Westmoreland category, Page 766
Rostraver helipad, Arnold Palmer hangar prep get grant assist
A helipad at Rostraver Airport and hangar and apron projects at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport received a boost this week through state aviation grants. Gov. Tom Wolf announced approval of a $375,000 grant for improvements at Rostraver Airport, including development of a helipad. According to Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive...
Participant will be resentenced for role in fatal Greensburg torture case
The youngest member of a group of six Greensburg roommates convicted in the torture and murder of a mentally disabled woman nearly a decade ago will be sentenced for the third time in December. Angela Marinucci, 27, has twice before been sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility...
Monessen bus driver charged with having child porn faced similar charges 2 decades ago
A Monessen school bus driver charged this week by federal authorities for possession of child pornography had previously been barred from driving children after he was arrested on similar charges in 2001. This week’s indictment of Jack Brian Laforte, 54, came nearly two decades after he was charged in Westmoreland...
‘Everyone’s Friend’ Terry Ranieri, Hempfield’s most-beloved fan, laid to restVideo
Terry Ranieri will be remembered as a man with no malice in his heart. “I never met anyone as kind as Terry was. I don’t think there was anything you could do to make Terry dislike you,” said the Rev. Kenneth Bossart, who gave the eulogy at Ranieri’s memorial service...
Westmoreland Historical Society plans house tour, cocktail party
The Westmoreland Historical Society is offering a first-ever inside view of the restored Hon. John B. Steel House (circa 1910-12), now part of the Westmoreland History Center at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Two period rooms on the first floor and second-floor staff offices will be the setting for the...
Police: Ruffs Dale man accused in sex crimes used fire department’s credit card to fuel up
A Ruffs Dale man awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting a teenage girl over several months last year was accused by state police this week of using an area fire department’s credit card to buy $2,627 in gas for his personal vehicle. Derek A. Ruth, 27, who was arrested...
Sister sharpshooters look to improve upon trophy take at Westmoreland FairVideo
Sisters Autumn and Summer Pavlik are used to aiming high. And they rarely miss. The Unity siblings combined for an impressive showing in youth shooting sports at last week’s Westmoreland Fair. Autumn, 15, placed first in her age group in the 4-H archery, air rifle and .22-caliber rifle shooting competitions....
Pennsylvania Turnpike drug suspects claim illegal search
Two Philadelphia men arrested last year on the Pennsylvania Turnpike after police found 27 pounds of marijuana in their car trunk contend the vehicle search was illegal and the criminal charges against them should be dismissed. Lawyers for Joseph Ricardo Wright, 33, and and Dwayne Dwight Augustus, 36, contend police...
Latrobe man, fiancee sue Nemacolin, seek return of $30K wedding reception deposit
A Latrobe man and his fiancee said a Fayette County resort wasn’t as advertised and are seeking the return of their deposit after canceling their wedding reception set for next month. In a three-count lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, Greg Cammarata and Christina Varrasso say Nemacolin...
Johnson & Johnson opioid ruling spreads optimism around Western Pa.-based lawsuits
Westmoreland County is one of about 2,000 municipalities across the country with pending lawsuits against various drug manufacturers accused of promoting the opioid addiction epidemic that has devastated communities in recent years. This week’s court ruling in Oklahoma, in which the state was awarded a $572 million judgment from drugmaker...
Greensburg event to feature LGBTQIA speakers to talk about Western Pa. experiences
Hoping to increase awareness and strengthen alliances with local leaders, the Keystone Pride and Equality Coalition is hosting a listening session next month. The session, which is planned for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, will feature a panel of speakers who will...
Ranieri family raising money for scholarship fundVideo
Terry Ranieri’s legacy is living on through a scholarship fund for Hempfield Area Marching Band students. Ranieri, who passed away last week, graduated from Hempfield Area School District in 1975, attended home football games regularly in the decades since supporting the marching band and spent time hanging out with friends...
Former Monessen School District bus driver accused of possessing child porn
A former Monessen School District bus driver was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of possessing child pornography, federal prosecutors said. Jack Brian Laforte, 54, of Monessen is accused of possessiong videos and images in computer graphic files that showed minors, some younger than 12, engaged...
Johnstown man killed in Murrysville crash over weekend
A 30-year-old Johnstown man died over the weekend in a one-vehicle crash along Route 22 in Murrysville, police said. The victim, Eduardo Luis Palmar, was traveling at a high rate of speed in the westbound lanes around midnight Saturday near Rick’s Sports Bar when his 2018 Chevrolet sedan crashed into...
Unity auto repair shop destroyed by fireVideo
A quick-moving fire Tuesday gutted an auto repair shop in Unity. The owner of Rain’s Auto Body, Dean Rain, said workers had started welding a car when sparks flew, igniting the fire about 2:16 p.m. He said workers tried to put the fire out, but “it spread really fast.” Rain’s...
Latrobe man accused of assaulting mother, boy
A 38-year-old Latrobe man has been jailed for allegedly assaulting a woman and injuring her 2-year-old son, police said. Louis Anthony Campbell, of 905 Chestnut St., is accused of causing the boy to sustain a lump on his forehead during an incident at a home in the 1900 block of...
Sen. Bob Casey, seniors look to stem crisis facing many older Americans
The opioid crisis has led to a crisis of grandparents, and even great-grandparents, raising young children — something U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, wants the federal government to take a more active role in addressing. “It’s a challenge, the likes of which I don’t think our country has ever seen...
Hempfield names deputy fire chief
Two months after Hempfield supervisors appointed a new fire chief to oversee the 12 stations, the township now has a deputy fire chief. John Storey Jr., 38, of Hempfield will move from his current position as deputy director of public works to the deputy fire chief position Sunday. Storey’s position...
Pitt suspends Chinese language program in wake of visa issues for foreign scholars
The University of Pittsburgh has suspended a language program sponsored by the Chinese government in the wake of visa issues for 15 Chinese scholars previously scheduled to oversee the program. The school suspended its Confucius Institute language programs after the U.S. State Department issued “unwelcome and unexpected” guidance regarding the...
East Huntingdon cabin destroyed by fire
One person was reported injured in a fire that destroyed an East Huntingdon cabin early Tuesday, a Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety supervisor said. The person, who was not identified, went to Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant for treatment, the public safety supervisor said. A state police fire...
Latrobe solicitor: Firecracker use in city violates state law
Anyone who sets off consumer-grade fireworks in Latrobe is likely violating the 2017 state law governing them, according to city solicitor Zachary Kansler. Kansler told city council this week those who set off firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets and similar items within city limits are breaking a section of the...
Hempfield Township honors Terry Ranieri with proclamationVideo
Terry Ranieri, a beloved Hempfield community member who passed away last week, was honored by Hempfield Township supervisors Monday night through a proclamation. Ranieri, who graduated from Hempfield Area School District in 1975, attended home football games regularly in the decades since and spent time hanging out with friends at...
5 charged in connection with Export shootingVideo
Five people, including a New Alexandria teen, were arrested by state police in connection with the Sunday shooting of a Monroeville man during an altercation and vehicle chase through Export. The 27-year-old victim was shot once in the left shoulder and another shot “grazed” off his scalp, Trooper Daniel Pickard...
St. Bruno Church in South Greensburg celebrates 100 years
St. Bruno Catholic Church is off to its second century serving South Greensburg, after the congregation over the weekend celebrated its first 100 years of existence. The church has generations of history, said Amy Fiaschetti, who has been a member since 1993 and works as the church’s office manager. “It’s...
Westmoreland job fair helps fill vacancies
Westmoreland County’s inaugural job fair was so successful officials said they may hold them more than once a year. “We will look to do it twice a year, if not quarterly,” said Amanda Bernard, the county’s human resources director. The county filled about 30 vacant positions through last week’s event...
