Westmoreland category, Page 207
Norvelt opens new, spacious fire hall
It was moving day Sunday for the Norvelt Volunteer Fire Department, which transferred its firetrucks and equipment across Mt. Pleasant Road to the firefighters’ new $1 million home with room enough for all of its vehicles. “We outgrew (the old fire hall),” said Norvelt fire Chief Matt Zelenak at the...
Toe bones and porcupine quills: Library patrons create spooky-season ‘nature vials’
Toe bones, moss and quill of porcupine — it sounds like the ingredients in a witch’s cauldron. That means spooky season is the perfect time of year for Britney Jones to present a workshop featuring some of the items from her shop, Mz. Jones’ Curio, in Greensburg. The Bovard resident...
Latrobe trust will honor Southern Alleghenies Museum during annual gala
This year’s Art Gala hosted by the Greater Latrobe School District Art Conservation Trust will honor the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Ligonier Township. The annual event supports the trust’s work to oversee and care for Greater Latrobe’s art collections, which were generated by two teachers: James Beatty and...
Greensburg Salem to use $1.7 M in pandemic funding for HVAC upgrades at 3 schools
Greensburg Salem will tap pandemic recovery funding to restore and expand air conditioning at three of its schools, at a cost of close to $1.7 million. District officials are also considering other capital improvements that could be made with about $2 million in remaining money from the Elementary and Secondary...
Greensburg dentist teaches American history through reenacting, podcast
Bill Choby knew he wanted to be a dentist since he was 16 years old. But that would not be the only field to capture his attention. Choby, owner of Center for Dental Implants in Greensburg, is an avid historian on the side, boasting a book and an accompanying podcast....
‘We try to help out any way we can’: Manor Lions club celebrates 75 years in community
Joy Clontz always had a box of eyeglasses in her home during her childhood. Her father was a member of the St. Marys’ Lions Club in Elk County for 60 years. She remembers helping him with various Lions events, including Recycle for Sight — a program in which Lions members...
Greensburg YMCA gymnastic event: competing for a good cause
Fourteen-year-old Amelia Raible of North Huntingdon was competing against other young gymnasts in her skill level Saturday at the Greensburg YMCA gymnastics invitational. Raible, a ninth grader at Norwin High School, is part of the 24-member Greensburg YMCA’s Aerials. They are among about 160 gymnasts from eight YMCA teams competing...
Fire damages Latrobe house, residents must seek temporary lodging elsewhere
Two men in a Latrobe house were treated for smoke inhalation early Saturday morning at Independence Latrobe Hospital as a result of a fire that damaged the residence, Latrobe’s fire chief said. The men, whose identities were not immediately available, suffered from smoke inhalation from the fire, Fire Chief John...
Derry Township man killed in motorcycle crash
A Derry Township man was killed in a motorcycle crash early Saturday morning, along Route 217 in Derry Township, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said. The victim, James A. Trice III, 35, died as a result of injuries he suffered in the accident at 1:10 a.m. while traveling on Ligonier...
Financial reports reveal shoestring campaigns for Westmoreland commissioner
The candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner have spent about one-eighth of what was paid out during the months leading up to Election Day four years ago, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. Financial reports of Republican incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew and Democrats Ted Kopas and Lisa...
Westmoreland Catholics pray for peace in Holy Land
About two weeks before war broke out between Hamas-led Palestine and Israel, Katie Zuzik was on a trip to Israel with a group from the Diocese of Greensburg. “To be able to have seen the Holy Land for myself and to walk the path and to see it for myself,...
Greensburg Salem School Board race features 3 incumbents, 3 newcomers, 5 open seats
Three incumbents and three newcomers are vying for five seats on the Greensburg Salem School Board in the Nov. 7 general election. Those seeking to join the board are Justin Aion, Kacey Byrne-Houser and Tyler Courtney. Incumbents on the ballot are: Brian Conway, who is seeking a second term; Robin...
Mt. Pleasant country rocker wins independent music award for 3rd straight year
Andy Davis has plenty to smile about these days. The Mt. Pleasant native and his band released an EP and a full-length record in the past few years, and a new album, “The River,” was released in May on streaming services. And in each of the past three years, has...
Woman dies in Greensburg apartment fire; 18 residents displaced
A woman died in an apartment fire early Friday in Greensburg, according to Fire Chief Tom Bell and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. An automatic fire alarm went off around 1:30 a.m. at an apartment building on Dornin Street, not far from the intersection of Highland Avenue and Mt. Pleasant...
Visit Ligonier, the Town for All Seasons, for holiday shopping and charm
Visit Ligonier … Our hometown charm is contagious. Ligonier has been recognized by Country Living Magazine as one of “The Most Charming Small Towns in America” and The Washington Post as a “Small-Town Charmer.” Plan Your Stay: Ligonier has over 60 specialty shops, galleries, restaurants, and places to stay, and...
Supporters of Murrysville ‘tree sign’ updates estimate $100,000 in costs
Valerie Mittereder and her husband, Ed, own the “ysville” section of the Murrysville tree sign, a group of several hundred evergreens which spell out the name of the municipality, on a hillside overlooking Route 22. The “Murr” section of land is owned by Michael Hillebrand. But after nearly a century,...
Feliciani, Bilik-DeFazio seek return to bench for new 10-year terms
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judges Christopher Feliciani and Meagan Bilik-DeFazio have done more than sentence criminals to prison. Since 2015, the judges have presided over Westmoreland County’s fledgling drug court program that has seen dozens of participants charged with crimes find a path toward recovery. “Being a judge is more...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct. 27-29
The last hurrahs of the fall festival and Halloween seasons welcome visitors this weekend. Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township tries out a new programming approach to replace its traditional hayrides, and local vendors gather for the Irwin Farm Market. Bushy Run Duncan Campbell Haunting As a replacement for the...
Incumbent Democrats, Republican challenger vie for 2 Greensburg council seats
Greensburg residents voting Nov. 7 to fill two seats on city council will have a choice among incumbents in Democratic nominees Sheila Brumley and Randal Finfrock and Republican challenger Carrie Hamley. Brumley, a 2020 appointee seeking her first elected term, and Finfrock, who is completing his fourth term, are jointly...
Jeannette man to serve prison sentence for gun offenses
A Jeannette man was sentenced Thursday to a 5-to-10 year prison term for two gun-related incidents in 2021. John R. Horne, 32, pleaded guilty in August to his role in repeated weapons fire at a Jeannette home and allegations that he brought an old gun into a district judge’s office...
Hempfield unveils decade-long vision for township park
Hempfield Park is set to undergo a series of improvements over the next decade under an updated master plan presented at the township supervisors meeting this week. The plan focuses on enhancing the park environment, expanding recreation opportunities, fine-tuning operations, increasing accessibility, improving facilities and increasing staff, said Chris Sarson,...
Aggravated assault while DUI charges filed in Unity crash
A Unity man was arraigned Thursday on aggravated assault while driving under the influence charges in connection with a July crash that left two people seriously injured. Gianni A. Gonzalez, 24, used marijuana and drank alcohol prior to the July 11 crash, according to court papers. He is free on...
Attorneys compete for Export district judge seat
Two Murrysville attorneys will vie to replace retiring District Court Judge Charles Conway in the Nov. 7 general election. Republican Robert Klingensmith, 59, a practicing attorney for more than 20 years, said he likes the engagement district judges have with the communities they serve. “You do everything,” he said. “You...
Westmoreland County Community College president will resign in summer 2024
Westmoreland County Community College’s first female president announced her resignation at the college’s board of directors meeting Wednesday. Tuesday Stanley, 55, who joined WCCC in 2014, will remain in her position at the school near Youngwood through June 30. She will have served as president for exactly a decade. Stanley...
Franklin Regional school board candidates cite state funding, safety as major challenges
In the Franklin Regional School District, seven candidates will compete for five full-term school board seats in the Nov. 7 general election, while the current board president goes up against a challenger for a two-year seat. Full-term seats George App, 42, said he wants to be a voice of civility,...
