Westmoreland category, Page 138
Unity man accused of operating chop shop
A stolen motor that police say was sold to a driver in need of a car repair landed a Unity man in trouble with the law. Windell S. Carroll, 46, is accused of charging the driver $3,000 for the motor that ended up not working. He was arraigned Tuesday on...
Police: Western Pa. check-cashing scheme netted nearly $118K
Four North Carolina men are accused of involvement in a fraudulent check-cashing scheme that netted $117,600 from 9 banks in the region, including seven in Westmoreland County. State police said the group was not successful in attempts to cash an additional $130,700 worth of checks, according to court papers. Jaylon...
Film company to pay $3.5K to film at shuttered prison property in Hempfield
Previously a location for crime thrillers “Mindhunter” and “Mayor of Kingstown,” the former SCI Greensburg prison property soon will grace screens once again. Hempfield supervisors approved a Brooklyn and Toronto-based film company, Visual Inclination, to film at the site this fall. The company will use the location for a 10-...
Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department spotlights 1915 engine as it marks 125 years of service
Long years of dedicated service are nothing new in the 125-year history of the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department. Take, for example, fire Chief Paul Harenchar, who has been a member of the firefighting organization for 41 years, or Bill Hare and Dave Bert — each with three decades or...
Murrysville man with 3 previous DUIs charged in fatal accident on Route 22
A man arrested Tuesday in connection with a fatal Murrysville crash had nine shots of liquor and six beers at a local club before he got behind the wheel, according to court papers. Darren S. Hamm, 60, of Murrysville is accused of driving through a red light and crashing his...
Westmoreland happenings: Community outreach event, car cruise, more
Community outreach event • Westmoreland Community Action will sponsor community outreach events from 2 to 6 p.m. June 28 at Otterbein Church, 111 College Ave., Greensburg, and Trinity Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St., Latrobe. Free snacks, hot food and personal hygiene products will be distributed and information on how to...
Former nursing aide sentenced for jewelry theft from dementia patients
A former nursing aide was ordered to serve nearly 10 months in jail for the theft of jewelry from dementia patients at a Murrysville nursing home. Christina Louise Ankney, 40, of Braddock, Allegheny County, pleaded guilty in April to two misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property in connection...
Delmont mom rejects torture claim in adopted son’s death
A Delmont mother charged in connection with the death of her 5-year-old adopted son last year “categorically denies” allegations she caused the boy’s fatal injuries, her defense lawyer said after a court appearance Tuesday. Defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky said the prosecution’s case against Lauren Maloberti is based on false assumptions....
Defense suggests alternate causes for New Kensington toddler death
The lawyer for a New Kensington man accused in the death of a 2-year-old boy said Tuesday that fatal injuries suffered by the child were caused by accidents or another family member. Prosecutors contend Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, caused multiple head wounds and other injuries suffered by Mikel Fetterman,...
Contract awarded for Fort Pitt Brewery site demolition in Jeannette
Demolition of the old Fort Pitt Brewery in West Jeannette is imminent. Westmoreland County officials plan to meet with the contractor Wednesday to determine a start date, said Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank. The contract was awarded Tuesday by the redevelopment authority board...
Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer to be honored at Monessen community celebration
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Michael Moorer will return to his hometown of Monessen this weekend, where he will be honored at the city’s Celebration in the Park on June 29 for his recent induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “It’s an honor,” said Moorer, 56, who lives...
Grandmother carjacked at Hempfield Burlington store; suspect arrested in Millvale
A woman was able to grab her 4-year-old granddaughter from the backseat of her Jeep Compass Sunday afternoon as a carjacker drove off with it outside a Hempfield clothing store, according to state police. Paulino M. Romero, 39, is accused of wresting the woman’s key from her purse at 1...
Delmont residents get chance to ask questions of stormwater authority
Delmont residents with questions about the borough’s newly formed stormwater authority can learn all about it at the group’s Wednesday meeting. “I’ve had some neighbors coming up to me to ask about it,” said borough Councilwoman Krista Krautbauer. “They said what they’ve read makes it sound like it’s already a...
Abandoned puppies found in Unity Walmart parking lot
A Westmoreland animal shelter is asking for information after a bin of puppies was found abandoned Monday morning in a store’s parking lot. Action for Animals Humane Society posted a photo on social media, explaining how the puppies were found. The post said they were left in the Unity Walmart...
City planning commission to review plans for Latrobe Sheetz store update
Sheetz is planning an update and reconstruction next year of its convenience store at Route 982 and Ligonier Street in Latrobe. The city’s planning commission is expected to review plans for the project at its July 1 meeting, but council members got an early look during their session this week....
Property taxes to jump 5% to support Hempfield Area budget
Property taxes in Hempfield Area School District will be going up nearly 6% to support a 2024-2025 budget approved Monday by the school board. The $109.6 million budget will increase the district’s tax rate from 85.76 mills to 90.76 mills. It was approved in an 8-1 vote, with board member...
Unity firefighters set 6-month trial for paid daytime crews
The seven volunteer departments in the Unity Township Fire Bureau are investing in their personnel to ensure they have crews available to respond to emergencies. Beginning July 1, the departments are launching a duty crew program for a six-month trial. Their aim each weekday is to have one fire truck...
Westmoreland increases capacity at reopened juvenile detention center
The Westmoreland County juvenile detention center in Hempfield has hired enough staff to double its capacity three months after a limited reopening in March, officials announced Monday. The detention facility that makes up half of the Regional Youth Services Center was temporarily shuttered last year amid a series of negative...
Mutual Aid EMS planning July 5 blood drive
Mutual Aid EMS is hosting a blood drive July 5, two months after paramedics became the first in Westmoreland County to carry blood to emergencies. The drive, in partnership with the American Red Cross, will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the agency’s EMS base at 561 W....
Directors nix proposed sale of former Jeannette school site, seek development of property
A tentative plan to sell long-vacant property in Jeannette to the Westmoreland County Housing Authority has been nixed. Jeannette City School District directors this month voted against the sale that tentatively called for the housing authority to pay $28,000 for the land. Superintendent Matt Jones said the property remains for...
Jeannette City School District holds line on taxes in $24M budget
The millage rate for Jeannette City School District property owners will remain steady for the 2024-25 school year. School directors this month unanimously approved the $24 million spending plan. A deficit of about $615,000 will be covered by the district’s fund balance, which sits around $6 million. Increased costs related...
Memorial 5K in memory of Mike Reese set at Mammoth Park
An event in memory of the late state Rep. Mike Reese is set for July 6 at Mammoth Park. The Mike Reese Memorial 5K — Roast, Run and Family Fun is $50 for adults and $25 for people under 21. The donation includes the run, food, drinks and entertainment. Youth...
PlumLine Nursery marks 50th anniversary
At Bill Tribou’s funeral in 2010, one of the speakers said that you could see a little bit of PlumLine Nursery anywhere you go in Plum. Driving around nearby neighborhoods like Holiday Park or Summerville Estates — which were growing right alongside the nursery and landscaping business Tribou founded in...
Service coordinators provide lifeline for Westmoreland housing authority residents
For Trish Walch, living at Odin View Apartments in Hempfield is a dream come true. It’s in large part a nod to the Westmoreland County Housing Authority building’s service coordinator who plans a multitude of activities while serving as a sort of personal assistant to residents who need assistance figuring...
Westmoreland housing authority’s newest apartment building set to open in July
The first tenants at the Westmore- land County Housing Authority’s newest community are expected to move to their new homes next month. Officials confirmed this week that construction of Grand View Senior Residences in Irwin is set to wrap up in July. “We’re more than 90% complete, and we’re looking to...
