Westmoreland category, Page 666
Latrobe eyes short-term loan while extending deadlines for tax, garbage payments
Latrobe is considering a short-term loan to cover operational costs after granting extra time to tax- and rate-payers feeling the financial pinch of the covid-19 pandemic. Falling in line with extended deadlines set for county tax payments, council agreed to accept city property tax payments at the 2% discount rate...
Car parade brightens life for Greensburg nursing home during shutdown
Bob Ross had no idea when he’d get to see his mother again. The Hempfield man faithfully visited 96-year-old Ileen Osterwise at the Greensburg Care Center two or three times a week. During his last visit to the nursing home on March 12, Osterwise, who has Alzheimer’ Disease, had been...
Levin makes good on promise to help former employees
When Robert Levin’s attempt to rescue his family’s former furniture store empire collapsed last month, the former CEO of Levin Furniture promised he wouldn’t forget the 1,200 workers left hanging when Art Van Furniture filed for bankruptcy. Concerned that hundreds of employees who had worked for Levin Furniture for decades...
Scenic Beam Rocks area in Forbes State Forest defaced by spray paint vandals
Officials are seeking information on vandals who spray painted graffiti at a popular natural overlook, Beam Rocks, along the border of Somerset and Westmoreland counties in Forbes State Forest. A hiking trail off Laurel Summit Road leads to the sandstone outcroppings — some 90 feet tall — that provide adventurers...
Westmoreland prison population cut by almost 30%
The Westmoreland County Prison inmate population has been reduced by nearly 30% over the past month as jail officials continue to tighten restrictions designed to prevent a potential coronavirus outbreak. Warden John Walton on Monday told members of the prison board there are 176 fewer inmates than incarcerated a month...
Murrysville family prints mask extenders for area medical personnelVideo
Typically, the 3D printer in Jason Cyprowski’s Murrysville home is more of an entertaining curiosity. “My daughters made cookie cutters, and my son’s made some little toys with it,” Cyprowski said. These days, however, it’s getting a much more rigorous workout creating mask extenders for area medical personnel. “After learning...
Confiscated note unravels drug scheme at Westmoreland jail, investigators report
A sheet of paper left in the Westmoreland County Prison library helped investigators unravel a yearlong scheme that used mail to deliver drugs to the Hempfield lockup, officials reported in court documents. Corrections officers listened to inmate phone conversations to intercept pieces of mail, and county detectives staked out the...
Hempfield homes evacuated after construction crews strike gas line, no injuriesVideo
About 20 Hempfield residents were evacuated from their homes Monday as a precaution after an unidentified construction crew reportedly struck a gas line, according to Westmoreland County dispatchers. The incident occurred just before noon along Millersdale Road. No injuries were reported. The residents were evacuated as a precaution while the...
3 new Westmoreland coronavirus deaths bring toll to 30
Three new deaths in Westmoreland County related to the coronavirus have been reported by Coroner Ken Bacha. All three were women, bringing the death toll to 30, according to statistics updated early Monday. Bacha has said the majority of the county’s deaths are tied to nursing and personal care homes....
Herman Dupre, of Seven Springs fame, dies at 87
Herman K. Dupre, a winter sports pioneer behind the growth of Seven Springs Mountain Resort, died Saturday, April 25. He was 87. A cause of death had not been made public. Dupre’s death was confirmed in a Facebook post by Seven Springs resort. ”The Seven Springs family is saddened by...
14 new cases, no new deaths reported in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County saw 14 new cases of covid-19 as of Sunday, but no new deaths related to the virus, data provided by state and local officials show. The county’s total number of covid-19 cases reached 374 on Sunday, up from the 360 cases reported on Saturday. The death total reported...
North Huntingdon sisters will run 26 miles, an hour at a timeVideo
Sisters Mara and Magen Polczynski usually jog together every day. But, with about 24 hours of planning, they’re shooting for something a little more challenging — running 26 miles over 26 hours. They started at 6 p.m. Friday with an easy jog down a sunny suburban street, and plan to...
Westmoreland County covid-19 cases jump by 43; nursing homes account for 40% of cases
Westmoreland County added 43 new cases of patients with covid-19 as of Saturday morning, for a 13.5% increase from the previous day, state data show. The county’s total number of confirmed and probable cases has reached 360, up from 317 as of Friday and 307 on Thursday, the state health...
Queen of Angels gets grant for outdoor project
Students at the North Huntingdon parochial school may have new outdoor learning and play activity space next school year that will serve as space for lessons on the environment. Queen of Angels School on Main Street was awarded a $10,000 Green Gift from Noble Environmental of Pittsburgh. It will help...
Mayors want bells to ring out in support of first responders, those working during pandemic
Ronald Echard of New Stanton and Jerry Lucia of Mt. Pleasant are among area mayors who are encouraging participation in a statewide event meant to show support for those on the front lines of the covid-19 pandemic. Echard has proclaimed Sunday, May 3 as Bells Across Pennsylvania Day in New...
Former South Greensburg secretary wants out of jail early because of coronavirus
A South Greensburg man wants to be released from jail more than a year early for stealing money from his father to pay a court debt from a previous case and lying to a county judge. Dennis Lee Kunkle, 56, will appear before two county judges next week, claiming health...
Hempfield woman accused of throwing coffee on trooper charged with tossing urine at guard
A Hempfield woman awaiting trial on charges that she threw a cup of hot coffee on a state trooper in January is now accused of throwing urine at a jail guard. Westmoreland County detectives charged Sonya R. Connors, 52, with aggravated harassment by a prisoner before Hempfield District Judge Mark...
Westmoreland food bank sees steady supply of volunteers amid pandemic
Sizable unemployment numbers due to the coronavirus shutdown in Western Pennsylvania have meant longer lines at area food banks. Those same numbers, however, also have translated to a larger pool of volunteers to help out, which is welcome news to Westmoreland County Food Bank Executive Director Jennifer Miller, who said...
Man suspected in attempted homicide of S.C. cop wanted for vehicle thefts in Westmoreland
State police are looking for a 39-year-old man described as armed and dangerous in connection with vehicle thefts in Westmoreland County. Troopers in Greensburg said Brian Joseph Stoltie is wanted in South Carolina for the 2019 attempted homicide of a police officer. Stoltie has ties to Westmoreland and Fayette counties,...
Latrobe’s Mister Rogers Family Day canceled due to pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of Latrobe’s Mister Rogers Family Day, but organizers of the summer festival note the health crisis won’t derail the neighborly legacy of the local native who inspired the event. Spokeswoman Lauren Buches said the family-friendly celebration of the late Fred Rogers, iconic host...
Jeannette school teachers, staff plan car parade to see students from afar
Jeannette City School District teachers and staff members will get to see some of their students in person Saturday for the first time in six weeks. A car parade will wind through the city as an opportunity for district employees to see students, albeit from a safe distance. The parade...
Irwin car cruise goes virtual in wake of covid-19 restrictions
If you can’t allow people to crowd streets and peruse classic cars during coronavirus-related restrictions, there is nothing stopping a virtual car cruise. That is exactly what the Irwin Business & Professional Association has planned at noon Saturday, via the Downtown Irwin Facebook page, said Michael Pochan, an IBPA member....
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival still on — at least for now
While so many summer events have been canceled, the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival is still on for July 2-5 in Twin Lakes Park — at least for now. “We’re moving ahead, at least until we hear from the governor on May 8th on what’s allowed for large gatherings,” said...
1 more coronavirus-related death reported in Westmoreland County
The Westmoreland County coronavirus death toll stands at 27, according to the coroner. A woman’s death was added to a total that is being provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who said the majority of the county’s deaths are tied to nursing and personal care homes. He is being notified of...
Emergency repair at Route 30 sinkhole near Greensburg-Hempfield border wrapping up
Repair work is coming to a close at a huge sinkhole that opened up next to Route 30 at the Greensburg-Hempfield border in July after heavy rains. PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said the emergency repairs cost about $4 million and should be finished next month. Crews reached depths of 45...
