Westmoreland category, Page 762
March for Parks surpasses $1 million in fundraising
The county’s annual March for Parks event has surpassed the $1 million fundraising mark, as residents, businesses and organizations have come together since 2003 to raise money for improvements at places like the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, Mammoth Park and Cedar Creek Park. The 17th annual March for Parks this past...
Animal rescue seeking tips, donations after dog found dead in North Huntingdon
Humane agents are seeking help from the public after a dog with an apparent gunshot wound was found dead in North Huntingdon wearing a muzzle and tied to a railroad post. All But Furgotten President Melanie Wedge said the animal may have struggled before its death along a set of...
Sheridan Terrace Elementary students sent to Norwin High School due to sewage problem
Students at Norwin’s Sheridan Terrace Elementary School in North Huntingdon will be back in their own school Tuesday after being bused to the high school Monday morning because of a sewage problem on the first day of school. Superintendent Jeff Taylor told the Norwin School Board Monday evening that a...
4 accused in Crabtree baseball bat assault held without bond
A district judge denied bond Monday for four people accused in a baseball-bat beating that severely injured a Crabtree man outside his home late Sunday. Sarah A. Miller, 31, and Matthew J. White, 20, both of Greensburg, and Devon M. Allen, 25, and Treavair A. Green, 18, of Pittsburgh, are...
Police: Westmoreland jail inmate made shank from toothbrush
A Pittsburgh man accused of stealing items from unlocked vehicles in Hempfield earlier this year allegedly had a homemade shank in his cell at the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Douglas Allen Bartrug, 33, of Bloomfield, was charged last week with inmate possessing a weapon and prohibited offensive...
Greensburg police arrest suspect in alleged 2016 rape of juvenile
Greensburg police on Monday arrested a 32-year-old Duquesne man accused of raping an underage girl in 2016. David A. Baker is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, aggravated assault and other offenses before District Judge Chris Flanigan. Baker formally lived...
Fire destroys Salem hay shed
A hay shed was destroyed by fire Monday morning in Salem, according to Westmoreland County 911. The fire on Hannastown Road was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. Within an hour the building had almost burned to the ground, according to 911. The shed was unoccupied, and there were no reported...
Family conducts final cemetery search for homicide victim Cassandra Gross
Searchers went into the woods one last time Sunday, looking for any sign of Cassandra Gross. “I’ll never give up hope, I’m just running out of places,” said Kathe Gross, whose daughter was last seen April 7, 2018. Kathe Gross wore a “Bring Cassie Home” T-shirt to Unity Cemetery on...
Young competitors show off rabbits, goats at Westmoreland FairVideo
Pennsylvania’s Rabbit King held court at the Westmoreland Fair on Sunday morning. Zach Farlow, 18, of West Newton was awarded the title of this year’s Rabbit King by the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeder’s Association, and this week he and his award-winning lagomorphs are at the Westmoreland Fair hoping for more...
Demo derby part of the fabric of Westmoreland CountyVideo
Before they even knew how to drive, brothers Nick and Owen Patrick of Unity had attended the demolition derby series held every summer across Westmoreland County. “Mom would take us almost every weekend to the derbies,” said Owen Patrick. “Since we were probably five or six.” The pair have been...
Hempfield man among Terrible Towel twirlers for Steelers preseason game
George Muentzer was dressed in his finest black-and-gold regalia Saturday for his first foray onto Heinz Field for a Pittsburgh Steelers game. Attending 49 consecutive opening days of Steelers training camp were instantly worth it when the Hempfield man said he found out he was selected by the team to...
North Huntingdon may ask Corps of Engineers to inspect flooded areas
North Huntingdon residents living along Brush Creek near the Irwin border are not optimistic that a tour of the creek by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will lead to any solution to their flooding problems. “I don’t think they are going to do anything,” said Janet Seman, whose Westmoreland...
Ligonier Valley Historical Society looks to revive tours, programs at Kinsey Museum
A Ligonier Township museum that preserves a pioneer family’s legacy is getting a new lease on life through a partnership with a local historical society. Officials with the Ligonier Valley Historical Society, which operates Laughlintown’s historic Compass Inn, announced last week they have finalized an affiliation with the Kinsey Museum...
Hundreds turn out for Back 2 School bash in GreensburgVideo
Hundreds of children got most everything they need for a new school year Saturday at the Salvation Army of Greensburg’s seventh annual Back 2 School Bash. The Salvation Army and other local organizations teamed up for the event, which offered activities like a bounce house and face-painting while also helping...
Police seek Salina man missing since Aug. 5, last seen in Delmont and IselinVideo
State police are looking for a man who has been missing almost two weeks. Jordan Olah, 31, of Salina was last seen Aug. 5 in both Delmont and Iselin. Anyone with information please contact PSP 724-697-4780 pic.twitter.com/hrRY3hYLbD— Troop A Public Information Officers (@PSPTroopAPIO) August 11, 2019 Olah may be driving...
Bakers flock to Westmoreland Fair for Cake & Pie ShowdownVideo
Sasha Lencoski was first in line at the Westmoreland Fair on Saturday morning, carefully cradling two bakery boxes. One held an apple pie, the other a chocolate cake. She had come to defend her title. Lencoski of Latrobe won the blue ribbon for her chocolate cake at last year’s inaugural...
Metal fabrication, welding specialist from Laughlintown turns to blacksmithing as a careerVideo
William “Will” Kalkbrenner, 31, cracked up when asked if he foresaw a career in blacksmithing and making culinary knives 17 years ago as a freshman metal fabrication and welding student at Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. “No. Never once even thought about it,” he said. But for more than...
3 injured in two-vehicle crash in Mt. Pleasant Township
Three people were injured in a two-vehicle crash early Friday night in Mt. Pleasant Township, county emergency officials said. At least one person was taken by ambulance from the scene of a crash at the intersection of Route 981 and Hecla Road, according to Westmoreland emergency dispatchers. The crash was...
Westmoreland housing authority ownership change expected to increase revenue
Westmoreland County’s housing authority transferred ownership of nearly 10% of the agency’s public housing units as part of a reorganization officials said will enable it to increase money it receives for needed capital improvements. “This is a decision that makes all the sense in the world. We will get more...
Judging, entertainment kicks off the Westmoreland Fair
The Westmoreland Fair kicked off Friday morning in Mount Pleasant Township with a team of more than 25 judges working together to select the best out of more than 8,400 “inside” entries, which includes foods, crafts and even wine and beer. Over the course of five hours, judges worked with...
Jeannette man sentenced to house arrest for attempted child sex
A Jeannette man will serve nine months on house arrest for attempting to lure a child to a local hotel for sex. Brian Zupancic, 29, pleaded guilty in May to felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor and attempted statutory sexual assault for an incident in June 2017. Police...
Hempfield Eagle Scout creates cancer memorial garden
When Ben Graham started his Eagle Scout project in Hempfield Park, he didn’t know how soon the cause would hit home. But about halfway through planning a cancer memorial garden that will become a healing spot for cancer survivors and their families, as well as an area to remember those...
Cops: East Huntingdon man had 7 bricks of heroin stuffed in pants pocket
A telephone complaint to North Huntingdon Police about a man “acting strange” inside the bathroom of a Sheetz store Thursday resulted in the arrest of a man who, police say, had seven bricks of heroin in his pocket. Dirk M. Mayernick, 44, of Huntingdon Village in East Huntingdon was arrested...
Pa. Turnpike to close this weekend between New Stanton, Breezewood
A bridge removal project in Somerset will close an 86-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in both directions for seven hours late Saturday through Sunday morning between the New Stanton and Breezewood exits, according to the turnpike commission. The section of turnpike will be closed starting at 11 p.m. Saturday...
Cookie bakers announce sweet tally for Guinness World RecordVideo
The bakers contributing cookies to the Monongahela Area Historical Society’s attempt to set a Guinness World Record for largest cookie table only had to exceed 18,000 cookies. Instead, according to the final tally, their wedding cookie spread totaled 88,425. That number was far north of the conservative “at least 50,000”...
