Westmoreland category, Page 808
Monessen woman, 96, honored on Mother’s Day with high school diploma from 1941
Ethel Safo Peshok always encouraged her children to pursue education. On Sunday, her friends and family joined to honor the lessons the 96-year-old Monessen woman imparted to them. As a special Mother’s Day surprise, they arranged for her to receive the high school diploma she sacrificed 78 years earlier when...
Man injured when skid loader overturns in Penn Township
A man was injured Sunday afternoon in Penn Township when a skid loader overturned and trapped him. The incident happened just before 2:30 p.m. in the 7000 block of Pleasant Valley Road, just off Route 130, a dispatcher said. The man was transported to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, a Westmoreland...
Hempfield eyes future as ‘destination community’ through redevelopment
While officials work to steer development in Hempfield, they want to maintain some of the charm from the once-sprawling farming landscape when miles of grain fields and pastures were dotted by small patch towns. Years of commercial and residential development has permanently altered much of that landscape, large swaths of...
Q&A: Westmoreland GOP commissioner candidates address issues
Seven Republicans are seeking two nominations this month to run this fall for Westmoreland County commissioner. Democratic incumbents Gina Cerilli and Ted Kopas are unopposed this spring. Incumbent Republican Charles Anderson announced earlier this year he is not running for a third-full term in office and will retire a year’s...
Crowded GOP field looking to survive primary, reclaim majority on Westmoreland commissioner board
When Republicans in 2011 won the party’s first majority on Westmoreland County’s Board of Commissioners in more than 60 years, it appeared the GOP was finally ready to take over the political landscape at the top of county leadership. But Democrats took back control of the board four years later....
Pioneering woman addresses Seton Hill commencement
Sister Donna Markham, the first woman to serve as president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, served as the featured speaker Saturday for Seton Hill University’s undergraduate commencement exercises. Markham received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the ceremony in the Salvitti Gymnasium at the McKenna Center on the...
North Huntingdon woman celebrates first Mother’s Day – times 3
Nina Juricich has spent most of her life preparing to be a mother — but nothing could have prepared her for this. The new mother had triplets Thanksgiving Day and will celebrate her first Mother’s Day pushing a triple stroller. “It’s overwhelming at times,” she said. “The older that they’re...
Southmoreland High School prom 2019
Southmoreland High School had its prom Saturday night. Here is a photo gallery of the highlights from the grand march....
Westmoreland seniors continue to test their mettle at annual games
The 2019 Westmoreland County Senior Games got underway last week for the 36th year. Activities will run through Friday at Mammoth Park and other locations. The theme is “Bring a Friend for Fun and Fitness.” Anyone age 50 or older can participate. The goal of the annual event, coordinated by...
Saint Vincent grads hear from decorated veteran, Pro Bowl Steeler Alejandro Villanueva
They came from far and near. Parents, grandparents, friends and siblings in a variety of family sedans, hybrids, mini-vans and luxury vehicles began to arrive at Saint Vincent College just outside of Latrobe on Saturday morning in a line of traffic that snaked slowly through the leafy college campus with...
CMU, North Huntingdon to join in Route 30 study to improve mobility
What can be done to improve traffic flow while ensuring safety through North Huntingdon’s main east-to-west thoroughfare — Route 30? As PennDOT plots major safety improvements for the corridor from Irwin to North Versailles, North Huntingdon joins forces with two Carnegie Mellon University research institutes to determine innovative ways to...
Fire guts popular Greensburg restaurant
Fire gutted a popular Greensburg restaurant early Saturday morning. Dispatchers said volunteer firefighters were called to Bean & Baguette at 248 West Otterman St. at 4:16 a.m. Saturday for a fire in progress. Owner Alexis Bevan said firefighters told her an electrical fire sparked the blaze that tore through the...
Cheerleaders will take over Latrobe basketball game to help animal groups
High school students from Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley will face off for a good cause May 17 in a role-reversal basketball game in the Greater Latrobe Senior High main gym. For the “Playing for Paws” game, cheerleaders will become players and players will serve as cheerleaders. Doors open at...
Police: Latrobe students use vape pens to smoke marijuana
Latrobe police are warning parents after some Greater Latrobe School District students were taken to the hospital for allegedly using vape pens, also known as e-cigarettes, to smoke marijuana, said police Chief John Sleasman. “We believe that marijuana is of a very high potency level,” Sleasman said. “The system or...
Norwin High School Prom
Norwin High School had its prom Friday night. Here is a photo gallery of the highlights....
Greater Latrobe Senior High School Prom
Greater Latrobe Senior High School had its prom Friday night. Here is a photo gallery of the highlights from the grand march....
Hempfield area roads to be repaved in $1.8 million project
Several Hempfield area roads will soon have a new face thanks to a $1.8 million project, said township Manager Jason Winters. Expected to start mid-summer, the project will address roads around the Berger Plan, Lexington Acres and near Luxor, Midway and Tanglewood and the Union Cemetery. Crews will replace stormwater...
Greensburg Salem High School prom 2019
Greensburg Salem High School had its prom Friday night. Here is a photo gallery of the highlights from the grand march....
Unity hearing spotlights vehicle emissions debate
A standing-room-only crowd gathered Friday morning to hear lawmakers, state officials and industry representatives debate the future of vehicle emissions testing at a hearing of the state Senate Transportation Committee in Unity. Officials from the Department of Environmental Protection and PennDOT argued federal regulations prohibit Pennsylvania from making major changes...
Unity adds $105K to public works garage project, awaits new trusses
Unity Township Supervisors this week approved more than $105,000 in extra construction on the township’s replacement public works garage. But major work on the building was on hold pending replacement of roof trusses that collapsed in two stages after they were installed last month. The building is being erected on...
Cops: Ligonier woman arrested hours after heroin OD victim resuscitated
Hours after Mutual Aid Ambulance paramedics resuscitated a Ligonier Township woman from a suspected heroin overdose Thursday, Ligonier police acquired a search warrant and arrested a 37-year-old woman for allegedly supplying the drugs, according to court documents. Robin D. Gowin was arrested after Sgt. James Friscarella and police dog Kilo...
Derry Area School Board eyes 2.8-mill tax hike
Kevin Liberoni was the sole school board member to vote against Derry Area School District’s tentative 2019-20 budget of just under $37.7 million, citing opposition to a proposal to raise property taxes to 90.6 mills. That 2.8-mill hike would cost the average residential property owner an additional $34.16. “Somebody has...
West Newton Avenue of Flags on display for 25th year
Volunteers on Friday helped assemble the 25th annual West Newton Cemetery Avenue of Flags, a Memorial Day tradition. More than 350 full-sized flags are given by a family member in honor of a local veteran who has passed away. About 40 students from the Yough High School student council, along...
Delmont man gets prison time for molesting girl
A Delmont man will serve up to 10 years in prison for sex crimes against a girl. Alberto Marton, 46, pleaded guilty Friday to 10 charges related to the sexual assaults of a now 13-year-old girl who claimed she was repeatedly molested for nearly two years. Police said Marton repeatedly...
Monessen mayor’s absence prompts call for law change to boot AWOL elected officials
The prolonged absence of Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw has prompted a proposal to change the Pennsylvania constitution to allow the removal of elected municipal officials for lack of attendance at public meetings. “For more than a year, the Monessen mayor has not attended city council meetings. Local government cannot operate...
