Westmoreland category, Page 665
Tips lead troopers to man who allegedly stole car, dumped it in Unity lake
Tips from the public led state police to the man who was arrested Wednesday for stealing a car and dumping it in a lake in Unity Township. Damien J. Kolas, 47, of McKees Rocks, was arraigned on burglary, theft, criminal mischief and related charges in connection with the theft of...
Former South Greensburg secretary denied early release from jail
South Greensburg’s former borough secretary will remain in jail after a judge on Wednesday rejected his request for an early parole. Dennis Lee Kunkle Jr., 56, sought his release from the Westmoreland County Prison more than a year before the end of his nearly two-year sentence for stealing money from...
Westmoreland officials planning for when state eases restrictions
Westmoreland County officials said they don’t know when Gov. Tom Wolf will lift the state’s stay-at-home order for the county but planning is under way for what the anticipated reopening will look like. “We’ve been told by the governor’s office that Westmoreland County (government) can reopen anytime,” Commissioner Chairman Sean...
Nursing homes plagued by shortages of masks, gowns and testing
Shortages of masks and gowns, as well as a lack of tests, contributed to the coronavirus outbreaks that claimed 1,428 lives in Pennsylvania nursing homes and personal care facilities so far, an industry leader said Wednesday. Nursing homes and personal care facilities across Pennsylvania have been hot spots for infection,...
Swimming pools across Western Pa. looking to dive in when allowed
While some pools across the region have already decided to remain closed, including at least one in the Alle-Kiski Valley, others remain in a holding pattern in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Springdale Township’s Bouquet Park Pool will not open this year — and could possibly close for good,...
Penn-Trafford students still holding out hope for high school musical coronavirus put on holdVideo
They memorized their lines, perfected their dance steps and were hitting their marks on stage night after night as 43 Penn-Trafford High School students rehearsed for their spring musical “Footloose.” Jen Haberberger, a high school art teacher, was in her fifth year as faculty sponsor of the PT Drama Guild’s...
Charley Family Shop’n Save donates $50,000 in food vouchers to Westmoreland food bank
A local grocery store owner is pitching in to help residents in need get food amid the coronavirus pandemic. Charley Family Shop’n Save officials presented $50,000 in food vouchers to the Westmoreland County Food Bank earlier this month, in the form of 2,500 vouchers valued at $20 each. “It’s a...
2 men accused of assault following fight, shooting at Greensburg woman’s house
A Greensburg man admitted to city police he fired “at least one, but maybe two shots” from a handgun at a man to protect himself during an altercation at a woman’s home , according to court documents. Both the alleged shooter, Aaron M. Cicio, 36, and the intended target, Jeremy...
Hempfield supervisors waive penalty fee, extend discount period for property taxes
Hempfield residents will not be penalized this year for property taxes paid after August. Township supervisors voted unanimously Monday to pass a measure that waives the fee and extends the discount period by four months. Now, property owners will have until Aug. 31 to pay a discounted rate, and Sept....
Unity Giant Eagle worker tests positive for coronavirus
A Giant Eagle store in Unity was sanitized and reopened after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus, the grocery chain announced. The employee was last in the Mountain Laurel Plaza store along Route 30 on Thursday. The case was confirmed Monday, according to information posted on the company’s website....
Norwin teachers make face shields for ambulance service, school nurse sews masks
Two Norwin teachers with experience on their school’s 3D printer, recently produced 40 plastic face shields for a local ambulance service. The shields were delivered last week to North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue and were put in use by the emergency medical technicians and paramedics, according to Jared Schultz. Schultz is a...
Former Greensburgers enduring ‘stay at home’ in RomeVideo
Being quarantined at home for protection from the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t have to be all that bad — particularly if the view includes St. Peter’s Basilica at Vatican City in Rome, a former Greensburg couple said. “In order to leave the house, you have a ‘self-declaration’ on a piece of...
Web chats slated to help Westmoreland parents adjust to students’ virtual learning
Parents, as well as children, are adjusting to the reality of virtual learning at home, since the coronavirus pandemic closed Pennsylvania schools for the remainder of the academic year. The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit has planned a series of weekly online chats in May to help area parents better navigate this...
Masked man who police say planned to rob North Huntingdon bank gets prison sentence
A man who police say wore a rubber mask depicting a heavily wrinkled, middle-aged man as part of a failed bomb plot and bank robbery in North Huntingdon could serve up to two years in jail. Luke Joseph Dell, 35, of Ohio pleaded guilty Tuesday to terroristic threats and bomb...
Excela Health considers return to elective surgeries while stressing safety
Excela Health is moving cautiously toward resuming elective surgeries after state health officials on Monday gave conditional approval for such procedures. State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said hospitals and surgical centers could once more perform elective procedures as long as they would remain capable of handling a potential...
County officials ‘knocking on wood’ Westmoreland Manor remains virus-free
As nursing and personal care homes have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus throughout the country and state, precautions put in place have so far enabled the 400-bed Westmoreland Manor to be spared, officials said Tuesday. The county-owned nursing home, the largest of the 66 nursing home or personal...
Greensburg police charge 2 women with promoting prostitution
A Rhode Island woman charged this month with prostitution told Greensburg police a city woman paid for her to fly to Western Pennsylvania for a visit and to “make some money,” police said. Greensburg police this week arrested Nicole Vickers, 28, on charges that she was promoting prostitution following an...
East Suburban clinic reports data breach affecting 500 patients
East Suburban Sports Medicine Center, an athletic training and physical therapy center with branches in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, announced a data security breach that affected more than 500 Pennsylvania residents. Last spring, two patients told center officials that, when they ran a Google search for their names, the results...
North Huntingdon woman raises money for Excela staff who saved her husband from covid-19
After her high school sweetheart spent 20 days hospitalized on a ventilator, Karyl Nicholas of North Huntingdon was relieved to finally talk to him by phone. The day the tube was removed — April 19 — is a bright spot in what has been nerve-wracking weeks for the family of...
Support group, fundraiser updates in Westmoreland County
Support groups Sage’s Army Inc. is hosting these online support groups via Zoom: • Coffee Break, 4-6 p.m. every first Friday of the month, beginning May 1: For women who have family members or friends struggling with addiction. Meeting ID is 946 202 392. Log on at zoom.us/j/946202392. • Grief...
Mt. Pleasant Area students rally to save prom amid pandemic
As seniors grapple with the idea of missing out on graduation and other end-of-the-year events as the coronavirus spreads across Western Pennsylvania, a group of Mt. Pleasant Area students decided there was one event they weren’t willing to miss — prom. In the days following an announcement that the school’s...
Hempfield Area reschedules graduation, cancels prom
Hempfield Area students will have to wait almost two more months to receive their diplomas after school officials pushed graduation to July amid the coronavirus pandemic. Graduation is rescheduled for July 18 rather than the original May 29 date, according to a letter from the district. July 19 will act...
Westmoreland County adds 6 new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Westmoreland County added six more coronavirus cases on Tuesday as the county’s total inched toward 400 cases. The 383 Westmoreland cases are among the now 43,264 covid-19 cases diagnosed across the state since the first cases were reported March 6. Westmoreland County saw its first case April 5. Since then,...
Fire chief: No one inside vehicle submerged in Unity lakeVideo
No one was inside a suspected stolen car found submerged in a Unity lake on Tuesday morning, according to Crabtree Fire Chief Bill Watkins. Firefighters, paramedics and state police responded to Dom Lake near Crabtree shortly before 10 a.m. when the vehicle was spotted, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher....
Westmoreland Community Action survey to gauge coronavirus-related needs
Westmoreland Community Action is seeking input about community needs during the coronavirus pandemic. The results of an online survey will help the organization create services that could help. Nearly 1.6 million Pennsylvania workers have filed unemployment claims since mid-March, when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered closures of some businesses and schools...
