Westmoreland category, Page 326
‘Breast Saturday Ever’: A colorful name for a colorful morningVideo
When Val Tressler of Mt. Pleasant started decorating the borough’s Diamond Street gazebo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month more than a decade ago and collecting donations for a regional charity, it didn’t take long for fellow downtown business owner Denise DeSabato to join in. The decorations — and the events...
Ex-teacher brings retro classroom vibe to new School House Bakery in Unity
Shoppers have a new option for sweet treats in Unity, with the Oct. 7 opening of the School House Bakery in the Latrobe 30 Plaza. Display cases are filled with grab-and-go cookies, brownies, scones, cupcakes, small cakes, muffins, seasonally flavored cinnamon rolls and more, all baked on site. Young patrons...
Hempfield book challenge policy could mirror one used for websites
The process for reevaluating challenged books and materials in Hempfield Area School District libraries could soon become more stringent after board members indicated they would like to model the policy after one used for Chromebooks. Rather than going through a process of informal and formal challenges, board members are hoping...
Youngwood’s Hospaws merging with similar program for pet care during human medical emergencies
Hospaws is ending its operations, but the Youngwood-based organization’s mission of providing temporary foster homes or assistance to pets whose owners are in need of medical care will continue, president Valerie Hoegel said. Many of the nonprofit’s volunteers and foster homes are going to work with a similar program managed...
Norwin director objects to book on inclusion, diversity used in second grade classroom
A Norwin School Board member has criticized a children’s book read to some Norwin second graders because he claimed it celebrated sexuality while emphasizing diversity and inclusion, with drawings of same-sex couples with children, interracial couples and rainbow-colored items, which could symbolize gay and lesbian pride. “I feel it is...
Scarecrows vie for votes as decades-long fall tradition continues in Ligonier
“Halloweena the Ballerina“ strikes a demi-seconde pose in her purple-and-black tutu, with arms stretched out and downward as she greets people walking near Ligonier’s central Diamond intersection. Creating her as a figure to enter in the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual scarecrow contest was a natural for the staff...
Westmoreland transit halts drug testing of administrative staff
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority board has eliminated a requirement for members of the agency’s administrative team to be subjected to random drug testing. The board signed off on a request after officials said the requirement was unnecessary. Its elimination also could save money, officials said. “No one has ever...
North Huntingdon police make another arrest in undercover drug sting
North Huntingdon police made an arrest Thursday after an undercover drug buy of 1,000 stamp bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl, which was at least the second such arrest in eight days in the township. Keith E. Blackman, 30, who lists addresses in Jeannette and North Versailles, was being held at the...
Out & About: Seton Hill gallery shows artwork of area art students, educators
When she got the invitation, Shannon Pultz thought she was too busy to participate in a student-teacher art exhibition at Seton Hill University. It took a sixth-grader at Pittsburgh CAPA, where Pultz is chair of the visual art department, to change her mind. Their work is showing in “Cultivations: Art...
Single-lane southbound restrictions ahead on Route 119 in Youngwood
Traffic headed south on Route 119 in Youngwood will be restricted to a single lane beginning Monday as work continues on reconstructing the corridor. Lane restrictions are expected to be in place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through mid-November as crews pave Fourth Street. The work zone will...
‘Break the Cycle’ awareness event in Greensburg targets violence, abuse
“Break the Cycle” is a Unity in the Community event slated Oct. 21 in Greensburg that is meant to raise awareness of problems of racial abuse and assault, as well as domestic violence and other types of abuse. Held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the free event is set for...
Out & About: Westmoreland Historical Society presents annual preservation awards
At its 22nd annual Arthur St. Clair Historical Preservation Awards Dinner, the Westmoreland Historical Society recognized two groups that have been key to its mission of developing, managing and sharing the area’s abundant historical resources. Honorees at the event held Wednesday evening at Rizzo’s Banquet Hall in Crabtree were the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Oct. 21-23
Spooky happy hour Art After Dark is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Friday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The 21-and-over happy hour will feature seasonal beers from local breweries, craft cocktails, hot dog bar and Oktoberfest-themed light bites, pumpkin carver Brendan Conaway, a gallery...
Jeannette proposes complete tax exoneration for 2 Clay Avenue properties
Jeannette officials exonerated property taxes on two Clay Avenue properties, one of which was damaged in a fire in 2020, and are hoping two other governing bodies will follow suit. The owner of the neighboring parcels near the intersection of South Fifth Street — Minh Truong — is donating them...
Pay hike approved for Westmoreland DA spokesperson, finance department
A monthslong search for a public information officer for Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is nearly over after commissioners agreed to a 50% salary increase before the job is even filled. The county’s salary board, which includes all three commissioners and Controller Jeff Balzer, approved raising the salary for...
New Kensington man convicted of first-degree murder in 2020 slaying of Brackenridge man
The sound of sniffling and crying filled the courtroom as jurors announced their verdict in the fatal shooting of Michael Coover Jr. The Westmoreland County jury found Mario Gatti of New Kensington guilty of criminal homicide charges following a five-hour deliberation Thursday. Judge Christopher Feliciani described the decision as “citizens...
Westmoreland commissioners launch program to link students to local jobs
The Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved the creation of what they termed a “groundbreaking” program to invest in the future of local students. Commissioners allocated $949,000 toward a newly formed Westmoreland Workforce Development Plan that will be available at all 17 county school districts to promote occupational guidance and...
Salem man found guilty of sexual assault of 18-year-old
A Salem man convicted of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman “denied her of her voice” during the crime, according to Assistant District Attorney Judi Petrush. Petrush urged a Westmoreland County jury to “listen to her voice” by finding Zachary Saflin, 23, guilty on all charges. The jury nearly fulfilled Petrush’s...
Greensburg retail study cites development potential, accompanies comprehensive plan
Greensburg is capable of supporting as many as 24 additional retail shops and as many as a dozen additional restaurants, according to a retail market analysis prepared in conjunction with the city’s comprehensive plan update. “Greensburg is representative of a small, underserved market where it has the potential — with...
Norwin to host marching band competition
Seventeen bands from high schools in Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties are scheduled to perform at the 2022 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association’s championships beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday at Norwin High School Knights Stadium, McMahon Drive, Drive, North Huntingdon. Admission will be $15 for adults and $10 for...
Greensburg candle studio plans event to combat breast cancer
People who come to Greensburg on Sunday to create their own candles will at the same time be shining a light on the fight against breast cancer. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the recently opened Wicks & Wax Studio is hosting a Pour For Pink event that will...
Bus driver recruitment continues to challenge school district transportation contractors
Transportation company First Student is advertising school bus driver openings for several area districts the company serves, including Norwin, Jeannette City and Hempfield Area. But applicants have not been flocking to replenish the ranks at area school bus terminals. Driver shortages have been an issue for many districts in recent...
Franklin Regional band members kick off fundraising for 2023 Hawaii trip
Students learn about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor in history class, but setting foot on the grounds where it took place can be quite a different experience. Members of the Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band have begun fundraising for just such a trip – they plan to take part...
Soccer obstacle course joins annual Fall Fest fun at Greensburg YMCA
People attending the annual Fall Fest at the Greensburg YMCA may have their portrait drawn by a local caricature artist and kick a soccer ball through an obstacle course of cones. Those new offerings will debut during the event set for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Y at...
1 killed in Westmoreland County crash
A Greensburg woman died at an Allegheny County hospital after being involved in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday in Hempfield. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Patricia Blake, 71. The incident was reported at the intersection of Toll Route 66 and Business Route 66 at 5:40 p.m. State...
