Westmoreland category, Page 26
Irwin to explore fire safety inspection program
Irwin borough officials have approved a plan for the fire department committee to develop a new fire safety inspection program. The committee will work in collaboration with the Irwin fire department and community stakeholders. The borough council voted unanimously to approve the initiative, which will be spearheaded by council members...
Updated contract would lower starting salary for new Jeannette police officers
An arbitration decision calls for wages for new Jeannette police officers to decrease in an updated contract, a change that concerns union representatives. Under the pact that expired Dec. 31, new officers hired in 2024 earned a percentage of the $78,502 base rate their first year, based on experience, and...
World War II end to be commemorated at Lamp Theatre
The 80th anniversary of the end of World War II will be commemorated at The Lamp Theatre in Irwin on Sept. 21 with newsreels from World War II, Jeeps such as the ones used during the war, historical artifacts and military displays. The free GI Canteen for a Day program...
Acid mine water treatment plant project gets $2M boost from state grant
An acid mine water remediation project, first pitched to Murrysville officials three years ago, has received $2 million in support from the state Department of Environmental Protection. As part of more than $5 million in mine-related grant funding, the department awarded $2.1 million for the Murrysville Area Watershed Association to...
Jeannette Initiative sessions set template for downtown revitalization
Two public information sessions are scheduled to share the Jeannette Initiative’s plans for revitalization as the organization prepares to apply for Main Street Matters designation in mid-October. Program manager Kristie Linden held the first session Sept. 10 and discussed the ideas that initiative committee members have identified to push revitalization...
Franklin Regional student dies by suicide at high school
A Franklin Regional student was found dead by suicide at the high school in Murrysville on Sunday morning, according to school district and community officials. “This is an unimaginable loss for our school community, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the student’s family and friends,” Superintendent Gennaro R....
Westmoreland happenings: Motorcycle run, stuffed cabbage dinner dance, art show, spaghetti dinner, more
Art • Greensburg Art Center will host a Black and White Art Show through Oct. 17 at the center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. The display includes 55 pieces in grayscale, sepia tones, natural clay and natural wood. The center will host a free presentation from 2 to 4 p.m....
Connellsville Middle School teacher accused of exchanging nude photos with 14-year-old
A middle school teacher from Mount Pleasant is accused of exchanging nude photos with a 14-year-old child. Ashley Mongell, 30, is a seventh grade science teacher at Connellsville Area Middle School. State police said they began investigating Mongell and her contact with the child after Instagram made a report to...
Thousands celebrate Scottish heritage at Ligonier Highland Games
Wayne Bunch thinks he might have some Scottish heritage, but that’s not really what drew him to the Ligonier Highland Games on Saturday. Bunch, 41, of Uniontown, was there for the chance to try out the unique sporting events. Athletes donning kilts participated in Scottish games like the stone put...
PennDOT maintenance to restrict traffic on bridges in Westmoreland County
Motorists will encounter nighttime lane restrictions beginning Monday as crews perform maintenance on two Westmoreland County bridges. Single-lane restrictions will be in place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday on the Route 30 bridge in South Greensburg. The same restrictions will occur on the Matthew Smelser Memorial...
Longtime chief of staff to Senate leader Kim Ward resigns
A shakeup is coming to the legislative staff of Pennsylvania Senate President Tempore Kim Ward. Ward, R-Hempfield, announced Friday her longtime chief of staff Rob Ritson has resigned to take at job at UPMC. Ritson has served as Ward’s top aide for 23 years. “Rob’s professionalism and demeanor set an...
Greensburg tax program 1 vote from securing another decade of incentives
The Greensburg Community Development Corp. only needs one more vote of approval before its tax incentive program can be renewed for another 10 years. Greensburg Council and Greensburg Salem School Board officials voted this week to renew the LERTA, or Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement. The program gives commercial developers...
Decaying Latrobe theater earmarked for demolition, new plans discussed
The City of Latrobe is partnering with the nonprofit Latrobe Foundation to pursue demolition of a vacant commercial building on Main Street. Decades ago, the building at 319 Main St. was home to the Olympic Theater movie house. Most recently, it was occupied by vending machine supplier Westmoreland Amusements. The...
Explore Scottish games, shop at the Glass City festival this weekend in Westmoreland
Ready for some fun and games? Kick back and relax with these events this weekend, whether with your friends, family or just enjoying some alone time. Ligonier Highland Games On Saturday, the region will celebrate Scottish games, music, food and dance at Idlewild and SoakZone with the 2025 Ligonier Highland...
Unity firefighters received honors for their response to Marguerite mine sinkhole
When firefighters serving with a Westmoreland County trench rescue team arrived near a Unity restaurant in early December to help search for a woman who had fallen into an abandoned mine sinkhole, it didn’t take long for them to realize that this incident would challenge them in new ways. Until...
Westmoreland commissioners decline to consider ballot curing for November election
The Westmoreland County commissioners Thursday again rejected calls to allow mail-in voters an opportunity to fix errors that could lead to the disqualification of their ballots in November. During the public comment period of the commissioners’ meeting at the courthouse, a handful of voters — most of them registered Democrats...
Hundreds of Pennsylvania educators call for cyber charter funding reform in state budget
Hundreds of Pennsylvania school district administrators are calling for cyber charter funding reform to be included in the state’s 2025-26 budget. A letter featuring signatures from administrators at 215 schools was sent to state legislators Thursday — calling for a cyber charter funding formula that reflects the true cost of...
Jeannette looks to crack down on ‘garbage signs’ attached to utility poles
Jeannette’s code enforcement officer is going to start targeting signs attached to utility poles through the city’s zoning ordinance. Bill Whetzel said he has a letter drafted that can be sent to violators, if he can figure out who is responsible for the signs. “Some don’t have any kind of...
Greensburg art exhibit features 101-year-old Penn Township artist
Nina Whitfield Stahlberg meandered among chairs, desks and bookcases at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library last week, directing her son, Kevin, on where to hang 35 paintings featured in her latest art exhibit. Those stopping in to check out books would hardly suspect that the Penn Township resident will celebrate...
Shapiro joins families to mark 24th anniversary of crash of United Flight 93
Gov. Josh Shapiro joined family members at the private wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial Thursday on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Shapiro did not speak at the opening ceremony in the memorial plaza that held a standing-room-only crowd. The ceremony included a ringing of the...
Westmoreland happenings: Trolley lecture, Glass City Heritage Festival, ’80s dance party, more
Children’s event • YWCA Westmoreland County will sponsor a free children’s literacy fair 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at the center, 424 N. Main St. Children can enjoy craft stations, face painting, free food, button making, games and a story time. Children who are registered in advance will receive...
Greensburg Salem creates girls wrestling club
The girls competing on Greensburg Salem’s boys wrestling team will be able to compete on a roster of their own this year following a vote by the school board Wednesday. The school board voted unanimously to create a girls wrestling club, with the hope that the program will grow into...
Lincoln Avenue resurfacing to begin in Latrobe, Derry Township; $104K fall paving OK’d in city
Crews are slated on Thursday to begin milling a lengthy stretch of Lincoln Avenue in Latrobe and neighboring Derry Township in preparation for a joint paving project. The work will extend between Route 982 in Derry Township and Main Street in Latrobe. Latrobe public works director Scott Wajdic said the...
Jury convicts East Huntingdon man wounded in shootout with state police
A Westmoreland County jury on Wednesday rejected defense claims that an East Huntingdon man’s shootout with state police last year was covered up by investigators to shield authorities from allegations of improper use of force. Jurors deliberated nearly five hours before returning 18 guilty verdicts against James R. Miller Jr.,...
Westmoreland halts spending; threatens service cuts, layoffs amid state budget impasse
Westmoreland County leaders said a looming financial crisis could result in layoffs, service cuts and facility closures without a quick resolution to the ongoing state budget impasse in Harrisburg. The county commissioners this week instructed department heads to limit spending as part of an initial phase of mandatory cost-containment measures....
