Westmoreland category, Page 709
Gordmans conversion begins, hiring events planned
Area Peebles stores, including those in Belle Vernon, Mt. Pleasant, Ellwood City, Allegheny Township, New Castle and Somerset, will hold hiring events this week as the locations transform into Gordmans stores. The stores will open under the new name on Feb. 18, the company says. The apparel and home décor...
Pa. Turnpike tragedy: 5 dead in ‘horrific incident’ that could take weeks to investigateVideo
A deadly Pennsylvania Turnpike crash involving a tour bus and multiple tractor-trailers early Sunday left the vehicles so entangled that it took first responders hours to reach the dead and shut down the major thoroughfare for nearly 15 hours, authorities said. Five people died in what Pennsylvania State Police called...
Westmoreland bars, clubs weigh pros and cons of going smokeless
Owners of public and private establishments in Westmoreland County had a lot to consider when deciding on a future for smokers at their establishments. “When you hear about a VFW that went nonsmoking and had to go back because they couldn’t sustain themselves, that’s really what it boils down to,”...
New Westmoreland County leaders take over commissioners’, sheriff’s offices
Westmoreland County’s new government will be unveiled Monday when Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew take over the majority on the board of commissioners and Democrat James Albert assumes control of the sheriff’s office. Monday marks the first official day on the job for the newly elected officials, and, as...
Yough principal joins alma mater’s inaugural ‘Under 40’ classVideo
Amy Larcinese remembers playing “school” as a child, writing on her chalkboards and instructing a classroom of stuffed animals, baby dolls and cousins. “I just knew that I always wanted to work with kids and try to make a difference,” she says. She also recalls riding along with her firefighter...
Lamp Theatre planning expansion for 2020Video
A pavilion to be built over part of the courtyard at The Lamp Theatre in downtown Irwin will provide shelter from the weather and a raised stage in the courtyard will put musicians a step above the crowds for outdoor concerts, all part of an effort to improve patrons’ experience....
Mass-casualty plans become reality as Western Pa. hospitals treat turnpike crash victims
Doctors and nurses buzzed around Allegheny Health Network’s Forbes Hospital early Sunday as they waited to receive 11 patients who were involved in a tour bus crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that left five dead and about 55 injured. More than twice as many crash victims — 31 in all...
A look at other deadly bus crashes in the U.S., Pennsylvania
Five people were killed in a violent bus crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike early Sunday, adding to a long history of deadly bus crashes across Pennsylvania and the United States. Deadliest U.S. bus crashes Sept. 17, 1963: Fifty-three farm workers were on a flatbed truck being used as a makeshift...
Hempfield woman loses $1,000 in theft
A 52-year-old Greensburg woman had just over $1,000 stolen from her bank account as a result of the theft of her debit card and checks last month in Hempfield, the state police said. Someone had stolen her debit card and used it at several locations last month, racking up the...
Company operating bus involved in fatal Pa. Turnpike crash has had only minor violations in past 2 years
The bus company that operates the bus involved in a multi-vehicle fatal crash early Sunday on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township had a satisfactory safety review, no recent crashes and only minor violations in the past two years, records show. State police spokesman Stephen Limani identified the bus...
Rostraver paramedic killed in crash that closed Interstate 70 near Smithton
A paramedic responding to a crash early Sunday on Interstate 70 near the Smithton exit was struck by a vehicle and killed, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office confirmed. The paramedic from Rostraver-West Newton Emergency Medical Services was identified on the ambulance service’s Facebook page Sunday afternoon as Matt C. Smelser,...
5 dead, about 55 injured in Pa. Turnpike crash in Mt. Pleasant Twp.; IDs releasedVideo
Five people have died and about 55 others have been injured in an early-morning crash Sunday involving a tour bus on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township, authorities said. The 52-passenger bus was traveling on a downhill curve, struck an embankment and flipped onto its side, authorities said. The...
Westmoreland residents take first steps on fitness resolutions at 5k run in DerryVideo
Some Westmoreland County residents spent the first weekend of 2020 taking the first steps toward their fitness resolutions. About 150 people participated in the Resolution Run on Saturday morning at Keystone State Park in Derry. “It’s a good way to gauge our level of fitness, or non-fitness, and see how...
Mt. Pleasant Township vacant house fire ruled arson
A fire that damaged a vacant Mt. Pleasant Township home Friday night was intentionally set, according to state police. The fire at 513 Pine St. was reported shortly before 8:30 p.m. A state police fire marshal who investigated the fire found it had started at multiple points in the basement...
Hempfield band recognized by people across the world following London paradeVideo
The Hempfield Area Marching Band is being recognized by people across the world after the band performed Wednesday in London’s New Year’s Day Parade. “We’ve received tons of messages from people all around the world, and even from many people stopping us on the street,” said band Director Brian Tychinski...
Firefighters battle house fire in Mt. Pleasant Township
Firefighters are battling a house fire in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. Officials were called to the vacant house at 513 Pine St. shortly before 8:30 p.m. Firefighters initially reported smoke showing but quickly changed it to a working fire. Further information was not immediately available....
Another store to close at Westmoreland Mall
Another store is shuttering its doors at Westmoreland Mall. Motherhood Maternity, located past the food court on the second floor, is closing, according to posted signs. Changes have been occurring at Destination Maternity Corp., the company that owns Motherhood Maternity, in the past year, including filing for bankruptcy and streamlining...
Pennsylvania requires permits for hemp growers and processors in 2020
Like hemp growers, facilities that process the crop also will have to get permits in 2020 as Pennsylvania’s emerging industry enters its second year, state officials said. The commercial cultivation of hemp, which had been banned by the federal government for 80 years, took off in Pennsylvania last year after...
Fayette County man released from jail after his sentence is reduced
A Fayette County man was paroled Friday after being resentenced to serve a shorter jail term for his role in the thefts of construction equipment and building materials during a month-long crime spree in 2016 throughout Westmoreland County. David F. Wray, 48, of Fayette City, pleaded guilty in 2018 to...
Judge: Greensburg dad to stand trial for allegedly leaving kids in deplorable home
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected a defense request to dismiss child endangerment charges against a Greensburg man suspected of leaving three children home alone for about a week in deplorable conditions. Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to support the charges against Ryan...
Terrelle Pryor files court petition asking to keep firearm permit after arrest
Former NFL player and Jeannette native Terrelle Pryor doesn’t want to surrender his permit to carry a concealed firearm, which was issued in Westmoreland County. On Friday, Pryor’s attorney, Stephen Colafella of Beaver County, asked for a hearing to challenge Sheriff Jonathan Held’s order revoking a concealed carry firearm permit....
PennDOT work to restrict southbound traffic at Route 51 and I-70
Motorists should be prepared for potential traffic delays Tuesday on Route 51 in Rostraver as crews complete preliminary field work for proposed reconstruction of the highway’s interchange with I-70. According to PennDOT, southbound traffic on Route 51, in the area near I-70 and Finley Road, will be restricted to one...
Brothers to address Westmoreland Woodlands group on Chestnut Ridge raptor count
Western Pennsylvania’s ridges can serve as superhighways for birds of prey migrating north each spring and south when fall arrives. Two Fayette County brothers have established that Chestnut Ridge, the western-most of those ridges, provides just such a route. At a Thursday presentation of the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association, they’ll...
Police seek pair in theft at Hempfield Best BuyVideo
State police in Greensburg are asking the public’s help identifying two suspects in the recent theft of a video gaming device and numerous accessories from the Best Buy store in Hempfield Township. Trooper Steve Limani said the thefts of a Nintendo Switch Lite gaming system, a speaker, and a gaming...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Jan. 3-5Video
Happy new year. The champagne corks have been popped, the party hats worn, the horns blown, the countdown over. Done hibernating? The big holiday parties may be over, but the good times are still rolling in Westmoreland County. Run off the calories, the cold No doubt those cookies, that eggnog...
