Westmoreland category, Page 289
Proposed athletic complex in Penn Township draws opposition from some neighbors
Neighbors of a proposed indoor recreation center in Penn Township are concerned it could impact traffic and parking in their residential area. The facility, to be known as “Battlefield Sports Complex,” is on the table for discussion before the township planning commission and zoning hearing boards. Originally presented to the...
Youngwood railroad museum couples history, tradition during fish fry season
It’s fish fry season and some aficionados of the Lenten tradition got an early start Feb. 17 at the Station Cafe in Youngwood. Glenn Smeltzer made his annual pilgrimage to the borough’s old train station for lunch. He said he has been getting fish there for as long as the...
Out & About: Trivia takes center stage at The Westmoreland’s Art on Tap
Can you name the ’80s song that starts, “Tommy used to work on the docks”? If you could, you were off to a good start for Pub Trivia, the featured event at Art on Tap 2.0 on Feb. 17 at The Westmorland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. Bill and...
Behind the Art: Playfulness shows in Latrobe Art Center founder’s work
On the right wall, just inside the entrance of the Latrobe Art Center, hangs a watercolor painting that depicts a plein air artist hard at work. Dressed in blue pants and a yellow shirt, the artist bends over her easel amidst benches, flower beds, leafy trees and a fountain. No...
North Huntingdon developer adds franchise division to attract businesses
Sought-after local and national franchises could be coming to Westmoreland County as North Huntingdon- based Colony Holding Companies adds a division aimed at attracting those types of businesses, according to Don Tarosky Jr., developer and partner. First up is a location in North Huntingdon that will combine a coffee shop...
Greensburg Salem, YMCA pilot 8th-grade after-school program
About 20 eighth graders will be taking after-school field trips to downtown businesses and other places to expose them to new things in a new program between Greensburg Salem School District and the YMCA. “The Greensburg YMCA will provide a safe place for the kids where they will feel valued,...
Proposal would allow 15-year-olds to get their driver’s licenses
Pennsylvania teenagers could get their driver’s licenses a year early if a proposal from two lawmakers, including state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, gets approval. Nelson and state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, a Philadelphia Democrat, are seeking co-sponsors for legislation that would lower the age of eligibility for a junior driver’s license...
Jeannette embarks on multi-phase tree inventory, planting projects
Jeannette is going to get a little more green this year through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Community Forestry Program. An inventory of trees on public lands in the city will kick off this spring and the planting of about 50 trees is planned for the fall, said Jeff Bergman, senior...
Police: Teens get in shootout over scam involving drug-laced candy bar
Police say an 18-year-old man was jailed after getting into a shootout with a 17-year-old Mt. Pleasant Township boy on Wednesday after the victim was duped into paying $100 for a candy bar — on the false premise it was laced with mushroom-based chemicals. The suspect, Joseph A. Greep Jr....
Greensburg suspends police officer, beefs up security in wake of former police chief’s arrest
Greensburg has suspended a veteran police officer as it seeks outside help to select a permanent successor for its former police chief, who is charged with federal drug crimes. City solicitor Zachary Kansler said Friday that patrol Officer Regina McAtee, who has been with the department for more than 19...
Teens charged after leading state police on high-speed chase down Route 30
Three teens were taken into custody after state police said they escaped from Adephoi Village and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase Thursday night along the Route 30 eastbound corridor. State troopers initially responded to a report around 10 p.m. that an employee’s vehicle had been stolen at Technimark,...
Support continues after fire ravaged Elizabeth Forward High School auditorium
Nearly two weeks after a fire raged through the Elizabeth Forward High School auditorium, donations to the district keep growing. One GoFundMe has raised over $36,000 to benefit the district. Another drew more than $2,000 in support. A third raised $30. That money is in addition to equipment and dollars...
Pittsburgh, Greensburg dioceses permit eating meat on St. Patrick’s Day during Lent
Catholics in Western Pennsylvania will be allowed to eat traditional St. Patrick’s Day fare like corned beef, Reubens and Irish stew this year, despite the holiday falling on a Friday during Lent. Normally, Catholics abstain from eating meat on the Fridays of Lent., but Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik and Greensburg...
6-year-old Belle Vernon Area student dies after being hit by car
On Friday afternoon, the Rev. Mary Kay Glunt placed a pinwheel, colorful flowers and a stuffed white lamb in the yard of First Presbyterian Church of Belle Vernon. Amanda Woznick saw it and knelt in front of it, crying. Glunt’s mementos marked the scene where, hours earlier, Woznick’s 6-year-old daughter...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Feb. 24-26
Historical trivia Join Westmoreland Historical Society for a night of trivia in celebration of Westmoreland County’s 250th anniversary from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Yinzer Valley Farms, 681 Mulberry Hill Road, East Huntingdon. Ace Trivia will pose questions focusing on the county’s history since its founding Feb. 26, 1773....
Latrobe Municipal Authority offers to take lead on slippery subject
Latrobe Municipal Authority officials are aiming to reduce the amount of cooking fats and oils that, when disposed of improperly, clog sewerlines and pollute local waterways. “We have to do something,” authority board member Carl “Skip” Bollinger recently told city council members. “Our main problem is the Nine Mile Run...
Kosko joins GOP field for Westmoreland commissioner
Paul Kosko of Hempfield has joined a field of at least four candidates who are seeking two Republican nominations for Westmoreland County commissioner. Kosko, 62, joins incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew, along with retired executive John Ventre, as candidates in the May primary as Republicans attempt to hold their...
Teacher-student ratio, staffing expected to hold steady during Hempfield Area transition
Now that Hempfield Area’s school board has approved middle school consolidation, the district has a hefty task at hand. Upcoming months will be spent reassigning Harrold students to one of the two remaining middle schools and moving faculty assignments as the district simultaneously prepares to embark on the $128 million...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust seeks controller, sees rebound from pandemic
Westmoreland Cultural Trust is in the market for a new fiscal manager as it looks to rebound from a pandemic-related drop in revenue and in events at its two Greensburg venues. Longtime controller John Bolha retired in 2021 after 19 years on the job. An interim controller filled in, and...
Former inmate claims mistreatment in Westmoreland jail
A former Westmoreland County Prison inmate claims his mistreatment while he was at the jail led to health issues that have left him confined to a nursing home, according to lawsuit filed this week. James Robert Frantz, formerly of Hempfield, contends he sustained injuries in a fight with another inmate...
Hempfield safety officer, volunteer firefighter running for township supervisor
Michael Wolford is a candidate for Hempfield Township supervisor. The 54-year-old township resident said he’s running to be the “voice of the community.” In a statement, Wolford said he wants to hone in on issues like public safety, volunteer firefighter support, tax dollar transparency, job creation to retain Hempfield’s younger...
Monroeville woman will present Nancy Drew ‘mystery history’ in Delmont
Tara Rotuna has been solving mysteries alongside Nancy Drew since she was 8 years old. Along the way, she solved some other mysteries, like the truth behind Nancy Drew author Carolyn Keene, and she started collecting Drew books and began attending themed conventions across the country. Rotuna, 52, of Monroeville...
Seton Hill production puts modern spin on Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’
History tends to repeat itself — a notion that will be explored in a Seton Hill University Theatre and Dance Program production of “Julius Caesar.” William Shakespeare’s classic drama of political intrigue and personal honor will be staged Friday and Saturday and March 3 and 4 in the university’s Performing...
Westmoreland municipal authority approves $31 million treatment plant expansion
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will spend $31 million to expand and upgrade a water treatment plant near Connellsville — a 70% jump in the cost estimated when it was initially approved 27 months ago. Originally expected to cost about $18 million, the project’s price jumped in the intervening...
Westmoreland DA hopes to expand trauma intervention program in schools
A pilot program launched last year in response to the murder of an 9-year-old New Kensington boy has helped as many as 45 school-age children deal with ongoing trauma, according to the Westmoreland County district attorney. Nicole Ziccarelli wants to expand the program, which provides aid and comfort to children...
