Westmoreland category, Page 90
Solar power battle brewing in North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon could be the site of the next battle over whether a utility-scale solar power farm can be built to comply with municipal zoning ordinances. Bear Park North Huntingdon LLC of Denver is appealing a decision by Thomas McGuire, township zoning officer, denying the solar power company’s request to...
Big Brothers Big Sisters honors strong bonds formed by mentors, youths
Luke Finlay and Jaxon Smartnick may have been born about a quarter of a century apart, but they’re brothers nonetheless. “He’s like the little brother I always wished I had,” Finlay, 32, of Hempfield said of the 8-year-old Greensburg boy he’s mentoring through Greensburg-based Big Brothers Big Sisters of the...
Ligonier area native’s illustrious career complemented by service to community
Ligonier Township native Ralph Kinney Bennett’s work in journalism took him from Greensburg to major newspapers around the nation and a national magazine in a four-decade career — but he never forgot his roots in the Ligonier area. “I just know he loved being a reporter and a writer, and...
Former Greensburg police chief set to be sentenced 1 year after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy
A former Greensburg police chief is set to be sentenced in April after a December hearing was rescheduled. The attorney for Shawn Denning, 43, of Delmont requested more time to prepare for the hearing while in the midst of handling other, unrelated cases, according to court filings this month. The...
Dredging plan to be developed for North Huntingdon lake
North Huntingdon’s Indian Lake Park is in need of cleaning — removing the silt building up in the lake along Clay Pike in the southern end of the township. The North Huntingdon commissioners recently awarded an $18,500 contract to KU Resources Inc. to conduct a survey of the underwater depth...
Resident asks North Huntingdon commissioners to create police oversight committee
A North Huntingdon woman’s proposal for the township commissioners to create a police oversight committee of residents was met with a lukewarm response by township officials. After praising North Huntingdon police officers and North Huntingdon EMS for their response to an emergency involving her son on Christmas Day 2023, Dawn...
Thousands remain without power in Western Pa.
Thousands of people across Western Pennsylvania remained without power Monday afternoon, a day after high winds caused power outages in multiple counties. Late Monday afternoon, Duquesne Light was reporting 6,000 customers without power, according to company spokesman Nick Ruffolo. He said the company sought help from 50 contractors to assist...
Westmoreland happenings: Bingo at civic association
Fundraiser news • Lincoln Heights Civic Association will have bingo from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 2 at the center, 42 Millersdale Road, Hempfield. There will be 20 regular games and five quickies. Payout is 50/50. Free coffee. Cost: 25 cents for a three-card board; $1 for quickies. Submissions from...
Condemned Rivertowne Tavern slated for demolition
The Rivertowne Pub & Grille building along Route 30 in North Huntingdon is going to be demolished next year, six years after its owner filed for bankruptcy and closed the tavern and more than three years after the township condemned the building as unsafe and uninhabitable. North Huntingdon has advertised...
Extending sewage to Crabtree would need approval from Hempfield, Salem and Unity
There’s been talk of providing sewage to the Crabtree area for about two decades. The topic came up earlier this month when Salem supervisors discussed a study that explores how to bring public sewage to the neighborhood, which includes parts of Salem, Unity and Hempfield townships. Most residents of the...
Salem residents want proper permits, enforcement for concrete plant
On Dec. 18, Salem Township supervisors voted to approve the development of a storage yard and concrete batch plant for Daniels Concrete on Route 819, according to their meeting agenda. The problem with that, according to neighboring residents, is owner Jim Daniels already has developed the property and has been...
Bird count helps mark the impact of a changing climate
Walking along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on Saturday morning, counting the birds flying around the woods of the Saltsburg and Slickville areas, Alex Busato said the tally serves a larger purpose than just counting birds one day in the winter. The Christmas Day bird counts in some sections of Westmoreland...
Christmas tree, string light recycling benefits environment, coats for kids project
Live Christmas trees can serve a new purpose when the holiday season is over through recycling at one of several drop-off locations in Westmoreland County. The trees are typically chipped into mulch and returned to nature and used to beautify community parks, said Michael Skapura, executive director of the Westmoreland...
North Irwin seeks to join county SWAT
Like its neighbors of Irwin and North Huntingdon, North Irwin wants to join Westmoreland County’s Special Weapons and Tactics team to provide quicker response in times of emergencies, a borough official said. “If there is ever an emergency requiring SWAT services, it would make sense to have that offered locally,...
Latrobe father in ‘prison of grief’ after son’s drug overdose, he tells judge at drug dealer’s sentencing
Robert J. Verscharen helped his mother pick out flowers every spring and summer and hang suet cakes for birds in the fall. Now, Carole and Robert S. Verscharen mourn their son daily, after he died from a drug overdose nearly four years ago. “I continue to talk with him now...
Extending a life story: Westmoreland coroner’s office joins effort to encourage organ donation
Even though her father isn’t a phone call away anymore, Cassidy Gamble knows his kind nature is still making an impact on others. James Forish became a tissue donor after his Aug. 1 death, allowing his life to continue on in a different sort of way, helping to heal others....
Strong business community, ‘entertailing’ help downtown Irwin thrive
When Irwin native Camille Kovach was looking to move her bookstore from its location in Murrysville this year, she said she never considered moving anywhere but downtown Irwin. Such was her desire to place Completely Booked in downtown Irwin that Kovach leased a storefront on Western Avenue at the bottom...
Taekwondo instructor, federal land specialist considers himself a lifelong student
By day, Jeff Horneman helps protect federal land against encroachment as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. By night, he helps young people learn to protect themselves as a taekwondo instructor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge. “We’re teaching kids discipline and how to grow mentally,” Horneman...
Monessen native hosts peace conference as Rotary International president
Smile. You’re promoting peace. “It is such a simple thing that we can all do,” Monessen native Stephanie Urchick said. “When you smile at somebody, you acknowledge they exist. You’re recognizing their humanity.” Plus you’re likely to receive one in return. As the 2024-25 president of Rotary International, leading 1.4...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Dec. 27-29
We’re in that weird inter-holiday period where time has no meaning and everything is snacks. So maybe it’s a good idea to get out of the house for a few hours. Try out some of these events to brighten up your weekend. Eaglemania Dedicated Eagles fans will appreciate this dedicated...
Westmoreland happenings: AARP tax services, meeting, more
Meeting • Westmoreland Garden Council, formerly known as the Greensburg Garden Center, will meet at 11 a.m. Jan. 7 at the center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. A light lunch will be served. Public welcome. Bring a friend. Officers will be installed and a drawing for a week in Williamsburg...
From triumph to tragedy: What a year it was in Westmoreland County
The happenings of the last 12 months in Westmoreland County will be relegated to history and some of them are touchstones that will be long remembered. About 60 miles northwest of Greensburg in Butler County, soon-to-be President Donald J. Trump was grazed by a bullet at the start of a...
Greensburg church volunteers dish out, deliver hundreds of Christmas meals to those in need
Lisa Reynolds didn’t think twice when asked by a family friends to give up her Christmas morning make sure those in need had a holiday meal. Reynolds, of Bell Township, was among the dozens of volunteers at the First Presbyterian Church in Greensburg who cooked the food, packed boxes and...
Police, coroner say weekend deaths of Manor couple was murder-suicide
A husband and wife died Sunday evening in a murder-suicide in Manor, police said. The wife, Theresa Day, 51, was found dead inside her Frederick Drive residence around 6:20 p.m. as a result of a gunshot wound and her husband, Jeffrey Day, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said...
Former FedEx driver charged with theft after Greensburg-area deliveries go missing
A Greensburg man is charged with stealing a phone that he was supposed to deliver while working for FedEx. State police filed theft-related misdemeanor charges against 29-year-old Mohammad Hat Alshamasin following a sting operation they set up after several Greensburg-area residents reported they didn’t receive electronics Alshamasin was expected to...
