Westmoreland category, Page 22
Westmoreland commissioners cancel public meetings amid state budget crisis
Because there’s no money to spend, Westmoreland County commissioners say, there is no need to conduct this week’s regularly scheduled public meetings at the courthouse. Commissioners canceled their agenda meeting set for Tuesday morning and Thursday’s public voting session in response to the ongoing state budget impasse that has halted...
Mt. Pleasant Twp. man pleads guilty in December shooting incident
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was sentenced Monday to serve up to five years in prison in connection with a shooting incident in December 2024. Police claimed he and his father chased a motorist and fired multiple rounds during the incident. Paul Anthony Caletri III, 31, pleaded guilty to one...
Penn Township Police chief retires, reflects on 30-year career in department
John Otto’s interest in policing began as an elementary student. “One day walking to school, there was a police car parked outside of Harrison Park Elementary School, and that caught my attention,” the Penn-Trafford graduate said. “I remember looking inside the car from the sidewalk … and I was mesmerized...
Hempfield plans to replace road salt storage building
A new auxiliary road salt storage building will be constructed at the Hempfield municipal building to replace one that was damaged during snow removal season last year. A wooden back wall blew out, leaving the structure in bad shape, said public works director Austin Erhard. “We opted not to refill...
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Jeannette celebrates 135th birthday
Karen and Bill Davis of Penn Township grew up at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Jeannette, where they met and later married before moving away to Maryland in the late 1980s. After the birth of their first child in 1994, they returned home and to the church where they spent...
PennDOT bridge projects, detours begin in Fairfield, continue near Hunker
A bridge preservation project and related detour are set to begin Monday in Fairfield while similar work continues just outside Hunker. The Fairfield project will close a section of Midget Camp Road, between Tantlinger Hollow and Beaufort roads, that crosses Tubmill Creek. According to PennDOT, the closure is expected to...
Nothing to see: Westmoreland commissioners debate streaming of public meetings
Despite public pleas, Westmoreland commissioners have yet to reach consensus on a plan to make video viewing an option for those who want to watch how county business is conducted. Commissioner Ted Kopas this month endorsed a plan to livestream public meetings that are conducted once or twice monthly at...
Westmoreland happenings: Halloween Hottenanny, pet blessing, Wicked Witches Gala, more
Church news • St. James Church, New Alexandria, will have a pet blessing service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in the church parking lot, 306 St. James Lane. Details: 724-668-2829. Fundraisers • Mon Valley Paws will sponsor a golf ball drop at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Monessen...
Educators question validity of national report claiming decline in test scores
Some Western Pennsylvania educators are pushing back on a national report indicating a decline in math and reading test scores among high school seniors. The report, released by the National Center for Education Statistics, has circulated through K-12 education sectors in recent weeks, raising concerns about seniors’ math and reading...
‘Trickle-up effect’: Administrators weigh in on improvements
As national test score reports generate concerns over student learning, an opposite pattern is unfolding at New Kensington-Arnold School District, according to Superintendent Chris Sefcheck. After hitting an all-time low in 2020, the district’s math and science scores on state tests are gradually increasing, Sefcheck said. In just two years,...
Derry Township mine refuse reclamation improves stream quality, earns industry nod
The view and stream quality along Derry Township’s Atlantic Road have improved now that three abandoned mine refuse piles have been removed. As part of a Pennsylvania program, Latrobe-based Robindale Energy Services cleared the piles at no cost to the state and renewed the 6.2-acre site with vegetation. Some of...
Proposed bridge for Ligonier Valley High School students gets added funding boost
Plans for a pedestrian bridge to improve safety for students who walk to Ligonier Valley High School moved a step closer this past week as the Ligonier Township supervisors accepted additional funding for the project. Township Manager Michael Strelic expressed hope the $588,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation,...
Hempfield unveils 1st phase of new $15 million park
A 43-acre plot adjacent to Route 30 in Hempfield that a decade ago was to be home to a medical complex was opened Saturday for what township leaders anticipate will be the centerpiece of a rejuvenated recreational system servicing central Westmoreland County. Hempfield officials unveiled the nearly completed first-phase of...
Jeannette officials take key step toward getting 19 blighted buildings razed
A few property owners pleaded their cases Friday as Jeannette officials seek to have their blighted buildings torn down. But most did not show for a demolition hearing, leaving code enforcement officer Bill Whetzel to deem them public nuisances in need of razing. There were 19 properties addressed during a...
Drivers frustrated with improvements at intersection of Golden Mile Highway, Saltsburg Road
The new traffic layout where Route 380 and Golden Mile Highway meet in Murrysville was intended to ease passage for trucks that must cross the highway on their way to a fracking well pad just up the road. And while it might be more accommodating to truck traffic, it appears...
‘A sad day’: 125 Westmoreland County workers get layoff notices, furloughs start Oct. 13
Furlough notices started going out Friday to 125 Westmoreland County employees as leaders seek to reduce spending amid the ongoing state budget impasse. The furloughs will go into effect Oct. 13. Commissioner Ted Kopas said they are expected to save the county $100,000 weekly. “This is a sad day for...
Delmont the latest community to start deer-culling program
Four deer hunters will get a chance to wait for their quarry in the confines of Delmont’s Shields Farm this fall. Council voted to begin a deer management program on the Shields Farm property, 145 acres that belongs to the borough but is technically in Salem. “A couple members of...
Southmoreland Middle School recognized by state for academic performance
Southmoreland Middle School was one of 13 Pennsylvania schools recognized by the state education department this week for academic performance. The initiative, Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools, was launched by the state after President Donald Trump ended the 40-year-old federal version of the program in August. Schools are recognized for their...
Penn-Trafford Hockey Club disbands junior varsity team, cites low participation
Three weeks into the season, Penn-Trafford’s junior varsity hockey team disbanded because of low participation. Following tryouts in April, about 10 players were placed on the junior varsity roster, according to parent Michael Broker of Penn Township. “Having that few of kids, it’s really not ideal, because there’s injury, people...
Morning Roundup: Officials seek whoever dumped trash on Pa. game lands; shooting in Lawrenceville
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 26: Officials search for game lands trash maker The Pennsylvania Game Commission is trying to figure out who dumped garbage in Westmoreland County game lands earlier this week. Operation Game Thief reported that drywall and building materials...
Budget impasse leaves school districts in limbo over $4 billion in funding
The state’s nearly three-month budget impasse has cost Pennsylvania school districts almost $4 billion. That’s how much districts, technical schools and intermediate units should have received in state funding since July 1 — the day a new budget was supposed to take effect. Without a budget, the state isn’t making...
Irwin council members debate electronic sign
A proposal to replace the 4-foot-by-8-foot message board on the “Irwin Inc. 1864” welcome sign with a new electronic version sparked a heated debate among Irwin Council members, with one member calling the proposed sign a “total eyesore.” At a recent council meeting, Councilman Tyler Baum was the sole dissenter...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 26-28
Autumn is upon us — are you ready to enjoy cooler temperatures, spooky vibes and hot drinks? Here are a few fun events to kick back and enjoy this weekend. Mt. Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival The Mt. Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival celebrates the borough’s glass making tradition all...
New Kensington man charged, accused of providing fentanyl that killed 2 people
A New Kensington man was charged Thursday with providing fatal doses of drugs investigators said killed two people two days apart: his girlfriend and a man who was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. Davi J. Roman, 29, was denied bail. The case was investigated by a grand jury...
Medicare educational seminar slated for Irwin
A free medicare educational seminar informing people how to enroll in Medicare, who needs to enroll and what Medicare Parts A and B cost and cover will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. The Norwin Rotary is sponsoring the event. For more...
