
Latrobe seeks state grant for traffic signal upgradesVideo
Latrobe officials are hoping a state grant program that provided flashing school zone lights at Latrobe Elementary will also help them update a traffic signal on the south end of Ligonier Street. As a PennDOT contractor begins work on improving signals at nine intersections in the heart of downtown Latrobe,...
1 taken to hospital after collision at plaza in Unity
One motorist was taken to a local hospital for treatment following a three-car collision Tuesday at the Mountain Laurel Plaza off Route 30 in Unity. The crash happened at about 12:40 p.m. in an intersection near the plaza’s main entrance. Firefighters used hydraulic tools to remove a jammed door and...
Westmoreland restaurants report confusion in reporting positive coronavirus tests
Hempfield restaurant owner Greg Cammerata was shocked when he learned he had to close his business for two weeks after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. “People were coming out; everything was great,” the IronRock Tap House owner said, noting the restaurant was open for dine-in services for only...
2nd worker at Westmoreland Manor tests positive for covid-19
At least one worker at Westmoreland Manor has tested positive for the coronavirus as state-mandated testing at the county-owned nursing home started this week. Officials said the employee, who was not identified, does not provide direct care of residents at the Hempfield facility. Westmoreland Manor management “immediately implemented steps to...
Queen of Angels Catholic School in North Huntingdon hires new principal
Jennifer Filak will return to Queen of Angels Catholic School in North Huntingdon as the principal, succeeding Sandra Stonebraker, effective July 1. Filak, of Pittsburgh, began her Catholic education career at Queen of Angels in 1999 as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher. For the past 14 years, she was a...
Youngwood firefighters plan Community Night Out instead of carnival
The Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department will host a Community Night Out, a three-day event planned in place of its canceled week-long carnival. Set for July 9-11 at the fire hall, the event will focus on outdoor activities, save for a socially distanced bingo to be held inside. “We have space...
6 new cases of covid-19 reported in Westmoreland County
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday reported six new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths in Westmoreland County. This brings the county case total to 552, with 38 deaths. In Westmoreland, 14,648 people have tested negative for the virus. There have been 82,696 covid-19 cases and 6,464 deaths statewide,...
Historic 1763 Bushy Run battle re-enactment canceled
Chalk up another cancellation of a popular event to covid-19. The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society has canceled its annual re-enactment of the 1763 battle between Native Americans and British and colonial forces during Pontiac’s War in what is now Penn Township. “There is no way we could put this...
Jeannette City School District holds the line on property taxes
Jeannette City school directors unanimously approved a 2020-21 budget Monday that does not raise property taxes. The $19.8 million budget includes about $139,000 from the district’s fund balance. The board voted 8-0 with Director Tim Carney absent. The property tax rate will remain at 88 mills. The budget includes hiring...
3 accused in Fairfield robbery, burglary
A chance encounter Saturday in Fairfield Township helped state police identify three suspects who they believe robbed a man of $1,900 as he slept on his couch, according to court papers. Lawrence James McLaughlin, 41, Michelle Veronica Stiffey, 29, and Maurice Terrell Patterson, 44, all of Johnstown, are charged with...
Hempfield dissolves relationship with Crabtree Sewage Authority
Hempfield officials have dissolved their relationship with the Crabtree Sewage Authority. Supervisors Monday voted unanimously to leave the 15-year-old authority that was originally founded by Salem, Unity and Hempfield to provide sewage to about 900 homes in the area. A lack of funding, however, stopped any plans from coming to...
Scottdale man pleads guilty in federal court to falsifying pipeline inspection documents
A Scottdale man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to falsifying a document related to X-rays that checked the integrity of natural gas pipeline welds in the region, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. Joshua D. Springer, 42, reported in August 2017 that a weld site on the Marine East...
13 people homeless after fire damages 3 homes in Vandergrift
Fire damaged three Vandergrift homes early Tuesday, displacing 13 people, according to the American Red Cross. A Westmoreland County fire marshal said the fire started about 2:20 a.m. in electrical wiring on the front porch of 108 Custer Ave. Jaime Confer, who lives at 108 Custer Ave., said a family...
Kids Week at Lamp Theatre goes virtual
Like many other activities, the Kids Week of fun and educational events typically held at The Lamp Theatre in Irwin is going virtual this year. No registration is required for the week of musical theater, arts and crafts, health and fitness, science, princess events and a puppet show that will...
Pandemic, water conditions prompt organizers to cancel 2020 Loyalhanna Sojourn
Organizers canceled this year’s Loyalhanna Sojourn, an annual paddling trip down the creek from Latrobe to New Alexandria. It was scheduled for Saturday. The event had been postponed because of the covid-19 pandemic. The cancellation was prompted in part by challenges related to the pandemic — including plans for shuttling...
Officials log complaints about owners violating no-dog rule in Latrobe park
Keeping dogs out of Latrobe’s Legion Keener Park is no walk in the park. City officials say they hope to improve awareness of a rule against taking canine companions to the recreational site. During the covid-19 pandemic, more people have been walking their dogs along trails at the park, which...
