Westmoreland category, Page 327
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...
Long-awaited Sobel’s Obscure Brewery opening in Jeannette
The anticipation has been building for the past three years as Sobel’s Obscure Brewery chipped away at transforming an old Jeannette department store into a taproom. It’s finally here — the Clay Avenue space is opening Friday. Jackie Sobel, who co-owns the craft brewery with her father, David Sobel, said...
Pa. casino revenue jumps to $448 million in September
Pennsylvania casinos saw an increase in revenues last month, state regulators said, a jump from the gradual decrease felt across the industry since the record-breaking month of March. In all, casinos generated $448.4 million in September, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That’s one of the...
Unity man accused of shooting pellet gun at house, troopers
A Unity man who state troopers said shot a pellet gun at them Tuesday night was arrested on burglary and assault charges. Police said they heard Robert A. Reynolds, 60, shooting the pellet gun “in unknown directions” when they arrived at Cranberry Lane after a report of a break-in, according...
Penn Township Ambulance to mark 50th anniversary
When the Penn Township Ambulance service started a half century ago, resources were tight. There wasn’t an office for the first two volunteers or a garage for the ambulance. “In the winter weather, someone had to get out there and start (the ambulance) to make sure the battery made it...
A passion for science: Seton Hill program pairs college, high schools with STEM education
It took only seconds, but the soft shuffle of paper fluttering to the floor quickly enthralled a class of Jeannette High School students last week learning about “Whirlybird Physics.” Over the course of a 40-minute physics class led by Seton Hill University seniors Mackenzie Longo and Brady Whalen, students stretched...
Out & About: YWCA Westmoreland fashion show reveals thrift store ‘hidden gems’
Organizers of the annual YWCA Westmoreland County Girls in Pearls Fashion Show called this year’s rendition “A Hidden Gem Extravaganza.” Looking at the sell-out crowd of 280, board President Theresa Rusbosin said the Y itself is something of a hidden gem in the community, “but we may not be after...
Westmoreland happenings: Fruit sale, craft shows, stuffed pork chop dinner
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
Westmoreland waives residency requirement for county jobs
The Westmoreland commissioners said a residency requirement for all county employees will be lifted in an effort to find candidates for more than 200 vacant government jobs. Officials said the county has struggled to replenish its workforce and suggested that the residency requirement, which has been in place for years,...
Salem man on trial for attempted rape of teen
The lawyer for a Salem man accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl told a Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday that alcohol consumed by his client’s accuser renders her an unreliable witness. Zachary Saflin, 23, is charged with attempted rape, two counts of aggravated indecent assault, false imprisonment, indecent assault...
Case against Jeannette man will proceed in fatal stabbing, despite claims of self defense
Done with work for the day, Jasmine Ross and Antwone D. Thurston II were enjoying the evening of Sept. 26 on the porch of their shared Jeannette home. They were accompanied by a neighbor, but things turned sour when William Osselburn, 62, of Jeannette joined in, Ross said. Osselburn began...
Penn Hills woman charged after Murrysville drug sting
A Penn Hills woman was arrested Monday after police said she sold five bricks of suspected heroin/fentanyl to a confidential informant in Murrysville, according to court papers. Summer L. Kerley-Webster, 38, is facing drug and criminal use of a communication facility charges. Police from North Huntingdon and Murrysville were assisted...
Derry Township man accused of child rape
A Derry Township man was jailed Monday on child rape charges. Brandon James John Bryan, 35, is accused of raping a girl when she was 10 and 11 years old, according to court papers filed by state police. The girl reported in June to troopers that Bryan raped her on...
Construction issues slow rebuild of Westmoreland courthouse garage
A series of setbacks is blamed for delays in completing a $7 million project to rebuild the two-story underground parking garage at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey said the work, which began in April, is now expected to be finished in February. “We’ve had...
Irwin to buy new police vehicle
Irwin’s police department will not have to wait months to get a new police vehicle because one is already on a local dealer’s lot. Borough council on Oct. 12 approved spending a maximum of $52,000 on a new police vehicle, a fully equipped Ford Explorer from Jim Shorkey Ford of...
Workforce training seen as a key to maximizing $63 million grant to boost region’s robotics, AI industries
While Southwestern Pennsylvania’s robotics industry has the potential to grow with a targeted federal grant of almost $63 million, officials Monday stressed the need for a skilled workforce to make that potential for growth a reality. “This is about our economic future,” said Craig Buerstatte, the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s...
Sewickley man missing since September found dead
The body of a Sewickley Township man who was reported missing in September was found Monday morning by a hunter, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Aaron D. Ross, 43, of Wendel Road in Sewickley, was last seen Sept. 7, and was reported missing by his mother. On Monday...
North Huntingdon man charged with sex assault of teen
A North Huntingdon man is being held without bail after township police arrested him in connection with a reported sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl, according to court papers. Mark M. Mycka, 33, was arrested Friday on charges of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses. Police...
Charges filed after Turner Dairy Farm tractor found parked in nearby driveway
A Salem man was arrested Sunday on theft charges after state police said they found a missing farm tractor worth $15,000 parked at his home, according to court papers. Gary A. Lauffer, 54, told troopers that he took the tractor from a nearby dairy farm to do work on his...
1 injured after tractor-trailer carrying mail crashes on Pa. Turnpike
An Allegheny County man escaped a burning tractor-trailer Sunday afternoon with the help of a passerby after crashing the rig on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, according to state police. The tractor-trailer, which firefighters said was hauling mail, was headed west on the highway around 1:30 p.m. when it crashed near milepost...
Greensburg beef jerky business aiding troops, veterans
A Salem man who started a beef jerky business in California six years ago is competing for a slice of the $1.2 billion annual domestic meat jerky market. Part of the mission of Air Force veteran Christopher Prascus’ Soldier Boy Beef Jerky is to give back to those who serve...
Protect PT will host radon information workshop, offer sensor rentalsVideo
Despite its prevalence in Western Pennsylvania, radon — the odorless, colorless gas that results from the breakdown of naturally occurring radioactive elements in soil and rocks — has been largely ignored even as it causes an estimated 21,000 deaths annually in the U.S, according to the American Lung Association. The...
19th century James Butler furniture part of Penn’s Woods exhibit
Two wooden pieces of furniture created by James Butler bear dates — 1875 and 1899. Butler, who at the time lived on Spring Street in Ludwick before it became part of Greensburg, may have used the items in his home and had no intuition they’d be considered works of art...
Proposal to revise Norwin’s nepotism policy fails to gain support
Norwin School Board won’t be changing its nepotism policy to include asking prospective employees if they are friends with a school official or school board member before they are hired. Director Bob Wayman proposed the revision to avoid questions of impropriety in who the district hires, especially in cases where...
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s new exhibitions explore meaning of ‘American’
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has a historic first with the simultaneous opening of three exhibits exploring the meaning of the word “American” in the museum’s title. At a Saturday evening preview for members and special guests, Chief Curator Jeremiah William McCarthy said, “It’s really not just a word...
