Westmoreland category, Page 242
North Huntingdon police officer settles racial discrimination lawsuit for $276,000
A North Huntingdon police officer will receive about $276,000 in a settlement over the racial discrimination lawsuit he filed last year against the township and a former manager. Patrolman Albert P. Carson II will receive the payment from the negotiated out of court settlement of the lawsuit. He filed the...
‘Voids’ in North Huntingdon cemetery could be unmarked graves
The search for unmarked graves at a 239-year-old cemetery in North Huntingdon has found about 65 “voids” in the ground that could be unmarked graves from decades or centuries ago. “I am doing this to find those unmarked burial sites because I don’t want anyone to be forgotten. There are...
Up in the air: The cost of auto repair, insurance climbing
Following suit with rising costs and inflation, the costs of automobile ownership, insurance and necessary repairs have soared in recent years and are expected to continue. Frank Ferra, president of Ferra’s Automotive Services in Sharpsburg, says expenses including wages, rent, taxes, equipment and insurance, along with the costs for parts,...
Westmoreland 250: 10 unique things in Delmont, Export, Salem
(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...
2 Westmoreland men indicted in federal Snapchat hacking case
Two Westmoreland County men are among seven people who were indicted by a federal grant jury in Erie alleging they conspired to hack into Snapchat accounts, steal explicit photos and videos and distribute them on the web, federal prosecutors said. Edward Michael Grabb, 31, of Jeannette and Michael Paul Yackovich,...
Monessen man convicted of sexual assault of blind victim
A Monessen man was convicted this week of sexually assaulting a legally blind woman last year outside a Rostraver home. Following a nonjury trial Monday, Timothy L. Stitch was convicted of one felony count of sexual assault in connection with allegations made by a 36-year-old woman who claimed she was...
Business owner regroups after Scottdale fire
A Scottdale business owner was at a loss for words Tuesday after a fire damaged his automotive business the night before. “I’m just feeling a little lost right now,” said John Hyatt, owner of Keystone Autoworx LLC. “This isn’t just a job for me. I have everything in this (business).”...
Delmont man sentenced in federal child pornography case
A former Delmont man was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison following a guilty plea on charges of possession of child pornography, according to Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan. Joshua K. Minehart, 47, was initially charged in 2019 following an investigation by the U.S....
Derry man sentenced to 20 years in federal child pornography case
A Derry Borough man convicted of producing, possessing and distributing child pornography was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday, according to Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan. Michael Wilson, 44, of Derry, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 15 years supervised release....
Westmoreland County woman killed in W.Va. motorcycle crash
A Westmoreland County woman was killed Sunday in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 79, according to the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies responded to I-79 near mile marker 150 after 2 p.m. Sunday for a crash involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle. Christina Barnes, 55, of Bradenville was...
Mental health issues prompt trial delay for Penn Township man accused of killing father, aunt
A Penn Township man charged with the murders of his father and aunt nearly two years ago was found competent to stand trial Tuesday morning. But that ruling was almost immediately rescinded following a mid-hearing outburst during which Neal Hubish, 43, walked out of a court hearing he attended remotely...
Westmoreland communities receive share of casino revenue
It’s unlikely that one would expect to win money at a casino for bridge repairs or fire department renovations, but a few Westmoreland municipalities found themselves with the lucky hand Monday. Live Casino Pittsburgh doled out its latest round of Local Share Account grants at the Hempfield location Monday, bringing...
Scottdale car dealership catches fire
First responders headed to Keystone Autoworx LLC in Scottdale after receiving reports of a fire just before 8 p.m. Westmoreland 911 said fire crews asked West Penn Power to cut off power in the area while battling the flames. Multiple surrounding streets were closed while the blaze was knocked down....
Fallen EMS remembered in memorial service; ‘lives on the line every day’
Pietro Manno was overcome with emotion Monday during an EMS Memorial Service as he took identification tags engraved with the name of his son, Fred Manno. The North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue paramedic died almost a year ago after suffering a cardiac arrest while tending to a patient. Pietro Manno of Penn...
Chinese national pledges to continue appeal of human trafficking conviction and deportation order
A former Mt. Pleasant woman awaiting deportation to China told a Westmoreland County judge she will continue to appeal her conviction for human trafficking without the help of a lawyer. Hui Xu, 48, appeared for court Monday and, with the help of a Mandarin translator, asked to fire the Philadelphia-based...
Former Westmoreland Commissioner Kopas tapped to fill Cerilli Thrasher’s seat
Former Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas will return to the job he held for more than a decade. The county’s 11 Common Pleas Court judges on Monday appointed Kopas to complete the remaining five months of the unexpired term of Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher, who will resign July 31 to...
Westmoreland awards $3M in covid funds to social service programs
Westmoreland commissioners last week gave $3 million to eight social service agencies as part of its continuing allocation of federal covid relief funds. “We’re confident that the grants awarded in the fields of workforce development, mental health, housing and children and youth services are going to have a significant impact...
Increased turnout expected for Bushy Run reenactment
Although it was in jeopardy of not happening, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society anticipates an increased turnout at this year’s reenactment, set for Aug. 5 and 6. Reenactors portraying Native Americans at the event will have additional procedures to follow this year, a conciliation to the Pennsylvania Historical and...
History takes center stage at West Overton DIY Weekend festival
History is often about living and breathing things. For curators at a two-day DIY History Weekend festival at West Overton Village and adjoining Fort Allen Antique Farm Equipment Association grounds near Scottdale, it was just that as they showcased how life was experienced more than a century ago both at...
Pitt-Greensburg hosts veterans benefits fair as deadline nears for toxic exposure claims
Veterans and their survivors are invited to attend a claims and enrollment fair Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, to learn about benefits that have been expanded to cover more people who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System is sponsoring...
Allegheny Township officials finds out how much its sewage system is worth: Not enough to interest the county
Allegheny Township supervisors wondered how much the township sewer system would be worth to the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. The answer, at least in their eyes, turned out to be not enough. At their July meeting, the supervisors voted unanimously to inform the county authority that any interest they...
Greensburg knitting guild joins friendships together
Linda Kruel is hoping for a resurgence of her craft. “Crocheting has made such a big comeback; we can only hope the same for knitting,” said Kruel, president of the Golden Dome Knitting Guild based in Greensburg. Spurred on during the covid pandemic, “Grandmacore” — the term for a popular...
Residential reuse of First Commonwealth building among consultants’ ideas for downtown Greensburg
The First Commonwealth building at the southeast corner of Greensburg’s Pittsburgh and Main streets could be filled with a mix of 60 apartments and Airbnb units while the Barclay Building just to the north might house an entertainment or event venue. A neighboring three-story building to the south once occupied...
Law says Pa. autopsy reports should be public. Why aren’t they?
From coast to coast, officials have tried to block Terence Keel from getting autopsy reports as he studies jail and police-custody deaths. But after clashing with recalcitrant civil servants in California, Illinois, Maryland and Texas, the UCLA professor said no state has vexed him like Pennsylvania. In his quest for...
Franklin Regional graduate’s ‘non-objective’ art on exhibit in Greensburg
Most of the time, Darryl Audia of Greensburg is encouraging his art students at Greensburg Salem High School to follow their creativity and see where it takes them. This month, Audia’s own creativity will be on display at an exhibit of his artwork, “Pieces of a Whole,” at DV8 Espresso...
