Westmoreland category, Page 96
Westmoreland commissioners, row officers to receive 3.4% raises in 2025
Westmoreland County’s elected officials will again receive raises in 2025. The commissioners and row officers are slated to see their paychecks jump next year by nearly 3.4%, nearly mirroring the hikes received this year and once again prompting one official to call for a cap on future raises. “This is...
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas programs, makers market, theater, more
Christmas events • Cook Township Community Center will host a free opportunity for children to meet Santa Claus at 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at the center, 1698 State Route 711. There will be photo ops with Santa with backdrops, a cookie-decorating station, and free cookies and hot chocolate. • The...
What to know about sinkholes amid fears a Unity woman fell into one
Authorities fear a grandmother from Unity who disappeared while looking for her cat may have been swallowed by a sinkhole. Crews searching for Elizabeth Pollard, 64, learned Wednesday morning that they have to switch up their tactics after the integrity of the mine where they’ve been digging is being compromised....
‘It’s been difficult:’ Unity sinkhole rescue effort turns into recovery missionVideo
Efforts to rescue a woman believed to have been swallowed by a sinkhole in Unity have turned into a recovery mission, authorities said Wednesday evening, as first responders believe the chances of finding Elizabeth Pollard alive are slim. After nearly two days of nonstop efforts to locate Pollard, involving volunteers...
DEP suspects Unity sinkhole caused by abandoned mine
The Unity sinkhole investigators suspect a woman fell into late Monday could be the result of an abandoned mine, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety was dispatched to Unity’s Marguerite Road early Tuesday. Upon initial review, officials suspect the sinkhole was caused...
Greensburg Salem approves $68K contract to upgrade sound systems in high school gym, auditorium
Greensburg Salem will spend nearly $68,000 to upgrade sound systems in the high school gym and auditorium. The current systems are antiquated and unreliable, Superintendent Ken Bissell said. “There are times where kids onstage are singing or saying their lines and it cuts out,” Bissell said of the auditorium system....
Search and rescue teams gain access to mine where Unity woman fell down sinkhole, fresh crew arrivesVideo
The search for a woman suspected of falling down a sinkhole in Unity on Monday evening continued under floodlights late Tuesday, with authorities vowing to keep looking for her underground until she is found. Search and rescue personnel gained access to a mine believed to have caused the sinkhole Tuesday...
Monongahela Rye, Jasper’s Stash and White Rye among spirits offered at West Overton Village holiday market
Seasonal shopping in historic surroundings awaits visitors to the Holiday Markers Market Saturday and Sunday at West Overton Village along Route 819 in East Huntingdon. Admission is free to browse among a different selection of 30 craft vendors featured each day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The setting is...
Dick’s to bring House of Sport concept to Westmoreland Mall
A Dick’s House of Sport planned for the vacant Sears spot at Westmoreland Mall would be the second House of Sport concept store in the Pittsburgh region. It also follows a trend as malls evolve to remain relevant in the wake of the collapse of former retail giants like Sears....
Delmont will lower Athena Drive speed limit to 25 mph
Delmont will officially lower the speed limit on Athena Drive to 25 mph. Council voted 6-1 at its November meeting to reduce the top speed on the stretch of Athena between Freeport Street and the borough line just north of Park Drive. Council President Andy Shissler voted no. Athena is...
Ohio man pleads guilty to stalking of Flyleaf singer
An Ohio man jailed since May after he was accused of stalking a singer at her Murrysville home was paroled Monday after he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges. Anthony A. Carpenter, 44, of Rutland, Ohio, had been in jail without bond for more than six months after he was...
Bolivar man pleads guilty to arson, insurance fraud
A Bolivar man serving a 20-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a child pleaded guilty Monday to burning a vehicle for insurance money in a separate case. Jerry Allen Boring, 60, was ordered to serve a concurrent one- to two-year prison sentence and an additional year on parole...
Westmoreland officials announce pursuit of conference center for county
A decade after the shuttering of a hotel in Hempfield that functioned as Westmoreland County’s de facto convention center, local officials said it’s time to consider a replacement. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced Monday it has launched a $25,000 study to explore the potential construction of a convention...
Happy Hour, exotic animals join Light Up, Holly Jolly celebrations in Latrobe
Latrobe’s holiday season will kick off on Thursday with Light-Up festivities and a Holiday Night Market. Then, on Dec. 7, the town’s annual Holly Jolly event will return with games, crafts and a day filled with live music and entertainment. Set for 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Latrobe, Thursday’s...
Penn Township residents raise concerns over proposed zoning changes
Paul Bush moved to Penn Township three decades ago for the quiet, rural environment. But as the Pennsylvania Turnpike plans a new interchange in Penn Township and township officials weigh proposed zoning changes aimed at encouraging economic development, Bush is worried the community will lose its peaceful atmosphere. “The existing...
Mt. Pleasant area family racking their way to pool championships
The family that shoots pool together stays together, according to the Barnharts of Mt. Pleasant. The Barnhart family — Roy Barnhart, 76, his son, Kevin, 51, and his grandson, Kevin Jr., 23 — are an integral part of the eight-member Bridgeport Rack Runners team in Bullskin, Fayette County. Their squad...
1st day of deer rifle season is busy for some deer processors, not so much for others
Mike Galup has hunted with his grandfather since he was a kid, and this year, was no exception. Galup, 29, of West Deer, and Matt Ciocca, 85, were up at 5 a.m. and in the woods an hour later on Saturday — the first day of rifle season — to...
Small Business Saturday fosters community, local sales in Irwin
Small Business Saturday is Tracy Alaia’s favorite day of the year. “It’s so nice to see the community out and about supporting all of these great small businesses,” said Alaia, 52, of Level Green, who owns Feathers Gift Shop in Irwin. Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday...
Jeannette art gallery to host exhibit honoring retired Seton Hill professor
Jeannette art gallery You Are Here’s next exhibit holds professional and personal meaning for co-owner Jen Costello. The exhibit features work created by former students and friends of Maureen Kochanek, who retired from Seton Hill University this year after 42 years teaching art history. “I had Maureen as a professor...
Former Meier & Sons Hardware building to get 2 new tenants
John Meier & Sons Hardware in Murrysville was filled with tools from 1953 until its closing in 2022. Soon, it will be filled with tools for self-defense and improved physical performance. The Murrysville branch of ATA Martial Arts, and Gallagher Performance will be the new tenants following a building-wide remodel...
3 businesses debut in Westmoreland County — mobile gaming, custom framing, barbershop
For Joe Perriello, opening a mobile video game business is the perfect mesh of work and family. In January, Perriello of Penn Township will launch Rolling Video Games PGH — a 25-foot trailer decked out with seven TVs and 10 gaming consoles that can be transported to children’s birthdays, graduation...
‘It keeps my brain sharp’: 88-year-old Norwin library staffer reflects on decades-long career
At 88, Marge Vessalo could have been retired decades ago. But the North Huntingdon resident has no plans to give up her one-day-a-week job at the Norwin Public Library in Irwin. “Retire from the library? Probably never. I think that it is good for the brain,” said Vessalo, who started...
Where’s Legion Keener Park? New sign points the way in Latrobe
Latrobe’s Legion Keener Park is no longer a hidden gem of the community. Officials this week unveiled a new illuminated sign that points the way for visitors to reach the park and adjacent Memorial Stadium — by turning right from Jefferson Street onto Chestnut Street. “It’s something we’ve needed for...
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas greens sale, music concerts, senior citizen news, more
Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren will host a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St., Southwest Greensburg. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver....
Doubling real estate transfer tax in Latrobe would hurt 1st-time buyers, Realtors say
Real estate agents say Latrobe’s proposal to double its real estate transfer tax, to 1%, would create an undue burden for first-time homebuyers looking to settle in the city. Justin Capouellez, government affairs director for the Realtors Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and the Mon Valley, told city council this week...
