Westmoreland category, Page 205
Spending of covid relief to be focus of new commissioners’ board
Westmoreland commissioners voted last week to allocate $270,000 from the county’s pool of American Rescue Plan funds, and, as a result, about half of the $105 million pool of covid-relief cash received from the federal government in 2021 has been spent. Commissioners will have nearly $53 million to allocate by...
Irwin group seeks funds for home cleanup, hoarding disorder treatment
An Irwin-based organization that strives to address blight-related problems is proposing to provide mental health services to those with hoarding disorders. “There’s no formal program (for treating hoarding disorders) in Westmoreland County and this half of the state,” said Matt Williams, founder of the nonprofit Fight the Blight Inc. Williams...
‘Sky’s the limit’: 2 flying club members receive Wright Brothers awards for 50 years of flight
Ever since they were children, John Dyke and Ed Patrick have been fascinated by airplanes. “I could spend hours on the observation deck watching planes take off and land,” said Dyke, 75, of Carnegie. For Patrick, 81, of Murrysville, the first ride he took in a smaller plane was the...
‘His impact is almost immeasurable’: Longtime YMCA leader bids job farewell in pursuit of foundation position
After 27 years of working for the YMCA, Larry Stormer will pursue his goal of foundation work with a local nonprofit benefiting children and families in need. Stormer, 54, of Ligonier, has worked at YMCA branches in Greensburg, Erie, Plum and Ligonier Valley. He has served as fitness director, executive...
Jeannette woman to lead international pharmacist group
A Jeannette pharmacist is taking her seat as the leader of an international pharmacy advocacy organization that works to care for senior patients. Deborah Milito of Diamond Pharmacy Services was installed as president of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists on Oct. 26, after having spent a year as the...
Loyalhanna convenience store sustains damage in fire
A convenience store in Loyalhanna Township sustained significant damage in a fire Friday night. Saltsburg, Bell Township and New Alexandria volunteer fire departments responded to a fire at Marshall’s Market, located along Route 981, around 10:15 p.m. Friday, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. None of the fire departments...
Manor church’s free clothing store expands hours, options to meet community need
Grandparents trying to clothe their grandchildren. A woman looking for clothes to bring with her to rehab. A nursing student in search of affordable scrubs for school. Refuge Boutique, a free clothing store run by Refuge Church in Manor, has helped people in each of these scenarios. In the spring,...
Penn Township man set to run New York City Marathon to support his son, raise funds for genetic disorder foundation
Will Hoffman’s main motivation for running the New York City Marathon on Sunday has little to do with a finishing time or position. Rather, Will and about 25 other runners are chasing down a fundraising goal of $150,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation — an organization that supports research for...
Youngwood man charged with multiple counts of child rape, sexual assault
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Youngwood man accused of multiple counts of child rape, according to state police. Nathan A. Fitzpatrick, 21, of Youngwood faces charges of child rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and rape by forcible compulsion filed Friday by state police out of Greensburg. The...
Pa. court filing fee discount ends
Discounted court filing fees that originated during the summer’s budget stalemate in Harrisburg have ended. State lawmakers this week reauthorized a $40.25 surcharge assessed on most court-related documents filed in courthouses throughout Pennsylvania. Since Aug. 1, the cost to file documents such as divorces, deeds and mortgages were discounted by...
Pennsylvania’s election to be headlined by races for statewide courts, including high court seat
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters will settle four statewide judicial contests in Tuesday’s election, filling an open seat on the state Supreme Court — which has played a hugely consequential role in election-related cases in the presidential battleground state — and three seats on two lower appellate courts. The state Supreme...
Officials eye 2025 to complete demolition of former state prison in Hempfield
The proposed demolition of the former state prison in Hempfield may not be completed until 2025, officials said this week. Westmoreland county will seek up to $4 million in state funding to pay for the initial engineering and the demolition of the former State Correctional Institution-Greensburg prison and 14 outbuildings...
Hempfield man gives $19,000 to scammer claiming to need bail money
An elderly Hempfield man lost $19,000 Thursday in a scam, according to state police. The man got a phone call from a person who claimed to be a family member in jail and made a request for money to post a fictitious bail. Another person claiming to be an attorney...
Morning Roundup: SWAT team called to Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny; crash shuts down Greensburg street
Here are some of the latest news items for Friday, Nov. 3: SWAT team called to incident in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny A SWAT team was called to an incident in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood early Friday morning. Police said the situation came to an end just before 6 a.m. after...
Motorcyclist found 30 feet over embankment in Bell Township after collision with deer
A motorcyclist was found about 30 feet over an embankment Thursday after a collision with a deer in Bell Township. According to Westmoreland County 911, police received a call at 5:48 p.m., and the male driver was conscious with “numerous head injuries.” The collision occurred at the intersection of Pine...
Westmoreland commissioners vote to show support for Israel
Westmoreland Commissioners took an unusual step into foreign policy on Thursday as they formally expressed support for Israel following last month’s terrorist attack that left more than 1,300 dead. Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution that backs Israel’s right to defend itself, condemns terrorism and called for humanitarian aid to innocent...
5 things to do in Westmoreland: Nov. 3-5
We’re just past the Halloween season and the fall calendar is filling up quickly, starting with a wide range of attractions — from reptiles to creative crafts and insightful tours. Masters of Illusion Live The Palace Theatre in Greensburg will host Masters of Illusion Live at 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets...
Excela Health reports $36.2M loss for fiscal year ending June 30
Westmoreland County-based Excela Health, which merged with Butler Health System in January to form Independence Health, lost $36.2 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, according to a new disclosure report. That’s $15 million more than losses reported in the previous fiscal year ending in June 2022, when it...
Judge says Rialto gunfight ‘terrorized the entire community’ as he gives shooters prison sentences
A gunfight after a confrontation outside a Greensburg bar could have been averted if either man would have just left the area, a judge said Thursday. “This conduct is the kind of thing that terrorized the entire community,” Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani said. He sentenced the men involved in...
‘I love these people’ Santa says during another Westmoreland Mall visit from New Jersey
It may be the final time Michael Collins dons his red and white Santa Claus suit at the Westmoreland Mall. The New Jersey resident, who portrays a beloved version of the Christmas character, said his health is declining. “For the people, I’ll make the trip every year that I can,”...
Labor union members picket outside several Westmoreland County facilities, call for bargainings
Members of Westmoreland County’s largest labor union on Thursday continued to pressure county commissioners to return to the bargaining table. Members of the Service Employees International Union and HealthCare Pennsylvania conducted informational picketing in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse as well as other county facilities including Area Agency on...
Hempfield man charged with rape of mentally disabled person, false imprisonment
A Hempfield man was charged Thursday in connection with state police accusations that he raped a woman who has an intellectual disability, according to court papers. Dennis M. Hertzog, 56, is free on $125,000 bail in two cases. Troopers said the accuser reported being sexually assaulted by Hertzog multiple times...
2 injured after pickup, tractor trailer collide on Route 22 in Derry Township
The driver and a passenger in a pickup truck were injured Thursday afternoon when the truck collided with a tractor trailer traveling westbound on Route 22 in Derry Township. The crash was reported at 1:50 p.m. near the Rushwood Road intersection, east of New Alexandria. According to fire Capt. Justin...
Applications sought for introduction to policing program
Applications are being accepted for the Pennsylvania State Police’s upcoming Hill Impact Program in Westmoreland County. The 14-week program is for 15- to 18-year-olds. It will be held Monday evenings 5:30-8 p.m. between Jan. 15 to April 8 at the state police Southwest Training Center in Unity, outside of Greensburg....
New Stanton Volunteer Fire Department hosts 3rd winter clothing giveaway
Hundreds of winter clothing items are available for those in need this weekend at the New Stanton Volunteer Fire Department. Located on South Main Street, the department will host its third annual winter clothing giveaway from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday — donating coats, sweatshirts, gloves, ear muffs and...
