Westmoreland category, Page 747
Jeannette couple accused of trying to get drugs to jail through court bathroom
A Jeannette couple is accused of trying to get drugs from a city district court bathroom into the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Takeya Shantail Woods and Maurice Williams, both 24, were arrested Thursday after authorities found a piece of paper with suspected K2, or synthetic marijuana, sprayed...
Red Sand public art project represents human traffickingVideo
Volunteers gathered at Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant this week for this year’s final local installation of the Red Sand Project. Snipping open small bags, they poured the brightly colored sand into sidewalk cracks outside the hospital’s emergency entrance. The Blackburn Center is sponsoring the public art installation, which...
Greensburg’s Friday Evening Music Club celebrates 75th year
Greensburg’s Friday Evening Music Club has been making music for 75 years. The club will celebrate the anniversary Friday at the first recital of the season. “There’s really no other venue like it,” said member and pianist Matt Klumpp. “It allows you to make connections, it allows you to meet...
Hempfield supervisor ‘upset’ at changes to school homecoming parade
A Hempfield supervisor seeking re-election became “upset” after receiving a letter stating political candidates and signs are no longer permitted in the Hempfield Area School District’s homecoming parade, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. Doug Weimer, a township supervisor, said he was “surprised by the change in direction by the school district”...
CROP Walk marks 40 years in Murrysville, helping feed the hungry
Roger Schneider moved to Murrysville in 2000 from Pittsburgh, where he previously helped organize an annual CROP Walk, an acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. When he arrived, he found a local CROP Walk had been established for more than two decades, dedicated to raising money for the less...
Ramsay Elementary in Mt. Pleasant closed after water main break
A water main break in Mt. Pleasant forced the closure of Ramsay Elementary on Thursday. The leak was repaired at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the school was still experiencing issues early Thursday, according to Matt Junker, a spokesman for the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. Mt. Pleasant Area officials said...
Sewickley Township honors first woman supervisor for service, 100th birthdayVideo
Herminie native Mary Zakutney was a groundbreaker in Sewickley Township, where 62 years ago she took a position no woman had held in that rural community. At a time when the township’s top elected officials were expected to fix roads and operate snow plows, Zakutney became the first woman to...
West Newton woman pleads guilty to arson
A West Newton woman will serve up to two years in prison for setting fire to her boyfriend’s pickup truck. Marian Warman, 19, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of arson, terroristic threats and simple assault in connection with the April 6 incident. Police said Warman and Brian L. Palamara argued...
Jeannette man charged in deadly stadium shooting ‘acted in self-defense,’ attorney saysVideo
The lawyer for a Jeannette man charged with the shooting death of another man this month outside McKee Stadium in the city said his client acted in self-defense. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis ordered Greg Harper, 40, held for court on charges of criminal homicide...
Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez held without bail on child sex charges in Westmoreland CountyVideo
Suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez arrived at a Westmoreland County courtroom Wednesday and shook hands with a district judge before being arraigned on child sex allegations. The Venezuela native wore dark frame glasses, a blue jail uniform and had his hands cuffed in front of him. An interpreter translated...
International priests now make up 25% of those serving in Greensburg diocese
A quarter of the Catholic priests serving in the Diocese of Greensburg now come from outside the United States, mostly from the Philippines. Five new international priests arrived over the summer, bringing the number to 20, according to the diocese. Four are Filipinos awaiting pastoral assignments after completing a time...
Hempfield casino construction expected to start soon
Construction is expected to begin soon on a new mini casino at Westmoreland Mall, with a predicted opening date of mid-to-late summer 2020, according to Doug Harbach, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Slated for the former Bon-Ton store at the Hempfield shopping mall, Live! Casino Pittsburgh will feature...
Latrobe 4th of July committee among annual chamber honorees
Latrobe’s 4th of July Celebration has provided patriotic fun for residents and visitors for half a century. This year, as the festival goes through a behind-the-scenes transition, its 30-member organizing committee is being recognized as Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Latrobe...
Trail Life troop will be recognized for work at ‘forgotten’ Salem cemeteryVideo
Tucked away on Mark Drive, just south of Delmont in Salem Township, is a cemetery that dates back to the Revolutionary War. And thanks to the efforts of Trail Life USA Troop 2717, the Lessig Riddle Cemetery — named for the former owners of the farm in that area and...
WCCC to host Medicare 101 for baby boomers
Westmoreland County Community College is reaching out to what may be the country’s largest market— aging baby boomers. With 10,000 members of the generation set to turn 65 every day across the United States through 2030, Medicare is on more minds than ever. WCCC is partnering with APPRISE, the Pennsylvania...
Unity zoning panel rejects parking plan for proposed SheetzVideo
Developers planning a new Sheetz convenience store along Route 30 in Unity received township approval of most exterior signs proposed for the store but were denied a variance needed to place 10 parking spaces near the highway. The store and six gasoline pumps are being eyed for the northeast corner...
Norwin honors athletic stars, plans homecoming parade, carnival
Norwin will honor outstanding athletes and three teams at the Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday as part of the school’s homecoming activities. The 1984 boys swimming team and the 2006 and 2007 girls track teams will be inducted into the Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame during a program...
WCTA’s ConnectCard system to be phased out
Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s troubled ConnectCard system, which allows riders to pay cashless fares via prepaid accounts, will be phased out over the next several months, officials announced Tuesday. After years of planning, ConnectCard was finally implemented in early 2018. Almost immediately, it was besieged with technical issues. “ConnectCard has...
Woman hurt in Sewickley Township crash involving school van
One woman was hurt in a two-vehicle crash involving a school van in Sewickley Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. A dispatcher said the van was not transporting students. The crash happened at the corner of Clopper Street and Keystone Road around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday. The woman was taken to...
Hempfield honors fire station on 75 year milestoneVideo
The Midway/St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department was recognized Monday night for 75 years in service. The department, located on Broadway Avenue, was established July 11, 1944. Officials posted on their Facebook page, “Today marks our 75th anniversary. Thank you to the current members and all the past members who have...
Elderly malnutrition focus of Westmoreland awareness weekVideo
No matter what meal Sue Floder makes for the Norwin Meals on Wheels program, she knows one thing to be true — the sweet treat goes first. “I think most of them (seniors) go for the goody first because you lose a lot of your taste buds when you’re older,...
Police: Woman urinated on state agent searching her during Jeannette drug arrest
A Johnstown woman is charged with aggravated assault after she urinated on an agent from the state attorney general’s office who was searching her Monday at the Jeannette police station, according to court papers. Ashley Evon Sanders, 33, vomited as she was being placed in a holding cell at the...
Fallen Rostraver firefighter will be honored at national memorial
Michael Godzak joined the Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department as a junior member at 12 years old. For the next 47 years, the Belle Vernon native rose through its ranks, serving a stint as chief for nine years in the 1980s and early ’90s. On April 29, 2018, Godzak was...
Westmoreland County sued over requirement that union workers complete major projects
Westmoreland County’s agreement with a Pittsburgh trades council has been challenged in federal court, claiming the deal excludes nonunion businesses from securing county construction contracts. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, seeks to invalidate the county’s project labor agreement approved in 2016 by Commissioners Gina Cerilli and...
Police: Monessen woman was drunk when she hit parked cars, person in North Belle Vernon
A Monessen woman allegedly was intoxicated Monday when she hit several parked cars, lost a wheel on her SUV and hit a woman who tried to get her to stop driving through North Belle Vernon, according to police. Sarah Elizabeth Kolenc, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, driving under the...
