Westmoreland category, Page 768
Crews battle fire at Greensburg Hose CompanyVideo
Members of Greensburg Hose Co. No. 1 did not have to go very far to fight a fire Sunday morning because the fire was above them. The fire that started in the attic at the fire hall at 6 McLaughlin Drive, Greensburg, caused between $5,000 and $6,000 in damage, Greensburg...
Westmoreland Cleanways looks to help residents, businesses with recycling changesVideo
“When in doubt, throw it out.” It’s an unusual mantra for an organization dedicated to recycling, but it’s one that a lot more people will have to get used to, according to Ellen Keefe, director of the nonprofit Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. China is importing much less American recyclable materials,...
Latrobe man dies from crash injuries
A Latrobe man died Saturday in a Pittsburgh hospital as a result of injuries sustained in a crash Wednesday in Unity Township, according to state police in Greensburg. The victim, Joseph Jenniches, 61, died at 3 a.m. Saturday at an unidentified hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Jenniches...
Loyalhanna house destroyed by fire
A Loyalhanna Township house was destroyed early Sunday morning when a grease fire in the kitchen spread out of control, a fire official said. Saltsburg Fire Chief John Dice said the house on Moween Road in the village of Moween was fully engulfed in flames when he arrived on the...
Kennametal to start layoffs at Carbidie plant; 60 workers impacted in closure
Kennametal Inc. will begin laying off its 60 workers from its Carbidie plant in Hempfield in October and continue through the end of March 2020, when the plant will close, according a notice the company filed with the state. Kennametal, an industrial toolmaker with corporate offices in Unity, recently notified...
Proposed ban on feeding Pennsylvania wildlife riles some in the Pittsburgh region
Gary Livingston has one thing to say to the Pennsylvania Game Commission about its proposal to ban big game feeding: Try and stop me. “They’re going to have to take me to jail because I’ve been doing it for so long. Plus, it’s on my property,” said Livingtson, 69, of...
Jeannette will use drone for police, fire, code enforcement
A drone will join the Jeannette police department soon, but the device’s potential uses could reach beyond the force. Police Chief Shannon Binda said the unmanned aircraft system will be available for city firefighters and code enforcement officers to use for checking out buildings and helping with rescues. “It’s more...
Volunteer receives national recognition for reviving Yough Little League
When Andrew Bergman’s daughter Sidney wanted to join Little League, she was almost out of luck. “I looked at where the Little League program was at, and it was pretty much nonexistent for softball, and baseball was almost nonexistent as well,” Bergman said. “There was just one T-ball team.” The...
Former Greensburg man accused of assaulting jail guards
A former Greensburg man is accused of hitting three Westmoreland County Prison guards in the face and biting their hands during a scuffle last November, authorities said. The suspect, Esteban Ortiz Sosa, 37, whose current address is listed on court documents as the state prison at Camp Hill, allegedly injured...
Annual reenactment of Battle of Bushy Run underway in Penn Township
The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society on Saturday hosted the first of two days commemorating the 256th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run. The battle between the British and the confederation of Native Americans on the Penn Township battlefield took place Aug. 5 to 6, 1763. Activities continue Sunday...
National Aviary project tracks birds near Saltsburg ‘bird haven’Video
Bob Mulvihill carefully held the small American cardinal in his hands Saturday morning in rural Indiana County. He placed a thin piece of numbered metal around one of the bird’s legs, along with red- and yellow-colored bands. That will allow residents in that area to track the bright red bird...
West Penn Power Fund grant supports energy efficiency in Saint Vincent library expansion
A $75,000 grant from the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund will help Saint Vincent College include energy-efficient initiatives in the renovation and expansion of its library while educating students and the community about those measures. The $22 million project that is underway at the Dale P. Latimer Library includes...
Driver taken into custody after car plows into house in Jeannette
No one was injured when a woman drove a sport utility vehicle off Welker Street and into the corner of a Harrison Avenue house in Jeannette late Friday night. The SUV went into the house backwards. Police, firefighters and EMS responded to the corner of Welker Street and Harrison Avenue...
Teens team up to tackle summer projects at state parksVideo
Teen workers fastened into place a line of 2x6 planks, completing a narrow strip of new bridge decking just as a man arrived to walk his trail bike over the span across Keystone State Park’s Davis Run. The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps crew of eight, based in Greensburg, combined efforts to...
Latrobe’s Steelers Fest attracts fans from afar for trophy shots, team-related funVideo
Big Ben and JuJu were among the attractions for fans with tickets to the Steelers’ Friday Night Lights practice at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. Most who came Friday afternoon, for related Steelers Fest activities in an adjacent field, made a bee line for the team’s half dozen Lombardi trophies on display....
Flash flood warning issued for several parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington counties
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a flash flood warning for west-central Westmoreland County, southeastern Allegheny County and eastern Washington County until 7:30 p.m. Strong, slow-moving thunderstorms are expected to produce localized heavy rainfall that could lead to isolated flooding, according to the weather service advisory. National Weather...
Hempfield man gets time served for threatening messages directed at church, pastor
A Hempfield man pleaded guilty Friday to harassment charges in connection with a series of racially-tinged phone messages left for an African-American pastor. Mark Eugene Ray, 59, was accused of leaving threatening messages and racial slurs directed at members and the pastor of Living Word Congregational Church in Penn Township....
Crabapple ‘Pool-A-Palooza’ is all-day festival at Herminie pool
Crabapple Community Pool in Herminie will hold its second annual Community Pool-A-Palooza event from noon until 10 p.m. Saturday. The event will include food, an ice cream truck, 50/50 drawings and a chance to win a 2020 pool pass. DJ Brandie will be on from 1-4 p.m., and Elvis impersonator...
Unity gym regular accused of stealing car, purse after workout
Frequent gym-goer Britnee M. Silvis walked into the Planet Fitness in Unity on July 8, moments after workout regular Ryan Crawford had parked a red 2014 Mazda 6 outside, according to state police. When Silvis left the gym a short time later at 7:06 p.m., the 31-year-old woman, who walks...
Controller accused in $191K embezzlement scheme from Murrysville firm
A federal grand jury this week indicted the former controller of a Murrysville packaging company, accusing her of embezzling $191,000 over five years. Victoria Mazur, 51, of Plum, is accused of embezzling the money from Gateway Packaging Corp. between December 2012 and December 2017, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. According...
Controller accused in $191K embezzlement scheme from Murrysville firm
A federal grand jury this week indicted the former controller of a Murrysville packaging company, accusing her of embezzling $191,000 over five years. Victoria Mazur, 51, of Plum, is accused of embezzling the money from Gateway Packaging Corp. between December 2012 and December 2017, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. According...
Kunco, freed of rape conviction, pleads guilty to lesser charges; to be released
John Kunco, the Allegheny County man who served more than 28 years in prison for a New Kensington rape he said he didn’t commit, pleaded guilty Friday to reduced charges. Kunco, 54, was immediately paroled and was expected to be released from jail later Friday under terms of the sentence...
Police: Man threatened to set his Salem Township hotel room on fire
A Maryland man was in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bond Friday, accused of assaulting two state troopers who tried to subdue him as he threatened to set fire to his hotel room. Mikel A. Lawhorn, 62, was arraigned on aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and...
Murrysville’s Bach named to governor’s new Council on Reform
The hits keep coming for Mary Bach. Less than a month after being named to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Consumer Advisory Council, Bach, 74, has been appointed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s new Council on Reform. Bach, a longtime independent consumer advocate from Murrysville, was named to the body Wednesday...
5 things to do in and around Westmoreland: Aug. 2-4
And just like that, it’s August. Fear not … it’s still hot, it’s still summer and there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Sweet rides Bright, shiny and classic are all on tap this weekend as the Mount Pleasant Area Historical Society hosts a car show Sunday. It’s set...
