Westmoreland category, Page 732
Republicans, Democrats run separate races for county commissioner, but both parties want to win controlVideo
Westmoreland County’s next board of commissioners will have a similar look, as three of the four candidates running want as little change as possible. Tuesday’s election features two incumbents and the chief of staff of retiring Commissioner Charles Anderson along with a challenger who is vying for his first elected...
Railcar enthusiasts to collect toys, cash for Toys for Tots on railroad line
The annual caravan of festive railcars collecting items for Toys for Tots will make the 40-mile trek from East Huntingdon to Hempfield on Nov. 16. Members of the North American Railcar Operators Association will brave the weather to collect new, unwrapped toys or monetary donations for children in need. The...
New playground for Greater Parkview Church daycare is immediate hit with kids
The Stafford house was the place to be for children growing up in one Greensburg neighborhood. With six siblings and a pool, the West Pittsburgh Street home was always a busy place. “All of the kids hung out here,” said Dorothy Gerhardt. “It was fun growing up here.” Now, that...
Airport director: Arnold Palmer runway upgrades will support more frequent flights
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport hope work to widen and strengthen the runway will not only improve conditions for existing flights, but also open the door for increased frequency of flights and additional destinations for passengers. “The primary reason is safety,” Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo...
Latrobe Turkey Trot 5K turns 25, adds ‘virtual’ race division
Dedicated competitors, as well as those who enjoy the sociable holiday atmosphere, are expected to show up Thanksgiving morning for Latrobe’s 25th anniversary Turkey Trot foot race. Craig Shevchik, director of Latrobe-GLSD Parks & Recreation, which organizes the race, is hoping to mark the silver anniversary by attracting more than...
7 candidates make case for Greensburg Salem School Board
The Greensburg Salem School Board will have difficult choices to make in the years ahead. Each of the seven candidates running for five seats are making their pitch for why he or she is the right person for the job. Incumbents Robin Beckadic-Savage, Frank Gazze and Stephen Thomas are running...
Man, woman flown to Pittsburgh after 2-car crash on Route 217 in Derry Township
Two motorists were flown to Pittsburgh trauma centers for treatment after a two-car collision early Friday evening at Route 217 and Industrial Boulevard in Derry Township. Bradenville Fire Chief Mark Piantine said a man was freed from one of the cars and a woman was extricated from the other following...
North Huntingdon VFW post plans Veterans Day ceremony
Retired Army Col. Kenneth Gongaware, a Norwin High School graduate, is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Veterans Day ceremonies hosted by the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 in North Huntingdon at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the post. The post’s new commander, Navy...
Hempfield school board candidates gear up for election
Three incumbent candidates have formed a uniformed front in the race for a seat on the Hempfield Area School Board. The incumbents — Jeanne Smith, 71, Paul Adams, 50, and David Iwig, 51 — are vying for three of the five open seats on the board. Smith and Iwig are...
West Hempfield Middle caring closet brings necessities to kids in needVideo
Every Friday, Heather Gockel packs her silver Jeep full of toiletries and makes the short drive to West Hempfield Middle School. There, she unloads her boxes and takes them to the gymnasium locker rooms, where she restocks shelves of what she has dubbed the caring closet — a place where...
Westmoreland Recorder of Deeds candidates ready for rematch
Voters might experience déjà vu Tuesday when choosing the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds. Incumbent Democrat Tom Murphy and Republican Frank Schiefer are familiar opponents. In 2011, Schiefer ousted Murphy, who was then a three-term incumbent. Four years later, they faced off again, with Murphy prevailing. Now they’re going for...
2 Westmoreland County judges up for retention on Tuesday
Westmoreland County voters on Tuesday will decided whether two Common Pleas Court judges get new, 10-year terms. Judges Michele Bononi and Chris Scherer are up for retention through a simple “yes” or “no” vote. Both were elected to the bench in 2009. Bononi, 59, of Unity, has spent her entire...
Westmoreland County judge candidates tout experience to court voters
The three candidates for two spots on the Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court bench combined to spend more than $800,000 this year as their campaigns approach next week’s finish line. Voters on Tuesday will choose among Hempfield lawyer Michael Stewart II, Unity attorney Jessica Rafferty and Justin Walsh, a two-term...
2 incumbents seek to retain seats on Irwin Council
The contest among four candidates seeking three seats on Irwin Council is proof of the importance of write-in votes. Three of the four candidates running for four-year terms on council won a spot on the Nov. 5 ballot as a result of write-in votes in the May primary, including the...
The Westmoreland celebrates season with light installation
As part of its Nov. 8 Art on Tap event, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will flip the switch on its first Winter Lights Installation. Art on Tap: Winter Lights is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. and will including strolling through an “immersive, ethereal light display,” according to...
4 incumbents, 3 newcomers in race for 5 Greater Latrobe School Board seats
Seven candidates are vying for five seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board in Tuesday’s election. Those seeking to join the board include retired state police trooper Paul McCommons, chiropractic assistant and former Greater Latrobe employee Cathy Sarraf, and Plum Borough School District business teacher David Vitula. Incumbents hoping to...
4th gun found at Arnold Palmer airport checkpoint in 2019
Federal security officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe stopped a Connellsville man who tried to travel with a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag Thursday, according to the agency. Westmoreland County Park Police, which assigns officers to the Unity airport, detained the man for questioning, eventually allowing him...
Cops: Man arrested for assault of 5-year-old girl outside Westmoreland prison
A 45-year-old Latrobe man was arrested for physically assaulting a 5-year-old girl he was watching in the parking lot of the Westmoreland County Prison while her mother visited an inmate Thursday, according to park police. John M. Truxal was arraigned before District Judge Mark Mansour on charges of endangering the...
Washington Township man sets state record for largest green squash
It’s the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Or rather, it’s the great green squash! Whatever it is, it’s officially the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania — and it was grown in Washington Township by the Yohe family. “This is my fourth year growing them,” Jay Yohe said. “My father was...
2 incumbents, 2 challengers lay out plans for Greensburg Council
The four candidates for Greensburg council agree the city is moving in the right direction. They disagree over whether it is doing so quickly enough — and on who should lead the city for the next four years. Republicans Sindy Diaz and Colin Johnson are challenging Democratic incumbents Randy Finfrock...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Nov. 1-3Video
Oct. 31 may have come and gone, but seasonal celebrations continue. And if you enjoy music, your weekend options include both big brass and big hair. One brewery will celebrate the Day of the Dead, while a winery plans to drown your sorrows with laughs — and maybe a little...
North Huntingdon commissioners’ 7th ward race contested
At least three new commissioners will take office in North Huntingdon starting in December, and maybe fourth, depending upon whether the 7th Ward incumbent can beat his challenger. Commissioner Duane Kucera, 68, a Democrat representing the 7th Ward, is seeking his second term against Republican Eric Gass, 54, who lost...
Mascara challenges incumbent Squires for Westmoreland treasurer post
The race for Westmoreland County treasurer features a two-term incumbent and a newcomer with a political pedigree. Republican Treasurer Jared Squires, first elected in 2011, is running for reelection against Democratic challenger Matt Mascara. The treasurer’s office is responsible for overseeing money collected and disbursed by the county. The office...
State grant expected to bolster Westmoreland County’s drug court program
A state grant approved Thursday is expected to help expand Westmoreland County’s drug court program. Officials said the two-year $50,712 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will pay for enhanced drug testing of participants that will improve supervision and monitoring efforts of the four-year-old program. “This will...
Wind advisory in effect for Westmoreland, other parts of region for Halloween night
Wind and rain might be scarier than ghosts and ghouls for Halloween tricks-or-treaters. Westmoreland, along with Fayette and Indiana counties, are under a wind advisory until midnight Thursday. Wind gusts up to 55 mph are possible, according to the National Weather Service. The agency downgraded those areas from a tornado...
