Westmoreland category, Page 675
Murrysville Medic One gets massive anonymous donation of medical equipment
Murrysville Medic One received some good news this week: An anonymous benefactor was donating protective medical equipment. A lot of it. “We had the police department come down and block off part of the road because we had three wheelchair vans full of stuff,” said Matt Stromberg, a Medic One...
Unity supervisors extend curtailed operations, mull meeting format amid covid-19 pandemicVideo
The Unity Township supervisors have extended through the end of June a disaster declaration upholding their decision to curtail operations and access at the township building. The declaration was extended for 90 days on Wednesday to encourage social distancing and help protect against the local spread of coronavirus infections. Just...
Priest at Holy Family Parish in Latrobe tests positive for coronavirus
A Catholic priest in Latrobe tested positive for covid19 and is in quarantine, the Diocese of Greensburg announced. The Very Rev. Daniel Mahoney, pastor of Holy Family Parish at 1200 Ligonier St., tested positive for coronavirus, the diocese said it learned just after 1 p.m. Wednesday. Mahoney “is in quarantine...
Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle delay 2020 season openings
Kennywood Park, Sandcastle and Idlewild Park all announced Wednesday the start of their 2020 seasons will be delayed. In a statement posted Wednesday on the West Mifflin park’s website, Kennywood’s management said while they look forward to welcoming guests this year, “there is a great deal of uncertainty for us...
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward helps set table for Latrobe police officers
Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is among supporters who have stepped up to make sure Latrobe police officers are well-fed as they continue law enforcement efforts during the coronavirus crisis. On Friday , the Pittsburgh native and recent Pro Bowl participant had 12 meals of fish, pierogies and haluski delivered...
Disinfectant wipes, speeding lead to heroin bust in Penn Borough
Suspected drug dealers apparently are concerned with practicing good hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Penn Borough Police report. Police Sgt. Eric Colamarino said Von Shane Carlson, 53, of Scottdale, a passenger in a pickup truck pulled over Tuesday for driving more than twice the posted 25 mph...
GoFundMe underway for National Guardsman with Mt. Pleasant unit battling cancer
A fundraiser is underway to help a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard based in Mt. Pleasant who is in a Seattle area hospital battling cancer that was diagnosed a year ago. “I’m really thankful for the support I have received,” Johnstown native Andrew Wilcox, 28, said after undergoing...
Westmoreland County reports 11 new coronavirus cases as Pa. total jumps
Coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County increased by 11 on Tuesday, part of the larger statewide increase of nearly 1,000, state officials said. Cases in the county now total 74, state data shows. Statewide, 962 new cases brought Pennsylvania’s case count to 5,805. Eleven more people have died, bringing the death...
Landslide closure of Route 906 near Monessen will continue until Friday
A section of Route 906 between Interstate 70 in Rostraver and Monessen that was closed for landslide repairs will remain closed until Friday. The highway stretch is expected to reopen at approximately 3 p.m. Friday, according to PennDOT District 12 community relations coordinator Valerie Petersen. The road was closed 2...
‘Priceless’: 97-year-old Latrobe woman’s Facebook baking sessions go viral
It started with a live Facebook baking session as a way to connect with some socially distanced friends. Like a yeast dough left untended, it grew and grew and grew. Suddenly, Lucy Pollock, a 97-year-old home baker from Latrobe, became a social media sensation. A couple of weeks ago, Mary...
Hempfield bicyclist with history of petty crimes charged with throwing traffic cone into creek
A Hempfield man who spent nearly two years in jail awaiting trial for obstructing traffic on his bicycle has been arrested again, this time for allegedly throwing a traffic cone into a flooded creek in Greensburg. City police said security footage showed David Smith, 60, riding his bike at Lynch...
Adapting: The ‘second first day of school’
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. On Monday, students in many areas across Pennsylvania had their “second first day of school,” in the form of school districts’ online learning plan going into...
6 residents, 1 staff at Ligonier Gardens nursing home test positive for coronavirus
Six residents and a staff member of Ligonier Gardens Personal Care Home have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Bethlen Communities, the nonprofit organization that operates the home. Two other Bethlen employees who don’t work at Ligonier Gardens also have tested positive. One works in transportation, the other in home...
Sen. Kim Ward seeks state law change to provide covid-19 info to first responders
A Westmoreland County lawmaker wants to amend state law to require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to release the general location of covid-19 cases to first responders. State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, is seeking co-sponsors for an amendment to require state health officials to release information about coronavirus cases by...
Westmoreland DA opposes county-paid expert for Penn Township murder appeal
Westmoreland taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for an expert to testify on behalf of Greensburg woman appealing her 2006 murder conviction, according to the county’s top prosecutor. In court documents filed Wednesday, District Attorney John Peck said expert testimony is irrelevant in the pending appeal of Jennifer...
Cost savings of postponed primary in Westmoreland could be eaten up by mail-in ballots
The five-week postponement of Pennsylvania’s primary could save Westmoreland County taxpayers up to $84,000. Commissioners said they will rescind the deal to rent ballot scanners that are no longer needed for the primary but that additional costs still could be accrued to pay for an unanticipated increase in mail-in ballots...
Adapting: Greensburg nursing home staffer helps residents adjust
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways a global pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. Excitement fills the halls of Greensburg Care Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays as bingo numbers are called over the loudspeakers, residents checking their cards while sitting in...
6 new cases in Westmoreland County, 14 more deaths statewide
Westmoreland County reported six new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday as the statewide death total jumped by 14 and new cases by more than 750, state officials said. The county total now stands at 61. The first cases were diagnosed March 19. The 756 new cases diagnosed across the state...
Mt. Pleasant man killed in East Huntingdon hit-and-runVideo
State police in Greensburg are trying to identify a motorist who struck and killed a pedestrian early Tuesday in East Huntingdon and then fled. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office and state police remained at the scene along Mt. Pleasant Connellsville Road. Trooper Stephen Limani said Robert “Bobby” Sheele, 64, of...
Youngwood man jailed after allegedly assaulting, choking girlfriend
A 34-year-old Youngwood man was arrested Saturday, accused of assaulting and choking his girlfriend during an argument. Brandon Sticca was arraigned on charges of harassment, simple assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint after the incident in his apartment on South Fourth Street. Troopers said Sticca and the 20-year-old victim got into...
Murrysville Boy Scout creates ‘scent wall’ for search-and-rescue dog groupVideo
Eagle Scout projects fall into a wide variety of categories, but many are aimed at beautifying the towns in which they take place, or fixing up a feature that has fallen into disrepair. Liam Rhea of Murrysville jumped at the chance to take on a project that could potentially help...
Greater Latrobe changes meal schedule, grading system during coronavirus closure
Greater Latrobe School District has changed its student meal distribution schedule and grading process as the statewide coronavirus-driven closure of schools continues indefinitely. The district consolidated distribution of Grab-and-Go meals for students from every weekday to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while schools remain closed. Multiple meals will be provided from...
Franklin Regional to explore waiver request for Sloan construction project
Given the fluid situation at the state level regarding coronavirus-related business restrictions, Franklin Regional School District officials aren’t certain if they will need waivers to resume construction on the Sloan “elementary campus” project. But if they do, and decide to move forward with construction, their solicitor would like to have...
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores extend senior hours, add protective barriersVideo
Charley Family Shop’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville expanded their senior shopping hours and took additional measures to put shoppers’ minds at ease amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We expanded senior hours on Monday from 6 to 9 a.m., and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 7 a.m.,” said...
Westmoreland jail population declines; Allegheny jail serves as model during pandemic
The number of adults and juveniles incarcerated in Westmoreland County corrections facilities continued to drop over the past week as the jail and juvenile detention center saw fewer new commitments while the public deals with the coronavirus pandemic. The jail had 519 inmates Monday, a decrease of more than 40...
