Westmoreland category, Page 247
Despite weather, labor challenges, sweet corn is still king for area farmers
Greg Forejt Jr., owner and operator of Windy Heights Farm in East Huntingdon, was determined to get an early jump on sweet corn season this year. He and his team began in the early spring by planting about 140,000 seeds in a greenhouse on his property. As the stalks began...
Fireworks in Pennsylvania: Public menace or family fun?
For decades, backyard fireworks enthusiasts in Western Pennsylvania had two choices: trek across state lines to purchase fancy pyrotechnics or settle for some sparklers in Pennsylvania. Rob Kuhns of Hempfield spends around $500 a year on fireworks for the Fourth of July and would cross the border to Ohio every...
Officer-involved shooting leaves 1 person dead in Ligonier Township
A Ligonier Valley police officer shot and killed an unidentified man Sunday at a township residence, authorities said. Police responded to a Gravel Hill Road home about 3:50 p.m., which led to the shooting, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said in a news release. She did not elaborate...
Latrobe’s Miss 4th of July 2023: Volunteer, scholar, performer
Seventeen-year-old Piper Anke has a busy schedule. With work as a volunteer, shows to perform and awards to accept, it’s no small feat that the Derry Area student was able to compete in this year’s Latrobe’s Miss 4th of July pageant, let alone take home the crown. Anke is well-known...
Police say Pittsburgh bar owner hired locksmith to open padlocked nuisance property
A Penn Township man who owns a Pittsburgh bar that was padlocked Friday was arrested over the weekend after authorities said he hired a locksmith and entered the building, according to court papers. Derrick Hemby, 60, was released on his own recognizance Sunday on felony charges of trespass and solicitation....
Out & About: Westmoreland Art Nationals bestow 2nd round of awards
Walter Mizwa of Monongahela was accepted into the Westmoreland Art Nationals for a photo titled “Mr. Stump,” an image of a craggy face carved into a tree in Washington County’s Mingo Park. Unfortunately, viewers intrigued by the photo won’t be able to go find the source of his inspiration. The...
Out & About: TGIS summer concerts return to The Palace Theatre
Westmoreland Cultural Trust hosts its signature Party at The Palace every winter at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg — but that doesn’t mean there’s not a party going on at other times of the year. A festive atmosphere prevailed as the TGIS series of free summer concerts returned to the...
Scottdale Concert Band kicks off season with back-to-back performances
The Scottdale Concert Band will perform at 7 p.m. July 8 and 9 in Scottdale and Ligonier to kick off it upcoming summer concert series. The band was formed in 1981, and in 2021 reorganized as a nonprofit organization which can apply for grants and accept donations. The concerts will...
Out & About: The Westmoreland celebrates community with ‘Block Party’
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is joining in the Westmoreland 250, a yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Westmoreland County, with the exhibit,“Block Party: Community and Celebration in American Art.” Running through Sept. 17, the exhibit takes inspiration from the World War I-era innovation of...
Unusual arts, crafts showcased at Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival
An idea and a leap of faith led business partners Tina Fink and Ron Johnson down a new career path — creating jewelry and other items from vintage flatware and coins. Fink said it’s been rewarding to find unique pieces and then a new home for them. One customer who...
Appeals court rejects Thomas Stanko’s bid to lower federal prison sentence
A federal prison sentence was upheld by appeals court judges who considered an appeal from a Unity man serving time in a gun case. Three Third Circuit judges last month rejected an appeal from Thomas G. Stanko, 52, who was sentenced in July 2022 to seven years and three months....
Officials stop in Greensburg to urge fireworks safety, burn prevention
Fireworks were blamed for causing a Memorial Day house fire in Penn Township, a scenario local officials are hoping won’t be repeated somewhere else over the Fourth of July holiday. “You can ruin what is supposed to be a happy occasion through the careless use of fireworks,” cautioned Greensburg Mayor...
July 14 deadline for Westmoreland Democrats to apply for commissioner vacancy
Qualified Westmoreland County Democrats who are interested in filling a pending vacancy on the county’s board of commissioners have until 4 p.m. on July 14 to submit an application. Westmoreland County’s 11 Common Pleas judges are scheduled to meet on July 17 in Courtroom 3 to hear oral presentations from...
Judge denies bond request by suspect in Jeannette stabbing death
Antwone Dupree Thurston II, 24, of Verona will remain behind bars as his criminal homicide case proceeds in Westmoreland County Court. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday denied the defense request that he set bail for Thurston, who is accused of fatally stabbing William Osselburn, 62, of Jeannette, following an altercation...
Westmoreland County to hold job fair to fill up to 250 vacancies
Westmoreland County has put out the help wanted sign. The county will conduct a job fair Wednesday, Aug. 16 at Twin Lakes Park designed to help fill as many as 250 vacant government jobs. “We desperately want to fill these vacancies,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. “When you don’t have proper...
Monessen man dies in Washington County crash
A Monessen man died of injuries after he crashed Thursday night just off Route 43 in California, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. Eric A. Moore, 56, was exiting Route 43 onto Malden Road just before 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and traveled down an...
Tractor-trailer crash shuts Pa. Turnpike between Irwin-Monroeville for hours
A crash involving a tractor-trailer early Friday shut down the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Irwin and Monroeville exits for several hours. The wreck was cleared and all lanes between Exits 67 and 57 were reopened by 9 a.m., according to PennDOT. The crash was reported at...
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival welcomes thousands
Hundreds of vendors have settled in for the 49th annual Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, running through Sunday at Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield. The festival includes an artists’ market, food vendors, crafts and activities, a juried art competition and performances by more than 50 bands. About 200 volunteers are...
Export Historical Society speaker will focus on firearms in U.S. historyVideo
Each year on the Fourth of July, Scott Duff of Export takes some time away from the cookout, fireworks and talking with friends and family to reflect on one of the muskets in his extensive firearms collection. It is a well-used Model 1763 Charleville flintlock musket from the Revolutionary War...
Murrysville will use $2 million to clean mine drainage in Lyons Run watershed
Throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, old mines channel water tainted with heavy metals such as iron and aluminum into creeks and streams, killing aquatic life and disrupting the food chain. Murrysville officials have secured $2 million in grants to address three mine-water sources within the Lyons Run watershed. Lyons Run flows south...
Thrasher to begin new job in August, endorses chief of staff as replacement
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher will leave office July 31. Thrasher, 37, of Latrobe tendered her resignation Thursday, two days after her appointment to serve as a commissioner on the Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board was confirmed by the state Senate. “I will begin my quasi-judicial position … in...
Rostraver man arrested after 7-hour standoff with state police
A Rostraver man who police said assaulted his father and stole his revolver was arrested after barricading himself inside his home for nearly seven hours Wednesday. State troopers responded to Columbus Street in Belle Vernon just before 1 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a theft and assault. The father...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 30-July 2
Big bang The pre-Fourth of July weekend starts with a bang at Cannons and Cocktails, from 5:30 to 7:30 Friday at Fort Ligonier, routes 30 and 711 in Ligonier. The casual outdoor event will feature artillery firings, music by fiddler Andy Bronkaj, appetizers by Carol and Dave’s Roadhouse and spirits,...
Gardens in Delmont tour display traditional designs, modern methods
Patterned plantings, straw-bale beds, ponds and a pagoda will be on display July 8 in the Delmont Historical Preservation Society’s Delmont Area Garden Tour. Scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the tour will begin at The Olde Log House at Fairview and Overly streets in Delmont. There, guests will...
Independence Health System lays off 53 employees
Independence Health System laid off 53 employees this week, bringing the total number of positions eliminated this year to 226. The changes come in the wake of significant financial losses and a financial credit rating downgrade for part of the health system. Formed by the merger of Butler Health System...
