Westmoreland category, Page 3
State board suspends license of Torrance hospital nurse
The State Board of Nursing has temporarily suspended a Westmoreland County nurse’s license in connection with allegations that she had sexual relations with a patient at Torrance State Hospital, according to documents filed with the Department of State. Dana R. Coxon, 40, of Penn Township was licensed as a registered...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup and sandwich lunch, clothing sale, art show, more
Art The watercolors and pastel paintings of artist Tami Krusper will be on display through March 11 at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library, 237 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. A free opening reception will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the library. Fundraisers • Olive Branch Baptist Church, 296...
TV sales up during Super Bowl week as customers chase bargains
Super Bowl-related television sales typically bring a bit of a boost at a time of year when there can be a lull in sales, said Craig Kantoris, co-owner and project manager at ConnectedLife Designs By The StereoShop in Greensburg. A handful of recent customers looked to upgrade their screens in...
Prosecutors reveal last images of Cassandra Gross, attempt to link boyfriend to her killing
An image of Cassandra Gross in a black-and-white-striped sweater with a bag of work documents under her arm marks the last time she was seen alive, her high school friend testified Thursday. Westmoreland County prosecutors contend Thomas G. Stanko, 55, of Unity killed Gross, 51, after she was to meet...
State police find 2 pounds of cocaine after traffic stop of Penn Hills man on turnpike
A Penn Hills man was arrested Tuesday after state police said they found 2 pounds of cocaine in the vehicle he was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County, according to court papers. Troopers initiated a traffic stop at 1:30 p.m. near the border of Donegal and Cook townships...
Environmentalists urge DEP to make Tenaska power plant meet air pollution requirements to get permit
Environmental regulators should revise a draft permit for a natural gas-fired power plant to operate in South Huntingdon to make the plant comply with air pollution regulations or reject the permit. That’s what a group of residents and environmentalists told state officials Wednesday. The 90-minute hearing attracted about 60 people...
‘You’re killing me’: Victim testifies in preliminary hearing for Crossroads Plaza shooting suspect
Joshua Logan had just finished a workout at Planet Fitness in East Huntingdon and was getting into his pickup truck to leave when the estranged husband of his girlfriend pulled up. Within seconds, Logan testified Wednesday, Steven Heald was shooting at him. A bullet hit him in the shoulder, spinning...
Speers man accused of ethnic intimidation in connection with racist video made at Rostraver Walmart
Ethnic intimidation charges were filed Wednesday against a man accused of recording a video that includes racist language at the Rostraver Walmart store, according to state police. They say the video was recorded by Michael Todora, 36, of Speers, Washington County. Troopers have been investigating the video, which was posted...
Thomas Stanko trial: Cassandra Gross’ mother testifies about possessive relationship
Kathe Gross took an immediate dislike to the man her daughter, Cassandra Gross, was dating in 2017 and 2018. During the first day of testimony in the trial of the man charged with her daughter’s murder, Kathe Gross told a Westmoreland County jury Wednesday that she found Thomas G. Stanko...
Attorney claims jury erred in conviction of roommate in Penn Township shooting
A North Versailles woman claims a Westmoreland County jury reached the wrong verdict when it convicted her last year of the attempted murder of her Penn Township roommate. In an appeal filed this week, the lawyer for Leah Gillis said jurors failed to adequately consider testimony that suggested the gun...
Penn-Trafford School Board renews superintendent contract for 5 more years
Superintendent Matthew Harris will lead the Penn-Trafford School District for another five years following a vote by the school board this week. Harris came to the district in 2007. He worked in various administrative roles — including assistant principal of Level Green and Harrison Park Elementary schools, director of student...
Westmoreland County Community College to launch 2-year engineering program shortly after opening makerspace
Matthew Reed, vice president for academic affairs at Westmoreland County Community College, didn’t plan for the launch of the school’s new engineering program to coincide with the opening of its makerspace. “It’s kind of a happy accident,” he said with a laugh. The college’s board of trustees approved the two-year...
Shelter from the storm: Pittsburgh-area homeless community finds relief from brutal weather
A Greyhound bus dropped Drezon “Dre” Pankey in Downtown Pittsburgh two weeks before a winter storm shut down the city with 14 inches of snow. Born in Ohio and raised in Florida, the former high school football running back knew no one here. He carried everything he owned, including a...
Naked, knife-wielding man charged with assault at optician’s office in North Belle Vernon
A North Belle Vernon man is behind bars after, police say, he took two knives into an optician’s office Monday, knocked over several display cases and stabbed a couch and the walls, according to court papers. Borough police said Darnell Wesley Howell Sr., 54, was not wearing any clothes at...
Trial set for daughter, shooting suspect in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
Opening statements and testimony in the trial of a New Florence woman charged with ordering the murder of her mother, along with one of the two men alleged to have fired the fatal shots, are set to begin Monday, Feb. 9. The 12-person jury and four alternates who will hear...
Jurors in Thomas Stanko trial can hear evidence that Cassandra Gross was declared dead in 2019
In a key ruling Tuesday, a Westmoreland County judge decided that jurors in the Thomas G. Stanko criminal homicide trial may hear limited evidence that his former girlfriend, Cassandra Gross, was legally declared dead in 2019. Following a hearing, Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II ruled details of the...
Greensburg considering $1M fire truck purchase
Greensburg Fire Department is looking to turn two fire trucks into one while city council mulls a possible $1 million price tag. Councilman Randy Finfrock proposed buying a new rescue pumper for Hose Company No. 1 from Pierce Manufacturing at the fire department’s request. The price, around $1 million, is...
Herminie man faces charges in multiple cases in Westmoreland, Fayette counties
A Herminie man is back in jail after, police said, he broke into a Mt. Pleasant Borough home and threatened a woman with a knife. Police were called to a home on the first block of Frick Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 1 after a man called 911 and said...
Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg to accept Hometown Hero banner applications
The Greensburg Community Development Corporation is accepting applications for its annual Hometown Hero banner program. The installation, launched in 2020, honors Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg residents who have left an impact on the community — including military veterans, first responders and local officials. Nearly 70 people were honored in May...
Guilty plea appealed again in Jeannette football stadium shooting
A Jeannette man serving a 25-year prison sentence for the shooting death of a romantic rival has appealed his conviction. The incident occurred outside of Jeannette’s high school football stadium in 2019. Greg A. Harper, 46, unsuccessfully attempted last year to withdraw a guilty plea to third-degree murder. He entered...
Western Pa. casinos report mixed results despite 5th year of statewide gambling revenue growth
For the fifth consecutive year, gambling revenue statewide reached a record high in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Gambling revenue hit nearly $6.8 billion last year, the board said, which is a 10.7% increase from 2024 and more than double the state’s 2016 figure of $3.2 billion....
Years after Cassandra Gross disappeared, her mother says the unanswered questions never go awayVideo
Tucked away at Kathe Gross’ house is a turquoise plastic tote filled with the memories of heartbreak. There are note cards and scraps of paper bearing names and phone numbers, handwritten notes Gross compiled on anything she could find as phone calls and information poured in after the 2018 disappearance...
Jury seated in Westmoreland County for trial of Thomas Stanko in 2018 death of Cassandra Gross
It took nearly eight years to bring Thomas G. Stanko to a courtroom in the death of Cassandra Gross, but it took only a single day to choose the 12 people who will decide his fate. Seven men and five women were seated Monday in Westmoreland County to serve as...
Suspect in fatal hit-run found hiding under insulation in Jeannette attic
A Jeannette man was hiding in an attic underneath insulation when he was taken into custody Friday on state police accusations that he was involved in a 2025 hit-and-run that killed an e-bike rider. Troopers said in court papers that they learned William Edward Sever, 37, was staying at a...
Deposit from Midway-St. Clair boosts Hempfield fire service support fund
Money that Midway-St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department had invested is being transferred into a fund controlled by Hempfield. The township supervisors on Jan. 26 accepted the deposit of $161,365.99 into the Hempfield Township Volunteer Fire Service Support Fund at the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County. “That clears the books on...
