Westmoreland category, Page 187
Westmoreland prison warden gets $11,000 raise as county boosts salaries of some employees
Westmoreland County’s new warden, on the job for less than a month, has been given an $11,000 raise. Commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, acting as the county’s salary board this week, approved raises for a series of department heads and supervisors in what they said was an effort to retain...
Maryland men suspected of Unity vehicle break-ins
An off-duty Westmoreland County detective who noticed suspicious activity in his Unity neighborhood this week helped state police identify two men they believe stole a handgun, a Louis Vuitton wallet and $340 from four vehicles, according to court documents. Arrest warrants have been issued for the suspects: Dominyck S. Sims,...
Xylazine’s role in Westmoreland overdoses continues to surge, coroner’s report shows
A veterinary sedative that can’t be counteracted with anti-opioid medication contributed to 42% more deaths in 2023 than the year before, continuing a troubling trend even as Westmoreland County’s overall overdose figures decline. Accidental drug overdose deaths continued to drop in 2023, but the number of deaths caused by xylazine...
Nonprofit acting troupe will hold auditions in Unity
Storyz Studios, a nonprofit theater company, will host auditions for its upcoming production of a murder mystery, “Whispers in a Dark Manor: A Whodunnit.” Auditions will take place March 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. and March 23 from 2-4 p.m. at the SpringHill Suites, 115 Arnold Palmer Drive in Unity. Auditions...
Open house set at Westmoreland game commission office
An open house at the Westmoreland County office of the Pennsylvania Game Commission is set for April 30. The public will be able to interact with staff members and ask questions at the Fairfield office at 4820 Route 711, north of Ligonier, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There are no formal presentations...
5 things to do this weekend in Westmoreland County: March 15-17
Luck is in the air. With a certain Irish-centered holiday being the talk of the town, community groups will be hosting celebrations all over town this weekend in Westmoreland. ‘Rhythm of the Dance’ Marking the 20th anniversary of the dance company, “Rhythm of the Dance: The National Dance Company of...
Kennametal CEO to retire; replacement named
Kennametal Inc.’s top officer will retire and the president of its metal cutting segment will take charge of the global corporation that generated almost $2.1 billion in sales in its 2023 fiscal year, the Pittsburgh-based company said. Sanjay Chowbey, a Kennametal vice president, will succeed Christopher Rossi, who decided to...
7th man pleads guilty for role in New Kensington man’s shooting death
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Thursday for his role in the events that led to the July 2022 shooting death of a man outside a New Kensington apartment building. Raquan Carpenter, 20, was among the seven men and teens charged with criminal homicide in connection with...
Westmoreland County register of wills, judges clash over filing delays during contempt of court hearing
Parents of adopted children told two Westmoreland County judges that months-long delays in the processing of paperwork filed with the Register of Wills Office led to major life interruptions. “It’s been a disaster,” one parent said. Another testified, “Due to the negligence of the office, we had to self-pay for...
Westmoreland formally adopts jail policy on undocumented immigrants to shed sanctuary label
Westmoreland County’s Republican delegation used a news conference Thursday to assure residents the county is no place for undocumented immigrants in trouble with the law. The county prison board unanimously approved a new policy that formalized standard operating procedure related to undocumented immigrants held at the jail. Officials at the...
Derry council OKs 3-year police contract
Derry police are working under a new three-year contract approved by borough council on Tuesday. The contract covers five police officers and runs through the end of 2026. The officers had been working under the terms of a previous agreement that expired in July. “We’re happy with the contract,” said...
Delmont to pursue litigation against detention pond contractor
Delmont council members authorized their solicitor to take legal action against a Latrobe construction company hired to perform work in the Apple Hill neighborhood. Council contracted with Butz Masonry and Excavation in 2021 for a detention pond project between Dogwood and Stotler drives. Nearby residents, who were initially upset at...
2 injured in Route 30 crash in Ligonier Township
Two drivers were injured Thursday morning when their vehicles collided on Route 30 in Ligonier Township. A man who was driving an SUV was taken by ambulance to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ligonier Valley Police Sgt. James Friscarella. He said a woman who...
Irwin man sentenced to federal prison for viewing sexually explicit content
An Irwin man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in a federal prison for looking at computer-generated and anime-type images of infants involved in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas W. Crosby IV, 30, was on supervised release in two child pornography possession cases when he viewed the explicit content, according to...
Former Greensburg police chief, veteran cop expected to plead guilty to federal drug charges
Shawn Denning, the former police chief in Greensburg, and retired patrol Officer Regina McAtee are expected to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with drug investigations, court paperwork shows. Denning, 42, of Delmont was arrested by federal investigators in January 2023. Charges filed against him Wednesday included conspiracy to...
Westmoreland students employ modeling skills, sky-high concepts in airport design challenge
Officials are planning a major terminal expansion at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and gifted students from seven Westmoreland County school districts have created their own concepts for accommodating and attracting travelers. The students’ scaled-down models of what the terminal in Unity could look like took center stage this week in...
Former Greensburg police officer faces federal drug conspiracy charges
A former Greensburg police officer is charged in federal court with conspiring to sell methamphetamine. Regina McAtee, who was suspended in late 2022 before retiring last year, was charged with a single count by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday. McAtee is represented by defense attorney Charles Porter, who said Wednesday...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center on track for March reopening
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center is expected to reopen this month after being largely closed since June because of staffing shortages and operational problems, officials said Wednesday. The 16-bed facility that houses juvenile criminal offenders closed following a series of state inspections. Those findings prompted county leaders to shutter the...
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra performs 3rd installment of free Academy Concert series
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will perform the third installment of its inaugural Academy Concert series Thursday. The performance, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, is titled “Dances and Madrigals.” It is free to the public, but donations will be accepted. The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra was...
Derry police get new contract, eye updated radios, ‘less-than-lethal’ weapons
Derry police are working under a new three-year contract as they look to bolster their enforcement abilities with new communications equipment and weapons designed to cause less harm in confrontations with suspects. Borough council on Tuesday approved the new pact that covers five police officers and runs through the end...
Delmont moves ahead with sewage line relocation project
Delmont officials are moving ahead with plans to address a sewage-related state consent order, after winning a court battle to condemn and secure roughly a half-acre of property in Salem Township. As part of a consent order finalized with the state Department of Environmental Protection in April 2020, borough officials...
‘It’s home for me’: Penn-Trafford assistant superintendent bids district farewell after 26 years
For the first time in 10 years, Scott Inglese did not wake up to an alarm or prepare to walk the hallways of the Penn-Trafford School District administration building. Inglese, 56, of Penn Township, has worked at the district for 26 years as a teacher, principal and — for the...
Pitt-Greensburg to host blood drive with the American Red Cross
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg will host a blood drive with the American Red Cross on March 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Smith Hall Lounge. Community members are invited to participate in the drive, and can schedule their donation by calling 1-800-733-2767 or visiting www.redcrossblood.org and...
Westmoreland looks to shed label of being a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants
Westmoreland officials say they are looking to shed a label that the county is a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. The Center for Immigration Studies declared Westmoreland a sanctuary county in 2014. The Washington, D.C., think tank promotes reduced immigration into the United States. Westmoreland was one of 14 Pennsylvania counties...
Norwin board member accuses nonprofit of violating IRS rules banning political activity by charities
A North Huntingdon charity that raises money to fight childhood cancer has been accused of violating rules for tax-exempt charities by allowing political literature to be placed in fundraising packets last year. Norwin School Board Director Alex Detschelt said he filed a complaint last week with Internal Revenue Service, alleging...
