Westmoreland category, Page 649
Westmoreland solar co-op extends membership deadline
Westmoreland County homeowners and business owners who are interested in going solar have until the end of June to join a local co-op. The deadline for signing on with the Westmoreland County Solar Co-op was extended to June 30 as the area emerges from restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic....
East Huntingdon warehouse serves as stage for 412 Food RescueVideo
Hundreds of boxes of food were loaded into volunteers’ cars Wednesday in East Huntingdon, an attempt by 412 Food Rescue to help Westmoreland County residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A group of nine volunteers, including two 412 Food Rescue staff and several from the American Red Cross, worked tirelessly...
Superior court turns away appeal from former Westmoreland sheriff
The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Wednesday quashed the appeal of former Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held, who sought the dismissal of corruption charges against him following a mistrial in 2018. A three-judge panel said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on Held’s appeal, in which the former two-term Republican...
Greensburg ministers plan prayer vigil for Saturday
Two Greensburg ministers are hoping a Saturday prayer vigil in the city will become an ecumenical gathering in support of change after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. “Prayer is the language that stretches across denominations, and we are bringing this together for not just a show...
Norwin cafeteria workers OK 1-year deal
Norwin School District cafeteria workers agreed to a one-year extension of their current contract, which will provide members with a 40-cent-an-hour wage hike, while maintaining benefits. The school board this week approved the extension with the Service Employees International Union, which represents 54 cafeteria workers — 20 full-time employees as...
Compass Inn Museum will reopen with self-guided audio tour
Compass Inn Museum will reopen June 20 with a new, self-guided audio tour meant to mitigate potential covid-19 related risks. Upon admission, guests at the Laughlintown historical site will be encouraged to follow the tour’s route through the historic 18th- and 19th-century stagecoach stop. To begin, hours will be 11...
Weekly SupperMarket returns to Lincoln Highway Experience
Wednesday night dinner prep will be a cinch with a stop at the Lincoln Highway SupperMarket. The popular open-air food festival returns June 17 to the grounds of the Lincoln Highway Experience, Route 30 East, Unity. SupperMarket will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 9, weather permitting. Celebrating its...
Wandering pig puzzles Yukon residents
Residents of Spring Street in Yukon are trying to solve a porcine mystery. Several people have seen a large, black pig roaming around their yards — and nobody is sure where it came from. Marsha Tomay this week first spotted the swine coming out of the woods behind her house....
Westmoreland adds 6 new covid-19 cases, no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Wednesday had six new covid-19 cases, bringing the total number to 473, according to Pennsylvania health officials. No new deaths from the virus were reported in Westmoreland. State officials continued to report 38 deaths, while county coroner Kenneth Bacha reports 32 deaths as of May 7. Bacha...
Delmont officials look to address improper dumping at Shields Farm
Delmont officials will place a gate restricting access to the borough dump site on the Shields Farm property during weekdays to prevent what police say is a mounting issue with garbage dumping. “It’s getting to be a real problem,” Chief T.J. Klobucar said. “We’ve issued some citations recently, and we...
Registration required for baby supply distribution in Hempfield
Diapers and other baby necessities will be distributed to needy families Friday in Hempfield by a local nonprofit. Beverly’s Birthdays is supporting babies around the Pittsburgh area whose parents and caregivers are struggling with supplies because of the coronavirus pandemic. Supplies available during the distribution include diapers, wipes, formula, baby...
Signal, curb upgrades at Latrobe intersections to begin next week
Work is set to begin Monday on improvements to nine intersections in downtown Latrobe. The $3.4 million PennDOT project will install updated traffic signals along Main and Depot streets where they intersect Jefferson, Ligonier and Alexandria streets, and along Ligonier at the intersections of Weldon, Spring and Chestnut streets. Contractor...
ParentWISE Ice Cream Blast canceled for crowd safety concerns
The popular ParentWISE Ice Cream Blast has been canceled. The 25th annual fundraiser was scheduled for July 18 at Kirk S. Nevin Arena at Lynch Field in Greensburg. “In the interest of keeping our friends, families and guests safe, we felt strongly that we could not host an event that...
Animal cruelty charges filed after dog found on Sewickley Township road
An Allegheny County man is facing charges after a dog was found last year on a Sewickley Township road with several wounds and missing fur, according to court papers. Brian Davis, 21, of Duquesne, was charged Tuesday with animal cruelty and animal neglect. A humane officer was called Sept. 23...
Delmont’s Apple’n Arts Festival looking at options for 2020 event amid coronavirus concernsVideo
Officials from the annual Apple’n Arts Festival are getting a little bit antsy. The event regularly draws thousands to Delmont in the fall, and with the region having shifted into “green status” in the state’s phased covid-19 reopening plan, festival organizers were looking for some direction from the borough on...
South Greensburg firefighters, public works crew rescue 8 ducklings from storm drain
South Greensburg public works department employees and volunteer firefighters teamed up Wednesday morning to rescue eight baby ducks that fell into a storm drain, according to borough resident Dave Todaro. “I guess the mother duck was flying from rooftop to rooftop upset that her babies had fallen through a storm...
Irwin OKs medical marijuana dispensary
Medical marijuana users may be able to get state-approved products from a dispensary along Route 30 in Irwin in late fall. The three-member zoning board on Thursday unanimously approved an application from Franklin BioScience-SW LLC of Philadelphia for a special exception to locate the dispensary at the site of the...
New Stanton couple’s dog to train for covid-19 detection task forceVideo
When Dan and Lisa Williams adopted Shep two years ago, they noticed he had a penchant for sniffing around cars. The New Stanton owners are hoping their 3-year-old Australian cattle dog soon will be using his olfactory skills to recognize people infected with the coronavirus, as part of the new...
Hempfield’s Movies in the Park to return in July with regulations in placeVideo
Hempfield’s Movies in the Park will be delayed this year as township officials work to comply with regulations put in place to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Originally slated to start Friday, the series now will begin July 24 at the Hempfield Park amphitheater, said Aaron Siko, director...
Nonprofits put lucrative ‘bashes’ on hold during pandemicVideo
Four lottery ball machines whirred simultaneously at the Southwest Greensburg Gun Bash in February, a crowd of people eager to see the winning numbers for the next handgun, rifle or up to $200 in cash. The annual event drew about 600 people, who filled the fire station’s truck bay and...
In wake of Westmoreland Fair cancellation, youth left with no place to show livestock
By the time Gage Hegedus turned 1, he had spent much of his life on a farm and helped show cows at the Westmoreland Fair, said his mom, Jessica Takitch. “He’s going on 3 years old and he enjoys the life,” said Takitch, 27, of Scottdale. “He gets to play...
Greensburg OKs temporary sidewalk diningVideo
Any who enjoys al fresco dining on a nice summer day will have that opportunity when they patronize a Greensburg restaurant, tavern or brewery, thanks to the city easing restrictions on those activities. “It’s good they’re doing something to help the bars and the restaurants in the city,” said Natalie...
Youngwood man accused of flag desecration will serve probation
A Youngwood man will serve a short probation term after he was charged with desecration of the U.S. flag. Matthew J. Utzman, 21, appeared in court Tuesday to answer charges associated with an incident Sept. 2 in which police said he took a small flag from a veterans monument in...
Westmoreland expects hand-counting of primary ballots to be finished soon
Hand-counting of more than 1,200 provisional primary ballots cast should be completed Wednesday, according to the Westmoreland Elections Bureau. “We expect about 75% will be counted and accepted,” director Beth Lechman said. Provisional ballots were used at the polls in the June 2 primary by voters who were not eligible...
Escapee from Derry Township youth home charged with assaulting Latrobe police chief
A court-ordered ward from a Derry Township youth home who escaped Tuesday was ordered held in the county prison after allegedly headbutting Latrobe police Chief John Sleasman during her arrest, according to state police. Caitlin Elaine Harkins-Shirley, 18, who is an adjudicated ward at Adelphoi’s Susan House, was discovered hiding...
