Westmoreland category, Page 249
Hanna’s Town founder was early Westmoreland justice, defied Virginia-backed rivals
(Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series marking the 250th anniversary of Westmoreland County’s founding.) The first Westmoreland County seat, Historic Hanna’s Town, has been recreated at its original site through the efforts of historians and archaeologists. It’s a testament to Robert Hanna, who founded the town and...
Out & About: WSO plays ‘Classics on the Rocks’ at West Overton
Classical music lovers were presented with a casual concert experience at “Classics on the Rocks,” presented June 8 at West Overton Village in East Huntingdon. The “classics” part of the event was the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s cello ensemble playing a program of music by familiar composers such as Bach, Debussy...
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s Pride Prom celebrates self-expression
A popular disco-era song said, “Express yourself/You don’t ever need help from nobody else/All you got to do now/Express yourself.” Sung by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, the tune could have been the anthem of Pride Prom, held June 17 at The Westmoreland Museum of American...
Behind the Art: ‘Civics’ painting emphasizes voter responsibility
(Editor’s note: Behind the Art is a recurring series highlighting artistic works throughout the county.) “You pay taxes/Obey the law/Serve in time of war/And vote.” These lines are from “Civics,” a poem by David Joseph Kutcher that inspired an oil painting by the same name that is included in the...
Out & About: Hempfield Park concert ‘amps up’ Vogues fans
There’s something about the music you like when you’re young that just sticks with you. So it was with the crowd who came to hear Chuck Blasko and The Vogues at the Amp Up Your Summer concert on June 18 in Hempfield Park. Many of them were fans of the...
Pooches parade through downtown Greensburg for ‘Summer in the City’Video
It was a little damp on the paws Saturday morning, but that didn’t stop plenty of dog owners and downtown shoppers from dropping by Greensburg’s Summer in the City celebration at the Pitt-Penn parking lot on South Pennsylvania Avenue. From a doggie photo booth to a dunk tank, the lot...
Turnpike, PennDOT officials expand pollinator habitats, will include Irwin interchange
Pennsylvania Turnpike and state transportation officials are hoping to brighten the roadside, boost the local pollinator population and spark the public’s interest in planting native species for critical pollinating wildlife like bees and butterflies. Officials have overseen more than 40 acres of pilot planting, with an additional 25 acres in...
Westmoreland closes juvenile detention center amid state investigation, staffing shortages
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center is temporarily closed amid ongoing state child welfare investigations and staffing issues that resulted in an inability to properly staff and secure the 16-bed facility in Hempfield. Director Rich Gordon confirmed that state investigators are conducting a review of operations in the wake of two...
The Grandeur Estate boutique hotel opens in historic Greensburg mansion
Tony and Julia Taneja liked road trips that took them about four hours from their home in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. One of those trips took them through Greensburg, where they came upon a stately property for sale — a three-story brick edifice near downtown built in...
Private Industry Council hires former Norwin administrator
A former Norwin administrator has been hired as the chief operating officer for a non-profit that operates employment, education and training programs in Westmoreland and Fayette counties Thomas Wrobleski, a former human resources director for Norwin, was hired recently as the COO for the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc.,...
Fayette man accused of sending sexually explicit videos
A Fayette County man is accused of recording himself having sex with a 17-year-old Westmoreland County girl and sending seven videos of the encounters to her 15-year-old friend, according to court papers. Trevor N. Mayfield, 28, of Luzerne, was arrested Friday and jailed on $50,000 bail. State police said they...
Wildlife Works caring for albino raccoon found at Somerset County lumberyard
A rare albino raccoon is in the care of a Westmoreland County wildlife rescue after it was found with its two siblings at a Somerset County lumberyard, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The three baby animals were captured Tuesday by state Game Warden Andy Harvey at Berlin Lumber, southeast...
Franklin Regional adopts 2023-24 budget with 2-mill tax hike
Franklin Regional school directors approved a $66.6 million budget for the 2023-24 school year that includes a 2-mill tax hike. The budget will bring in $66.27 million in projected revenue. In the past few years, district officials have offset budget gaps using money earmarked to fund annual state-mandated increases in...
97th annual Cinderella Ball celebrated on Father’s Day
For a girl, her father is her first love. On Sunday, that bond was evident as dads and male role models reached out for the hand of the young women they’ve embraced their entire lives at the 97th annual Cinderella Ball — fittingly on Father’s Day. Sixteen debutantes were presented...
Early-bird teachers contract approved, tax rate unchanged in Jeannette
The Jeannette City School District property tax millage rate will remain unchanged for the 2023-24 school year, and new positions will help students with internships and teachers manage classrooms and learning. Plus, teachers will earn more starting in the 2024-25 school year under a new contract struck between the education...
Turnpike to close to westbound traffic from Breezewood to New Stanton overnight Saturday
An 86-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s westbound lanes from Breezewood to New Stanton will be closed beginning 11 p.m. Saturday to about 6 a.m. Sunday for road construction work, the turnpike commission said. The seven-hour closure is needed for crews to safely implement an interim traffic crossover as part...
House near Murrysville’s Pedora Park will be demolished
Murrysville officials have begun the process to try and demolish a long-abandoned property near Pedora Park. Council members voted unanimously to designate the residence at 6283 Old William Penn Highway as a blighted structure. “This isn’t a fixer-upper,” code enforcement officer Nick Ruffner said. The property was posted as being...
$8.8M in covid funds earmarked for water, sewer projects in Westmoreland
As many as 50 farms and other properties in East Huntingdon could have municipal water service this fall when water lines are extended to tap into the municipal system. It’s a project that might never have happened without funding from Westmoreland County, according to East Huntingdon Supervisor Joel Suter. “It’s...
Morning roundup: Rostraver woman pleads guilty to credit union theft
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, June 23: Woman pleads guilty to $340,000 theft from credit union A Rostraver woman pleaded guilty this week to taking $340,200 from a Monessen-based federal credit union almost seven years ago, then staging a fire in the safe...
Yukon fire company celebrates 100 years with upcoming carnival
An unusual wheeled contraption sits idle in the wood-paneled basement of the Yukon Fire Hall. The device — a century-old metal fire engine cart designed to be pulled by a car — has been maintained in good condition, though it’s no longer on active duty. Built in 1923, when the...
Greensburg Salem finalizes $49.4M budget that holds tax line
Greensburg Salem School Board has approved a $49.4 million 2023-24 district budget that keeps real estate taxes at 89.72 mills. It’s the fourth consecutive year without a tax hike, according to board President Jeff Metrosky. The district is counting on additional federal and state allocations that weren’t certain when the...
Judge sets bond for Seward man charged with sex offenses
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday set bond for a Seward man charged with attempting to pay a juvenile for sex. Anthony Ronald Laughard, 41, was arrested and charged June 2 with the attempted rape of a child, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and other related offenses in connection with...
Workshop for writers benefits scholarship fund
The 2023 In Your Write Mind Workshop for writers and aspiring writers will be held virtually July 13-15. Registration is open through July 12. The workshop includes live and recorded workshops and a keynote presentation from author Gail Carriger. Carriger is a New York Times best-selling multi-genre author. Some of...
Pride on display: Merchandise backlash concerns local LGBTQ community, some retailers
“Love wins” and “Love is love” are among the messages adorning apparel displayed in recognition of Pride Month at Rue 21, a chain clothing store at Westmoreland Mall. Not everyone is taking to heart such messages supporting the LGBTQIA community during June, as evidenced by recent backlash against some major...
Work on bridges to trigger lane restrictions on routes 22, 711 in Westmoreland
Motorists can expect to encounter single-lane restrictions beginning next week on Route 22 in Murrysville and on Route 711 in Fairfield. Nighttime restrictions, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., are scheduled Monday through the morning of July 1 on Route 22, between the intersections of Kistler Road/Kohosek Court and Cozy...
