Westmoreland category, Page 813
Man accused of causing disturbance, fighting with Monessen Police
A 46-year-old Monessen man was accused of fighting with city police, kicking one in the stomach, as he was taken into custody Tuesday when officers responded to a report of a disturbance inside an apartment building. Kyle R. Ross was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, defiant trespass,...
Police conduct active shooter drill at Idlewild
State police and local law enforcement on Wednesday morning conducted an active shooter drill at Idlewild Park in Ligonier Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. Emergency radio reports of a shooter and child abduction at the park were all related to the drill, dispatchers said. The theme park is closed....
North Huntingdon woman’s book inspired by son’s death
A North Huntingdon woman has written a book about miracles from God, inspired by the unexpected death of her son in September 2013. Laurie R. Sweeney is the author of “Have You Found Your Penny,” a book she says has been five years in the making because it was inspired...
Man hit by car in South Greensburg dies; restaurant owner collects donations for reward
The owner of a South Greensburg restaurant plans to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who hit an elderly man outside the establishment almost two weeks ago. Clarence Wolff, 86, of Hempfield died Tuesday at a Pittsburgh-area hospital, according to the Allegheny...
Fire hits house in Derry just before midnight
Multiple fire departments responded to a fire at a house in Derry Borough late Wednesday night. The fire was reported at about 11:55 p.m. at 111 Walters St., according to Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Initial dispatches from the scene said that the occupants of the house escaped the...
Model train tour includes Latrobe, Derry Township stops
Seven stops, three of them new additions, are on the itinerary for the Ligonier Rail Road Association’s May 18 tour of local model railroad layouts. The association operates a rail museum in the restored Darlington Train Station in Ligonier Township. It decided not to hold a tour last year when...
Westmoreland airport director returns home after liver transplant
Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo reached a milestone in his recovery from a liver transplant when he returned to his home in Unity Monday. “It’s nice to be home,” Monzo said via telephone Tuesday afternoon. “Everything’s going good.” Though he is tired, he said, “I’m feeling really...
Sewickley Township man rejects plea deal for rape charges
A Sewickley Township man Tuesday rejected a plea bargain in which he would have received a 20-year prison sentence for the rape of a mentally disabled woman. Wayne Smith, 74, told Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani he would not plead guilty and asked that his case be...
Monessen man offered plea for role in July 2017 shooting in city street
A Monessen man could serve up to six years in prison if he accepts a plea deal for his role in a shootout in which police say he was wounded and more than 20 rounds were fired on a city street. Delaney Huggins, 31, was originally charged with attempted murder...
Trial date set for Jeannette woman accused in boyfriend’s 2016 death
Jury selection for the murder trial of a Jeannette woman accused in the bludgeoning death of her 19-year-old boyfriend will begin May 13. During a brief hearing Tuesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani said Crystal Belle’s first-degree murder trial is expected to take about a week to...
Hempfield Project 18 students to host local election forum Thursday
Project 18 students at Hempfield Area High School are gearing up for a political forum that will host candidates for the upcoming township supervisor and school board elections — a forum students have been preparing for all school year. The class, which teaches high school seniors about state and local...
Man linked to Unity woman’s disappearance facing new charges from jail
Criminal charges continue to pile up against a Unity man who is under investigation in connection with the death of Cassandra Gross, who has been missing for more than a year. State police Tuesday filed two new cases against Thomas Stanko, 48, accusing him of asking a woman to falsify...
Westmoreland County 2019 high school rankings released
The top Westmoreland County high school ranked 63rd among public schools in Pennsylvania, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine did not provide specific rankings for schools listed from 516-673. Rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance,...
Public meeting set for adoption of South Greensburg comprehensive plan
Swapping blight for beauty, including through public spaces and building improvements, is a key component for South Greensburg’s future. So are better parks, improved recreation opportunities, restored infrastructure and a revamped and reimagined town center radiating from the intersection of Broad Street and Huff Avenue that draws visitors through arts,...
Donated clothes to help victims of domestic violence, rape
More than 20 boxes filled with newly purchased clothes sat in the basement of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greensburg, a handmade cross carefully placed underneath the clear plastic lid. Five Excela Health emergency room nurses sat to the side, waiting to take the clothes to the system’s three...
Ligonier Valley museums set date for free admission
The history and culture of eastern Westmoreland County will be on display at no charge Sunday as part of the annual Ligonier Valley Free Museum Day. Visitors will be welcomed with free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at six participating museums along the Route 30 and Route 711...
No injuries in Murrysville car-versus-cow crash
No one was injured Monday night when a car driving on School Road South in Murrysville struck a cow, county emergency dispatchers said. That includes the cow. “I believe the cow walked away,” said Murrysville Police Chief Tom Seefeld. However, it is not the first time a motorist has come...
Lymphoma survivor from North Huntingdon raising funds for leukemia society
A North Huntingdon man who recently celebrated one year in remission from lymphoma is raising money for research into fighting blood cancer. Charles Colletti, 53, a business development manager for Touch of Color Flooring, is among a group of 12 candidates — six men and six women — competing for...
5 members appointed to Hempfield’s Public Safety Citizens force
Five Hempfield Township residents were appointed to the newly formed Public Safety Citizens Task Force as supervisors work to make changes to public safety. Greg Saunders, Bovard fire chief; Bill Bretz, a Hempfield Planning Commission member; Linda Ralph, who has experience with municipal contracts; Daniel Mertz, a paramedic; and Roger...
Westmoreland jail guards and staff undergo autism trainingVideo
The ability to recognize symptoms of autism could help guards and staffers avoid potential physical confrontations with inmates who struggle from a disability rather than those who simply misbehave. That was the message relayed over the last two weeks to more than 200 guards and staffers at Westmoreland County Prison...
Westmoreland County visitor center at New Stanton hopes to drive tourism, repeat tripsVideo
Visitors headed north on Route 119 from the New Stanton exits of Interstate 70 or the Pennsylvania Turnpike have enjoyed a choice of coffee, chocolates or both at two businesses where the Garden Center Restaurant once stood. Now they’re able to learn about a host of other choices the area...
Early intervention programs target Westmoreland children in need of help
Born at just over 27 weeks gestation, Victoria Zerlin began life with unusual challenges. She spent her first 80 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, where her parents, both Venezuelans, were living at the time. “When she was discharged from the NICU,...
Former Unity Bible study teacher sentenced after failed attempt to meet boy for sex
A former Bible study teacher who had raised money for a planned church youth mission to Peru was sentenced Monday to two years in jail for a failed attempt to meet a teen boy for sex. Timothy Myers, 34, of Unity pleaded guilty in January to charges of attempted aggravated...
Police: Almost 30 animals rescued from Hempfield home
State police found almost 30 animals living in poor conditions at a Hempfield Township home, officials said. Seven cats, three dogs, 17 fish and a bearded dragon lizard were taken by Westmoreland County Humane Society officers after police said they observed the uncared for animals and piles of fecal matter...
Troopers look to identify woman accused of keying car at Unity Walmart
State police in Greensburg are trying to identity of a woman accused of keying another woman’s car outside Walmart in Unity during a dispute over a parking space. According to Trooper Daniel Poponick, a woman entered the store’s parking lot about 10:50 a.m. Thursday, located a parking space and then...
