Westmoreland category, Page 820
Norwin distinguished alumni to include county commissioner
A Westmoreland County commissioner, a minister, a nursing professor, a local businessman and past and present school administrators will be recognized next month as distinguished alumni of Norwin High School. The six honorees are: Commissioner Ted Kopas, Westmoreland County Community College nursing professor Rebecca Gediminskas, Norwin assistant superintendent Tim Kotch,...
Westmoreland warden wants public apology from Commissioner Gina CerilliVideo
The warden of Westmoreland County Prison on Monday filed a written complaint against Commissioner Gina Cerilli and demanded an apology for comments she made last year in yet another attempt to have him fired, this time following a suspended guard’s suicide. John Walton accused Cerilli of misrepresenting facts associated with...
Ruffsdale market owner meets with Trump to discuss tax reform
Kristen Ranker raised two children as a single mom, worked three jobs at one time to make ends meet, rode her Harley from California to Washington, D.C., to raise funds for veterans and built a successful small business at Schaeffer’s Corner Market in Ruffs Dale. Monday, President Trump got to...
East Huntingdon detour marks start of PennDOT bridge work
Traffic is being detoured on Chaintown Road in East Huntingdon this week, as PennDOT road crews begin the first of three in-house bridge improvement projects this construction season. Others are planned beginning in July in Ligonier Township, and in September in Hempfield. PennDOT hopes by December to complete replacement of...
Westmoreland prison inmate population down
The inmate population at the Westmoreland County Prison on Monday was at its lowest level in more than a year. Warden John Walton told the prison board just 590 inmates were assigned to the jail, down from where it had been just a month ago. The jail averaged 623 inmates...
Judge: No basis to dismiss charges against Sheriff Jonathan Held
The presiding judge in the criminal case against Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held in court documents filed Monday said he found no basis to dismiss public corruption charges in the aftermath of a December mistrial. Senior Common Pleas Judge Timothy Creany in an 11-page opinion said prosecutors presented enough evidence...
Avonmore the only Alle-Kiski town to apply for Westmoreland County blight grants
The first structures to be torn down in Westmoreland County using money from a newly created demolition fund will include a building in Avonmore. “This is needed to remove blight and create economic impact,” Jason Rigone, director of Westmoreland County’s planning department, said of the new fund. In addition to...
Union Trust building upgraded after estate planning donation
A North Huntingdon woman who died in 2016 left $75,000 to the Westmoreland Cultural Trust in her will, one of the first major donations left to the nonprofit organization from estate planning. Funds donated by Linda Whitehead, who died Jan. 14, 2016, were used to upgrade to Union Trust building...
Seton Hill to host Greensburg Big Table Discussion
The Seton Hill University community and Greensburg area civic leaders will gather Wednesday evening for a “Big Table Discussion,” at the university’s hilltop campus. The event, designed to explore new ways to create a strong and connected community, is among scores of such Big Table discussions that businesses, organizations and...
Westmoreland Historical Society looking for antique vendors
The Westmoreland Historical Society is looking for vendors for the 46th annual Antiques and Collectibles Sale at Historic Hanna’s Town. Held the second Sunday of each month from May to October, vendors have the opportunity to sell antique, vintage and one-of-a-kind items at the Greensburg area sale. Vendor spots cost...
Income tax filing extension can delay inevitable for 6 months
Can’t file your income tax return by Monday’s deadline? Applying for an extension is not that hard. But bear in mind, that the extension is for the time needed to file a return, not to delay the paying of any tax that is owed. Paying the tax without the requisite...
Mill Creek Bridge reopened to traffic in Ligonier after year-long project
The long-awaited North Market Street bridge project, which spans Mill Creek in Ligonier Township, was reopened to traffic on Friday, but is still awaiting one more step until it is officially complete, according to PennDOT District 12. The bridge along Route 711 north of Ligonier was replaced as part of...
Police: Derry mayor pointed gun at juveniles in park after fight involving his son
A playground argument over a marker Sunday night led to the mayor of Derry Borough pointing a gun at four children in a park, according to state police. Kevin M. Gross, 38, took a loaded revolver to the park near his Broad Street home just before 8:30 p.m. after his...
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg celebrates President Sharon SmithVideo
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg students, faculty and staff gathered this week for a surprise celebration for retiring school President Sharon Smith, who has held office since 2007. Greeted by the campus mascot, Bruiser the Bobcat, Smith was led into the dining hall to meet cheering friends, family members and...
Car crash in Ligonier leads to road closure, power outage
An unresponsive person had to be pulled out of a pickup truck as a result of crashing into a pole and overturning into Mill Creek in Ligonier that also caused a road closure and led to power outages in the area on Sunday. The crash occurred around 6:45 p.m. on...
Public hearing scheduled to discuss flood plan for Westmoreland County
A detailed blueprint to reduce flooding throughout Westmoreland County is expected to be approved next month by county commissioners. A public hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. May 3 at the courthouse to discuss the Integrated Water Resources Plan, a document that outlines a growing concern about flooding related...
Preacher uses sign language to teach Biblical concepts at Mt. Pleasant libraryVideo
Communicating with his hands is second nature to Christian Garcia. So is preaching. Put them together, and a unique skill set emerges: helping the hearing impaired understand Biblical concepts they may have never learned before. “I just want to teach people about God’s love for them,” said Garcia, assistant pastor...
Greater Latrobe high school eyes project-based learning classes
Greater Latrobe Senior High School students will learn two skill sets at once in a pair of proposed mash-up courses with a cross-curricular reach. The school board on Tuesday will consider adding six courses for the 2019-20 school year — including “Astronomy With English” and “Current Issues With Statistics,” each...
Body of man, 61, missing since Tuesday found in river near Monessen
The body of a man missing since Tuesday was found Saturday morning in the Monongahela River near the Donora-Monessen Bridge in Westmoreland County, the office of the coroner said. Lonzo Gardner, 61, of Monessen, was found by a dive team about 11:45 a.m., said Kenneth Bacha, Westmoreland County’s coroner in...
Greensburg march raises awareness about domestic, sexual violenceVideo
State Rep. Eric Nelson has four daughters, and he’s pretty sure all of them placed bets on when he’d take a spill during Saturday’s “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event, hosted by the Blackburn Center in Greensburg. “Let’s hope 10 minutes is enough to get me prepared,” Nelson said...
Former Mafia boss talks mob, faith ahead of Greensburg prayer breakfast
Michael Franzese traded the feared title “caporegime” of New York City’s Colombo crime family for motivational speaker, husband, father and — importantly — follower of Christ. “God had a different plan and purpose for me,” Franzese told the Tribune-Review. “To say that I’m blessed is kind of an understatement.” Blessing...
Rolling Rock Hunt to host Hunter Pace in LigonierVideo
Rolling Rock Hunt plans to host a May 18 hunter pace that it hopes will become an annual event at a farm off of Route 711 in Ligonier Township. A group including huntsman Sam Clifton, Stewart Burkland and a small crew of volunteers, has been working to build a three-...
By-the-numbers look at Westmoreland County courts in 2018
Criminal and civil cases filed and closed in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court decreased last year. Officials have published the annual comprehensive report detailing court activity in 2018. Numbers reveal that while the court remains busy, there was a drop off. In criminal court, the number of new cases dropped...
Model planes signal approach of Westmoreland air show
Members of the Laurel Highlands Model Airplane Club arranged a display of model planes Friday at Greensburg’s East Pittsburgh Street Shop ‘n Save supermarket. It’s the second year for the display, which promotes the Westmoreland County Airshow that the grocery chain sponsors. This year’s models are based on World War...
Babysitter involved in 2016 shooting death of Mt. Pleasant teen gets paroled
Mark Gustafson didn’t want to hear that the woman who gave a teen access to the gun used to kill his 13-year-old son was ready to go home after spending just more than 10 months behind bars. “The family feels that 9-1/2 to 11-1/2 months is not enough time. She...
