Westmoreland category, Page 323
Man dies after falling down embankment while checking animal traps on Unity property
A Unity man died Tuesday night after falling down an embankment on his property while checking animal traps, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said. The coroner’s office identified the man as Paul Berger, 63. “It was icy and he fell down the side of the hill. It was a very...
Drop-off recycling programs turn live Christmas trees into mulch
Once the gifts have been unwrapped and the ornaments have been packed away, households that celebrated Christmas with a live tree have options for disposing of their used evergreen in an environmentally friendly way. Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling has partnered with several local communities, organizations and businesses to offer its...
Westmoreland among counties with most drug delivery resulting in death prosecutions
More drug dealers implicated in fatal overdoses are being prosecuted in Westmoreland County than in any other county is Southwestern Pennsylvania. Statistics released in December by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts revealed that 6.2% of all drug delivery resulting in death cases brought by state prosecutors since 2017 were...
Derry Township fire victim died of smoke inhalation, coroner says
The fire that killed a Derry Township woman on Christmas Eve started on the kitchen stove in the rear of the house, a fire official said. The victim, Esther Ann McChesney, 78, was trapped inside her Pizza Barn Road home and died from her injuries, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson...
Latrobe may consider ban on consumer fireworks
Latrobe council may ban consumer fireworks in the city. The issue arose during a debate to amend the city fireworks ordinance to mirror that of newly passed state regulations, which prohibit fireworks within 150 feet of the nearest building or vehicle. City Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer James Niesuma presented...
Victim of fatal Derry Township house fire identified
An elderly woman died after a house fire Saturday night, one of two simultaneous fires Christmas Eve in Derry Township. Bradenville Volunteer Fire Department members along with crew from a half-dozen other companies were called to Pizza Barn Road around 5:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of a house fire,...
Out & About: Westmoreland Symphony takes audience ‘Home for the Holidays’
It took a joint effort to conduct the Westmoreland Symphony’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert, on Dec. 17 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. WSO Artistic Director Daniel Meyer was leading the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Highmark Holiday Pops concert that night, so he invited guest conductor Andres Franco to the...
New Alexandria teen creates flag monument, soars to Eagle Scout rank
Motorists driving along Route 22 after dark may notice something new in the air if they glance up as they pass through New Alexandria. Three patriotic flags, illuminated at night, now stand tall at the west end of town — thanks to New Alexandria teen Lachlan McKlveen. McKlveen, who will...
State forester leads tree value workshop at Penguin Court
When people look at a tree, they might admire its branches, bark or leaves. Some private landowners might also want to know what the tree is worth. Pennsylvania Service Forester Michael Doucette recently led a forest mensuration class at Penguin Court in Laughlintown to teach community members how to determine...
Down time: What to do in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve
’Twas the day after Christmas … You’re off work and the kids are home from school. You’ve visited all your friends and relatives. The kids already are tired of their gifts. Now, you’re just waiting for New Year’s Eve. What to do in the meantime, while school is closed and...
Out & About: Greensburg Art Center hosts members’ Christmas party
Greensburg Art Center President Jerry Scorpion took a moment to reflect on the past year, during the Dec. 11 members’ Christmas party at the Hempfield gallery and educational facility. It’s been a good one in terms of growth in both membership and class attendance. “The clay classes are going through...
Christmas traditions live on at Western Pa. churches
About 20 volunteers bustled about the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew parish in Crabtree one morning this week, converting the simple country church into an elaborately decorated sanctuary. Garlands and wreaths now hang from the balcony, as a decorated tree and Nativity scene fill the space. The group of helpers, primarily...
Behind the art: ‘Night Shift’ depicts Aliquippa steelworkers at The Westmoreland
It looks cold, the men walking on a snowy street, their hands stuffed in jacket pockets heading into work. “Night Shift” is more than that though. The 1936 painting by Ernest Fiene that depicts men walking to a steel plant in Aliquippa came at a formative time for U.S. labor...
Caretaker accused of stealing $30K from Greensburg man
A former caretaker for an elderly Greensburg man is accused of stealing $31,600 from him between May and September, according to court papers. Gede L. Stewart, 48, of Greensburg was charged Thursday with forgery, theft, financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person, access device fraud and related...
International students enjoy Christmas celebration in Westmoreland County
It rarely snows in Tokyo. So it was “really cool” for Sohta Miyagawa, a Japanese student who is attending Penn-Trafford High School, to see a layer of snow blanket the ground in Western Pennsylvania. “I’m looking forward to Christmas (in America),” Miyagawa said this week at a Christmas party hosted...
Westmoreland law enforcement agencies get $1.5M in grants
Five law enforcement agencies in Westmoreland County have been awarded $1.5 million in state funding that will help at least two of them make technology upgrades. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office received the largest share of the five, $497,000, from the local law enforcement support grant program through the...
Vintage blow mold figurines are hot this holiday season
It didn’t take long for the angel blow mold Christmas decoration Laura Kochasic dropped off for sale at L&L Fleatique II in Adamsburg to find a new home — someone bought it the same day. The vintage hollow plastic holiday light-up figures have resurged in popularity this year with retailers...
Rotary, Franklin Regional club reach out to social service nonprofits for the holidays
Murrysville-Export Rotary member Theresa Gutierrez didn’t have to look far to find a worthy recipient for a holiday donation drive. “Theresa is a resource parent for us,” said Annette Gross, foster care director at Wesley Family Services in O’Hara. “The Rotary had me come out to speak with them about...
Sewickley Township woman charged in fatal crash
A Sewickley Township woman is accused of being impaired when she crossed over the center line of Arona Road, slamming head-on into another vehicle and killing its driver, according to court records. Ahna L. Malik, 43, was arrested last week on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the...
Cruising toward Christmas: Latrobe woman gifted car during holiday season
A 70-year-old Latrobe woman who went five years without a car after a failed inspection now has one after her longtime friend, Joseph Lanatovich, gifted her a 2000 Lincoln Town Car. For years, Angie Bush had to rely on public transit, car services and the kindness of her friends to...
Florida man charged in $74,000 theft from Saint Vincent College
A Florida man was jailed this week without bail on state police accusations that he used fraudulent checks to steal nearly $74,000 from Saint Vincent College, according to court papers. Troopers said Alfredo N. Paiva Matos, 28, deposited the checks into a bank account belonging to NPM Alliance Corp., what...
Lamp Theatre posters to be unveiled in Irwin
Eight scenes depicting Irwin’s history and landmarks past and present will be unveiled Friday when shadowboxes are illuminated on an exterior wall downtown at The Lamp Theatre. The posters on the Lamp Theatre Community Wall will be revealed about 5 p.m. after a brief ceremony at 4:30, said John Gdula,...
MAWC: No rate hike planned as inflation continues to impact authority spending
Rising energy costs and anticipated price increases for chemicals has left the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County with a $4.5 million budget gap seven months into the 2022-23 fiscal year. The increased expenses will require the water and sewer authority to dip into the agency’s financial reserves to balance its...
Hempfield man: Mental health issues prompted crime spree that ended with assault on police
A Hempfield man will serve up to 18 months in jail for assaulting two police officers in the culmination of a crime spree that included stealing a flag, disrupting a funeral and vandalizing a congressman’s legislative office. Roger C. Strautmann, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple offenses in four criminal...
Fire severely damages North Huntingdon home, pets die
A fire severely damaged a home at 231 Main St. in North Huntingdon early Thursday afternoon, but no people were hurt. Two dogs and two cats were in the home at the time of the fire, and one dog and one cat died. The other cat was still unaccounted for...
