Westmoreland category, Page 755
Ohio men accused of burglary after being found sleeping in Salem house
An Ohio man was arrested Sunday after he apparently broke into a Salem home and went to sleep, according to state police. Brendan Scott Szrenkanyi, 37, of Cleveland, is charged with burglary, criminal trespass and loitering at night. A Salem resident called state police at 2:41 a.m. Sunday after he...
2 arrested in Jeannette pistol exchange
Two men were arrested last week in Jeannette after police said they exchanged a pistol that had the serial number obliterated. Timothy Joshua Bertrand, 28, of Jeannette, and Joseph Raymond Thornton, 52, of Manor, are both being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. City police and agents from...
2 injured in East Huntingdon crashVideo
Medical helicopters took two people to the hospital after a Monday morning crash in East Huntingdon, according to Westmoreland County 911. The two-vehicle crash on Porter Avenue — also known as Route 819 — happened just before 7 a.m. One vehicle went over an embankment and was heavily damaged, with...
First graduating class of Westmoreland County Veterans Court set
The first graduate of Westmoreland County Veterans Court will be recognized on Nov. 19. County officials reinstated the program in May for veterans charged with certain crimes, allowing them to earn a reduced sentence. Veterans work through the six- to 12-month program that gives them opportunities to address issues such...
Former Mt. Pleasant Journal reporter revisits local tie to Iranian hostage crisis
On the day I was hired for my first job as a reporter, a cryptic two-inch-long story appeared on the front page of the paper that had hired me. The headline read “Local man held in Iran.” I’d never planned to be a journalist. But 40 years ago, in the...
40 years later: Mt. Pleasant tie to Iran hostage crisis revisitedVideo
Editor’s note: Portions of a first-person account from Janice Steinhagen, formerly Janice Malego, appear in italics throughout this article. Janice Steinhagen’s story based on an exclusive interview with former Iran hostage Jerry Miele sits in a box with 40 years’ worth of newspaper clippings. But as a story, it looms...
Greensburg counselor aims to connect clients with disabilities to the communityVideo
Toward the end of his nine years as a certified nursing assistant, Elliott Howe had begun noticing recurring back pain. “I enjoyed it, but I was having a lot of back issues because of the labor,” Howe, 30, of Greensburg, said of his work. About the same time, two of...
Hempfield building destroyed in fire
A Hempfield building was destroyed in a fire early Sunday. The blaze was reported at 4:33 a.m. at a structure on secluded Smith Road near Historic Hanna’s Town. A Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said no injuries were reported. Hempfield fire officials did not respond to a request for information. The property...
Bret Michaels on recovering from health scares, why he won’t talk Trump
Bret Michaels boasts an unabashedly eclectic taste in music, which the multi-platinum rock star credits with getting him through life’s ups and downs and all the messy emotions in between. When Michaels works out, he’ll blast AC/DC. If the Poison front man and singer-songwriter is feeling reflective, he’ll throw on...
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...
