Westmoreland category, Page 781
Penn-Trafford grad will join Shinedown onstage at KeyBank PavilionVideo
When hard rock band Shinedown takes the stage Wednesday at KeyBank Pavilion, Penn-Trafford High School alumni from the late ’90s and early 2000s will see a familiar face onstage. Josh Sturm of Murrysville, a 2000 Penn-Trafford graduate, will join the band onstage after a brief stint filling in for bassist...
Police: Derry Township man tried to hit man with his car
A Derry Township man was arraigned Monday after police said he tried to hit another man with his car. Robert John Kuszajewski, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and related offenses. Police were called to South Summit Street in Derry Township at 10 p.m. Wednesday when...
Hempfield ax-throwing facility expanding to Unity
A Hempfield business is expanding its Viking-themed footprint into Unity, and residents could soon be channeling their inner “savage” by throwing axes. Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing, which will have 10 ax-throwing lanes as well as 20-yard indoor archery ranges, will have a soft opening July 10, with an official grand...
New Planet Fitness set for grand opening in East Huntingdon
The new Planet Fitness off Route 119 in East Huntingdon will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony noon Wednesday The 10,000-square-foot fitness center in Crossroads Plaza features cardio and strength equipment, locker rooms with include showers and massage chairs, tanning beds and other amenitie The center is celebrating its grand opening by...
Newhaven Court’s Pat Jackson offers piano tunes played by earVideo
“Pat, ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ ” “ ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ oh boy.” With that, Pat Jackson began to play. Jackson, 89, a resident at Newhaven Court at Lindwood, Hempfield, will take requests, but she mostly plays from the inexhaustible set list she has carried around in her head for...
Route 30 reopens in Ligonier Township after flooding
A flooded stretch of Route 30 in Ligonier Township has reopened, a county emergency dispatcher said. The road had been closed in both directions between Ruthies Diner, at 1850 Route 30, to Laughlintown in Ligonier Township. The road was closed around 5:30 p.m. It reopened about an hour later....
Vendors, attendees brave weather on last day of Westmoreland arts festival
Several cars lined the parking lots at Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield on Sunday morning, waiting to peruse the last day of the annual Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival despite continued threats of rain that shut down the festival early on Saturday. Inside, vendors checked their products for water or...
2nd day of heavy rain causes more flash flooding across region
More showers and thunderstorms moved through the area Sunday, and flash flooding occurred in parts of the region. Part of Route 30 in Westmoreland County was closed for about an hour Sunday, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., because of flooding, a county emergency dispatcher said. The road was closed in...
Westmoreland municipalities count on windfall from natural gas impact fee
For communities across Westmoreland County, Act 13 is the gift that keeps on giving. “I don’t know where we’d be without it,” Sewickley Township Supervisor Brian Merdian said. Of the 65 municipalities in Westmoreland County, Sewickley enjoyed the biggest increase in natural gas impact fee windfall this year — from...
Dozens of classic tractor-trailers gather in New Stanton for annual show
Tim Hoover has 15 antique tractor-trailers at his Saltsburg home, but he brought only two to this year’s Steel Valleys Antique Truck Historical Society’s classic truck show. “The truck shows, there’s no competition here,” said Hoover, 61. “Everybody’s equal. It doesn’t matter what you bring, how you bring it. It...
Flooding follows storms, heavy rain in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties
Flooding followed heavy rain across parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties after storms moved through the region Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of the storm around 4 p.m. It contained heavy rain, frequent lightning and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Rainfall amounts of up to an inch...
Civil War weekend slated at Historic Hanna’s Town
Historic Hanna’s Town, a recreation of Westmoreland County’s original 18th century county seat, will experience a time shift in late July as Civil War armies take over the Hempfield site. Visitors will discover the history of the War Between the States as reenactors settle in for a weekend encampment representing...
Staycation destination: Polymath Park in Mt. Pleasant Township
Need a break? Looking for new adventure? There’s no reason to leave Western Pennsylvania. In this occasional series, we highlight “staycation” ideas found in our own backyard. Imagine being able to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright home — it’s easy if you try because Fallingwater is only an hour’s drive...
Help sought with funeral for ex-Greensburg woman whose remains were found in suitcase
Family members of a former Greensburg woman whose remains were discovered in a suitcase in Georgia are seeking help in preparing a service to remember their loved one. Brother Dylan Caldwell has set up a GoFundMe page seeking donations for a funeral service for Jessica Ashley Manchini, who authorities say...
Artisans at Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival enjoy sharing their creations
Deb Andrison finds peace amid small strips of paper and glue on the sun porch at her North Huntingdon home. She turns tiny shreds of paper into beautiful art — a group of zebras at a watering hole, a carousel, a wide-eyed owl — and then stores her quilling masterpieces...
Police seek 2 suspects after Unity armed robbery
State police are seeking two men accused of being involved in an armed robbery at a mobile home in Unity. Troopers obtained arrest warrants for John G. Struble IV, 20, of Youngstown, and Andrew Tyrell Washington, 21, of Greensburg, charging the pair with burglary, robbery, making terroristic threats, theft by...
Sentence upheld for man convicted in 2015 shooting in New Stanton motel
A state appellate court rejected a McKeesport man’s argument that his 2016 murder conviction for shooting a man in a New Stanton motel should be overturned. Christopher Smarr, 22, claimed a Westmoreland County judge’s decision permitting a witness to testify while wearing a scarf over her face potentially influenced jurors....
Troopers: Jeannette man assaulted Hempfield girlfriend in her apartment
A Hempfield woman who was allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend was discovered bloody, bruised and hiding in her apartment bedroom by state troopers early Friday. Police said they were responding to the woman’s pleas for help made via text messages to a friend. Police took Jason A. Hopkins, 28, of...
Farmers market opens at Westmoreland Mall
Fresh produce will be for sale outside of Westmoreland Mall through Sept. 30. Duda’s Farm Stand added a new location this week at the former Sears parking lot in Hempfield. Sears closed in March. The Duda family farm based near Brownsville has 10 fruit and vegetable stands in several counties....
Scottdale man who assisted at Flight 93 site set to lead Pa. funeral directors group
A Scottdale funeral home operator is set to take leadership of a state professional organization. Frank Kapr, president and owner of the Frank Kapr Funeral Home was named president-elect of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association at the group’s convention this week in Pocono Manor. The title lays the groundwork for...
Man dies in Hempfield motorcycle crash
A man died when when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed in Hempfield, according to state police. Tacoma Anthony Miller, 25, of Mt. Pleasant was speeding and lost control of his motorcycle on Brinker Road just after 8 p.m. Thursday, police said. Police said the motorcycle traveled off...
Latrobe celebrates Independence Day
Latrobe’s 4th of July Celebration on Thursday was highlighted by the annual parade. The theme was “50 Golden Years of Family, Friends & Fun.” Bands, fire departments, and other groups participated. The day continued with music, fun activities and more....
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival attracts vendors from across the countryVideo
At the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival last year, David Sinquefield sold 300 old-fashioned sling chairs in four days. “That’s why we keep coming back,” he said Thursday, the opening day of the 2019 festival. Despite oppressive humidity and the threat of storms, Sinquefield, 64, and other vendors said they’re...
Evening storms threaten Fourth of July; flooding a concern
There’s going to be a risk of showers and thunderstorms across the region this Fourth of July, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. A flash flood watch was in effect for Fayette and Westmoreland counties until midnight, meteorologist John Darnley said. At 6 p.m., the weather service issued a flash...
Greensburg nurse ‘was always a friend to the underdog’
Carmella Neil helped found a church in Delmont, played violin, cared for thousands of people during her nursing career and made two trips to China in her 70s and 80s. “She was pure love, she was fair and she was always a friend to the underdog,” said her son, David...
