Westmoreland category, Page 847
Ligonier endowment grants boost festival, fort, fitness programs
The Ligonier Valley Endowment has awarded four grants totaling $33,250 for the first quarter of 2019, including money to help mark the anniversary of the annual Fort Ligonier Days festival next fall. A $25,000 grant will help Fort Ligonier Days Inc. prepare a special project to celebrate the 60th anniversary...
AHN postpones ceremonial ‘topping off’ of new Hempfield hospital
Construction crews at Allegheny Health Network’s Hempfield hospital postponed a “topping off” ceremony Wednesday because of the snowy weather, so the lifting of the final steel beam at the site of the almost 79,000-square-foot hospital along Route 30 west of Greensburg will have to wait. AHN Hempfild-Neighborhood Hospital is expected...
Hempfield man will attempt to reclaim Recorder of Deeds post
Republican Frank Schiefer will attempt to reclaim the Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds post, a job he lost in 2015. Schiefer, 38, of Hempfield served as Recorder of Deeds from 2012 through 2015, when he was defeated by the man he originally beat four years earlier to win the office....
Rafferty announces run for Westmoreland judge
Jessica L. Rafferty, a lawyer from Unity, has announced she will be a candidate for one of two vacant seats on the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. Rafferty, 38, works as a lawyer with the Greensburg firm of Quatrini Rafferty and focuses her practice on family law and civil...
Westmoreland judge denies bid to have Monessen man’s case dismissed
A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday rejected a defense bid to have the case dismissed against a Monessen man charged with conspiracy in connection with a 2017 shooting. Defense attorney Ryan Tutera argued intentional misconduct by prosecutors caused the premature ending to the attempted murder and conspiracy trial last month of...
I-70 cleared after disabled vehicle snarls traffic
A disabled delivery truck caused major traffic backups on I-70 westbound near the 56 mile marker near New Stanton Tuesday night, according to Westmoreland County 911. The disabled vehicle was originally reported as a crash around 7 p.m., but first responders were unable to find any evidence of one, instead...
I-70 reopens after crash in Hempfield
I-70 westbound was closed for about an hour near the Smithton exit in Hempfield Township after a crash involving a tractor-trailer Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. Dispatchers said a tractor-trailer lost its load around 5:30 p.m., and two other vehicles hit the debris. Nobody was hurt. State police reopened...
Irwin joins other towns in granting tax credits for firefighters, EMS
Irwin has joined the growing list of municipalities giving active volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel a tax break as an incentive to volunteer. Council approved an ordinance last week providing borough residents active in either the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department or EMS the opportunity for a 20 percent...
Greensburg fires longtime city planning director
Barbara Ciampini, who has run Greensburg’s planning and development department for decades, has been fired. Greensburg City Council met Monday in a special session to handle the matter, Mayor Robert Bell confirmed. Council’s decision was unanimous, he said. Bell said he could not immediately discuss the reason for the firing,...
Westmoreland sheriff staffer suspended, accused of working on political campaign at work
An assistant office manager in the Westmoreland County sheriff’s department has been suspended indefinitely without pay based on allegations she worked on a campaign while on the job, according to the county controller’s office. Officials would not publicly comment on the suspension of Tiffany Schomer, but sources at the courthouse...
Hunker-based Bella Terra Vineyards to host grand opening celebration in May
Bella Terra Vineyards is opening a new facility, and to celebrate they have an entire weekend filled with events. Running from May 3-5, the Hunker business is inviting guests to check out their new tasting room, winery and event space, according to a Facebook event. “The new building will be...
Police: 3 charged in robbery plot sought to raise money
An apparent plot to raise money by robbing drug dealers led to the recent arrests of two men in connection with a November shooting in Sutersville that left two injured, according to court documents. Curtis Thomas Everett, 26, of Glassport, and Chad William Wolfe, 34, listed as homeless, are being...
Greensburg man ordered to jail after 3rd drug arrest in 13 months
A third arrest for delivery and possession of a controlled substance in just over a year resulted in a Greensburg man being ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond this week. When acting District Judge Charles Conway saw on a state police complaint filed Monday that Malcolm Massay,...
Weather station in Sewickley Township to help municipal crews, residents
A weather station installed in Sewickley Township will help municipal and emergency management crews make quick location-specific decisions. “During the (weather) event itself, I would be heavily accessing that data,” said Jason Ritchie, a deputy director of the township’s emergency management agency. It’s a tool residents can use, too, to...
Norwin OKs $6.4 million bond issue; restructures administration
Norwin stands to save about $300,000 over the next 11 years by refinancing a $6.6 million debt this month. The Norwin School Board Monday authorized the refinancing of the debt from a 2011 bond issue, a move that will save the district the money because interest rates will be lower...
Westmoreland happenings: Feb. 20 and beyond
Fundraisers • A Mardi Gras party is planned 6-10 p.m March 2 in Level Green Fire Hall, Route 130, Penn Township. There will be dinner, dancing, games, bead and tarot card contests and cash bar. Cost: $30 includes food and beer. Must be 21. Proceeds benefit community projects and charities...
Ligonier chamber seeks volunters to help with expanding events
The Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce is looking for community volunteers to help lend their skills to more than a dozen annual events it organizes. Those interested in finding out more about the events and how they can get involved are invited to attend one of two volunteer open houses,...
Afrofuturism Network founder will speak at Pitt-Greensburg this week
“Afrofuturism” may have been coined as a term in the mid-1990s, but its mark can be seen across the spectrum of black culture over the years. Loosely defined as the intersection of African diaspora culture with modern technology, it could be glimpsed in the out-there jazz and space-age costumes employed...
Greensburg’s Sun Dawg Cafe to expand, add bar this year
Sun Dawg Cafe in downtown Greensburg has big plans for 2019. The Main Street restaurant will expand into the building next door to provide more seating, extended hours and alcohol sales. “Business is actually really good, and we grew right into our space a lot faster than we thought we...
Police: 3 dogs abandoned at Latrobe home after owners move out
Three dogs were rescued last week after apparently being abandoned in a Latrobe home that had been vacant for several weeks, according to police. A neighbor who heard the animals barking inside reported the situation to police Wednesday. Sgt. Joe Angus said officers found feces and urine throughout the Loyalhanna...
Police: Jeannette man involved in chase faces 10 new charges
A 37-year-old man who Greensburg police say led multiple Westmoreland County police departments on a chase between Jeannette and Penn Township, eventually crashing into a utility pole, has been charged with 10 more criminal and traffic complaints. Thomas Campbell, of Jeannette, is being held in the county jail on $75,000...
Police: Parts stolen from new quad at Unity dealership
State police are looking for information about who stole parts from a new quad at a Unity dealership. Troopers said someone broke into Hillview Motorsports overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and took numerous parts off of a new Suzuki quad, according to a news release. Two tools were left behind...
Police: Cow found speared to death in Hempfield TownshipVideo
State police in Greensburg are trying to determine who impaled an Angus cow with a piece of farm machinery and left it to die at a Hempfield farm this month. “We have no leads, but I can tell you that whoever did this was extremely cruel,” Trooper Stephen Limani said...
Westmoreland court offices closed for President’s Day
Westmoreland County court offices will be closed today for President’s Day. The closure includes district courts, the courthouse and other county offices. They will reopen Tuesday....
Sides involved in sale of Rivertowne Pub in North Huntingdon defend transaction
Two people involved in the recent sale of half interest in the former Rivertowne Pub & Grille in North Huntingdon said there is nothing wrong with the transaction, even though the state has been asked to investigate the deal over the amount of real estate transfer taxes. Christian Fyke of...
