Westmoreland category, Page 304

The race for the 12th Congressional District is seemingly lost in the barrage of ads for Pennsylvania’s higher-profile Senate and gubernatorial races. It pits state Rep. Summer Lee, a Democrat from Swissvale, against a Plum councilman who shares a name with the person who currently represents the area — Rep....

Inflation has been pushing grocery bills higher, and that means Operation Santa Claus will have to raise more money this year to be able to help Western Pennsylvania families in need. A holiday meal for a family of four that typically costs around $17.25 now is $20 or more, said...

A two-mile stretch of the Youghiogheny River along the Allegheny-Westmoreland border is cleaner after close to 700 tires were removed this summer by a group of volunteers. ”It’s an effort that not only beautifies the river, but also creates a healthier environment for people, fish and wildlife in our area,”...

Like stores that put out Halloween decorations just after Labor Day, the Ruggieri family of Southwest Greensburg starts the elaborate and extensive decorating of their house at the corner of Mace and Guthrie streets in time for that September holiday weekend. “Our family has a passion for this, for Halloween...

The sound of excited barks floated across Indian Lake Park on Sunday afternoon, where 50 dogs and their owners prepared to show off their costumes while raising money for a local animal shelter. The Howloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest benefiting Cross Your Paws Rescue attracted animals from across the...

Hempfield residents soon could have a new park more centrally located in the township as officials look to revamp land recently purchased from Excela Health. Of the 43 acres comprising the property along Route 30 near Mt. Pleasant Road, 14 acres could be designated for a park featuring a splash...

In a small town with quaint shops, a choice of restaurants and multiple widely popular community events throughout the year, you could argue that life is good already. And yet, for Ligonier, things might just have gotten yet another notch better with the addition of a Life Is Good branded-merchandise...

Nicholas Borrelli might have donned a Halloween-themed T-shirt Saturday afternoon as he strolled through Historic Hanna’s Town Fall Family Day, but he wasn’t there for just candy. Instead, the 11-year-old Greensburg resident was bursting with excitement at the chance to discover more about Western Pennsylvania’s history. “I really enjoy learning...

Irwin area residents will get a chance to see — and have their picture taken with — the latest installment of Wings Across Westmoreland set to be unveiled at noon Thursday at The Lamp Theatre in the 200 block of Main Street. This Wings Across Westmoreland — two coated black...

The candidates running to represent voters in the state House 58th District offer clear differences that fall in line with the partisan divide in Harrisburg. Incumbent Republican Eric Davanzo, an anti-abortion candidate who favors elimination of mail-in voting and opposes strict gun control, is seeking his second full two-year term...

Closures on routes 981 and 819 are slated to begin Monday as work continues on the first phase of the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project in Mt. Pleasant Township. The closures, which are expected to require detours through mid-November, will affect a section of Route 981 between Hecla and Boyer...

Norwin’s top administrator Friday pushed back against a school director’s social media posts this week that used a meme of a Halloween costume titled “(expletive) Retard” and signed the post with “Reeee..,” a sound that some autistic persons sometimes make when overstimulated. Superintendent Jeff Taylor said in an emailed statement...

A Hempfield man was ordered Friday to serve two years on probation in connection with an incident in 2018 that prompted two teenage babysitters to flee his home. Gregory Bittner, 40, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor and simple assault after two 15-year-old girls claimed he...

It seems fitting that two people long involved in the artistic and cultural life of Pittsburgh should tell the story of Pittsburgh artist John Kane. Authors Maxwell King and Louise “Lulu” Lippincott will discuss “American Workman: The Life and Art of John Kane,” their book about the self-taught, early 20th-century...

More than 43% of county residents who participated in a study of Westmoreland County’s broadband have little to no internet service, according to preliminary results announced Thursday. Since July, the county has conducted a survey of homes and businesses to gauge broadband connectivity and early findings indicated that as much...

Vandergrift police say a man wanted on multiple warrants had to be repeatedly shocked with a stun gun after he ran from officers and then bit one of them in the arm while being taken into custody. Antjuan Dewayne Smith, 39, of the 2600 block of Brown Avenue in Hempfield...

Haunted history Glowing jack-o’-lanterns will light the way as a ghostly figure welcomes guests to “Hair-Raising History: Frightfully True Stories from the Ligonier Valley,” with tours from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Compass Inn Museum, 1386 Route 30, Laughlintown. Storytellers will relate eerie tales of local 19th-century...

Westmoreland County officials will continue to pursue development of a $20 million test track facility despite the shuttering of Argo AI, a marquee tenant at the East Huntingdon site. “There’s a strong demand for test track space, and I’m pretty confident we will be able to back-fill this facility with...

The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department along with police in North Huntingdon, Penn Township and Murrysville are participating in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The departments will take unused, unwanted or old pills and liquids at the following locations....

For 1,662 days, Kathe Gross waited for Thursday. It was the day state police charged the man they believe killed her daughter, Cassandra Gross, of Unity. Since April 9, 2018 — the day Kathe Gross reported her daughter missing — she pushed for homicide charges against Thomas G. Stanko, 52....

A complaint was lodged this week with the Westmoreland County Board of Elections asking it to investigate a claim that Southwest Greensburg improperly lobbied borough voters to support a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. If the referendum is approved, it would eliminate a 1-mill annual library tax. The complaint...

Exceeding expectations, nearly 22,000 Westmoreland County voters already have cast ballots with less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 8 general election. County officials said the number of mail-in applications requested and returned by voters has continued to surpass estimates. As of Wednesday, more than 36,000 mail-in and...

Western Pennsylvania frontier history and Halloween traditions and lore will combine for a fascinating and fun seasonal brew of activities this weekend at Historic Hanna’s Town. A new trick-or-treating opportunity joins numerous returning features during the re-created 18th-century village’s annual Fall Family Day, set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m....

PennDOT is presenting online plans for three bridge replacement projects in Westmoreland County. The projects are on East Pittsburgh Street in Hempfield, Route 356 in Allegheny Township and Route 906 in Rostraver. In addition to replacing an arch culvert over Pine Run with a precast concrete structure, the Allegheny Township...