Westmoreland category, Page 813
Police: Seward man tried to steal money from mom’s flower shop
A 33-year-old man broke into his mother’s flower shop in Bolivar to steal money from a safe, Pennsylvania State Police said. The son of the owner of K&K Flowers was arrested late Sunday by state troopers, according to court documents. Chad E. Botteicher, 33, of Seward was arraigned Monday on...
Nemacolin Woodland Resorts plans ‘extravaganza’
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is extending the Fourth of July celebration, with an “Americana Extravaganza” set for July 6 at the Farmington, Fayette County, site. Planned are carnival games, crafts and face-painting for kids of all ages. According to event planners, the 6 p.m.-midnight event will include more than 10 acts...
Hempfield Area School Board member submits resignation
Voters will see a few more candidates on Hempfield’s school board ballot in November after current member Chris Rossman submitted his resignation Monday night. Rossman, who was not immediately available for comment, submitted his resignation because he is being relocated for his job, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. The resignation will...
Interstate 70 crash caused delays to Tuesday morning commute
A minor crash Tuesday morning on Interstate 70 westbound in South Huntingdon Township caused traffic backups. A Westmoreland 911 dispatcher said the crash happened at the Yukon exit at 8 a.m. There were no injuries reported. Traffic was moving freely by about 10 a.m., according to a PennDOT traffic map....
Franklin Regional school board awards $48.62 million in contracts for Sloan project
After three years of planning, multiple town hall meetings and mounting opposition from residents, Franklin Regional school board members this week agreed to spend $48.62 million for the Sloan school project. The board voted 8-1 to award bids for renovating Sloan Elementary School and converting it into a lower elementary...
Thief pepper sprays Unity man as he to stop car break-in, police say
A Unity Township man was pepper-sprayed in the face and eyes late Sunday night as he attempted to stop a man from breaking into his vehicle. State police charged Christopher W. Reynolds, 37, of Blairsville, with five counts each of theft from a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and loitering/prowling...
Several Westmoreland County school districts replacing artificial turf
The turf’s up at four Westmoreland County school districts — Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Norwin and Penn-Trafford — and being installed at Jeannette. Shaw Sports Turf of Calhoun, Ga., has removed artificial turf from stadiums at Norwin, Greensburg Salem and Penn-Trafford and will have the fields ready by the time...
New York woman says PA troopers conducted improper search of vehicle, wants criminal charges dismissed
A lawyer for a New York woman arrested near Donegal following a traffic stop last year on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in court Monday claimed an improper search of her vehicle led to the discovery of $500,000 of heroin stashed in a hidden compartment. Defense attorney Komron Jon Maknoon said police...
3 injured in Route 22 crash
Three people were transported to area hospitals following a head-on, two-car crash Monday afternoon on Route 22 in Salem. A Westmoreland 911 supervisor said the crash happened around 5:15 p.m. along westbound Route 22, just east of its intersection with Route 819. Forbes Road VFD Chief Bob Rosatti said a...
Driver gets probation, house arrest for crash that killed Washington Township fireman
An East Huntingdon man will serve five years on probation for causing a fatal three-vehicle crash two years ago that killed a Washington Township firefighter. Andrew Davidovich Jr., 21, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of involuntary manslaughter and other related offenses for the June 9, 2017, crash on Route 66...
Latrobe medical marijuana dispensary hosting open house
Wondering what a medical marijuana dispensary looks like? RISE Latrobe, which is slated to open Thursday, will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The public can tour the dispensary and speak with staff members at the site, 117 Beatty County Road, Unity Township. Part of RISE...
Second woman accuses Diocese of Greensburg priest of abuse
A second woman has come forward to accuse Monsignor Michael Matusak of sexual abuse, her attorney said. The woman said she was abused from 1973 to 1976 while Matusak was a deacon at St. Hedwig Parish, Smock, and after his ordination to the priesthood, said her attorney, Adam Horowitz of...
Officials respond to person trapped under tractor
Officials responded to a person trapped under a farm tractor in Derry Township Monday evening, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. When first responders arrived at Cannery Hollow Road around 4:45 p.m., the person was already out from underneath the tractor. His condition was not immediately available. The Derry...
Greensburg woman accused of DUI after being found passed out in running car
A Greensburg woman was under the influence of Suboxone and marijuana when she was found passed out in her car with an infant strapped in a car seat at a New Alexandria convenience store late Saturday, state police allege in court documents. Chelsey L. Persin, 35, of Greensburg, was arraigned...
Hutchinson teen identified as victim of fatal Sewickley Township crash
Counselors will be available at Yough Senior High School after a student died in a crash over the weekend in Sewickley Township. Graydon Hoffman, 14, died Saturday at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from injuries he sustained in the crash, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner confirmed Monday. State police said...
Greensburg to spend $300,000 grant on street improvements
Greensburg will spend nearly $300,000 fixing up city streets using state and federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant. For the last several years, the city has regularly received yearly CDBG grants, each between $250,000 and $300,000. Council allocated the funds to street improvements and blight removal as part...
Greensburg Fire Department installs two more mini food pantries
Almost as soon as the plastic box appeared in the parklet on South Pennsylvania Avenue, donors filled it with food and toiletries for those in need. “The next day I stopped and it was three-quarters of the way full, and has maintained that level ever since,” said Rick Steele, president...
Driver reportedly injured in Mt. Pleasant Township crash
The driver of a minivan was reportedly injured Monday when she failed to negotiate a sharp curve along Route 981 in the Mt. Pleasant Township village of Trauger and went over an embankment, emergency officials reported. The accident occurred at 10:09 a.m. at the intersection of Route 981 and Dutch...
Greensburg man claims he was ‘just joking’ when he pulled gun on store clerk
A Greensburg man who claimed to be joking when he pulled a gun on a store clerk Friday is behind bars on a robbery charge. Police identified a male suspect who tried to rob the Dollar General store on South Main Street as Brandon Joseph Giron, 19, by watching surveillance...
New contract approved for Jeannette’s 3 paid firefighters
A new four-year contract with Jeannette’s three paid firefighters has been approved. The contract, which expires Dec. 31, 2022, calls for an hourly pay increase of 50 cents for each year of the agreement. Council approved the contract last week after the previous agreement expired at the end of 2018....
State police investigating bullet shot into Youngwood home
State police are investigating after a bullet apparently was shot into a Youngwood home, according to a news release issued Monday. The incident happened Tuesday sometime between 7:20 a.m. and 4 p.m. at a South Fifth Street home. Police said the .30-caliber bullet originated from the northeast and entered the...
Appalachian Wagon Train visits Westmoreland County for 50th anniversaryVideo
The 25 covered wagons and buggies traversing the back roads of Westmoreland and Fayette counties this week are powered by oats, so be careful not to step in the exhaust. The horse- and mule-drawn wagons are part of the 2019 Appalachian Wagon Train, an annual weeklong event that is like...
Supporters fear for Keystone Park project, plan informational meeting
Supporters of a project that would extend public sewage service and a recreational trail to Keystone State Park plan to meet next week in an effort to keep the underfunded project from being canceled. The informational meeting, set for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the New Alexandria Community Center,...
Hempfield boy wins Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest
Joseph Bonomo IV’s creativity on an unfamiliar subject netted the Hempfield boy a big honor. An essay he penned about the women’s suffrage movement — from the perspective of a family discussing the matter over Thanksgiving dinner in 1919 — was named the National Society of the Daughters of the...
Police: Greensburg man set fire at his house, went to hotel
A Greensburg man set a fire at his house Saturday evening and then went to stay at a nearby hotel, according to police. Jeremiah Nathanial Morgan, 40, was arrested shortly after firefighters extinguished the flames at his Franklin Drive home. He was arraigned Sunday morning on arson and related charges....
