Westmoreland category, Page 191
Independence Health: Hospitals post positive operating revenue but health system losses remain
Independence Health System’s five hospitals posted positive operating revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, hospital officials said Monday, even as the former Butler and Excela health systems individually lost millions of dollars in that 12-month period. Latrobe Area Hospital topped all the other health system hospitals — Butler...
Guards hired to ease staff crunch at Westmoreland County Prison
Westmoreland County’s Prison Board on Monday approved the hiring of 13 corrections officers who, officials said, will ease a staffing crunch that has impacted the operations at the lockup in Hempfield. “This helps our staffing tremendously,” interim Warden Steve Pelesky said. “Once these folks start, we’ll have just 14 or...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center on track to fully reopen soon
Westmoreland officials said Monday hiring efforts could result in a full-scale reopening of the county’s juvenile detention center next month. The 16-bed secure detention center at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield was closed in June amid staffing shortages and state inspections critical of employment levels and training. It...
Westmoreland municipal authority issues mandatory water conservation order
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County on Monday ordered more than 56,000 customers served through Beaver Run Reservoir to reduce water use by 10%. The mandatory conservation order impacts about half of the authority’s water customers, including most who live north of Route 30. Those locations, along with some in...
‘More than just a class’: Westmoreland Performing Arts offers support, community through special ability theater group
Isaac Klimchock knew what to do when his castmates missed their cue. He had just finished a scene with Chris Henderson, and audience applause echoed off the walls of Science Hall Theater at Westmoreland County Community College. Klimchock and Henderson waited, and waited, for fellow actors to join them for...
WATT Fuel Cell extends lease at former Lenox plant in Mt. Pleasant Township
A company that makes advanced fuel cells has signed an extended lease agreement with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. to continue operations at the Mt. Pleasant Glass Centre. WATT Fuel Cell Corp. has leased space in the park in 2014 and this month agreed to remain at its more...
Jeannette groups unite for revitalization effort
Four entities are creating a partnership aimed at revitalizing Jeannette. City council approved a measure Thursday to join the Jeannette Redevelopment Authority, Jeannette Business Association and Jeannette Initiative in creating the partnership. Having the partnership in place will help with applications for assistance from the state Department of Community and...
Tradition of Christmas caroling alive and well in Western Pennsylvania communities
When Jena Arcuri, Michael Sawhook and Kris Choltco were brainstorming fun family ideas for the holidays in their New Kensington neighborhood last year, they realized some of the neighborhood children likely have never participated in one specific time-honored holiday tradition. “We thought it would be cool to get them to...
Daughter, 2 men arrested in connection with St. Clair woman’s death
The daughter of a St. Clair Township woman whose body was found last week underneath her home with two gunshots in her head has been arrested along with two men in connection with her death, Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said Sunday. The daughter, Melissa A. Beacom, 49, of New...
‘It’s not just a class thing’: Penn-Trafford adds hour to annual telethon, aims for $55,000 total
When Penn-Trafford High School’s video production class hosted its first telethon benefiting Make-A-Wish in 2017, the live production was 3 1⁄2 hours long. With about five hours of content planned for Thursday’s broadcast, the students and their teacher, Steve Vinton, have to piece together each minute. “We’re getting to the...
Annual Franklin Regional Holiday Telethon will benefit new ‘Mini-THON’ club’s fundraising effortsVideo
It may have been two decades ago, but Franklin Regional multimedia teacher Becky Magness doesn’t have any trouble recalling the first holiday telethon her multimedia students produced. “Our first one was live outside of Walmart, and it was so cold that our cameras were actually freezing,” Magness said. They also...
Jeannette may relax school dress code
Jeannette City School District administrators and board members are looking at relaxing the student dress code, and at least a few parents are praising the possible change. School directors this month suspended the district’s dress and grooming policy, which required students to adhere to more structured clothing, such as polo...
Tree-cycling of holiday evergreens offered at 15 Westmoreland sites
Christmas trees can become part of landscaping instead of a landfill when they’re disposed of through the annual tree-cycling program in Westmoreland County. Cosponsored by the nonprofit Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, 15 locations will be available to accept drop-offs of discarded holiday trees. The drop-off sites remain unchanged from the...
Wreaths Across America chapters decorate Westmoreland veterans’ graves
Barbara Keough and her daughter, Denise Keough-Samuels, placed a wreath Saturday at the grave of Barbara’s son, Frank Keough, where he’s buried in a section of Penn Lincoln Memorial Park in North Huntingdon that is dedicated to veterans. “Frankie’s never forgotten. He was just the heart of the family, upbeat...
‘You get to see the best in people’: TribLive reporter volunteers at Salvation Army kettle
I should have switched my bell-ringing hand at least once. If there is one lesson I learned from taking a shift ringing the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell on a crisp, clear Thursday morning, that was it: Don’t just ring the bell for 90 minutes with the same arm. It...
Here’s a gift guide with a Westmoreland County connection
There are potential holiday presents in every spot you look around Westmoreland County. That restaurant or coffee shop down the street probably stock gift cards that would be perfect for a friend or relative. The winery, distillery, meadery or craft brewery you’ve noticed in the neighborhood could provide a liquid...
Artisans share handmade works at Westmoreland museum Holiday Mart
Visitors to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art found themselves surrounded by handmade handiwork at the annual Holiday Mart. The event, Dec. 7-9, , brought together more than 20 local artisans from around Western Pennsylvania to sell their crafts on the first floor of the museum. The first day coincided...
Tom’s Turkeys donates gift cards to Norwin families in need
Families of Norwin School District students have help putting food on their tables this holiday season thanks to a North Huntingdon nonprofit that donated $5,600 worth of gift cards to a supermarket. Tom’s Turkeys, which raises money to address food insecurity among families in the Norwin area, donated 224 gift...
Local potters build sense of community with mug exchange
More than 30 potters from Westmoreland, Allegheny and Somerset counties gathered in Clair Witkowski’s Ligonier home this month, each holding a unique ceramic mug that would be exchanged with another. The mug exchange was organized by Witkowski and Marine Ruth, volunteers at the Greensburg Art Center in Hempfield, to build...
‘Pilgrimage Jr.’ debuts kid-centered version of the Nativity storyVideo
Delmont Christmas Pilgrimage organizers debuted the “Pilgrimage Junior” on Dec. 2, a child-friendly, interactive way to tell the Nativity story. Participants could ask questions of the Nativity characters and get up close with animals that are part of the story. The event, new this year, was geared toward preschool and...
Tenants move out as Latrobe apartment building inspections ongoing
The owner of the Latrobe apartment building cited with more than 100 code violations is working to correct the “most serious issues,” a city official said, but two tenants have left, claiming the nightmare of living there still haunts them. The three-story building at 333 Main St. has been inspected...
Coroner, local business donor partner to purchase cribs for families in need
As part of the Westmoreland County Coroner’s partnership with the Cribs for Kids National Safety Initiative, 15 cribs will be purchased for families thanks to a donation from a regional business. Uniontown-based Black Diamond Equipment Rental donated $1,000 which will be used to buy cribs for Westmoreland families in need....
Retailers, shoppers gear up for final holiday rush
Shoppers had their pick of products and parking Friday ahead of what retailers hope will be a chaotic and profitable weekend — the last full weekend before Christmas celebrations get underway. “It’s not very crowded. I was thinking it would’ve been busier on a nice Friday,” said Karen Belin of...
Illinois man pleads guilty for role in multi-county catalytic converter theft ring
An Illinois man was ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison for his role in a multi-county theft ring that police said was responsible for stealing dozens of catalytic converters from vehicles. Stewart Hinton IV, 37, pleaded guilty racketeering, theft and conspiracy offenses in connection with allegations he...
Mt. Pleasant Area school police ready to roll with donated patrol vehicle
Mt. Pleasant Area School District’s four-man police force is shifting into a higher gear with the addition of its first vehicle. The district police force has placed into service a Ford Interceptor SUV that was donated by Mt. Pleasant Borough after it finished its use as a patrol car for...
