Westmoreland category, Page 9
Ligonier Township supervisors reject fire department zoning change; Country Market still seeks a home
The Ligonier Country Market will need to search for a new home this year now that the Ligonier Township supervisors rejected a request Tuesday from the Waterford Volunteer Fire Department to rezone its property for commercial use. That would have allowed the market vendors to sell their their wares there....
Irwin mom nets prison sentence for leaving 7 kids in dirty home
An Irwin woman was sentenced Monday to serve at least six years in prison for leaving seven children in a home riddled with trash, human waste and no water. Marah S. Urch, 34, pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of child endangerment and two charges of aggravated cruelty to...
Judge denies bond for Connellsville man accused in shooting outside Planet Fitness
A Connellsville man accused of shooting and pistol-whipping his estranged wife’s boyfriend in a gym parking lot will remain jailed pending trial, following a court ruling Tuesday. Steven Heald, 39, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and stalking in connection with the Jan. 13 shooting outside the Planet Fitness...
All 3 Smokey Bones restaurants in Southwestern Pa. close
Three local locations of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill abruptly closed Tuesday. Employees from the barbecue chain’s restaurants in Hempfield, Cranberry and Frazer (within the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex) told TribLive they were informed of the closures without notice Tuesday morning. The chain’s official website also shows the locations...
Police: 68-year-old man swam across Youghiogheny River to avoid arrest
A Sewickley Township man was arrested Monday after state police said he swam across the Youghiogheny River to evade capture, according to court papers. Robert F. Mayfield Jr., 68, was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $5,000 bail on charges of resisting arrest, terroristic threats, criminal mischief and...
Country/pop star LeAnn Rimes to perform as part of Palace Theatre’s centennial galaVideo
Country/pop star LeAnn Rimes will perform a pair of concerts in Greensburg in September, one for Palace Theatre donors and another open to the public. A two-time Grammy Award winner and the youngest solo artist to win a Grammy, Rimes will be in Greensburg for the Palace Theatre’s centennial gala...
Woman struck by car along Woodward Drive walking track in Hempfield
A woman was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital last week after being hit by a vehicle while using Hempfield’s Woodward Drive Walking Track, according to township manager Aaron Siko. State police were called around 2:30 p.m. April 22. The collision happened in a gap where vehicles can cross...
Laurel Highlands stream remains ‘impaired’ with elevated lead levelsVideo
Months after a shooting range was deemed the culprit of lead contamination in a popular Laurel Ridge stream, high levels of the heavy metal still flow through the water despite ongoing remediation. Testing performed this month by the Mountain Watershed Association showed there were 336 micrograms of lead per liter...
North Huntingdon seeks sponsors for ballfield banners
The fields in North Huntingdon’s parks could take on the look of minor league ballparks with banners advertising sponsors’ services. The township is launching a program giving businesses the opportunity to advertise on ballfield fences and other athletic fields, said Lydia Kinkaid, the township’s parks and recreation program coordinator. The...
North Huntingdon therapy collective aims to improve mental health counselors’ working conditions amid rising demands
Jeannette therapist Sarah Ludwig is on a mission to improve mental health counselors’ working environment. Ludwig, 36, has worked for various private therapy practices in her 12 years as a mental health counselor specializing in sexual violence cases. Though she finds the field rewarding, counselors often are burdened with high...
Westmoreland County juvenile detention center doubles capacity to 16 beds
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center has quietly doubled its capacity. Executive Director Rich Gordon confirmed Monday that a long-planned expansion of the program that houses juvenile criminal defendants at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield was launched last month. “We had a group of kids that needed to come...
Theatre Factory to move to New Kensington arts hub; volunteers aim to fill gap in TraffordVideo
After 30 years providing theater opportunities to local actors, the Theatre Factory in Trafford will move into a New Kensington-based arts hub at the end of the summer. Theatre Factory leadership decided last fall it would accept an offer to become the resident theater company for Aluminum City Arts —...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust to recognize 64 high school seniors at ‘Achievement in the Arts’ ceremony
Sixty-four seniors from 16 Westmoreland County high schools will be recognized by the Westmoreland Cultural Trust for their exceptional artistic abilities. The Cultural Trust will host its 28th annual Achievement in the Arts award ceremony on May 13. It recognizes graduating seniors who have excelled in vocal or instrumental music,...
Man charged in connection to Westmoreland jail overdoses granted bail
A New Kensington man awaiting trial on charges that he sold a fatal dose drugs to a Westmoreland County Prison inmate can be released from jail on an unsecured bond, a judge ruled Friday. Davi Javier Roman, 30, was charged last September following a county grand jury investigation into alleged...
Food21 explores building a dairy hub in Western PennsylvaniaVideo
Pittsburgh nonprofit Food21’s mission is to improve the design, operation and regulation of local and regional food economies, and to work to find funding to achieve it. A recent feasibility study commissioned by the group examined ways to establish a dairy processing plant, agricultural research center and demonstration farm, potentially...
Westmoreland happenings: Senior citizen news, doo-wop dance, blood drive, more
Fundraiser Yukon SNPJ Lodge will present the Pittsburgh Belairs with doo-wop oldies from 7 to 10 p.m. May 1 at the Slovenian Hall, 137 Yukon Ave. BYO snacks. Refreshments will be sold. Admission: $10, at the door. Health • Independence Health System Westmoreland will offer wellness check diagnostic screenings by...
Seward man recognized with IUP’s aspiring alumni award
A Seward man was recognized by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania for his involvement in the community. Kamden Boyle, who is pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs from IUP, received the aspiring alumni award from the university during a gala earlier this month. Boyle is a 2024 IUP graduate...
WCCC president: college changes inevitable to achieve improvement
The president of Westmoreland County Community College said Friday continued efforts to improve the college’s educational programs will involve change. “We have to adapt to change,” said Kristin L. Mallory. “We are not going to stay stagnant. We are moving forward.” Mallory, 63, has been president of the 4,000-student community...
North Belle Vernon mechanic to serve prison sentence for bilking clients
A North Belle Vernon mechanic was sentenced Friday to serve up to eight years in prison and ordered to repay 10 former customers nearly $37,000 for work police said he never completed. John Jeffries Jr., 60, pleaded guilty in January to more than 20 counts of theft and deceptive business...
Pair pleads guilty to $4.4M Greensburg Beverage estate theft
Jennifer Knopp knew something was wrong when her $4.4 million share of her mother’s estate never arrived. It wasn’t until she made calls from her Florida home that she learned money accrued over decades through her family’s ownership of Greensburg Beverage had been disbursed as part of a plan she...
Greensburg Salem approves comprehensive plan
Greensburg Salem School Board has approved the district’s latest comprehensive plan — focusing on literacy, engagement, work-based learning and mental health. The state Department of Education requires all 500 of the state’s public school districts to submit a comprehensive plan every three years. Improving early-level literacy rates, boosting engagement among...
Yough School Board fills vacancy left by former member’s resignation
A Sewickley Township father of five has been appointed to the Yough School Board, filling a vacancy and bringing a focus on diverse learning paths for district students. Gary Wetzler, 43, was selected Tuesday during a public special meeting to replace Gregg Nogy, who resigned April 1 after serving multiple...
Greensburg playground declared unsafe
Greensburg officials are working with Seton Hill Child Services on a situation that apparently has left playground equipment unusable. Signs on a fence surrounding what is known as the Taylor Street Playground, or 8th Ward Playground, say the equipment there has been “declared unsafe by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” They...
Westmoreland County’s annual blight summit focuses on ‘Revitalizing Main Street’
The Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and county Land Bank will partner with the Realtors Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and the Mon Valley on May 1 to host the fifth annual Westmoreland County Blight and Revitalization Summit. This year’s theme is “Revitalizing Main Street.” “’Main Street’ is the heart of every...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: April 24-26
The time has come for football madness in Southwestern Pennsylvania. But if you aren’t looking to make the trek to the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, you can still take advantage of a beautiful April weekend. Here are some things to do. Scott Blasey at Live Casino Fans of local favorites...
