Westmoreland category, Page 139
Jeannette Glass plant had a glimmer of hope in 1983
(Editor’s note: “From the archive” is a recurring series highlighting vintage photos submitted by community members or gathered from the Tribune-Review’s files. If you have a photo you would like to see featured here, please contact gtrcity@triblive.com.) It seemed as though the Jeannette Glass plant might restart four decades ago,...
Poison, deer prevention projects earn kudos for local Master Gardeners
Penn State Extension’s Westmoreland County contingent of Master Gardeners is planting more than just flower and vegetable seeds. For many years, the group also has instilled in local schoolchildren awareness to steer clear of pesticides and other poisonous household products. It’s an effort that now has earned them plaudits from...
Manor to host expanded Community Day celebration in August
Manor is one step closer to making its Community Day celebration an annual tradition again. The festival was hosted by the local fire department every Labor Day for about 80 years before it ceased in 2002. The borough revived the tradition last year. Last year’s event drew about 1,000 people....
Murrysville police chief to retire after 40-plus years in law enforcementVideo
Tom Seefeld isn’t looking forward to waking up at 4:30 a.m. for no reason come July. “I’m a scheduled, structured person,” he said “I don’t know what it is to sleep in.” Seefeld, 65, will retire as chief of the Murrysville Police Department at the end of June, wrapping up...
Westmoreland transit authority votes to increase driver wages; eyes shared-ride fare increase
Residents who use the Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s shared-ride program will see a fare increase effective this fall following approval of the authority’s 2024-25 budget Thursday. Details of the fare increase will be presented at the authority’s board meeting in July, said Deputy Executive Director Ashley Cooper-Brounce. The shared-ride service...
PennDOT plans multiple detours for Route 711 closure south of New Florence
A PennDOT bridge project is scheduled to close a section of Route 711 south of New Florence beginning Monday. The closure will be in place through early July between Creek Road in Fairfield, near Mirror Lake Campground, and Clark Hollow Road in St. Clair . A series of posted detours...
Hempfield man sentenced after being accused of leaving obscene, racially charged voicemails for members of Congress
A Hempfield man was sentenced to two years of probation this week in connection with dozens of obscene and racially-charged voicemails police said he left for members of Congress. Mark Eugene Ray, 64, pleaded guilty to ethnic intimidation and harassment. A second count of harassment was dismissed. Judge Timothy Krieger...
Avonmore man who died in Export shooting will be remembered with luncheon
A man who was fatally shot in Export this week will be remembered at a luncheon on Sunday, according to his obituary. Police said Daniel T. “Slim” Chicka Jr., 65, of Avonmore, had been in a dispute over parking with another man when he was shot Tuesday on Madison Avenue....
New Alexandria firefighters spring into action to contain fire at neighbor’s home
A firefighting father and son duo came to the rescue Friday morning when fire broke out at the home of a next-door neighbor in Derry Township. New Alexandria fire Chief Andrew Kolano credited the quick action of his department’s safety officer, Watson Smith Jr., and the officer’s son, fire Sgt....
Driver sought in connection with South Greensburg road rage incident
Police in South Greensburg are seeking help to identify a driver who they said was involved in a road rage incident this week. The man was driving an older model maroon or burgundy Chevrolet Equinox near the intersection of Route 119 and Huff Avenue Wednesday when authorities said he got...
Nurse accused of diverting nursing home patients’ medications for personal use
A nurse is accused of taking prescription painkillers and medication for anxiety and panic disorders from 13 nursing home patients in Baldwin, North Huntingdon and McCandless. Monica Blackwell, 41, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, told the state attorney general’s agents that she took the medications for her own use, according to...
North Huntingdon seeks to fill assistant manager post
North Huntingdon officials want the township to have an assistant manager, a position that has gone unfilled since the former assistant retired in April 2023. Township commissioners this week voted to advertise the position at a salary range of $70,331 to $115,272. North Huntingdon has been without an assistant manager...
Suspect charged with attempted homicide in Uniontown shooting that injured 2
A Uniontown man is charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault in a June 11 shooting in the city that injured two men. State police allege Santana Jones, 21, is one of two men who opened fire on two other men at about 3:30 p.m. outside a home on Varndell...
Latrobe presentations to showcase archival Fred Rogers interview
Latrobe Area Historical Society will offer a firsthand glimpse into the early years of the late host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” during morning presentations Friday and Saturday. At 9:30 a.m. each day, the society will screen “Fred Rogers – in His Own Words.” The free program uses a series of...
Penn Township approves new turnpike maintenance facility; details of interchange still up in air
Penn Township commissioners approved the preliminary development plan for a new Pennsylvania Turnpike maintenance complex featuring nearly 8 acres of solar panels. The complex — which will contain an office space, truck and maintenance garages and a salt storage building — will be located on a nearly 42-acre property with...
North Huntingdon tightens rules on backyard chickens
North Huntingdon officials hope the long debate over backyard chickens has gone to roost. A new ordinance prohibits chickens from being kept in a zoned residential neighborhood on less than one acre of property. The commissioners Wednesday voted 6-1 to adopt the new rules. Commissioner Eric Gass, who cast the...
Jeannette woman accused of running over former girlfriend
A Jeannette woman was jailed Thursday in connection with police accusations that she hit a woman with her SUV. Jenna Ann Pippins, 23, is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, reckless endangerment and related offenses in the Sunday incident. Jeannette police said in court papers that the injured woman, who...
Police: North Carolina man followed traffic laws, but wouldn’t pull over for 12 miles on Route 30
A North Carolina man was pursued by police for about 12 miles on Route 30 Wednesday morning, according to court papers. Ligonier Valley police said Eric W. Horsfield, 70, drove at a safe speed and stopped for all red lights while police cars with their lights flashing followed between Ligonier...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 21-23
It’s been a scorcher of a week but you can cool down with some fun things to do both inside and outside this weekend. Inside Ligonier Valley: A Home Tour The 18th Inside Ligonier Valley home tour will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour is...
North Huntingdon commissioners want more time to consider natural gas lease
A majority of North Huntingdon commissioners decided this week they need more time to study a proposed lease to tap into a pocket of natural gas trapped in a 4½-acre parcel of township land and possibly extract a better deal from the drilling company. Commissioners on Wednesday voted 5-2 to...
Greensburg Salem tax increase is less than hike recommended by business manager
Greensburg Salem school board members voted Wednesday night to raise taxes by 2.5 mills to a total of 92.22 mills, and use around $380,000 from the district’s reserves to balance the $51.5 million 2024-2025 district budget. The 2.5 mill increase, netting the district around $588,000 in new revenue, was an...
Jeannette flood control project set to begin after years of delays
A long-delayed project to ease flooding concerns in Jeannette is finally expected to begin in early 2025, officials said. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members this week formally accepted two low-interest 40-year loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the $14.3 million flooding containment project. It...
Natural gas well impact fee allocations drop, but ‘every little bit helps’
Communities accustomed to receiving large checks from Marcellus Shale wells through the state’s natural gas impact fee will get less money this year because gas prices have fallen and fewer wells are being drilled, according to the state. The state Public Utility Commission will hand out $100 million less next...
Police: Blairsville man stole PennDOT truck fuel, crashed into police cruiser during chase
A Blairsville man is accused of leading Ligonier Valley police on a chase before crashing into one of their cruisers. Travis M. Repinski, 28, of Blairsville was charged with aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, fleeing police, resisting arrest, reckless endangering, weapons violations and related traffic violations....
Westmoreland Museum of American Art exhibition tells American stories from the Great Depression to World War II
Opening this Thursday, “The Great Search: Art in a Time of Change, 1928-1945” is a new exhibition at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art that tells diverse stories from a difficult time in American history. Jeremiah William McCarthy, the museum’s chief curator, discussed the inspiration for the collection of works....
