Westmoreland category, Page 768
Jeannette couple accused in apparent plot to get drugs into Westmoreland County Prison
An alleged attempt to get drugs into the Westmoreland County Prison earlier this month through a district court bathroom was thwarted after jail officials learned of an apparent plot between a Jeannette couple, according to court papers. Maria Harshey, 43, is accused of leaving drugs in the bathroom of the...
Greensburg Salem school evacuated, Hempfield school loses powerVideo
Two area schools faced issues during the first week of school. Nicely Elementary School in the Greensburg Salem School District was evacuated at 1 p.m. Thursday after an electrical motor inside overheated and began smoking, according to school officials. “There was no fire. There wasn’t a whole lot of smoke,...
Terry Ranieri, beloved Hempfield community member, dies at age 64
Terry Ranieri, a beloved Hempfield community member, died Thursday, according to his brother, Tony Ranieri. Terry, who graduated from Hempfield Area School District in 1975, attended home football games regularly in the decades since, greeting fans at games while watching the band warm up for their halftime show or offering...
Cops: Co-owner of Scottdale restaurant accused of stalking, harassment
One of the owners of Wise’s Restaurant, a well-known Scottdale eatery, was charged Tuesday by borough police with stalking and disorderly conduct in the alleged harassment of employees and causing of disruptions at the business since June. James R. Wise, 61, of Oakdale was arraigned on eight counts each of...
2 arrested in theft of motorcycle, three-wheeler from New Florence home
Two men were arrested this week after state police said they broke into a New Florence home and stole a three-wheeler and a motorcycle. Investigators said they tracked down the suspects after one of them was seen riding the three-wheeler in the neighborhood, according to court papers. Cory Logan Gardner,...
Conceptual plans released for 2 new Hempfield parks
Walking trails, sports fields and playgrounds are in the works for two new Hempfield parks. Initial plans show ideas for one property off the Walden Court cul-de-sac not far from West Hempfield Elementary and another 17-acre parcel off Route 136 adjacent to Hempfield Area High School. The plans were presented...
Methodist church carnival in Latrobe, New Derry features school supplies
Local families searching for necessities as their children return to the classroom may find items for free at Latrobe United Methodist Church’s annual Back To School Bash Carnival. The church is offering free school supplies, clothes and backpacks, along with free food and games, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday...
North Huntingdon plans citizen police academy
The North Huntingdon Citizens Police Academy, in which residents view demonstrations by the K-9 unit and crime scene and fire investigators, is proving to be popular with the public. Police Chief Robert Rizzo said Wednesday he expects the class that will begin on Sept. 3 to be filled by the...
‘Latrobe: City of Firsts’ show slated during banana split festival
Latrobe Area Historical Society will present “Latrobe: City of Firsts,” a slide show of archival images, this weekend during the city’s annual celebration of the delectable banana split. The repeating show will be on view from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sundayat the...
Wider Penn Township bridge opens in time for Penn-Trafford school traffic
A replacement bridge on Penn Township’s Watt Road opened to traffic Wednesday, just in time for the start of classes Thursday at Penn-Trafford School District. The bridge across Bushy Run was replaced and upgraded as part of PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. The previous span was closed in June and...
McKeesport man convicted in Westmoreland heroin ring wants new trial
An Allegheny County man serving up to 23 years in prison for his role in a drug distribution ring that operated in central Westmoreland County through 2012 contends he was a victim of a botched defense. The new lawyer for Dominick Haynes, 32, of McKeesport, during a hearing Wednesday, contended...
Salem Township sibling rivalry tested at Westmoreland Fair swine competitionVideo
The friendly sister relationship ended at the pig arena. The crowd hushed Wednesday as sisters Alli and Aspen Jobe and several other finalists brought their animals into the ring for the final leg of the swine showmanship competition at the Westmoreland Fair. The Salem Township pair made eye contact with...
Murrysville teen brings home 8 ribbons from Westmoreland Fair
Ian Sunny of Murrysville is on a roll this week at the Westmoreland Fair. And chances are, if he had baked a tray of rolls, he’d have won a ribbon for that, too. Sunny, 16, a junior at Franklin Regional Senior High School, brought home eight ribbons from the fair...
Judge hears arguments in Franklin Regional’s Sloan ‘elementary campus’ appeal case
Judge Harry Smail has a lot to consider in an appeal of Murrysville council’s approval of an “elementary school campus” project for the Franklin Regional School District. Smail heard oral arguments Wednesday in Common Pleas Court from attorneys representing three parties to the appeal — the municipality, school district and...
Judge’s order continues restrictions on Rostraver landfill
A consent order signed by a Fayette County judge Wednesday prohibits the discharge of harmful effluent into the Monongahela River by a landfill and a treatment facility. The action by Common Pleas Judge Steve Leskinen continues a 90-day order he issued in May at the request of Fayette County District...
Calf born at Westmoreland Fair, named after longtime workerVideo
There are two high profile Marians at the Westmoreland Fair. One has reddish hair and runs the information booth all day. The second was born at the fairgrounds Friday night and has four legs. Marian Parker of North Huntingdon, meet Marian the Holstein calf. “I go see Marian every day,”...
GoFundMe accounts created for 20-year-old Crabtree man severely beaten with baseball bat
Collision Shoppe owner Jason Mignogna says he was stunned Monday after learning that Justin Hayden, a worker at his Unity auto repair shop, was critically injured after being beaten outside his home in Crabtree. “In today’s world, you really don’t know what to initially think, but anyone who has ever...
Latrobe’s Great American Banana Split Celebration promises a sweet weekend
A classic ice cream dessert that’s been making people smile since 1904 is once again deserving of an annual summertime salute. Latrobe serves up its 115th Great American Banana Split Celebration Aug. 23-25. The party takes place in downtown Latrobe, where the banana split was first invented by David Strickler,...
Kathryn Elder returns to Greater Latrobe School Board as appointee
Retired Greater Latrobe School Board member Kathryn Elder returned to take a seat on the board this week as a temporary appointee. Elder, who decided not to seek re-election in 2017, after 35 years of service as a school director, was named Tuesday to complete the remaining few months in...
Westmoreland County training program highlights LGBTQ communityVideo
Jo Tauber knows firsthand the challenges that members of the LGBTQ community face every day in Westmoreland County. Tauber, 30, of Penn Township, said she’s been lucky to have been accepted by her family and friends but she understands her story may be different from others who identify as lesbian,...
Petition to change Hempfield stadium name in honor of Terry Ranieri gaining tractionVideo
It took only 15 hours for over 3,500 people to sign a petition to have the name of Hempfield’s Spartan Stadium changed to honor a longtime Spartan football and band fan, inching just shy of the 5,000-signature goal. Terry Ranieri, who would greet fans at games while watching the band...
FBI: Reports of ‘underaged’ massage parlor workers led to probe linked to Western Pa.
A federal investigation that culminated in the arrest of a Florida man accused of operating a human trafficking ring through massage parlors from the Sunshine State to Pennsylvania, including five in Western Pennsylvania, began in 2017 after complaints made to a national hotline, according to court documents. David C. Williams,...
Bottle rocket competition soars at Westmoreland FairVideo
Among the bottle rocket aficionados at the Westmoreland Fair, there’s a debate about which pop bottle works best. “Pepsi works better than Coke,” said Lyndsey Androstic, announcer for Tuesday’s 4-H rocket competition at the Peoples Grandstand Arena. Others swear by Mountain Dew. Regardless, what garnered the most attention on Tuesday...
Hempfield band, community show support for Terry Ranieri, their biggest fanVideo
A special performance for a beloved member of the Hempfield community shut down a township neighborhood Tuesday. Members of the Hempfield Area marching band played outside Terry Ranieri’s Beacon Valley Road home while he sat at a front window and listened from inside. About 100 band members, flanked by at...
Latrobe zoning panel turns down nonprofit’s plan for Depot Street offices
Faith Forward Ministries’ plan for moving some of its office staff to a donated house on Latrobe’s Depot Street hit a roadblock this week when the city’s zoning hearing board denied a needed variance. Eric Cosby, who moved to deny the Latrobe-based nonprofit’s request for the variance at Depot and...
