Greensburg Salem grad’s life was farming
Robert E. Smith Jr. operated a dairy farm in Salem Township at a time when family-owned farms were common. As many as 20 dairy farms dotted the region, but now the number is closer to five. The well-known struggles of dairy farmers concerned Smith, who operated Lone Star Dairy for...
Norwin faces possible $1 million budget deficit
Norwin school officials are facing a possible $1 million deficit when they tackle the 2019-20 budget this spring, even if taxes are raised about 2.4 mills, the maximum the state will allow. The school board is expected to consider a resolution Monday that will put a cap on any real...
Border Patrol arrests 376 who dug under barrier in Arizona
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — A group of 376 Central Americans was arrested in southwest Arizona, the vast majority of them families who dug short, shallow holes under a barrier to cross the border, authorities said Friday. The group dug under a steel barrier in seven spots about 10 miles east...
PPG reaches $7.65 million health-benefit settlement with union retirees
A settlement between PPG and retirees from 13 of its facilities, including those from Springdale, Creighton, Ford City and Greensburg will mean an additional $7.65 million in medical benefits and continued health care coverage. A group of retirees filed suit against PPG in 2005 on behalf of past, current and...
Facility where comatose woman gave birth faces new complaint
PHOENIX — A long-term care facility where an Arizona woman in a vegetative state was raped and gave birth said Friday that it’s investigating another patient’s allegation of physical abuse. Hacienda HealthCare officials said in a news release that the female patient accused a registered nurse and a certified caregiver,...
Former Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke gets nearly 7 years in prison for killing of Laquan McDonald
CHICAGO — The white Chicago officer who gunned down a black teenager in 2014 was sentenced Friday to nearly seven years in prison, ending an explosive case that was centered on a graphic dashcam video and added fuel to debates about race and policing and law enforcement’s “code of silence.”...
‘Perfect cop’: Thousands mourn rookie California officer
DAVIS, Calif. — A young Natalie Corona would run around the house in police gear and loved watching the show “Cops.” She always knew she wanted to be a police officer, her sister said Friday. Even before Corona joined the force a few months ago, she posted a Facebook tribute...
Criminal justice reform advocate will speak at Pitt-Greensburg
Criminal justice reform advocate and author Shaka Senghor will be the featured speaker Jan. 23 at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Senghor is a best-selling author and award recipient for his work in advocating for prison reform and addressing the negative effects of the prison-industrial complex. He is also...
Mercer County DA Miles Karson found guilty on obstruction, oppression charges
A jury spent about two and a half hours deliberating Friday before returning a guilty verdict in Mercer County District Attorney Miles K. Karson’s trial on charges of obstruction, official oppression and hindering prosecution of someone with whom he was romantically linked. “District Attorney Karson used the power of his...
Historic flag moves from Greensburg fire department attic to new home
A massive American flag that was hidden away for decades in a Greensburg fire station has found a new home with the Westmoreland County Historical Society. The history of the flag has been lost to time. All anyone knows about it are the stories passed down by firefighters who have...
Storm shopping: Blame it on meteorologist, tradition and need to control the ‘uncontrollable’
Whenever meteorologists start the drumbeat of a pending snowstorm, and particularly significant snowfall, panic buying at area grocery stores typically sets in. “The more they talk about it (storm), the busier it gets. They panic. People get worried,” said Diana Espey, a manager at Naser Foods in Pleasant Unity. Espey...
Wanted people can clear warrants via Allegheny County’s ‘amnesty program’
Allegheny County has opted to cut hundreds of wanted people some slack over the next two weeks. Anyone who has a bench warrant out for failing to appear in court can go to the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh through Feb. 1 to clear their warrant and schedule a new...
‘Cookies and Cocoa’ promotes acceptance at New Kensington-Arnold schools
New Kensington-Arnold School District students and teachers in grades one to 12, participated in their 2nd annual Cookies and Cocoa social event Friday. With the help of 15 “buddies” from grades seven to 12, about 40 elementary special needs students participated in five stations: cookie decorating and hot chocolate, winter...
Alle-Kiski Valley residents are ready to weather the storm
Frank Smolenak isn’t worried about the impending storm that is expected to dump 6 to 8 inches of snow on the Pittsburgh area over the weekend. But he and his wife, Laura, have taken precautions regardless. The two spent $300 on groceries Thursday and then stopped by Community Supermarket in...
Overbrook residents win round 3 in legal battle with PWSA
Residents of Homehurst Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Overbrook neighborhood have won round three in a long-running battle with the Pittsburgh Water Sewer Authority over a sewer line on their street. Five residents — Natalie Leon, Jaime Wagner, Louise Sell, Christopher Cratsley and James Rauber — contend that PWSA has refused since...
TSA union: ‘Our morale is now at an all-time low’Video
Bills, mortgages, child care, food: These are the things Transportation Security Administration workers at Pittsburgh International Airport worry about on the 28th day of the partial government shutdown. “There are real people out here, fighting for their lives, fighting for their homes, fighting to feed their kids,” said Ava Basalyga,...
Westmoreland happenings: Jan. 21 and beyond
Special events • Southwestern PA Council for the Arts antiques show and sale is planned 6-9 p.m. Friday , 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Saturday with ask the expert 1-4 p.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 27 in Greensburg Country Club, Route 130, Hempfield. Cost: $7, good for all three days. Details: 412-980-4650,...
Eurasian eagle-owl chick hatches at National Aviary in Pittsburgh, encounters available
If you’d like to meet a baby owl, you might want to plan a trip to Pittsburgh’s North Side. A Eurasian eagle-owl chick has hatched at the National Aviary on Arch Street, caretakers announced Friday. The 6-day-old owlet weighs about 80 grams, or as much as a small peach. But...
1st flu death reported in Allegheny County
Allegheny County saw its first flu-related death of the season, county health director Dr. Karen Hacker said Friday. The woman, who was in her 90s, had an underlying medical condition, Hacker said. Hacker said recent data shows 414 flu cases in Allegheny County so far this season, with 18 hospitalizations....
‘Hall of Fans’ contestant gets to meet childhood idol: Terry Bradshaw
Brighton Township resident Rick Holman’s world has been flipped upside down over the past month. Holman, 39, is a lifelong Steelers fan, but he never dreamed his loyalty to the team would land him in the running to become the first fan inducted into the Ford Hall of Fans and...
Democrats vow probe on report that Trump told lawyer Cohen to lie to Congress
WASHINGTON — Democrats are vowing to investigate whether President Donald Trump directed his personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project, calling that possibility a “concern of the greatest magnitude.” Trump’s current lawyer said the allegations sparking the inquiry are “categorically false.” Any evidence...
Florida governor suspends county elections supervisor
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is suspending a county elections supervisor who failed to meet deadlines during recounts after November’s election. DeSantis announced Friday that he is replacing Palm Beach elections supervisor Susan Bucher, a former Democratic state representative who has held the position since...
Eclipse viewing kicks off Saint Vincent planetarium season
Saint Vincent College’s Angelo J. Taiani Planetarium and Astronaut Exhibit will kick off its spring semester of events Sunday night with a public viewing of the total lunar eclipse. Located in the the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion on the college’s Unity campus, the planetarium will be open for...
Pilot seeks dismissal of indecent exposure charge in Denver
DENVER — A United Airlines pilot has asked a judge to dismiss an indecent exposure charge against him, saying he is the victim of governmental misconduct. Andrew Collins was arrested Sept. 20 for standing naked in front of his 10th-floor hotel window overlooking the Denver International Airport terminal. He has...
Troopers quickly track down Unity bank robbery suspect in Penn Hills
State police arrested a Penn Hills man accused of robbing a Westmoreland County bank on Thursday and making off with more than $4,000. Video surveillance from businesses surrounding the First National Bank in Unity Township led them to arrest Demetryaiss Llamar Holyfield, 25, police said. He was arraigned Friday and...
