Westmoreland category, Page 137
2 more Hempfield fire companies start process to move under township management
Dave Ciarkowski, captain and president at Grapeville Fire Department, is looking forward to focusing on the work of responding to emergency calls again. His station is one of two that have recently sent in their letters of interest toward becoming “nonchartered” under Hempfield Township’s fire department. Once Grapeville and Adamsburg...
Rostraver church holds service for pets, owners
John Harkins and Lucy, his Schnauzer-Yorkie mix, have been together for just three months. They are a family and last Saturday, along with dozens of other local pets and owners, gathered at the First Presbyterian Church for the 9th annual Blessing of the Animals. Harkins, adopted Lucy in Florida earlier...
Equestrian therapy students display skills at Westmoreland Fairgrounds show
Saddling up has given Matthew Mitchell a new approach for tackling some of his personal challenges. The newly minted Southmoreland High School graduate claimed a prize on Saturday for the way he handled therapy horse Sid during the second annual horse show organized by Penn Township nonprofit, Making Strides. Mitchell,...
Hometown champ: Monessen honors former world heavyweight boxing champion Michael Moorer
Monessen honored one of its most famous sons on Saturday, recognizing former world heavyweight boxing champion Michael Moorer at the city’s Celebration in Park for his recent induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Moorer, 56, won the light heavyweight title in only his 12th professional fight, and not...
1 killed, 1 injured in 2-car crash in Ligonier Township
A South Huntingdon woman was killed and another motorist was injured when their cars collided Saturday morning on Route 30 in Ligonier Township. Wilma H. Bradish, 81, was taken from the scene to Independence Health Latrobe Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by an emergency room physician, according to Westmoreland...
Severe weather forecast, flood watch issued after 5 tornadoes hit Western Pa.
Workers have been clearing uprooted trees and broken branches from Winifred Sherman’s yard since a tornado whipped past her Penn Township home Wednesday. But with the potential for flash flooding, a tornado, hail and strong winds in this weekend’s forecast, local tree services and power companies may need to hit...
Feds seize cocaine, fentanyl, guns linked to 4 felons in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Four men are charged in federal court with drug distribution after federal investigators on Thursday seized more than 75 kilograms of cocaine, 90,000 doses of fentanyl and several guns after executing a series of search warrants. All of the men charged have previous felony drug convictions that prohibited them from...
Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting truck pleads guilty to lesser charges
An attempted homicide charge against a Mt. Pleasant Township woman accused of shooting her estranged husband’s pickup truck while he stood nearby was dropped Friday in exchange for her guilty plea on lesser charges. Fauna J. McDowell, 35, was sentenced to nine to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison...
Murrysville house cleaner has paid $7K, promises to pay more and plead guilty in jewelry thefts
A Murrysville woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars in expensive jewelry from homes where she worked as a cleaner plans to plead guilty in four cases, according to her attorney. But first, Holly L. Simpson has started paying off some of the restitution her attorney anticipates she will owe....
Despite pleas from mother, Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing mom will remain in jail on $500K bail
Judge Scott Mears decided Friday against lowering the bond for a Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of stabbing his mother, calling it one of the saddest cases he’s handled while sitting on the bench. It’s at least the second time in three months defense attorneys have asked in court that...
‘He was a joy’: Penn Township family mourns loss of pony after tornado
Darla Cynkar couldn’t believe it when her husband, Jim, told her a tornado had just whisked by their Penn Township home Wednesday night, toppling trees and scattering branches across their yard. She was even more shocked and heartbroken to hear that a fallen tree struck and trapped their 16-year-old pony,...
New errors discovered in Westmoreland Register of Wills Office lead to personnel changes
The ongoing review of records in the embattled Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office has unearthed more incomplete adoption files, leading to personnel changes enacted this week by the conservator appointed to oversee the office. According to court documents filed Thursday, conservator Jim Antoniono said staff found multiple cases of...
Unclaimed cremains buried in Potter’s Field near Westmoreland prison
No one at a memorial service Thursday in Hempfield knew the people they were honoring. The 54 names read aloud were unfamiliar to them, though still worthy of being treated with dignity and respect as they found their final resting place. “These individuals, though they may be strangers to us,...
Westmoreland approves GPS tracking of county vehicles
Westmoreland County soon will begin intensive tracking of its vehicle fleet, including dozens of take-home cars used by employees and elected officials. Commissioners on Thursday revised the county’s fleet management policy to require drivers to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every vehicle. The equipment will provide...
Unity residents speak out against proposed solar farm; zoning hearing to continue
A Unity supervisor and several other residents voiced concerns this week about a proposed solar farm’s potential negative impact on local property values, quality of life, and health and safety in the township. Ninemile Run Solar Master Tenant LLC and parent company GreenKey Solar are seeking a special exemption from...
20 tickets available for vintage whiskey tasting that offers 6 shots for $1,500 at West Overton
What makes a bottle of whiskey cost nearly as much as a compact car? Twenty people will get the chance to find out when West Overton Village hosts a $1,500-per-ticket vintage rye whiskey tasting on July 26. “This is an experience that is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere on Earth,”...
No more car trouble as Model T makes it to California
Just a few weeks ago, Mike Vaughn and two other volunteers from Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed were spending the night in Greensburg before traversing the roads of Ohio in search of spare parts. They had strayed quite a bit from the Route 30 corridor, which they planned to take...
Weather service confirms 3 tornadoes touched down in recent Western Pa. storm
Three tornadoes touched down in Western Pennsylvania late Wednesday, damaging homes and downing power lines, the National Weather Service said Thursday. An EF2 tornado with wind gusts up to 115 mph was spotted near Route 22 in the Beaver Run Road area and cut a path through parts of Salem...
Irwin man accused of teen’s rape told police he had ‘conscious blackouts’
An Irwin man is behind bars without bail in connection with the reported sexual assault of a teen girl. Jason Cush, 43, is charged with rape and related offenses. Westmoreland County detectives said in court papers that the girl reported being sexually assaulted by Cush for about two years. She...
Bushy Run Battlefield now part of the national Old-Growth Forest NetworkVideo
Each year, Bushy Run Battlefield is the site of historical reenactments. But some of its trees may have been around nearly long enough to have seen the real thing. The battlefield — specifically the forested section of its property — was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network at a May...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 28-30
June has almost drawn to a close. Here are some things to do this weekend before we head into July. Charity horse show party Making Strides Foundation uses “equine-assisted services” to provide assistance to children and young adults with disabilities. Located in Penn Township, the organization provides several therapy services...
Duquesne Light promises improvements, touts upgrades in wake of power outages
Cathy Schantz was among the tens of thousands of people whose homes lost electricity during storms amid last week’s heat wave. The Richland resident, who lives in a housing plan near Bakerstown Road, said she lost power for more than three days — a total of 73½hours. The next outage...
Severe storm results in damage, outages in Westmoreland, AlleghenyVideo
Wednesday’s powerful storm that swept through Western Pennsylvania caused widespread damage and power outages. Two suspected tornadoes were reported in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Tornado touchdowns were reported about 7:45 p.m. 2 miles south of Imperial, Allegheny County, and about 8:15 p.m. in the Jeannette area, according to TribLive news...
Westmoreland Community College names interim president, vice president of academic affairs
Westmoreland County Community College has turned to one of its existing administrators to serve as interim president while the board of trustees continues to search for a successor for the college’s departing president, Tuesday Stanley. Kristy Bishop, who has served as vice president of academic affairs during her nine years...
Advocates blast Westmoreland commissioners for not recognizing Pride Month
Local leaders of a LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group on Wednesday accused Westmoreland County commissioners of refusing to recognize local diversity. The group last week submitted a petition asking commissioners to proclaim June as Pride Month in the county. The request is not listed for consideration at Thursday’s commissioners meeting. “They...
