Westmoreland category, Page 82
Penn-Trafford student, inspired by 8-year-old cancer survivor, aims to raise $10K for nonprofit
Penn-Trafford sophomore Abby Rayman is on a mission to raise $10,000 to support children diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma. It’s part of a challenge posed by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a national nonprofit with a branch on Pittsburgh’s South Side. As a candidate for the society’s Student Visionary of...
Teen pleads guilty in Arnold street shooting
An Arnold teenager who has been in jail for the past three years as he awaited trial for the attempted murder of five people in 2021 pleaded guilty Monday to lesser charges. Ikquan Hassain Amid Lynn, 18, told a Westmoreland County judge it was in his best interest to admit...
Aide at Quality Life Services accused of stealing patient’s debit card
A traveling health care worker from Louisiana who police said has a history of theft is accused by Washington Township authorities of stealing a debit card belonging to a patient and using it at a grocery store, according to court papers. Family members of the patient at Quality Life Services,...
Westmoreland happenings: Chili cook-off, bingo, Black History Month event, more
Art • The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg, will have a free Sunday Fun Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 as part of its Black History Month celebration. There will be live music, community partner tables, activities and food vendors. Reservations...
Derry nonprofit plans park concerts, looks to boost pool activities, invigorate borough
A group of Derry community boosters wants no moss to grow in Mossback Park, the town’s gathering spot for seasonal festivities. Increasing the number of events at the South Chestnut Street site is one of the goals of the Friends of Derry, a new nonprofit group dedicated to promoting community...
Hempfield park solar power project to be revisited
A proposed solar power project at what is to be Hempfield’s new emergency management headquarters and municipal park was put on hold last week over concerns that federal funding designed to fuel clean energy projects might be in danger because of the actions of the new administration. But that hold...
Historical society marks 65th anniversary of Southern lunch-counter protests
Kelton Edmonds doesn’t just know the history of the “Greensboro Four,” the group of Black freshman students at North Carolina Architectural & Technical State College, who staged the first lunch-counter sit-in protest. He got a firsthand account of it from Jibreel Khazan, who was known then as Ezell Blair Jr.,...
Donegal man accused of scamming insurance companies out of $30,000
A Donegal man faces multiple counts of insurance fraud and theft on accusations that he scammed two insurance companies on separate occasions with false claims totaling more than $30,000. Walter A. Smith Jr., 45, was charged on Friday by the state Attorney General’s Office. Smith faces eight counts of insurance...
Jeannette couple plans to distribute $10K in scholarships through nonprofit
A $1,000 boost from a local nonprofit helped Jeannette native Noah Sanders buy books and pay for student housing at college while he works on a degree in business and finance. A 2024 high school graduate, Sanders is hoping to become an accountant after completing coursework at Defiance College in...
Failing private wastewater treatment prompts $10.8M Donegal Township sewage project
Failing private sewage systems have led to excess levels of ammonia and fecal coliform bacteria in Donegal Township’s Minnow Run. To help clean up that stream, whose waters ultimately wind up in Indian Creek and the Youghiogheny River, the township is preparing to construct its first-ever public sewage system. Tom...
Longtime physical therapy business in Scottdale sold to regional group
George Hoffman can only speculate about how a new ownership group will run his former business, Scottdale Rehabilitation. But he’s pretty sure about one thing — they won’t be making deals with patients where payment comes in the form of a pie or cake. “My wife used to make fun...
Massachusetts man accused of impersonating a police officer in Hempfield during alleged fraud scheme
A man who state troopers said portrayed himself as a Pittsburgh police officer on a Hempfield doorstep Friday morning is behind bars. State police said they were called to a home on Crows Nest Road just before 10 a.m. by a resident who reported a suspicious person knocking on her...
Freeze-thaw cycle wreaks havoc on road surfaces
Greensburg Public Works Director Tom Bell took a good bit of verbal abuse this week about a road he’s not even responsible for maintaining. “Next time, leave your phone number, and I can explain to you why and who maintains that roadway and takes care of those potholes,” Bell wrote...
Experts warn Trump tariffs could depress U.S. economy
Bill Mohler can see hard times coming. Co-owner of Sendell Volkswagen, east of Greensburg, Mohler said President Trump’s expected 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada will have a dramatic impact on his business. “It will mean the price of cars and parts could go up 25%,” Mohler said...
Hempfield woman charged after 7 cats found dead in Unity home
A Hempfield woman is accused by state police of leaving seven cats behind when she moved out of a Unity home, according to court papers. The felines were found dead amid garbage in the apartment after the new owner reported hiring a contractor to clean it out, troopers said. The...
Latrobe Municipal Authority hikes rates, asks customers for voluntary water conservation
Latrobe Municipal Authority customers will see a 50-cent hike in usage and debt service rates beginning Saturday and increases in sewage rates two months later. The authority meanwhile is asking customers to voluntarily conserve water since drought conditions have left levels below normal in its reservoir. A recent spate of...
Greensburg Salem High School students use art, manufacturing skills to honor school board
As Lola Slavnik put the finishing touches on her landscape painting during art class at Greensburg Salem High School, she had no idea her work would be shared with the community. Prints of Slavnik’s painting were among the handmade gifts given to the district’s nine school board members in January...
Latrobe, Mutual Aid officials in talks to return ambulance, crew to city hall
Talks are underway for Mutual Aid EMS to once again house an ambulance and crew at Latrobe’s city hall after the service has been without a station in the city for nearly two years. Mutual Aid moved its equipment and personnel out of bays at the city building in April...
Lifelong Hempfield resident announces run for township supervisor
A lifelong Hempfield resident wants to serve as a township supervisor. In announcing her candidacy, Becky Durbin said she intends to focus on implementing a community alert system, supporting the township’s fire departments and the public works department. It’s important, she said, to maintain green space and make good decisions...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Jan. 31-Feb. 2
After an especially chilly January, we’ll all be waiting with bated breath to see what fate Punxsutawney Phil has in store for us on Sunday. Whether he sees his shadow or not, you can still celebrate like spring is just around the corner with these events. Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Market...
Hempfield family uses cold to make rainbow blocks for front yard igloo
The Szekely family of Hempfield wasn’t about to miss its second chance at building an igloo. “We tried in 2018, but the weather wasn’t cold enough,” said Marta Szekely, who lives with her husband, Matt, and their children near Hempfield Park. There isn’t much traffic in the Szekelys’ neighborhood, but...
Westmoreland Symphony’s ‘Love Stories’ evening features renowned cellist
The Westmoreland Symphony will present a special Valentine’s weekend concert titled “Love Stories” with special guest artist Zlatomir Fung at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Feb. 15. The centerpiece of the evening is Dvořák’s “Cello Concerto in B minor” featuring Fung. “He’s a brilliant cellist and an artist on...
Prosecutors reveal suspected motive for St. Clair mother’s murder
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a long simmering period of discord between a New Florence woman and her mother provided a motive for her killing in late 2023. According to a court filing, investigators believe the Dec. 11, 2023, fatal shooting of 71-year-old Alice Robson was the culmination of years of...
Clairton man nabbed in West Newton drug sting
A Clairton man is behind bars after police said he sold 160 bricks of drugs to a confidential informant in West Newton and took $30,750 to settle drug debts, according to court papers. Ismail A. Hamlin, 28, is facing numerous drug and weapons violations in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties as...
Irwin man who can’t recall killing girlfriend sent to prison for up to 20 years
An Irwin man who has no memory of killing his girlfriend at a Monroeville hotel three years ago will serve at least 71⁄2 years in state prison. Matthew Gribschaw, 40, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in November to third-degree murder for killing Rochella Anderson, 49. On Thursday, Senior Judge Katherine...
