Westmoreland category, Page 223
Residents ask Delmont to consider adding dog park to borough
Delmont residents asked their council to consider some additions to the borough — specifically a dog park, and speed humps on West Pittsburgh Street. “There are more than 300 dog license applications processed for Delmont, and that’s just in 2023. We want our dogs to be happy and healthy, and...
Penn Township Fall Festival to continue 17-year tradition
The 16th annual Penn Township Fall Festival aims to live up to its original motto this weekend. “Our original concept was to continue bringing the community together,” festival co-chair Robert Kuster said. Kuster and fellow co-chair Michael Ginsburg came up with the idea for a fall festival when the township...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in the Donegal area
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
Hunker man not guilty of sexual assault
A Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday acquitted a Hunker man who was charged with sexual assault. After more than three hours of deliberations, jurors found Dakota Archibeque, 21, not guilty of indecent assault and simple assault in connection with accusations made by an 18-year-old woman. “I knew exactly what happened...
Trial begins for Mt. Pleasant man accused of shooting at police
The trial began Tuesday for a Mt. Pleasant man accused of firing a gun at police as officers responded to a report of an alleged home invasion in 2021. Westmoreland County prosecutors say Richard Teeters, 52, was the lone occupant of the Pine Street home when police fled for cover...
Westmoreland County man drowns while vacationing at Hilton Head Island
A Westmoreland County man drowned Monday while vacationing on Hilton Head Island Beach in South Carolina. Beaufort County Deputy Coroner Andrew McNece identified the man as David Owens, 64, of North Huntingdon. Emergency responders were called to the Disney Club Beach in Palmetto Dunes around 3:30 p.m. Monday for a...
Nonprofit plans disability wellness fair at Hempfield office
The public is invited to a free health and wellness fair Thursday at the Hempfield office of nonprofit Disability Options Network. No registration is required for the event, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Eastgate Plaza shopping center on Route 30 east of Greensburg. Those who attend...
Export distillery to lead 3rd Bushy Run ‘History Speaks’ event of year
Bushy Run Battlefield will host the White Valley Distilling Company at a speaker event next week as part of its History Speaks series. Jimmy Battaglia, owner of the Export distillery, will teach attendees the history and techniques of whiskey distilling using a hands-on approach, said Scott Perry, member of the...
Former Greensburg woman sentenced in federal bank fraud case
A former Greensburg woman was sentenced last week to 36 months in a federal prison for using the identity of a person she counseled at a Hempfield drug treatment center to get $60,000 in loans, according to federal prosecutors. Nina Marie Barkley, 36, was ordered to spend four years on...
Court will decide who fills vacant Norwin School Board seat
The Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas will make an appointment to fill a vacancy on the Norwin School Board. Four candidates were considered for the seat that became vacant when Joanna Jordan died Aug. 1, but the board couldn’t reach a consensus. Jordan’s term expires in December. The Norwin...
Hempfield considers hiring ‘owners rep’ to navigate stalled high school project
Hempfield Area School District may consider hiring an outside professional to lead the district through its increasingly expensive high school revitalization project, board members said at a meeting Monday. The district is considering hiring an owner’s representative — someone to navigate the project as an independent fiduciary, said board member...
Latrobe hires collection company to enforce overdue taxes, fees
Latrobe officials hired a collection agency to recoup unpaid taxes and fees in the city. The resolution passed 5-0 during Monday’s council meeting, and the two-year contract will begin this January. City Manager Terry Carcella said the driving force behind the decision is the amount of money that’s owed to...
Hunker man on trial for sexual assault
A now-20-year-old woman told a Westmoreland County jury Monday she never expected to be the victim of a sexual assault. “I was going to go have a good time. I just turned 18 and wanted to get out in the world,” she testified during the first day of the trial...
Record $2.5M spent at Westmoreland tax sale
Kimberly Brant of Adamsburg came to the Westmoreland County Courthouse with a pocketful of cash and hopes for a new home. Jon Wildi of New Kensington hoped for a miracle. Both saw their wishes come true Monday morning at the county’s annual sale of tax delinquent properties where a record...
Delmont woman accused of filling dog prescription for hundreds of Xanax pills after pet’s death
A Delmont woman who works as a veterinary technician is accused of attempting to fill a Xanax prescription for her dog four months after it had been euthanized, according to court papers. Agents with the state Attorney General’s Office also said Bobbi Jo Vaia, 38, filled a legitimate Xanax prescription...
Coroner: Man hit by train near South Huntingdon-Smithton border died by suicide
A man who was hit by a train Monday morning at the border of South Huntingdon and Smithon died at noon, authorities said. The 67-year-old Chartiers Township, Washington County, man died by suicide, according to a release from the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The man was hit just after 10:30...
Murrysville waits to move forward with short-term rental ordinance
Murrysville council members are debating an ordinance regulating short-term rentals through companies like AirBnb and VRBO. The council has split over the rental issue perceived by some as limited in scope and by others as a question of personal safety for neighbors in a residential area. “So far, I’ve heard...
Penn Township gym to host fundraiser for children with cancer
Gianna Wilkie wants her two passions — fitness and Penn State’s THON — to “stay collided” in a spin class fundraiser slated for this month. As a Penn State student, Wilkie was highly involved in THON, an organization that raises money and offers support to families facing childhood cancer. In...
‘Day One Sober’: Youngwood native Mia Logan explores cathartic side of songwriting
Going the autobiographical route for your first musical release represents a bold move. So does including lyrics along the lines of: Now I’m sleeping in the bed that I have made / Every day I try to fix my past mistakes Plus Youngwood native Mia Logan named that tune “Day...
Greensburg Salem set to reject outdoor classroom bids; basketball court taking shape
Greensburg Salem is rethinking its approach to developing an outdoor classroom at the high school as construction proceeds on a new basketball court in a grassy area behind the middle school. Superintendent Ken Bissell said he would like to get community input while the district considers other potential facility projects,...
Westmoreland Fair provides educational opportunities for students prior to fall classes
For Madison Davis, the Westmoreland Fair has conflicted with the start of her college classes for the past three years — but it hasn’t stopped her from making the most of her fair experience. Davis, 20, of Dawson, is a junior majoring in nursing at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly...
Latrobe Italian Festival returns for 2nd year, catalyzes growth for local community
Michael Ciotti says he’s been going to Italian festivals his whole life Since he was born in the city, it naturally made sense to create the Latrobe Italian Festival soon after opening his local business. The festival returns to Thompson Street this weekend for the second year, honoring the city’s...
Menu specials will welcome diners at 14 eateries during Greensburg Restaurant Week
Bay of Fundy salmon, Syrian specialties and generous servings of pumpkin waffles and pancakes are among the flavorful options awaiting diners who partake of the offerings during Greensburg Restaurant Week. Slated Monday through Sept. 17, the semi-annual event showcases the diverse menus of 14 restaurants in Greensburg and nearby communities,...
Westmoreland political leaders eye state judicial contests to lure voters
Westmoreland County’s political leaders said Election Day 2023 could set the stage for the following year’s presidential election. With a ballot devoid of high-profile contested county races this fall, officials said they expect to work overtime to ensure voters are motivated to head to the polls or vote by mail...
‘Homecoming’: Sisters of Mercy, St. Xavier’s Academy alumni return to Unity to celebrate opening of new nature preserve
Barbara Mance was sitting in her English class at St. Xavier’s Academy on March 16, 1972, when the fire alarm went off. She walked downstairs, assuming it was just another fire drill. She and her classmates were joking that “maybe the old place is finally burning.” Upon arriving outside, they...
