Westmoreland category, Page 788
New Stanton man appealing sentence in deadly hit-run
A New Stanton man convicted of third-degree murder for the Christmas Eve 2016 death of an East Huntingdon pedestrian wants a new trial. Matthew Ramsay, 31, is appealing his conviction, claiming evidence presented at trial in March was not sufficient to support a guilty finding. “While the commonwealth’s evidence may...
Keystone Park sewage suggestion: Spread cost among Derry Township authority customers
Many, but far from all, who attended an informational meeting last week voiced support for a proposed project that would extend public sewer lines and a recreational trail through Derry Township, from New Alexandria to Keystone State Park. The problem supporters of the project are faced with: How to pay...
Salem woman serving life says addiction to blame for mother’s violent murder
A Salem woman serving life in prison for bludgeoning her mother to death in 2013 wants her story to serve as an example of the horrors of drug addiction, she told a Westmoreland County judge. In a legal appeal, Sarah Vercauteren, 30, contended she received bad advice when she was...
Records will remain sealed in Unity woman’s disappearance
Search warrants related to the disappearance of a Unity woman will remain sealed for the time being, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Thursday. Prosecutors said public disclosure of documents supporting 15 search warrants obtained last year could interfere with the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts and possible death of Cassandra...
Greensburg man’s alleged attempt to avoid taxi fare ends in ride to jail
A Greensburg man’s alleged attempt to stiff a taxi driver out of an $89 fare instead got him a ride to the Westmoreland County Prison on Wednesday. Keith T. Hohman, 29, was charged by city police with theft of services because a cab driver reported Hohman ran out on a...
Ligonier Beach site of Titanic movie filming
No, Ligonier Beach is not open. The shuttered pool, however, has been the site for the last few days of filming for an independent movie about the sinking of the Titanic and its aftermath. The familiar summertime sight of the pool full of water caught some off guard, Ligonier Township...
Mother Nature soaks Greensburg pool’s reopening
Even with a return of a summer-like weather forecast for Friday, when the sun is expected and temperatures could reach into the 70s, there is no guarantee the freshly refurbished Veteran’s Memorial Pool at Greensburg’s Lynch Field will be open. “Believe me, nobody — and I mean no one —...
Lower Burrell man moving closer to priesthood after spending year at Murrysville parish
Mark Dunmire didn’t always want to be a priest, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about it. Now that he’s about to be ordained a deacon, he’s well past the point of accepting a calling that began years ago with a suggestion from his parish priest. Dunmire, 35, of...
Recently released Fayette man accused of threatening witness in theft case
A Fayette County man released from prison last fall is in Westmoreland County prison after allegedly retaliating against a witness to his theft of landscaping equipment in 2016. Justin A. Pirl, 31, of Normalville, was charged Thursday by state police in Greensburg with retaliating against a witness and making terroristic...
Safety program set for Conemaugh River Lake this weekend
A festival to promote outdoor safety and raise awareness about the Conemaugh River reservoir, bordering Indiana and Westmoreland counties, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Conemaugh River Lake, 1665 Auten Road, Conemaugh Township. Tours of the dam, children’s activities, safety demonstrations and a free lunch...
Flood waters trap people in vehicle in Monessen
Emergency responders rescued occupants of a vehicle surrounded by flood waters around midnight Wednesday, according to dispatches from the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Monessen firefighters responded to Graham and Parente boulevards at 11:50 p.m. where about four people were stranded in a vehicle surrounded by flood waters. All...
Western Pennsylvania wrestles with China’s recycling restrictions
The wall that China has built around imported recyclable materials like some plastics and glass is hitting home, as communities around Southwestern Pennsylvania will see costs rise while fewer recyclable materials will be collected. “It’s a national issue. This is a market-driven issue that is affecting everyone,” said Ellen Keefe,...
KKK flag photo prompts calls for Sewickley Township supervisor’s resignation
A Ku Klux Klan flag that hung inside the Sewickley Township public works building at least two years ago created a “hostile work environment” for employees, township officials were told amid calls for the resignation of the roadmaster who also is a township supervisor. Former supervisor Alan Fossi called for...
Driller makes its case for first fracking well in Murrysville
Murrysville residents got a detailed look at the proposed Titan well pad on Wednesday night, during a public hearing before municipal council that will continue next month. Huntley & Huntley Energy Exploration, or HHEX, wants to construct a 350-by-500-foot well pad on a 71-acre property off Bollinger Road in eastern...
Greensburg Salem school board approves ’17th tax hike in the last 19 years’
The Greensburg Salem School Board approved a $47 million budget with a 1.5-mill real estate tax increase this week. The tax hike brings the total millage to 89.72, and will cost the average property owner an extra $25.51. The votes for the budget and the tax increase were both 6-2....
Marco’s Pizza closes, Family Video winding down operations in Latrobe
Marco’s Pizza restaurant in Latrobe closed Monday, and the adjacent Family Video store is set to end operations by the end of June. The phase-out of the two related stores is a result of the sale of the property they share on Depot Street, according to Stephanie Miller, assistant manager...
PennDOT considers traffic signal changes at Route 22 crash site
The state is studying the timing of traffic signals at routes 22 and 819, as well as taking other safety measures, after that area was the site of several crashes, including one fatality earlier this month. PennDOT employees checked the traffic signals at the Salem Township intersection Wednesday after state...
Jeannette man pleads guilty to 30 child porn counts
A Jeannette man will remain on house arrest for the next three months after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of child pornography. But Curtis House, 75, faces a potentially long prison sentence as a result of his plea. “You could spend the rest of your life in jail,” said...
MAWC spent more than $100,000 for tests following Beaver Run Reservoir gas well breach
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County spent more than $100,000 on air and water quality tests conducted in response to gas well breach in late January at Beaver Run Reservoir, officials said. “We will forward those bills to CNX,” authority manager Michael Kukura said. CNX Resources, which operates the 55...
Latrobe-area dispensary opens as legal pot booms
Latrobe and Unity residents will be able to get medical marijuana a lot closer to home beginning Thursday. The Rise dispensary at 117 Beatty County Road in Unity is the third medical marijuana dispensary in Westmoreland County, joining facilities in Greensburg and New Kensington. Things have changed a lot from...
Man convicted in Latrobe drug dealer robbery-turned-homicide files court appeal
A Latrobe man serving up to 20 years in prison for his role in a robbery and murder wants a judge to overturn his third-degree murder conviction. Colin Gearhart, 21, in an appeal filed this week, said evidence used to convict him in a jury trial in March did not...
Greensburg diocese promises ‘full disclosure’ of victim compensation fund at end of process
The Diocese of Greensburg says it will give a full report on its victim compensation fund this summer. The diocese established the fund after last year’s release of the statewide grand jury report detailing allegations of child sexual abuse by priests and coverups by dioceses. While the Archdiocese of Philadelphia...
Hempfield hires 2 new elementary principals
Hempfield Area School District has hired two new elementary school principals. Jeff Kozuch is now principal of Maxwell Elementary School. Lauren Weisser will serve as principal at Stanwood Elementary School. Kozuch and Weisser will be paid about $118,000 per year. Kozuch has been in the Hempfield district for 24 years,...
Cops: Monessen couple abandoned pit bulls for ‘possibly weeks’
A Monessen couple were arraigned Wednesday on animal neglect and cruelty charges after police say they abandoned two pit bulls inside their home without food and water for “possibly weeks.” Daniel W. Brewer, 34, and wife Karen, 33, of Linden Avenue, were charged with two counts each of aggravated cruelty...
West Newton man accused of burglary while on probation
A West Newton man who was on probation was back in jail Tuesday after being accused of breaking into a Sewickley Township beverage shop. State police charged Malcom J. Long, 24, with burglary, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. Long is accused of breaking into Seifert Beverage on West Newton...
