Westmoreland category, Page 787
Latrobe man, 82, honored for decades as firefighter, crossing guardVideo
Latrobe Elementary students experienced some major changes this past school year. Midway through the academic calendar, they started attending classes in a new school on Ligonier Street, several blocks away from the building it replaced. Though the surroundings shifted, familiar faces at the school remained — including crossing guard John...
Hempfield beef spread joins farmland preservation program
Westmoreland County’s Heinnickel family has added a new section of its multi-farm holdings to the state’s agricultural conservation easement purchase program. The family’s 39-acre Luxor Farm in Hempfield was among 47 farms, covering 3,561 acres in 21 counties, added this month to the farmland preservation program. The program taps federal,...
Police ask motorists to avoid Piper Road in Allegheny Township due to subsidence
Allegheny Township police are asking residents to avoid Piper road near Route 356 if possible because of continued damage to the road. The road continues to experience subsidence despite efforts to fix it, police wrote in an advisory message for residents signed up with the Nixle.com alert service. The road...
Church members undergo active-shooter training in IrwinVideo
With 24 years of Navy service and 13 more in law enforcement, Rodney “Chief” Smith doesn’t mince words or mess around when it comes to firearms training. “Get that finger off that trigger! ” Smith barked at a trainee who wasn’t properly following his step-by-step instructions as a group prepared...
Murrysville board will continue hearing fracking challenge
The Murrysville Zoning Hearing Board will continue hearing a challenge to the town’s fracking ordinance on Monday night . The citizen group Murrysville Watch Committee challenged the validity of the ordinance last year, and hearings have been ongoing since late November 2018. Murrysville council members voted 6-1 in 2017 to...
Southmoreland considers selling school; league fears loss of baseball fields
Southmoreland School District is considering selling Ruffsdale Elementary School, which has been closed for more than a decade. That’s a problem for the Southmoreland Youth Athletic Association, which organizes youth baseball games for about 200 kids at the school’s three fields. The association might not be able to find another...
Dollar General to move into closing Latrobe video store
Dollar General is preparing for a move in Latrobe — one that will take it a block and a half from its current location on Ligonier Street to the building at Depot and Alexandria streets soon to be vacated by Family Video. Spokeswoman Angela Petkovic said Dollar General plans to...
Western Pennsylvania’s farmers planted early to sneak summer corn past Mother Nature
Western Pennsylvania farmers this year have had to plant crops “between the raindrops.” But despite less-than-ideal planting conditions, area farmers say they expect sweet corn to be available by the Fourth of July. While field corn planting has languished because of the wet weather, produce farmers say they got their...
Duquesne man pleads guilty to drug offenses
A Duquesne man who is the ex-husband of a former Norwin High School teacher convicted of selling heroin to a police informant on Friday himself pleaded guilty to two drug offenses. Marc Anthony Rodnicki, 39, was sentenced to serve two years on probation for two misdemeanor drug counts in connection...
Mosquito spraying to take place in Scottdale, East Huntingdon
Parts of Scottdale and East Huntingdon will be sprayed for mosquitoes late Monday to reduce the risk of West Nile, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A truck-mounted sprayer will be used from 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. in the area of Mt. Pleasant Road in Scottdale, and...
New Stanton interchange repairs will detour traffic headed to Youngwood
PennDOT is preparing to transition to a new phase and a new detour in its ongoing update of concrete pavement and lighting at the Route 119 and Toll Route 66 interchange in New Stanton. Crews are expected by next week to reopen the ramp used by motorists heading from northbound...
Cops: Salem man fired handgun at 3 fishermen he accused of trespassing
A 78-year-old Salem man was arrested for allegedly firing a handgun at three fishermen he accused of trespassing Thursday afternoon, according to state police at Kiski. Arthur Sarn was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and making terroristic threats filed by police after the incident at...
Hempfield fire departments ready for giant fireworks retailer
Practically in the shadow of the tiny Bovard Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield, Westmoreland County will welcome a new business neighbor Saturday with the grand opening of Phantom of Greensburg — 35,000-square-feet of firecrackers, bottle rockets, bursting fountains, mortar kits and sparklers, to name a few of the explosive goods....
Hempfield receives grant to improve park
Improvements are coming to Hempfield Park after the township received a $143,875 grant. The funds will be used for the construction of accessible pathways and new handicapped parking spots in the park, said Aaron Siko, director of parks and recreations. Construction will start in late 2019 or early 2020. The...
Norwin OKs tax hike; maintains staff, programs
For the fifth consecutive year, Norwin property owners will be hit with an increase in school taxes under a tight 2019-20 budget the school board narrowly adopted Monday. By a 5-4 vote, the school board approved a $73.6 million budget that includes a hike in property taxes in the Westmoreland...
U.S. Army 28th Infantry Division Band to perform in Hempfield
The United States Army 28th Infantry Division Band is slated to play at Hempfield Park next week. The free performance will be at 7 p.m. June 28 at Hempfield Park’s amphitheater. Food and drink will be available for purchase. The 40 part-time citizen soldier band is based in Torrance in...
‘Puppy dog eyes’ are as convincing as they seem, researchers say
If you think it’s adorable when a dog raises its eyebrows and makes sad-looking eyes, you are not alone. Apparently, evolution is to thank for that heart-melting expression that can result in extra treats or cuddles. A group of researchers, including a Duquesne University professor, have determined that while dogs...
Police: Hempfield man solicited sex from agent posing as 14-year-old boy
A Hempfield volunteer firefighter allegedly set up a meeting for sex with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy through a social media messaging service, according to court papers. But when Tyler Richard Byerly, 21, arrived at the planned meeting spot Thursday in Hempfield, he was arrested by agents from...
Greater Latrobe OKs salary bump for facilities director outside of public vote
Greater Latrobe School District’s recently approved 2019-20 budget includes a one-time salary adjustment of nearly 8% for Kurt Thomas, the district’s director of facilities, operations and planning. The additional pay hike for Thomas, based on his abilities, was discussed as a budgetary item during a Feb. 26 school board retreat,...
Police: Pedestrian struck, injured by car in Hempfield parking lot
A Derry man is believed to have a serious injury after being hit by a car in a parking lot on Monday, according to state police. Troopers said in a news release issued Friday that Roy R. Yost, 71, was walking through Eastgate Plaza in Hempfield at 1 p.m. when...
Latrobe car cruise to benefit city police
A car cruise tonight in Latrobe will raise funds to assist the city’s police force. The E C Cruisers Car Club event is set for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lil’ Cruisers Favorite Food and Ice Cream, 702 Industrial Boulevard. Dash plaques will be presented to the first 50...
Judge: Confession in Youngwood man’s stabbing death, robbery to be allowed at trial
A confession given to police nearly a week after the stabbing death of Matthew Genard will stand, a Westmoreland County judge has ruled. Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani said prosecutors can tell jurors about the statement made by Jason Sullenberger, 41, of Youngwood, about his role in Genard’s murder...
Greensburg Salem business manager resigns
Greensburg Salem School District’s business manager has crafted his last budget for the district. This week, just as the district passed its 2019-20 budget, James Meyer announced he’s resigning in August to take the same position in the Yough School District. Meyer joined Greensburg Salem as assistant business manager in...
Greensburg police seek suspected counterfeiter
City of Greensburg Police are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspected counterfeiter. According to police, the man used a counterfeit $100 bill Thursday at Precision Care Pharmacy on East Pittsburgh Street. They released a blurry security image of the man on Facebook. Investigators believe he is driving a...
Penn Twp. Democrats to clean Bushy Run monuments
The Penn Township Democratic Committee will be performing a service project at Bushy Run Battlefield along Route 993 at 9 a.m. Saturday. In an effort to help beautify the park and honor first responders, the group will clean and landscape around the first responder monuments. For more information, contact Christine...
