Westmoreland category, Page 193
Greater Latrobe halts multimillion-dollar revitalization plan
Greater Latrobe School Board did an about-face Tuesday and halted its multimillion-dollar revitalization plan that was set to raise taxes significantly through 2039 — thanks to a majority vote by directors who won successful write-in campaigns last month. The motion at Tuesday’s board meeting rescinded two resolutions passed during previous...
Housing juveniles charged with crimes a growing issue in Pa.
When a 16-year-old charged with second-degree murder fled from house arrest in November, Westmoreland County authorities scrambled to find a place to house him. The county’s juvenile detention center had closed temporarily in June amid staffing shortages. Calls to numerous private and publicly owned facilities throughout Pennsylvania that house children...
Butler Health System credit rating continues to slip downward
Butler Health System’s credit rating was further downgraded this week by rating agency Fitch. The system, which combined with Greensburg-based Excela Health at the beginning of the year to form Independence Health System, Monday, Dec. 12, had its rating lowered one notch from BBB to BBB- with a Negative Outlook....
Man faces more charges after becoming unruly during hearing in Monessen district court
A defendant became unruly this month during a preliminary hearing on drug charges at district court in Monessen, threatening police, an attorney and the judge, according to court papers. City police were called to the courtroom when Judge Wayne Vlasic reported Michael A. Whitfield-Bronson, 36, was causing a disturbance Dec....
Greensburg keeps property taxes steady, OKs cost increase for new fire truck
Greensburg property owners won’t see higher taxes next year, but the city is going to pay more for a new fire truck it originally ordered about 18 months ago. City council Monday approved a balanced 2024 budget of about $12.9 million while holding the total property tax rate at 27.05...
Display of vintage Irwin buildings was labor of love for borough native
Melvyn Rasel dedicated countless hours and money over four decades to create an homage to his hometown, building small plastic replicas of Irwin landmarks from his childhood in the 1950s as part of an extensive model train layout in his Plum home. His family is now sharing this labor of...
Charged teens simply walked away from Westmoreland shelter; county reopens shuttered juvenile center in response
There was nothing to prevent two teens facing criminal charges from just walking out of the Westmoreland County- administered shelter where they were staying, the county’s juvenile detention director said Monday. The teens, Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, who was charged last year with second-degree murder, and Robert Cogdell, 14, who...
Veteran GOP lawmaker from Penn Township says he won’t run again for state House
George Dunbar’s upcoming 14th year representing residents of Westmoreland County’s 56th District in the state House will be his last. A Penn Township resident who has served as the Republican caucus chair since 2021, Dunbar announced Monday he doesn’t intend to seek an eighth two-year term in the House. “It’s...
Western Pa. lawmaker’s bill would expand use of forensic genetic genealogy
A Western Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to expand law enforcement’s ability to use a more-detailed form of DNA analysis when identifying victims in cold cases. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, introduced the Cold Case Modernization Act which would expand the criteria for federal Department of Justice grants funding the use of forensic...
4-year-old’s shooting leads to charges for Rostraver couple
The parents of a 4-year-old Rostraver boy who accidentally shot himself in the head this summer are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangering, according to court documents. Laura C. Steele, 32, and Michael Lynn, 37, kept the loaded gun unsecured under the bed in their...
Teen accused in New Ken murder case 1 of 2 back in custody after fleeing Westmoreland detention center
Police detained two teenagers, including one charged with second-degree murder related to a shooting in New Kensington last year, who escaped from the Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center in Hempfield on Saturday night. The teenagers were taken into custody in Fayette County, state police announced early Monday morning. Robert A....
‘Hospice is more about living better,’ transitional care director says of misunderstood program
A few days remain before Robert Patterson will mark his 97th birthday, on the day after Christmas. No one can be sure how many more candles he’ll add to his cake. He and his wife, Joyce, who is 90, have experienced declining physical health, including taxing respiratory conditions. It got...
‘We needed something like this around here’: Hempfield entertainment venue opens doors
For Davin Ruzina, the 814 Lanes & Games in Hempfield opened its doors for business just in time. Ruzina, of Hunker, celebrated his 13th birthday Saturday and went to the new entertainment venue with his family and friends Sunday. Bowling and laser tag were the highlights of their day. “We...
Crews battle blaze at Loyalhanna Township home
Six fire departments worked to put out a blaze that caused significant damage to a Loyalhanna Township home Sunday morning. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the single-story home on Louise Street around 7:35 a.m., said Bill McClelland, assistant fire chief for Saltsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Slickville fire officials arrived first...
Westmoreland County, state police search for teens who fled juvenile detention center
Two teenagers escaped from the Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center in Hempfield Saturday night. Robert A. Cogdell, 14, and Braedon M. Dickinson, 16, both of Connellsville, fled on foot from the detention center about 8:30 p.m., according to state police. Westmoreland County Park police are leading the investigation with assistance...
Somerset Trust’s Westmoreland construction bucks industry trend
The new Somerset Trust Co. bank branch in Hempfield that opened in late September is definitely not your father’s or grandfather’s financial institution. It has the traditional tellers, loan officers, conference rooms and vault. But the two-story building fronting East Pittsburgh Street also has a coffee bar where customers can...
Penn Township artist decorates yard with concrete sculptures
Drivers on Sleepy Hollow Road in Penn Township often slow to a stop when they see the concrete sculptures in Mark Milliron’s front yard. Milliron, who has lived on the road for nearly 40 years, has come to expect questions and curiosity about the human-like figures, especially when he is...
Holiday train display holds decades of history for Hempfield family
Bill Bigelow can tell you the origin of every single item in his holiday train display. The table, tucked into the back room of the single-story home Bigelow and his wife Susan share in Hempfield, is set up each year at the beginning of October. Strings of holiday lights and...
‘A beautiful gem for North Huntingdon’: Friends of Norwin Trails hosts 1st trail maintenance day
When Shannon Reiter learned that a group of volunteers was clearing the trails at Braddock’s Trail Park in North Huntingdon, she could not pass up the opportunity to pitch in. Reiter, of North Huntingdon, runs at the park and, in the spring, she used to bring her children along for...
Christmas presents for Ukrainian orphans made possible by Arnold church and area high school students
Ten-year-old Nastya Shytnikova has a short Christmas list. She didn’t ask for an iPhone or a doll. “I’d really like Legos, candies and cookies, and a warm shirt,” Nastya wrote in a note to St. Nicholas. “My biggest dream is for the war to end.” The Ukrainian girl — orphaned...
Indoor pickleball facility proposed for Murrysville
Even for a die-hard pickleball fan, the weather is making it difficult to get on a local court and enjoy playing. Jillian Bateman-McIntosh of Murrysville has taken notice and hopes to build a six-court indoor pickleball facility just off Route 22 in Murrysville. “I moved here from Boston where the...
Unity man convicted in bad check scheme to pay for stepdaughter’s wedding
A Unity man was convicted of forging checks written out on bogus bank accounts to pay for his stepdaughter’s 2020 wedding. Joseph A. Malago, 51, was found guilty Friday on 18 of 19 counts in four separate cases including a series of felony weapons offenses for illegal possession of firearms....
Authorities respond to Route 30 crash in Ligonier Township
Route 30 reopened Friday evening following a single-vehicle crash, authorities said. It had been restricted to one westbound lane after the wreck was reported at 4:22 p.m. about a quarter mile past Quarry Lane in Ligonier Township. At least one individual was being transported for medical care, according to 911...
Yukon landfill could pay $275,000 to settle pollution claims
Residents living near a hazardous waste landfill in Yukon could share in a tentative $275,000 class-action lawsuit settlement that claims their homes have been impacted by polluted dust and odors from the site since 2014. Payments from the proposed settlement with MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. — to those living in...
Bradenville Fire Department seeks donated toys, to offer tours of station
The Bradenville Fire Department is asking the public to help fill one of its trucks with gifts that Toys For Tots will distribute to help brighten the holiday season for some area children. Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10 at...
