Westmoreland category, Page 260
Show me the money: Teachers, education experts advocate for financial literacy
Ligonier Valley financial literacy teacher Martin Hickey often hears from students about how his classes have impacted their lives, but one response from a former pupil sticks with him. “One of the kids I had in my class, I happened to see him in the street … and he goes,...
Flying high: Mt. Pleasant man’s heart soars after winning model air pilot award
One of Josh Pluck’s earliest childhood memories is with a model airplane. He watched as his father pumped 192 pounds of air into an Air Hogs Sky Shark. The pressurized plane was a free flyer that required the user to throw it into the sky to launch it. “Well the...
Out & About: 2 artist groups join forces for ‘Art Neighbors’ show
Automotive pioneer Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” The notion is reflected in “Art Neighbors,” a joint exhibit presented by the Greensburg and Latrobe art centers. The fifth annual show opened May 4 at Latrobe Art Center, featuring 133...
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s happy hour goes ‘off to the races’
And they were “Off to the Races” at a May 12 Kentucky Derby-themed Art on Tap happy hour at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Guests were invited to come in haute hippodrome couture, and they obliged with summer frocks, fascinators and chapeaus for the ladies and fedoras and sport...
Out & About: SAMA-Ligonier Valley exhibit is all in the family
It’s a family affair. “In Our Elements: Works in Wood, Glass and Painting,” the current exhibit at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, features work by noted local artists Paul and Mandy Sirofchuck and their daughter, Clair Maier. Paul is an award-winning woodworker for his contemporary furniture...
Out & About: Bushy Run Battlefield tea offers bonus history lessons
Finger sandwiches, scones, strawberry soup, salad and orange fluff were on the menu for the annual Spring Tea, held May 12 at Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township. A sell-out crowd of 69 gathered in the stone room at the visitor center around tables set with white linens, china and...
Behind the art: ‘Vision of St. Jerome’ depicts Judgement Day
(Editor’s note: Behind the Art is a recurring series highlighting artistic works throughout the county.) One of the most significant paintings in the collection at St. Vincent College’s art gallery was donated by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in the 1850s. “The Vision of St. Jerome” was shipped to the...
White Valley church in Export can be traced back to area’s first settlers
Scott Duff of Export remembers being a kid and catching salamanders in a stream not far from where the White Valley church stands in the borough, on Roosevelt Avenue. In the cemetery on the church grounds, there are two thin, well-worn headstones. “If you come out here in the morning,...
Arrests made for alleged violent home invasion in Latrobe
Three men were in Westmoreland County Prison on Saturday after they were charged with a violent home invasion in Latrobe. According to city police, Edwardo Romero-Gross, Paul Kline and Christian Long work black face masks as they forced entry into an apartment on Lincoln Avenue early Friday morning. They allegedly...
Local whiskey, honey among treats at West Overton Village Makers Market
Heavy rains can’t dampen the desire for local spirits. Dozens of thirsty visitors jammed into the small tasting room in the brick barn at West Overton Village on Saturday afternoon to sample rye whiskey and take a short indoor break during the annual Makers Market. Weather made for some muddy...
Vendors kick off the weekly Ligonier Country Market despite the rain
The popular Ligonier Country Market opened for the season Saturday near Ligonier. Unfortunately, a steady rain fell throughout the morning. There were more than 130 vendors scheduled to attend. Offerings included all kinds of fresh produce; a wide variety of flowers from annuals to perennials to fresh cut arrangements; straight...
North Huntingdon man pleads guilty to assault, endangerment in standoff with police
A North Huntingdon man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other charges stemming from a July 28 standoff with authorities, triggered when police said he fired 15 to 20 gunshots inside his home. Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio on Friday sentenced 42-year-old Adam Plecenik to up to...
Franklin Regional recognized as model for education excellence by national association
The Franklin Regional School District was among six in the U.S. to be chosen by the School Superintendents Association as a model of positive change in public education. The association recognized Franklin Regional as a 2023 spring “Lighthouse System,” adding it to the 120-member Learning 2025 Network, a group of...
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Murrysville marks 200th anniversary
Emmanuel Lutheran Church and Emmanuel Reformed Lutheran Church can trace their beginnings back to the same group of German Lutheran immigrants, some of the first Europeans to settle in the area that would become Murrysville. Unfortunately, both churches also had to share in the frustration of having their 200th anniversary...
Laurelville Retreat Center launches capital campaign for $2.3M Gathering Place
Laurelville Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant Township plans to break ground this fall on a $2.3 million meeting space at the center of its 600-acre campus. According to Executive Director Jeanette Lahm, Laurelville leadership has anticipated this expansion for the past 20 years. “The bed space that we have here...
Unity man goes the extra miles to clean up the township
Car parts, clothing, guns, a pearl handled machete. They’re among the items discarded as trash that Unity native Mark Nobile, 66, has discovered while cleaning up litter around the area. Nobile, a self-proclaimed workout fanatic, began picking up trash during his runs. Years ago, he realized how much garbage was...
Ligonier Valley dance canceled, citing bad student behavior
A middle school dance scheduled for Friday night was abruptly canceled at Ligonier Valley Middle School because of student “disrespect and misconduct,” according to a letter sent to parents. The letter, signed by middle school Principal Paulina Burns, said that students’ behavior at recent events “has fallen short of our...
Lane restrictions slated for Route 119 in Youngwood, I-70 in South Huntingdon
Single-lane restrictions are set to begin Monday on sections of Route 119 in Youngwood and Interstate 70 in South Huntingdon as work progresses on improvements to the highways. Nighttime lane restrictions are expected to get underway the same day to accommodate bridge preservation work on several other roads in Westmoreland...
Time-honored tradition: Yough students drive tractors to school
Several Yough Senior High students carried on a time-honored tradition Friday as they drove various makes of farm tractors to the school on Lowber Road in Sewickley Township to celebrate the end of the year. Though not a district-sanctioned event, students bring their tractors to school one Friday each spring...
City of Jeanette Fire Department to host free pet health clinic
The City of Jeannette Fire Department will host a free pet health clinic on Sunday. Starting at 11 a.m., dogs and cats can be treated by Dr. Megan Alley of Donaldson Animal Hospital and have their nails clipped by workers from TJ’s Rescue Hideaway. The fire department is accepting donations...
The Westmoreland plans free wedding, special event vendor showcase
If you’re planning a wedding or other special event, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has a deal for you. A free wedding and special event vendor showcase is planned for 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday in the museum at 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. Information also will be available...
New Studio Flex moves into former Laurel Ballet home in Greensburg
Eve Squires is fulfilling a childhood dream with Studio Flex, her new dance and fitness business in Greensburg. Classes started in early May in the studio at 813 Highland Ave., Greensburg, former longtime home of the now-defunct Laurel Ballet. Instruction is geared for adults, either with or without previous dance...
Western Pa. musicians Andy Davis, SourMash nominated for Josie Music AwardsVideo
Two Western Pennsylvania musical acts are back in the running for the Josie Music Awards, the nation’s largest independent music awards ceremony. Mt. Pleasant native Andy Davis earned a half-dozen nominations in the Fans’ Choice (Male), Artist of the Year (Modern Country — Male), Entertainer of the Year (Male), Vocalist...
Police say Unity man sexually assaulted young girl over 7 years
Pennsylvania State Police said a Unity man was arrested Wednesday for sexually assaulting a young girl over a seven-year span. Police said Clarence J. Wallace, 74, was first accused in May 2022, with the victim telling police she was between 8 and 14 when they happened, according to court papers....
Aquinas 3rd grader takes Greensburg Rotary Spelling Bee crown
Alexis Kost, a third grader from Metzgar Elementary School, revealed a hidden talent to her family when she conquered a written spelling test and a classroom spelling competition to earn an invitation to the Rotary Spelling Bee. The competition was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greensburg for the 15th...
