Westmoreland category, Page 185
Latrobe native chosen to lead Michigan State UniversityVideo
The Spartans are getting a Wildcat in the administration. Michigan State University officials announced recently that Greater Latrobe High School alum Kevin Guskiewicz was elected to serve as the university’s next president. Guskiewicz, a 1984 Wildcat graduate, will begin his term in early March, university officials said. The university’s board...
Court-appointed defense lawyers costs nearly doubled in 2023
A change implemented last year in how Westmoreland County pays defense lawyers appointed by judges to represent indigent criminal defendants nearly doubled costs for the program in 2023. Faced with opposition from the pool of lawyers who sought higher pay, the county in June shifted back to a system where...
Westmoreland square dancers, rabbits, cheese recognized at state farm show
Fancy footwork and big ears were behind some of the prizes awarded to Westmoreland County residents at this week’s Pennsylvania State Farm Show. Two teams from the Westmoreland Squares 4-H Club earned blue ribbons for taking all the right steps in their square dancing performances. And a North Huntingdon girl...
Housing authority sets construction goals for 2024
Tenants could begin moving into the Westmoreland County Housing Authority’s newest facility as early as May, officials said Friday. Construction of the 50-unit Grand View Senior Residences development in North Huntingdon started last year and is expected to be completed this spring, according to housing authority Executive Director Michael Washowich....
Union workers contend bankrupt Latrobe plastics company conducted unfair labor practices
A small group of union workers at a bankrupt Latrobe plastics company have been picketing outside the plastics plant the past few days to protest the firm’s failure to recall them back to their jobs. Westmoreland Plastics Inc. laid off its union workforce of about 14 workers in December when...
Greensburg Art Center to showcase members’ work, teach window screen painting
The Greensburg Art Center will host its annual member artwork showcase and teach a Cafe Art class on a unique painting method. About 100 people are submitting about 200 pieces of art to the free showcase — including photography, pottery, sculptures and painting. The event will run from Jan. 20...
Delmont starts calculating how to implement stormwater authority fees
Delmont officials were already behind the eight ball a bit when it came to stormwater. The borough is a party to two state consent orders, one that specifically addresses stormwater making its way into the borough’s sewage system. In addition, its status as a borough meant there were some extra...
Volunteering is a rewarding way of life for area seniors, retirees
Helping others runs in the family for twin sisters Martha Koval of Delmont and Jane Szczygiel of Hempfield. Volunteerism was instilled by their parents, Mary and George Zimmerman, as they were growing up in Delmont. It’s how they’ve continued to direct their talents now that they’ve reached their golden years,...
High winds, cold temperatures forecast for weekend: Here’s how to prepare
With cold temperatures and high winds forecast for the Pittsburgh area this weekend, power outages may be on the horizon. High winds Tuesday afternoon left about 41,000 FirstEnergy customers without power in Western Pennsylvania, the power company said in a post on its website. Power was restored to homes Wednesday...
Natural gas company contends compressor station for Penn Township not harmful to environment
A natural gas compressor station proposed for a 219-acre parcel in the northwestern section of Penn Township would not create a problem for that area’s air and water quality, witnesses for natural gas company testified Thursday at a township zoning hearing. Hyperion Midstream LLC, subsidiary of Olympus Energy LLC of...
North Huntingdon might join Secret Service cyber fraud task force
North Huntingdon officials are expected to consider an agreement with the Secret Service that would allow its detectives to join the federal agency’s cyber fraud task force and be trained to fight financially motivated cybercrime. “We would be pretty much on the cutting edge for Westmoreland County,” police Chief Robert...
Greensburg woman’s sentence in 2010 torture killing upheld
The 60 years-to-life prison sentence being served by a Greensburg woman for her role in the 2010 torture killing of Jennifer Daugherty has been upheld by a state appeals court. In an opinion released Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court rejected a defense request to invalidate the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Jan. 12-14
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be more social, there are plenty of community gatherings to choose from this weekend in Westmoreland County. Museum of Art vintage ball The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg is celebrating its 65th anniversary on Saturday from 6 to 9...
Undercover police fentanyl sting results in arrest of New York City man near New Stanton turnpike interchange
A New York City man who believed he was meeting someone to exchange about a pound of fentanyl Wednesday evening in Hempfield instead found himself behind bars, police said. Investigators said they found the drugs hidden in a toy school bus inside the SUV being driven by Adrian Wright, 38,...
4-vehicle crash shuts down Washington Township road
Two people were taken to a hospital following a four-vehicle crash that shut down Greensburg Road for nearly two hours in Washington Township on Thursday morning. Washington Township police were dispatched to Greensburg Road near its intersection with Saddle Pack Trail, Chief Jason Montgomery said. A vehicle turning west onto...
Greensburg Salem moves to fire 3 employees amid ‘incidents from one of our elementary classrooms’
The Greensburg Salem School Board on Wednesday moved to dismiss three employees, although district officials declined to name the employees or discuss specifically what prompted the firings. However, school board President Jeff Metrosky confirmed the action is a result of “recently reported incidents from one of our elementary classrooms.” Last...
Morning Roundup: Fire damages Fairfield Township house; windstorms on hold until Friday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 11. Fairfield Township house damaged by fire Parts of a Fairfield Township residence sustained damage following a chimney fire early Thursday morning. The Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched to a home on Rabbit Ridge Drive...
Indoor simulator will extend golfing challenge at Greensburg’s Mt. Odin course
Greensburg-area golfers soon won’t need to travel far to experience the challenges of Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Teton Pines or the Old Course at St. Andrew’s. Those famous venues are among more than 35 golf courses from around the world that will be featured when Greensburg installs a new indoor...
Hempfield seeks solutions to High Park fire station staffing crisis
Hempfield’s High Park Volunteer Fire Department responded to just one of 53 emergency calls during the final three months of last year, according to township Manager Aaron Siko. A chartered station with Hempfield Fire Department, High Park has been on probation since June 2022 for failing to respond to calls....
Some Westmoreland power outages could last until Friday as new windstorm approaches
A winter storm that pummeled Western Pennsylvania with high winds and steady rain Tuesday left several flooded roads and more than 9,000 customers without power in Westmoreland County. The number of power outages was down to about 470 by 9 p.m. Wednesday as West Penn Power worked to restore service....
Jury acquits New Stanton man of rape, but finds him guilty of lesser offenses
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday found a New Stanton man not guilty of raping a woman at a Hempfield Halloween party in 2020 but they convicted him of a sexual assault charge. Anthony Lucas, 28, was accused of barging into a bathroom during the party in 2020 and forcing...
Man found in North Huntingdon motel with teen runaway convicted of drug, gun counts
A man was convicted Wednesday of charges that he illegally possessed a gun and drugs when he was found in a North Huntingdon motel with a runaway teenager from Beaver County. Robert Easley, 42, formerly of Ohio, claimed during a three-day trial in Westmoreland County that police planted a handgun...
Hempfield Area looks to other districts to research security upgrades
Hempfield Area School District’s security committee is still its weighing options to upgrade procedures and equipment. District leaders visited three Pennsylvania schools over the past several weeks to learn what security protocols and equipment work best to keep weapons off campus, interim Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said at a meeting of...
Westmoreland happenings: Computer classes, turkey dinner, senior citizen news, more
Classes YWCA Westmoreland, 424 N. Main St., Greensburg, will offer several technology classes during January at the center. They are: • A cyber security workshop, 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Cost: $15. • A computer basics class, 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Jan. 9, 10, 16 and 17. Cost:...
High winds leave thousands without power in Westmoreland County; more expected in Pittsburgh region
High winds Tuesday afternoon left more than 10,000 FirstEnergy customers without power in Westmoreland County. More high winds can be expected Wednesday in the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts between 40 and 50 mph are forecast...
