Westmoreland category, Page 653
2 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths reported in Westmoreland County – Jun. 2, 2020
Two new covid-19 cases were reported Tuesday in Westmoreland County. No new deaths were counted. The countywide case total is now 451, with 38 deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. County Coroner Kenneth Bacha has reported 32 coronavirus deaths, less than the state’s reported 38. Bacha’s office has...
Murrysville man accused of possessing child porn
A 45-year-old Murrysville man is accused by state police of downloading dozens of images of child pornography to his home computer. Daniel E. Bozym Jr. is charged with 28 counts of possession of child pornography and single counts of possessing photographs of a child performing a sex act and criminal...
Plum man charged with DUI in Washington Township crash that seriously injured 1
A Plum man is accused by Washington Township police of driving drunk during a Nov. 22 crash that seriously injured another person. Benjamin Joseph Rodgers, 29, was charged last week with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses. Police and paramedics were called to Route...
Latrobe set to reopen municipal offices while following covid-19 precautions
Latrobe plans to reopen its municipal building to the public on June 8, with some restrictions in place to limit the potential spread of covid-19. Those entering the building to visit the administration or code enforcement departments, or the office of state Rep. Joseph Petrarca, will be required to wear...
Farming workshop in Unity offered to veterans, military personnel
Veterans and military service members in the agriculture industry can get a view of the farming business on June 12 at the Veteran Farming Workshop in Unity. The Pennsylvania Veterans Farm Project is sponsoring its first farm workshop in Westmoreland County from 9 a.m. to noon at Ralph and Ann...
Ligonier Valley’s no-family graduation riles some seniorsVideo
What would a high school commencement ceremony be without parents and family to share in the special moment? Ligonier Valley seniors will find out Wednesday, when the district holds a virtual graduation at the high school auditorium for the senior class, divided alphabetically into three groups. A group of about...
Irwin man sentenced to jail after being found with almost 30 pounds of marijuana
Saying he was a danger to the community, a Westmoreland County judge on Monday ordered an Irwin drug dealer to serve at least six months in jail for possession of nearly 30 pounds of marijuana. Zachary Morton, 33, was sentenced to serve up 23 months behind bars and an additional...
Westmoreland swamped with mail-in ballots
The action on primary day won’t just be at the polls. Westmoreland County elections officials on Tuesday morning will start counting what could be more than 40,000 mail-in ballots sent in advance of the primary. Republican and Democratic voters will nominate candidates for U.S. president, Congress, state attorney general, auditor...
Diver: Grass at bottom of Unity lake possibly contributed to drowning
Divers involved in a 9-hour search for a Unity man, who drowned while swimming late Saturday in a private lake near Pleasant Unity, say grass growing on the lake bottom may have contributed to his death. “I know at one point one of the boat rescue teams assisting divers at...
Westmoreland to get millions through the CARES Act, but it won’t be enough
Westmoreland County expects to receive $31.5 million in federal funding for coronavirus relief efforts, but local officials said the cash won’t help ease a budget crunch exasperated by costs associated with the pandemic. The grant money is part of a $625 million allocation through the state from money received via...
Catholic worshippers return as Diocese of Greensburg resumes public Masses
Before the covid-19 shutdown, Ruth Morelli on three or four days a week found her way to weekday Mass at St. James Roman Catholic Church in New Alexandria. “It really is my second family,” the Blairsville resident said. “After things closed, my husband and I would watch Mass online most...
No new coronavirus cases, deaths reported in Westmoreland County
No new covid-19 cases or deaths were reported Monday in Westmoreland County. The countywide case total remains 449, with 38 deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth Bacha has reported 32 coronavirus deaths, less than the state’s reported 38. Bacha’s office has not updated its...
Laurelville Retreat Center pool will open to the public
With many pools remaining closed this summer, swimmers will have one more option for water fun. The new pool at Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant Township will open to the public by June 15 for two daily swim sessions. The pool will operate with limited crowd capacities and distancing...
Hempfield firefighters free man’s leg pinned by concrete slab, dispatchers say
Hempfield firefighters responded Monday to rescue a man whose leg was pinned by a concrete slab, according to Westmoreland County 911 dispatchers. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. at a residence in the 1900 block of Clawson Avenue, the dispatcher said. Firefighters from Midway-St. Clair were called to free the...
Man accused of leading troopers on 100 mph chase in Hempfield, Unity
A Ligonier Township man is accused of leading state troopers on a chase exceeding 100 mph for several miles along Route 30 in Hempfield and Unity and intentionally crashing into three state police patrol cars. Robbie T. Saunders, 56, is charged with attempted homicide of a police officer and aggravated...
83% of Pennsylvania’s 2.4M unemployed have been paid; Greensburg cafeteria worker still waiting
Sharon Sachs lost her job in Seton Hill University’s cafeteria when the Greensburg campus closed in mid-March because of the covid-19 pandemic. Now, she could be the poster child for dysfunction in Pennsylvania’s jobless benefits program. “I have not received a penny since filing for unemployment the week of March...
Coroner: Unity man found dead after jumping into pond
A 52-year-old Unity man was found early Sunday in a pond off Route 130, Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha said. Patrick A. Takitch was found at 7:45 a.m. by authorities, Bacha said. Takitch jumped into the pond at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and didn’t resurface. Multiple fire departments assisted in...
‘Very peaceful’ protest brings people together in GreensburgVideo
Protest co-organizer Lisa Roberts wanted Sunday’s event in Greensburg to be “truly peaceful.” “No violence will be tolerated,” Roberts said on the heels of a violent eruptions in Downtown Pittsburgh the day before. She got her wish. About 200 protesters gathered and marched Sunday from the Westmoreland County Courthouse to...
2 more covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County, no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Sunday reported two additional coronavirus cases and no new deaths, according to state health officials. That brings the total number of cases to 449. The total number of deaths remains at 38. Close to 9,500 people have tested negative for the virus. Neither the state nor coroner...
Army Corps band of brother divers repairs locks, dams in Western Pennsylvania
Thirty-one feet below the surface with near zero visibility, a small group of divers are doing painstaking work at the bottom of the Monongahela River to replace rusty bars and beams on 14-foot-high intakes that feed water into locks at a dam near Brownsville. “Diving is inherently dangerous. You just...
Pandemic primary features no contested races in Westmoreland, but record mail-in ballotsVideo
More than 30,000 votes have already been cast in Westmoreland County ahead of Tuesday’s primary, where there are few contested races for more than a dozen state and federal offices. What was once anticipated to be a significant day for politics because of a contentious Democratic presidential primary has since...
Farmers markets begin opening with covid-related health, safety changes
The Lower Burrell Farmers Market will open June 13 in the city hall parking lot — sans guest presenters from the Penn State Master Gardeners and live entertainment. Customers also won’t be allowed to enjoy the food they buy on site. “I think people, instead of sticking around, moseying about...
Vendors celebrate return of Ligonier MarketVideo
Ligonier Country Market looks a little different this year, but the hundreds of eager shoppers looked pretty much the same as always Saturday. “Everyone wanted to come out and see happy faces,” said Sherrie Okert, who sells herbs and tomato plants at the Broken Locust tent. The weekly market opened...
3 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths in Westmoreland County
Three new covid-19 cases were reported Saturday in Westmoreland County, with no new deaths. The countywide case total is now 447, with 38 deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county had a total of 10 new cases this week, with no reported deaths. Westmoreland County Coroner Kenneth...
New home improvement store could take place of Ramada hotel in Hempfield
A new home improvement store could be headed to Hempfield, pending township approval, taking the spot of the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center. If plans for the site are approved, the hotel and former Westmoreland Athletic Club that closed in 2015, located near Westmoreland Mall, would be...
