Westmoreland category, Page 688
State grant boosts substance-abuse therapy using horses at Cook center
Cook Township-based Southern Tier Alternative Therapies (STAT) is stepping up the nonprofit’s work using horses to help people struggling with substance abuse, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The grant should help cover the costs of 30 or more two-hour sessions, in which...
Jeannette man seeks dismissal of attempted murder charges
A Jeannette man wants attempted murder charges against him dismissed because he was not present when a man and juvenile were wounded during a robbery at a Sutersville home. Police contend Aaron Brown, 27, provided the weapons used in the Nov. 16, 2018, incident and, as a result, was charged...
North Huntingdon officials hold closed-door session; discuss strategic plan
North Huntingdon Township commissioners held a closed-door meeting Wednesday with the leaders of various government departments, a gathering which one commissioner described as an “in-house retreat.” Attorney Bruce Dice, North Huntingdon’s solicitor, had advised township officials the meeting could be closed to the public because it is educational in purpose...
Westmoreland County school districts land state safety grants
Westmoreland County’s 17 school districts were awarded almost $1.1 million in state grants to improve school safety through a variety of measures, including hiring school resource and police officers, conducting school safety assessments, buying security-related equipment and hiring counselors and psychologists. The money is being allocated though the state’s School...
Lawyer for suspended Pirate Felipe Vazquez wants bail, statement to police suppressed
A new lawyer for suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez wants a Westmoreland County judge to set a bond that would allow the former All-Star to leave jail as he awaits trial on child sex charges. Vazquez, 28, was charged last summer with statutory sexual assault and other offenses in...
Despite low unemployment rate, applicants flock to Hempfield job fairVideo
A low unemployment rate didn’t keep hundreds of job seekers from a career expo Wednesday. The Westmoreland Assists Native Talent (WANT) Job and Career Expo, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center in Hempfield, featured more than 65 employers and a range of potential employees. Expo...
Pit Take to bring Southern barbecue to Greensburg
Dan Czerpak knows a thing or two about barbecue. He studied under “pitmasters” in Georgia, filled notebooks with detailed descriptions of his smoking experiments, and took a 14-state tour, tasting the best barbecue from across the South. Now, he’s bringing his passion to Greensburg. His restaurant, Pit Take BBQ, is...
Sloan Elementary students learn about infrastructure, ongoing renovationVideo
Many of the Sloan Elementary fourth-graders asking about the renovation project happening all around them — and the new school that will be built next door in Murrysville — let out an audible sigh of disappointment when they found out the project won’t be complete until the summer of 2021....
State police investigating report of suspicious man offering ride to Greater Latrobe student
State police are investigating a report that a Greater Latrobe Junior High School student was offered a ride Tuesday afternoon by an unknown man, according to a message posted on the district’s website. District officials said the incident reportedly happened in Unity in the area of Naser Foods on Route...
Drive-by offering: Herminie pastor heads outside to tend to Ash Wednesday flockVideo
Carol Diemert had just a few minutes between school bus runs, but that was plenty of time to have her forehead marked with ashes. On Wednesday morning, she pulled her mini school bus into a small Herminie parking lot and climbed out. Pastor Randy Landman was waiting with ashes and...
Annual brunch brings Greensburg Salem students, business leaders togetherVideo
It wasn’t exactly out of a Miss Manners column, but the Wednesday brunch at Greensburg Salem High School did give students a taste of what it’s like to participate in a business meeting. “This group is to help the students within the club, help them be more prepared for the...
Penn-Trafford to induct 12 into first Hall of Fame class
A chef, school nurse, Pittsburgh area sportscaster, physician, historian, veteran, volunteer with several community organizations and former high school principal are among a dozen Penn-Trafford graduates to be inducted into the school’s inaugural hall of fame class. The Penn-Trafford High School Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni and school associates...
Latrobe congregation invites members of partner parish for Mardi Gras galaVideo
Volunteers prepared enough pancakes and sausages to serve an expected 120 guests Tuesday at the fourth annual Mardi Gras dinner at St. John the Evangelist Church in Latrobe. This year, the Catholic congregation invited members of a partner parish, St. Rose of Derry Township, to partake of the pre-Lenten festivities....
58th District candidate Prah gets backing of SEIU
Robert Prah, a Democrat seeking the vacant state House seat for the 58th District in next month’s special election, picked up an endorsement this week from the Service Employees International Union. Prah, 38, of Rostraver, is the director of Military and Veterans Affairs at California University of Pennsylvania. He’s a...
Facade improvements contribute to revitalization of Latrobe’s Main StreetVideo
Rejuvenation of commercial buildings in the 300 block of Latrobe’s Main Street is set to continue as the nonprofit Latrobe Community Revitalization Program prepares to assist with a facade makeover of the two-story brick building that houses Hewitt Real Estate. According to LCRP Executive Director Jarod Trunzo, plans are to...
Unity couple accused of locking child in closet to attend birthday party
A 9-year-old Unity boy reported that he was locked inside a screwed-shut closet Sunday so two adults could attend a relative’s birthday party, state police reported. It wasn’t the first time, he told authorities. The Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau alerted state police after receiving a phone tip that the boy...
Program to explore Westmoreland coal history
Westmoreland County’s deep coal mining history will be explored during a March 14 program at the Westmoreland History Education Center at Historic Hanna’s Town on Forbes Trail Road in Hempfield. Marion Piccolomini, a native of Cardale, Fayette County and author of “Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Coal Region,” will speak about the area’s...
Delmont Historical Society looks to the future of the borough’s past
Forming a historical society involves a lot more than just finding a bunch of old photos and collecting them in one place. In fact, as members of the fledgling Delmont Historical Society looked to get their group off the ground, they found themselves initially researching the history of their predecessors,...
New recycling fees ruled out at Latrobe’s solid waste transfer station
Latrobe officials learned they cannot charge for accepting smaller recyclable items at the city’s solid waste transfer station and will have to look for another way to cover associated labor costs. City manager Michael Gray said this week that the state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed Latrobe must continue to...
Jeannette woman accused of stealing food, watch from neighbors
A Jeannette woman is accused of filling up her freezer and cupboard with food she took from other residents at Jeannette Manor, according to court papers. Mary Jane Burch, 49, was charged Tuesday with burglary, criminal trespass, retaliation, theft and related offenses. Police said they were called Monday to the...
Alabaster Performing Arts preps for an ‘Irish Celebration’ in Murrysville and GreensburgVideo
With two sets of Irish grandparents, Gaelic and Celtic music is practically part of Mary McCormack’s genetic make-up. McCormack, a Greensburg resident, is the director for the Alabaster Performing Arts troupe, which marks its 25th anniversary this year. And it’s easy to see why Alabaster’s “Irish Celebration” performances are among...
Jailed Westmoreland County man accused of raping Allegheny County child
A 41-year-old Sutersville man already accused of raping two Westmoreland County children was arrested last week on multiple charges of raping a 5-year-old in Allegheny County in 2011. Ronald E. Styche III was arraigned Wednesday before Coraopolis District Judge Michele Santicola on multiple charges of rape, aggravated indecent assault, endangering...
Hempfield Area cheerleading team wins back-to-back national championships
When the Hempfield Area Competitive Cheer team travels to Orlando, Fla., each year for the National High School Cheerleading Championships, they go to win. This year, the Hempfield Area Competition Cheer senior club team brought home its sixth national championship title and the satisfaction of becoming back-to-back champions, coach Suzannah...
Cash 5 lottery ticket worth $250K sold at Hempfield Giant Eagle
Someone who bought a Cash 5 lottery ticket in Hempfield is a quarter million dollars richer, state lottery officials announced. On Monday, one of two winning tickets for the $500,000 prize was sold at the Hempfield Square Giant Eagle, 6204 U.S. Route 30, the lottery reported. The second winning ticket...
Jeannette landlord accused of endangering firefighters, neighbor with flame-shooting furnace
A landlord who believes he is making Jeannette a better place, but who city officials claim has been a thorn in their side for years, is accused of ignoring the dangers of a faulty furnace and endangering the lives of five firefighters and a neighbor, police Chief Shannon Binda said....
