Westmoreland category, Page 14
Assault charge upheld against hunter in 2023 shooting
The criminal case against a hunter charged with aggravated assault after allegedly wounding a man in a Smithton field nearly two years ago will proceed to a trial, a judge ruled Friday. Following a lengthy hearing that featured testimony from the shooting victim and a state game warden, Westmoreland County...
Door Dash driver admits stealing packages from porches in multiple communities including Greensburg, Fox Chapel and Plum
An Indiana County man was sentenced to state prison Friday for stealing thousands of dollars worth of packages from porches in four counties and putting the goods up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. John D. Manning, 35, was sentenced to one to three years in prison followed by four years...
Greater Latrobe School Board race includes 4 incumbents, 4 newcomers
Voters in Greater Latrobe School District have eight candidates to choose from to fill four school board seats in the Nov. 4 municipal election. The field is split evenly between incumbents and newcomers — but some have aligned themselves into two separate campaigns, each including three candidates. Campaigning together are...
3 compete for 2 spots on Mt. Pleasant Council
Three candidates are running for two spots to represent Mt. Pleasant’s 3rd Ward. Republican Cynthia “Cindy” Stevenson, who has served more than 15 years on borough council, and Democrat Michael Barrick, who is finishing his first term, are running for reelection. Republican Nicholas Lucia is seeking his first term. Updating...
Irwin: 5 seeking 4 seats on council
Irwin voters will be able to choose from five candidates, including three incumbents, running for four council seats in the Nov. 4 election. Councilmen Tyler Baum and Frank Rossi, both Republicans, are seeking reelection to another four-year term, while Fonda Dalbow, appointed to council in July to replace Ron Romeo,...
Hempfield supervisors race attracts 4 candidates for 2 seats
Four candidates for Hempfield supervisor have separated into two opposing teams with each side hoping to win both open six-year terms. Becky Durbin has paired up with longtime incumbent Doug Weimer, while Paul Kosko is campaigning with Jerry Fagert, who served on the board eight years ago. All four candidates...
North Huntingdon fire station sued for wrongful death
The widow of a Herminie man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a North Huntingdon volunteer fire station, claiming staff served her husband excessive alcohol, which resulted in his fatal fall. Brandon M. Schmeltz, 44, died on Feb. 12, about two weeks after a fall down a staircase in...
Lawsuit over Westmoreland courthouse garage project settled
A lawsuit filed by a Allegheny County construction company to rebuild an underground garage and public courtyard at the Westmoreland County Courthouse has been settled. Commissioners on Thursday voted to pay Carl Walker Construction of Robinson an additional $700,000 for work the company said it was required to perform to...
Game commission seeks information after deer is illegally shot in North Huntingdon
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking for information after authorities believe a white-tailed deer was illegally shot Sunday over bait on private property in North Huntingdon. State game wardens in the Southwest Region said the deer was shot between Colonial Manor Road and Cornwall Drive, not far from Route 30,...
Candidates seek to lower political temperature on Southmoreland school board
Two incumbents and four challengers are seeking four seats on the Southmoreland School Board in the Nov. 4 election. The nine-member board has been embroiled in controversy over the past two months after director Catherine Fike was accused of disclosing confidential information about a student’s mental health during the board’s...
Roaring Run Resort sale leaves hundreds of campers facing eviction, say membership holders
Theresa Novobilsky’s teenage memories center on weekends at Roaring Run Resort. As a newly licensed driver, she and her brother would head to the camping resort in Donegal Township after school on Fridays, intent on spending the weekend amid the natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands. Their parents were among...
West Newton mayoral election: Veteran Popovich faces off against 1st time candidate Kepics
About 30 years separate the two candidates vying for the West Newton mayoral office, as veteran Mary Popovich and newcomer Robert Kepics compete for residents’ votes. Popovich, 71, a Democrat, has served as mayor for 16 years. Kepics, 40, a Republican, is staging his first mayoral campaign. Improving parks, planning...
Westmoreland commissioners pass resolution to condemn political violence
Westmoreland County commissioners unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution Thursday to condemn political violence, days after the measure appeared unlikely to pass. The vote followed a public plea from Smithton resident Karen Primm, who was injured in an alleged attack by a counter-protester during a recent No Kings rally in front...
Somerset County sheriff charged with corruption of minors
Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir was charged Thursday with corruption of minors, according to court documents detailing an alleged incident at a Shop With a Cop event last December. Weir, 46, of Quemahoning, is accused of taking a 15-year-old girl to the condom aisle of a Walmart during the event...
Candidates square off for 2-year seat on Mt. Pleasant Area board
Two candidates with teaching backgrounds are running for a two-year term on the Mt. Pleasant Area School Board. Democrat Kathleen Ceroni, 74, of Mt. Pleasant Borough, and Republican William K. Johnson, 82, of Mt. Pleasant Township, will square off in the Nov. 4 election. Ceroni, a retired Southmoreland High School...
Attorney says Hempfield woman will claim self-defense in husband’s shooting
The attorney for a Hempfield woman accused of fatally shooting her husband said he plans to present a self-defense argument at trial. “We’re going to do everything we can to bring this case to trial as soon as possible so the jury can make a decision,” attorney Tim Andrews said....
State police say death of transient man found in Loyalhanna was result of a homicide
State police said Thursday the death of a man whose body was found on state game lands was the result of a homicide. Trooper Steve Limani declined to release details about how Robert Friend, 64, was killed. His body was found Oct. 25 by a hunter on game lands in...
Fire damages Irwin home undergoing renovations
An Irwin house was extensively damaged by fire Thursday afternoon. Multiple firefighters departments responded to the fire at the two-story house at the corner of Sixth and Warden streets. The fire was reported at 1:15 p.m. The owner was not home at the time of the fire, and no injuries...
Westmoreland happenings: Pancake dinner, bingos, meetings, more
Fundraisers • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a Vera Bradley bingo at 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at the church. Doors open at noon. A light lunch will be served. Details and tickets: 724-396-8065 or 724-244-2586. • A pancake and sausage dinner will be...
6 in school board race for 4 Ligonier Valley 4-year seats; 2 face off for 2-year term
Six candidates are vying in the Nov. 4 election for a quartet of four-year seats on the Ligonier Valley School Board. Two other hopefuls — John Fitchwell, selected by Republican Party leaders, and Maureen Ittig, chosen by the Democratic Party — are facing off for a two-year seat. The winner...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct.31-Nov. 2
Halloween is upon us, and plenty of spooky happenings will be popping up in the next few days. As we enter November, Westmoreland County is jumping with other weekend happenings, too. Here are just a few: ‘Rocky Horror’ events If you’re a fan of “Rocky Horror,” you’ve got multiple opportunities...
Latrobe man charged with gun permit violation at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint
Allegheny County Police have charged a Latrobe man with a firearms violation after a handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag Wednesday morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. Police identified the passenger as 51-year-old John Frye. They determined he did not possess a valid concealed carry permit. Transportation Security Administration officers...
All treats, no tricks: Mt. Pleasant Halloween parade lacks notoriety from past year
Last year’s Halloween parade in Mt. Pleasant Borough brought the small community of 4,250 people plenty of publicity, but not in the way officials would have liked. This year, organizers promised to be extra vigilant about parade participants to avoid a repeat appearance of a controversial entry like one last...
Judge reinstates house arrest for Jeannette man charged with assault of county detective
A Westmoreland County judge has reinstated house arrest for a Jeannette man accused of breaking into an off-duty county detective’s home last year and assaulting him. The reversal by Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger came after the alleged victim, Detective Nick Caesar, voiced safety concerns about defendant Jonathan E....
PennDOT holds annual training session in advance of winter season
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 12 held winter training Wednesday in Unity for snowplow operators. They practiced using wing plows mounted on the sides of their big yellow trucks while maneuvering through a course marked by orange cones. Drivers had to back into a parking spot, avoid obstacles such as...
